News of the day from across the globe, Dec. 20

1 Syria war: Air strikes on a Syrian village in the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib killed at least 17 people, including women and children, activists and rescue workers said Wednesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the overnight strikes killed at least four children and two women, and wiped out an entire displaced family. Idlib is a rebel stronghold where President Bashar Assad’s forces have recently launched an offensive to try retaking the province after losing it nearly three years ago.

2
Human rights sanctions: The United States is slapping five Russians with sanctions under a law that lets the U.S.