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Pictures | Thu Dec 12, 2019 | 4:40pm EST

Newsmakers of 2019

Greta Thunberg: Since staging a solitary protest outside the Swedish parliament more than a year ago, 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg has channeled the anger felt by millions of teenagers saddled with the prospect of an escalating climate crisis their parents' generation failed to avert. In September, she carried her message to a one-day climate summit at the United Nations in New York, furiously telling leaders "you have stolen my dreams," before sailing back to Europe for the latest round of climate talks. Her ability to stare down politicians has inspired a global protest movement. REUTERS/Andrew Hofstetter

Greta Thunberg: Since staging a solitary protest outside the Swedish parliament more than a year ago, 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg has channeled the anger felt by millions of teenagers saddled with the prospect of an escalating climate...more

Reuters / Monday, September 23, 2019
Greta Thunberg: Since staging a solitary protest outside the Swedish parliament more than a year ago, 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg has channeled the anger felt by millions of teenagers saddled with the prospect of an escalating climate crisis their parents' generation failed to avert. In September, she carried her message to a one-day climate summit at the United Nations in New York, furiously telling leaders "you have stolen my dreams," before sailing back to Europe for the latest round of climate talks. Her ability to stare down politicians has inspired a global protest movement. REUTERS/Andrew Hofstetter
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Volodomyr Zelenskiy: Before Zelenskiy became Ukraine's leader, he played the role of a president in a hit TV series who was forever landing in tricky situations. But rarely was the fictional president in as awkward a position as Zelenskiy is now - at the center of an impeachment battle between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The probe is focusing on a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Zelenskiy to open an investigation into former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his son, and into a discredited theory promoted by Trump and his allies that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 U.S. election. The 41-year-old former comedian had no experience in politics before being elected in April on the promise of ending the five-year-old conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed over 13,000 people. He cannot risk relations with either side of the political divide in Washington, whose bipartisan support Ukraine counts on for aid and diplomatic cover against Russia following Moscow's annexation of the Crimea peninsula in 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Volodomyr Zelenskiy: Before Zelenskiy became Ukraine's leader, he played the role of a president in a hit TV series who was forever landing in tricky situations. But rarely was the fictional president in as awkward a position as Zelenskiy is now - at...more

Reuters / Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Volodomyr Zelenskiy: Before Zelenskiy became Ukraine's leader, he played the role of a president in a hit TV series who was forever landing in tricky situations. But rarely was the fictional president in as awkward a position as Zelenskiy is now - at the center of an impeachment battle between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The probe is focusing on a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Zelenskiy to open an investigation into former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his son, and into a discredited theory promoted by Trump and his allies that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 U.S. election. The 41-year-old former comedian had no experience in politics before being elected in April on the promise of ending the five-year-old conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed over 13,000 people. He cannot risk relations with either side of the political divide in Washington, whose bipartisan support Ukraine counts on for aid and diplomatic cover against Russia following Moscow's annexation of the Crimea peninsula in 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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Carrie Lam: Hong Kong has been convulsed by sometimes violent protests and mass demonstrations since June, in response to a proposed law by the pro-Beijing chief executive's administration to allow people suspected of crimes on the mainland to be extradited to face trial in Chinese courts. The law has been shelved, but Lam has been unable to end the upheaval. Lam said she had caused "unforgivable havoc" by igniting the political crisis engulfing the city and would quit if she had a choice, according to an audio recording of remarks she made in August. Pro-democracy parties took control of 17 out of 18 district councils in November elections, posing a conundrum for Beijing and piling pressure on the embattled Lam. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Carrie Lam: Hong Kong has been convulsed by sometimes violent protests and mass demonstrations since June, in response to a proposed law by the pro-Beijing chief executive's administration to allow people suspected of crimes on the mainland to be...more

Reuters / Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Carrie Lam: Hong Kong has been convulsed by sometimes violent protests and mass demonstrations since June, in response to a proposed law by the pro-Beijing chief executive's administration to allow people suspected of crimes on the mainland to be extradited to face trial in Chinese courts. The law has been shelved, but Lam has been unable to end the upheaval. Lam said she had caused "unforgivable havoc" by igniting the political crisis engulfing the city and would quit if she had a choice, according to an audio recording of remarks she made in August. Pro-democracy parties took control of 17 out of 18 district councils in November elections, posing a conundrum for Beijing and piling pressure on the embattled Lam. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
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Megan Rapinoe: The 34-year-old American midfielder emerged as a larger-than-life figure in soccer after leading the United States to a record-extending fourth World Cup title in France in July. When U.S. President Donald Trump took aim at Rapinoe, who had said that she would not attend any title celebrations at the White House, she let her feet do the talking and produced six goals in the tournament. The U.S. squad had sued U.S. Soccer with allegations of gender discrimination just three months before their win, saying they have been paid less money than their male counterparts even though their performance has been superior to the men's team. The class-action lawsuit is scheduled for trial in May 2020. After their World Cup victory, Rapinoe also took aim at FIFA over a sizeable gap in the prize money offered to women's champions compared to male winners. She capped off the year by winning the women's awards for FIFA player of the year and Ballon d'Or. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Megan Rapinoe: The 34-year-old American midfielder emerged as a larger-than-life figure in soccer after leading the United States to a record-extending fourth World Cup title in France in July. When U.S. President Donald Trump took aim at Rapinoe,...more

Reuters / Friday, June 28, 2019
Megan Rapinoe: The 34-year-old American midfielder emerged as a larger-than-life figure in soccer after leading the United States to a record-extending fourth World Cup title in France in July. When U.S. President Donald Trump took aim at Rapinoe, who had said that she would not attend any title celebrations at the White House, she let her feet do the talking and produced six goals in the tournament. The U.S. squad had sued U.S. Soccer with allegations of gender discrimination just three months before their win, saying they have been paid less money than their male counterparts even though their performance has been superior to the men's team. The class-action lawsuit is scheduled for trial in May 2020. After their World Cup victory, Rapinoe also took aim at FIFA over a sizeable gap in the prize money offered to women's champions compared to male winners. She capped off the year by winning the women's awards for FIFA player of the year and Ballon d'Or. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
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Juan Guaido: The president of Venezuela's National Assembly, saying the vote in which President Nicolas Maduro won a second term was a sham, invoked a constitutional provision to declare himself president in January. Maduro has said Guaido is a puppet of the United States. The 35-year-old has been recognized by more than 50 countries as Venezuela's legitimate leader. But, despite growing U.S. sanctions, Maduro has retained the support of the military and control of state apparatus. Guaido faces a new challenge in the form of an influence-peddling scandal, after website Armando.info reported in December that nine opposition lawmakers had advocated for a businessman linked to Maduro's government. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Juan Guaido: The president of Venezuela's National Assembly, saying the vote in which President Nicolas Maduro won a second term was a sham, invoked a constitutional provision to declare himself president in January. Maduro has said Guaido is a...more

Reuters / Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Juan Guaido: The president of Venezuela's National Assembly, saying the vote in which President Nicolas Maduro won a second term was a sham, invoked a constitutional provision to declare himself president in January. Maduro has said Guaido is a puppet of the United States. The 35-year-old has been recognized by more than 50 countries as Venezuela's legitimate leader. But, despite growing U.S. sanctions, Maduro has retained the support of the military and control of state apparatus. Guaido faces a new challenge in the form of an influence-peddling scandal, after website Armando.info reported in December that nine opposition lawmakers had advocated for a businessman linked to Maduro's government. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
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Theresa May: Fighting back tears, the British prime minister announced in the summer she would quit after failing to deliver Brexit, setting up a contest that eventually installed Boris Johnson as her successor. May, once a reluctant supporter of EU membership who won the top job in the turmoil that followed the 2016 Brexit referendum, stepped down with her central pledge - to lead the United Kingdom out of the bloc and heal its divisions - unfulfilled. "I will shortly leave the job that has been the honor of my life to hold," May said outside Downing Street. "The second female prime minister, but certainly not the last. I do so with no ill will but with enormous and enduring gratitude to have had the opportunity to serve the country I love," said the usually reserved May. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Theresa May: Fighting back tears, the British prime minister announced in the summer she would quit after failing to deliver Brexit, setting up a contest that eventually installed Boris Johnson as her successor. May, once a reluctant supporter of EU...more

Reuters / Friday, May 24, 2019
Theresa May: Fighting back tears, the British prime minister announced in the summer she would quit after failing to deliver Brexit, setting up a contest that eventually installed Boris Johnson as her successor. May, once a reluctant supporter of EU membership who won the top job in the turmoil that followed the 2016 Brexit referendum, stepped down with her central pledge - to lead the United Kingdom out of the bloc and heal its divisions - unfulfilled. "I will shortly leave the job that has been the honor of my life to hold," May said outside Downing Street. "The second female prime minister, but certainly not the last. I do so with no ill will but with enormous and enduring gratitude to have had the opportunity to serve the country I love," said the usually reserved May. REUTERS/Toby Melville
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Boris Johnson: The ebullient Brexiteer, who promised to lead Britain out of the European Union with or without a deal, replaced Theresa May as prime minister after winning the leadership of the Conservative Party in July. But Johnson was unable to strike a new deal, with neither side willing to compromise on the most contentious issues. The EU granted Britain a third delay to Brexit, which was originally supposed to have taken place at the end of March. Britons will vote in a snap election on Dec. 12, a political gamble by Johnson who sees it as his best chance to break the deadlock in parliament over Brexit. He has pledged to take Britain out of the bloc on Jan. 31. If he wins, his government and the other 27 member states of the EU will still have an 11-month transition period to negotiate a future relationship. If they fail to hammer out a new trade deal by the end of 2020, which experts say is likely, and they fail to agree to extend the transition period for more negotiations, Britain will effectively be facing a disorderly no-deal Brexit again. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Boris Johnson: The ebullient Brexiteer, who promised to lead Britain out of the European Union with or without a deal, replaced Theresa May as prime minister after winning the leadership of the Conservative Party in July. But Johnson was unable to...more

Reuters / Monday, October 28, 2019
Boris Johnson: The ebullient Brexiteer, who promised to lead Britain out of the European Union with or without a deal, replaced Theresa May as prime minister after winning the leadership of the Conservative Party in July. But Johnson was unable to strike a new deal, with neither side willing to compromise on the most contentious issues. The EU granted Britain a third delay to Brexit, which was originally supposed to have taken place at the end of March. Britons will vote in a snap election on Dec. 12, a political gamble by Johnson who sees it as his best chance to break the deadlock in parliament over Brexit. He has pledged to take Britain out of the bloc on Jan. 31. If he wins, his government and the other 27 member states of the EU will still have an 11-month transition period to negotiate a future relationship. If they fail to hammer out a new trade deal by the end of 2020, which experts say is likely, and they fail to agree to extend the transition period for more negotiations, Britain will effectively be facing a disorderly no-deal Brexit again. REUTERS/Toby Melville
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Jeffrey Epstein: Financier Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in July and pleaded not guilty to charges of trafficking dozens of underage girls as young as 14 from at least 2002 to 2005. He had escaped federal prosecution by pleading guilty in 2008 to Florida state prostitution charges, an agreement now widely considered too lenient. The 66-year-old died by hanging himself in his Manhattan jail cell on Aug. 10, two days after signing a will and putting his estimated $577 million estate into a trust. That estate is now the target of civil lawsuits by more than a dozen women who say he sexually abused them in his homes in New York, Florida and elsewhere. Epstein's friends once included U.S. President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Britain's Prince Andrew. New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout via REUTERS

Jeffrey Epstein: Financier Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in July and pleaded not guilty to charges of trafficking dozens of underage girls as young as 14 from at least 2002 to 2005. He had escaped federal prosecution by pleading guilty in 2008 to...more

Reuters / Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Jeffrey Epstein: Financier Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in July and pleaded not guilty to charges of trafficking dozens of underage girls as young as 14 from at least 2002 to 2005. He had escaped federal prosecution by pleading guilty in 2008 to Florida state prostitution charges, an agreement now widely considered too lenient. The 66-year-old died by hanging himself in his Manhattan jail cell on Aug. 10, two days after signing a will and putting his estimated $577 million estate into a trust. That estate is now the target of civil lawsuits by more than a dozen women who say he sexually abused them in his homes in New York, Florida and elsewhere. Epstein's friends once included U.S. President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Britain's Prince Andrew. New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout via REUTERS
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Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: The Iraqi jihadist who rose from obscurity to declare himself "caliph" of all Muslims as the leader of Islamic State died in a raid by U.S. special forces in northwest Syria in October. The caliphate that Baghdadi declared in July 2014 over a quarter of Iraq and Syria was notable for atrocities against religious minorities and attacks on five continents in the name of a version of an ultra-fanatic Islam that horrified mainstream Muslims. Thousands of Yazidi men were slaughtered on their ancestral Sinjar mountain in Iraq and women were killed or taken as sex slaves. Some other religious groups suffered sexual slavery, slaughter and floggings. The group also caused global revulsion with beheadings of hostages from countries including the United States, Britain and Japan. World leaders welcomed his death, but they and security experts warned that the group remained a security threat in Syria and beyond. U.S. Department of Defense/Handout via REUTERS

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: The Iraqi jihadist who rose from obscurity to declare himself "caliph" of all Muslims as the leader of Islamic State died in a raid by U.S. special forces in northwest Syria in October. The caliphate that Baghdadi declared in...more

Reuters / Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: The Iraqi jihadist who rose from obscurity to declare himself "caliph" of all Muslims as the leader of Islamic State died in a raid by U.S. special forces in northwest Syria in October. The caliphate that Baghdadi declared in July 2014 over a quarter of Iraq and Syria was notable for atrocities against religious minorities and attacks on five continents in the name of a version of an ultra-fanatic Islam that horrified mainstream Muslims. Thousands of Yazidi men were slaughtered on their ancestral Sinjar mountain in Iraq and women were killed or taken as sex slaves. Some other religious groups suffered sexual slavery, slaughter and floggings. The group also caused global revulsion with beheadings of hostages from countries including the United States, Britain and Japan. World leaders welcomed his death, but they and security experts warned that the group remained a security threat in Syria and beyond. U.S. Department of Defense/Handout via REUTERS
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Tayyip Erdogan: Relations between Washington and Ankara hit a new crisis point in October over Syria, after the Turkish president began a cross-border incursion against America's Kurdish allies and upended the U.S. presence there. Months earlier, the United States was livid over Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defense systems. Turkey shrugged off threats of U.S. sanctions and began receiving its first S-400 deliveries in July. In response, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, in which Ankara was a manufacturer and buyer. But so far, it has not imposed any sanctions. Ankara accuses its allies of not providing enough support against the threats it is facing and in hosting more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Tayyip Erdogan: Relations between Washington and Ankara hit a new crisis point in October over Syria, after the Turkish president began a cross-border incursion against America's Kurdish allies and upended the U.S. presence there. Months earlier, the...more

Reuters / Saturday, June 29, 2019
Tayyip Erdogan: Relations between Washington and Ankara hit a new crisis point in October over Syria, after the Turkish president began a cross-border incursion against America's Kurdish allies and upended the U.S. presence there. Months earlier, the United States was livid over Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defense systems. Turkey shrugged off threats of U.S. sanctions and began receiving its first S-400 deliveries in July. In response, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, in which Ankara was a manufacturer and buyer. But so far, it has not imposed any sanctions. Ankara accuses its allies of not providing enough support against the threats it is facing and in hosting more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
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Julian Assange: Sweden dropped a rape investigation against the WikiLeaks founder, ending the near decade-old case that had sent the anti-secrecy campaigner into hiding in London's Ecuadorian embassy to avoid extradition in 2012. The 48-year-old was dragged out by police in April, and is now in jail fighting extradition to the United States on computer hacking and espionage charges unveiled after he left the embassy. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

Julian Assange: Sweden dropped a rape investigation against the WikiLeaks founder, ending the near decade-old case that had sent the anti-secrecy campaigner into hiding in London's Ecuadorian embassy to avoid extradition in 2012. The 48-year-old was...more

Reuters / Thursday, April 11, 2019
Julian Assange: Sweden dropped a rape investigation against the WikiLeaks founder, ending the near decade-old case that had sent the anti-secrecy campaigner into hiding in London's Ecuadorian embassy to avoid extradition in 2012. The 48-year-old was dragged out by police in April, and is now in jail fighting extradition to the United States on computer hacking and espionage charges unveiled after he left the embassy. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
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Kim Jong Un: The North Korean leader has warned the United States it has until the end of the year to offer more concessions in denuclearization negotiations or North Korea will pursue an unspecified "new path". Analysts say that may include a resumption of intercontinental ballistic missile launches or nuclear tests. While U.S. President Donald Trump has developed a cordial relationship with Kim, and often speaks highly of him, there has been scant progress in the U.S. aim of getting North Korea to denuclearize. North Korea broke off working-level talks with the United States in October, pushing negotiations back into limbo after what had been months of stalemate. Washington has urged North Korea to give up significant portions of its nuclear arsenal before punishing international sanctions are eased, while Pyongyang has accused the United States of "gangster-like" demands for unilateral disarmament. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

Kim Jong Un: The North Korean leader has warned the United States it has until the end of the year to offer more concessions in denuclearization negotiations or North Korea will pursue an unspecified "new path". Analysts say that may include a...more

Reuters / Monday, February 25, 2019
Kim Jong Un: The North Korean leader has warned the United States it has until the end of the year to offer more concessions in denuclearization negotiations or North Korea will pursue an unspecified "new path". Analysts say that may include a resumption of intercontinental ballistic missile launches or nuclear tests. While U.S. President Donald Trump has developed a cordial relationship with Kim, and often speaks highly of him, there has been scant progress in the U.S. aim of getting North Korea to denuclearize. North Korea broke off working-level talks with the United States in October, pushing negotiations back into limbo after what had been months of stalemate. Washington has urged North Korea to give up significant portions of its nuclear arsenal before punishing international sanctions are eased, while Pyongyang has accused the United States of "gangster-like" demands for unilateral disarmament. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
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Jacinda Ardern: The New Zealand prime minister was cheered globally for her compassionate and heartfelt support after 51 Muslims were killed in mass shootings in two Christchurch mosques. In the wake of the attacks, lawmakers banned military style semi-automatics, and a second reform bill to create a gun register and tighten vetting of owners is currently working its way through parliament. Ardern, 39, faces a general election expected in the second half of 2020, after having taken the helm of the Labour-led government in October 2017 and won praise for her views on issues such as women's rights, climate change and diversity. But domestic critics have questioned her leadership amid sinking business confidence, a slowing economy, governance issues and, most recently, her party's handling of sexual assault complaints. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Jacinda Ardern: The New Zealand prime minister was cheered globally for her compassionate and heartfelt support after 51 Muslims were killed in mass shootings in two Christchurch mosques. In the wake of the attacks, lawmakers banned military style...more

Reuters / Thursday, March 21, 2019
Jacinda Ardern: The New Zealand prime minister was cheered globally for her compassionate and heartfelt support after 51 Muslims were killed in mass shootings in two Christchurch mosques. In the wake of the attacks, lawmakers banned military style semi-automatics, and a second reform bill to create a gun register and tighten vetting of owners is currently working its way through parliament. Ardern, 39, faces a general election expected in the second half of 2020, after having taken the helm of the Labour-led government in October 2017 and won praise for her views on issues such as women's rights, climate change and diversity. But domestic critics have questioned her leadership amid sinking business confidence, a slowing economy, governance issues and, most recently, her party's handling of sexual assault complaints. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
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Robert Mueller: The special counsel spent 22 months investigating what he concluded was Russian interference in a "sweeping and systematic fashion" in the 2016 U.S. election to help Trump as well as the president's actions to impede the inquiry. While the president said Mueller's report released in April was a "complete and total exoneration" of him, Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump committed the crime of obstruction of justice. The report also said the special counsel found insufficient evidence to establish that Trump and his campaign had engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia. In long-awaited testimony in July, the former FBI director told Congress that Russia would keep trying to interfere in U.S. elections. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Robert Mueller: The special counsel spent 22 months investigating what he concluded was Russian interference in a "sweeping and systematic fashion" in the 2016 U.S. election to help Trump as well as the president's actions to impede the inquiry....more

Reuters / Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Robert Mueller: The special counsel spent 22 months investigating what he concluded was Russian interference in a "sweeping and systematic fashion" in the 2016 U.S. election to help Trump as well as the president's actions to impede the inquiry. While the president said Mueller's report released in April was a "complete and total exoneration" of him, Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump committed the crime of obstruction of justice. The report also said the special counsel found insufficient evidence to establish that Trump and his campaign had engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia. In long-awaited testimony in July, the former FBI director told Congress that Russia would keep trying to interfere in U.S. elections. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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Justin Trudeau: The Canadian prime minister held on to his job in October's election, securing his spot as one of the world's few high-profile progressive leaders, but tarnished by scandal and with his power diminished. The run-up to the campaign was marked by high-profile Cabinet defections, and a watchdog report that found Trudeau and his team tried to undermine a federal prosecutor's decision to put construction firm SNC-Lavalin Group Inc on trial for corruption. Then, as the campaign began, a 2001 photograph emerged that showed Trudeau, then 29, at a party, his face covered in dark makeup. More photographs of him in blackface quickly followed, as Trudeau apologized. The images, which briefly dented the Liberals' popularity, ran counter to a carefully managed public persona. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

Justin Trudeau: The Canadian prime minister held on to his job in October's election, securing his spot as one of the world's few high-profile progressive leaders, but tarnished by scandal and with his power diminished. The run-up to the campaign was...more

Reuters / Thursday, September 26, 2019
Justin Trudeau: The Canadian prime minister held on to his job in October's election, securing his spot as one of the world's few high-profile progressive leaders, but tarnished by scandal and with his power diminished. The run-up to the campaign was marked by high-profile Cabinet defections, and a watchdog report that found Trudeau and his team tried to undermine a federal prosecutor's decision to put construction firm SNC-Lavalin Group Inc on trial for corruption. Then, as the campaign began, a 2001 photograph emerged that showed Trudeau, then 29, at a party, his face covered in dark makeup. More photographs of him in blackface quickly followed, as Trudeau apologized. The images, which briefly dented the Liberals' popularity, ran counter to a carefully managed public persona. REUTERS/Chris Helgren
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Meng Wangzhou: Huawei's chief financial officer, the daughter of the tech giant's founder, has been detained in Vancouver since December 2018. She is charged in the United States with bank fraud and is accused of misleading HSBC about Huawei's business in Iran, which is under U.S. sanctions. Meng has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition to the United States. China detained two Canadian men shortly after police arrested Meng on a U.S. warrant. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson

Meng Wangzhou: Huawei's chief financial officer, the daughter of the tech giant's founder, has been detained in Vancouver since December 2018. She is charged in the United States with bank fraud and is accused of misleading HSBC about Huawei's...more

Reuters / Monday, September 23, 2019
Meng Wangzhou: Huawei's chief financial officer, the daughter of the tech giant's founder, has been detained in Vancouver since December 2018. She is charged in the United States with bank fraud and is accused of misleading HSBC about Huawei's business in Iran, which is under U.S. sanctions. Meng has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition to the United States. China detained two Canadian men shortly after police arrested Meng on a U.S. warrant. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson
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Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun: Saudi Arabia's guardianship system came under scrutiny in January when the Saudi teenager fled from her family and was granted asylum in Canada. The 18-year-old barricaded herself in a Bangkok airport hotel room to resist being sent home to her family, which denies abusing her. The case drew global attention to Saudi Arabia's strict social rules, including a requirement that women have the permission of a male "guardian" to travel, which rights groups say can trap women and girls as prisoners of abusive families. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees granted her refugee status, and Canada agreed to take her in. "I am one of the lucky ones," said Mohammed, who renounced her family name al-Qunun. "I know that there are unlucky women who disappeared after trying to escape or who could not do anything to change their reality." Canada's agreement to take Mohammed came at a delicate time for Canada-Saudi relations. In 2018 the kingdom froze all new investment with Canada after foreign minister Chrystia Freeland called for the immediate release of jailed rights activists. REUTERS/Mark Blinch

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun: Saudi Arabia's guardianship system came under scrutiny in January when the Saudi teenager fled from her family and was granted asylum in Canada. The 18-year-old barricaded herself in a Bangkok airport hotel room to resist...more

Reuters / Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun: Saudi Arabia's guardianship system came under scrutiny in January when the Saudi teenager fled from her family and was granted asylum in Canada. The 18-year-old barricaded herself in a Bangkok airport hotel room to resist being sent home to her family, which denies abusing her. The case drew global attention to Saudi Arabia's strict social rules, including a requirement that women have the permission of a male "guardian" to travel, which rights groups say can trap women and girls as prisoners of abusive families. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees granted her refugee status, and Canada agreed to take her in. "I am one of the lucky ones," said Mohammed, who renounced her family name al-Qunun. "I know that there are unlucky women who disappeared after trying to escape or who could not do anything to change their reality." Canada's agreement to take Mohammed came at a delicate time for Canada-Saudi relations. In 2018 the kingdom froze all new investment with Canada after foreign minister Chrystia Freeland called for the immediate release of jailed rights activists. REUTERS/Mark Blinch
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Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, welcomed their first child in May. Wee Archie, who is seventh in line to the British throne, marked his first royal engagement in September, meeting Nobel laureate and anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa. REUTERS/Toby Melville/Pool

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, welcomed their first child in May. Wee Archie, who is seventh in line to the British throne, marked his first royal engagement in September, meeting Nobel...more

Reuters / Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, welcomed their first child in May. Wee Archie, who is seventh in line to the British throne, marked his first royal engagement in September, meeting Nobel laureate and anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa. REUTERS/Toby Melville/Pool
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