10 things you need to know today: November 29, 2014

1. Egyptian court dismisses charges against former President Hosni Mubarak

For the first time since the 2011 Egyptian uprising that removed him from power, former President Hosni Mubarak could soon be released from military detention. Chief judge Mahmoud Kamel al-Rashidi read an Egyptian court's verdict on Saturday, dismissing charges of corruption and murder for directing police to kill hundreds of Egyptian demonstrators in 2011. While Mubarak, 86, was sentenced in May to three years in prison in a separate corruption case, he has already been held in a military hospital for several years, which may offset that sentencing.

The New York Times

2. U.N. report criticizes U.S. on torture, human rights actions

The United Nations Committee Against Torture released a new report on Friday, criticizing the United States for its handling of a variety of issues, from counter-terrorism methods to immigration policies to sexual assault in the military. The report specifically criticized the Obama administration's handling of the Michael Brown case in Ferguson, Missouri, and stated that the federal government must do more to limit excessive police force.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

NBC News

3. Police, protesters clash on Hong Kong streets

Thousands of pro-democracy activists clashed with Hong Kong police early on Saturday, a set-back for a city that has been on edge during three months of protests. The activists aimed to re-take one of their largest protest sites in Hong Kong, chanting for "real, full democracy" as they moved barricades back into place. Police reportedly began the standoff with restraint, but witnesses said they then charged the crowds, releasing pepper spray and wrestling activists to the ground.

Reuters

4. France considers recognizing a Palestinian state

France's Socialist Party initiated a motion on Friday that would recognize a Palestinian state, and after lawmakers debated the move, the motion is expected to pass a Tuesday vote in Parliament's lower house. While the move would be symbolic, it follows other European nations in the wake of growing criticism of Israel and its policies toward Gaza.

The New York Times

5. Judge lifts Ray Rice's NFL suspension

A judge on Friday lifted Ray Rice's indefinite suspension from the NFL, which the league instituted following a video that went public and showed the then-Baltimore Raven beating his wife in an elevator. The NFL players' union said Rice won his appeal claiming the NFL had overstepped its authority, and U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones had "vacated immediately" the suspension. Rice is now eligible to sign with another NFL team.

CBS News

6. Britain's David Cameron outlines immigration reform proposals

British Prime Minister David Cameron spoke on Friday about his plans for "reasonable" curbs on welfare benefits for immigrants to the United Kingdom. Whether the European Union allows the UK to lower the number of allowed immigrants into the country each year is a key issue in whether Cameron will campaign for his country to remain in the EU in a 2017 planned referendum, he said.

BBC News

7. Taiwanese PM resigns following ruling party's election losses

Saying he took "political responsibility," Taiwanese Prime Minister Jiang Yi-huah announced his resignation on Saturday, after the ruling Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party suffered landslide losses across elections for municipality, county, township, and village seats, including longtime strongholds in both Taipei and Taichung. The votes against President Ma Ying-jeou's party suggest the Nationalists may struggle to maintain control of the presidency in 2016.

Al Jazeera English

8. WHO: Male Ebola survivors should abstain from sex for three months

The World Health Organization released a statement on Friday recommending that men who have recovered from the Ebola virus abstain from sex for three months. While no cases of Ebola infection involving sexual transmission have been recorded, the virus has been detected in seminal fluid up to three months after a patient recovers from the virus. Nearly 16,000 people have been infected by the Ebola virus in the current West Africa outbreak, and there is not yet a cure or vaccine.

Reuters

9. Judge orders Uber to stop operating in Nevada

A Nevada district court judge ordered ride-sharing company Uber to cease operating in the state this week, citing public safety issues. Uber began operating in Nevada on Oct. 24, but Nevada Taxicab Authority officials, along with officials from the Nevada Transportation Authority, immediately protested, saying Uber drivers are illegal carriers. The company has said it will return when it finds a "clear path to operating legally in the state."

Las Vegas Review-Journal

10. Legendary puppeteer Bob Baker dies at age 90

Bob Baker, who founded one of America's oldest puppet theaters, died on Friday from kidney failure in his Los Angeles home. Baker worked for Walt Disney before beginning his own theater company with Alton Wood. He developed marionette work for more than 250 films, including "GI Blues," and "Escape from Witch Mountain." He continued performing with marionettes until he was 86 years old.

The Associated Press