Dozens of Iraqi protesters slain in 24 hours as violence spirals NEWS BRIEFING Staff and news services Study: For babies born with HIV, start treatment right away Wynn Resorts settles with pension fund after misconduct Fire continues at Texas plant; 50K under evacuation order 7 dead after plane crashes near Canadian city Appeals court issues stay for former White House counsel

BAGHDAD - Security forces shot dead 40 anti-government protesters during 24 hours of bloodshed amid spiraling violence in the capital and Iraq's south, security and medical officials said Thursday, one day after an Iranian consulate was torched.

Iran condemned the burning of its consulate in the holy city of Najaf as violence continued into the night across southern Iraq, where security forces had killed 36 protesters and wounded 245 since Wednesday evening, the officials said. Another four protesters were shot dead in the capital. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Police and military forces were deployed across key oil-rich provinces to re-open roads closed by demonstrations.

The escalating violence and heavy response against demonstrators by a largely Iran-backed government threatened to intensify tensions, especially if efforts to implement electoral and anti-corruption reforms fail to placate protesters.

Crisis committees were created to enhance coordination between Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi and governors in provinces affected by the protests "for the importance of controlling security and enforcing the law," said a statement from the joint operations command.

Security forces shot four protesters dead in Baghdad and wounded 22 when they tried to cross the important Ahrar Bridge leading to the nearby Green Zone, the fortified seat of Iraq's government. Protesters occupy parts of the Jumhuriya, Sinak and Ahrar bridges, which lead to or near the fortified area.

Study: For babies born with HIV, start treatment right away

WASHINGTON - When babies are born with HIV, starting treatment within hours to days is better than waiting even the few weeks to months that's the norm in many countries, researchers reported Wednesday.

The findings, from a small but unique study in Botswana, could influence care in Africa and other regions hit hard by the virus. They also might offer a clue in scientists' quest for a cure.

The Harvard-led team found super early treatment limits how HIV takes root in a newborn's body, shrinking the "reservoir" of virus that hides out, ready to rebound if those youngsters ever stop their medications.

Giving pregnant women a mix of anti-HIV drugs can prevent spreading the virus to their unborn children. Still, some 300 to 500 infants are estimated to be infected daily in sub-Saharan Africa.

Wynn Resorts settles with pension fund after misconduct

ALBANY, N.Y. - An official in charge of New York's more than $200 billion public pension fund has announced a settlement with Wynn Resorts in response to 2018 sexual misconduct allegations against former company CEO Steve Wynn.

Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said Wednesday that Wynn will pay $20 million in damages while another $21 million will come from insurance carriers on behalf of current and former employees of Wynn Resorts.

The lawsuit alleged some officers and directors knew the company's founder and chairman made unwanted sexual advances on employees and pressured them into sex acts. Wynn denies all allegations against him.

The state's retirement fund holds shares in Wynn Resorts with an estimated value of about $23 million.

Fire continues at Texas plant; 50K under evacuation order

PORT NECHES, Texas - More than 50,000 people in East Texas remained under a mandatory evacuation order Thursday as a fire continued to burn at a chemical plant, one day after two massive explosions there.

Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens said the evacuation order and a 10 p.m. curfew order remain in effect. Officials don't know when people will be able to return to their homes.

"It's Thanksgiving, a lot of people are displaced, they can't go home," Stephens told TV station KFDM Thursday, explaining the danger of further explosions and fire rather than air quality problems is the reason the evacuation order remains in place.

The Wednesday blasts, 13 hours apart, blew out windows and doors of nearby homes.

7 dead after plane crashes near Canadian city

KINGSTON, Ontario - Police in the Canadian city of Kingston said seven people have died after a small plane crashed in the area Wednesday evening.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has sent a team of four investigators to the scene of the crash, where they're examining and documenting the wreckage.

They've said the plane left Markham, Ontario, and was destined for the Kingston airport, but went down just a few miles from its destination.

Ash Gutheinz of the Kingston police said Thursday there's "no indication" there were any survivors from the crash. Identities of the victims have not been released.

Gutheinz said the area was under a wind advisory at the time, and while winds may not have been as bad as predicted, it was certainly "blustery."

Appeals court issues stay for former White House counsel

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has issued an administrative stay of a lower court's ruling ordering former White House counsel Donald McGahn to appear before Congress.

In its order Wednesday night, the appeals court says it will consider issuing a longer stay and set oral arguments for a hearing Jan. 3.

U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson had ruled Monday that McGahn would have to appear before Congress in response to a subpoena, rejecting the Trump administration's argument that "absolute immunity" shielded top aides from congressional questioning.

The House Judiciary Committee sought McGahn's testimony about efforts by Trump to obstruct the investigation into Russian election interference.

On the Korean peninsula: North Korea on Thursday fired two short-range projectiles, likely from a "super-large" multiple rocket launcher, South Korea's military said, adding to tensions three days after the North said its troops conducted artillery drills near its disputed sea boundary with South Korea.

The recent North Korea activities could indicate it wants to show what would happen if Washington fails to meet a year-end deadline set by its leader, Kim Jong Un, for the U.S. to offer a new proposal in their stalemated nuclear talks.

North Korea says it wants the U.S. to lift international sanctions imposed on it and guarantee security before abandoning its nuclear arsenal.

Caption: A balloon handler holds the Olaf balloon by the nose as strong winds Thursday keep Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons low to the ground.

Mark Lennihan/AP