| Iraqi army declares first major victory over Islamic State in Ramadi Posted: 27 Dec 2015 12:01 PM PST  By Ahmed Rasheed and Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's army declared victory over Islamic State fighters in a provincial capital west of Baghdad on Sunday, the first major triumph for the U.S.-trained force since it collapsed in the face of an assault by the militants 18 months ago. The capture of Ramadi, capital of mainly Sunni-Muslim Anbar province in the Euphrates River valley west of the capital, deprives Islamic State militants of their biggest prize of 2015. The fighters seized it in May after government troops fled in a defeat which prompted Washington to take a hard look at strategy in its ongoing air war against the militants.
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| Evacuation of three Syrian towns to go ahead Monday under rare deal: sources Posted: 27 Dec 2015 11:58 AM PST  Besieged rebel fighters in a Syrian border town and families trapped in two Shi'ite towns in northern Syria are expected to be evacuated on Monday in the second stage of a rare, U.N.-backed deal between warring sides in Syria's war, sources close to negotiations said. The deal will allow scores of rebel fighters who have been holed up for months in the town of Zabadani, near the Lebanese border, to have safe passage to Beirut airport to then head for their final destination of Turkey under International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) auspices, the sources said.
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| Nigerian army repels Boko Haram attack near state capital: witnesses Posted: 27 Dec 2015 12:39 PM PST Up to seven people died when Nigeria's army repelled an attack on Sunday by suspected Boko Haram fighters on a village near a northern state capital, residents and military sources said. Gunfire and explosions could be heard in the evening outside Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state and birthplace of Boko Haram's insurgency to establish an Islamic state in the northeast of Africa's most populous nation. Soldiers stopped suspected Boko Haram fighters in Aldawari village on the outskirts of Maiduguri, military sources and witnesses said. |
| Hezbollah leader tells Israel to brace for retaliation over Qantar's death Posted: 27 Dec 2015 09:45 AM PST  By Laila Bassam BEIRUT (Reuters) - The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah group said on Sunday that Israel miscalculated by killing prominent militant Samir Qantar in Syria last week, saying that retaliation for his death was inevitable, whatever the consequences. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, speaking in a ceremony to mark a week since Qantar's death in a strike in a residential quarter of Damascus, said Israelis should brace themselves for a response either inside or outside Israel. "The Israelis should be justifiably worried... They should be worried along the border, inside (Israel) and outside," he said.
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| Turkey's Kurds call for self-rule amid violence in southeast Posted: 27 Dec 2015 08:59 AM PST  Kurdish groups meeting in southeastern Turkey called for self-rule on Sunday amid heavy fighting in the region as the army pushed ahead with a security operation in which it says more than 200 Kurdish militants have been killed. The Democratic People's Congress (DTK), made up of Kurdish non-governmental organizations, made the call after a two-day meeting in Diyarbakir. "The rightful resistance mounted by our people against the policies that degrade the Kurdish problem, is essentially a demand and struggle for local self-governance and local democracy," said the final resolution of the meeting, titled "declaration of political resolution regarding self-rule".
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| Fear and few answers as Turkish police round up Syrian refugees Posted: 27 Dec 2015 07:21 AM PST  By Melih Aslan ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Ghada's five children cried out in terror when police broke into their run-down Istanbul flat at dawn and ordered the 36-year-old Syrian's family onto a bus, without saying why. The family of seven from the northern Syrian city of Aleppo was among a group of refugees rounded up two weeks ago and sent to a detention center on the Asian side of Istanbul, where they passed several days guarded by police and surrounded by high walls topped with razor wire. "It was as if we were criminals," Ghada said, as she sat with her children in a basement apartment in a poor Istanbul suburb, where they now live with another family after being released from the detention center through the help of friends.
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| Christmastime storms, tornadoes kill at least 43 in U.S Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:57 PM PST  By Lisa Maria Garza DALLAS (Reuters) - Storms hit the U.S. South, Southwest and Midwest over the Christmas holiday weekend, unleashing floods and tornadoes that killed at least 43 people, flattened buildings and snarled transportation for millions during a busy travel time. The bad weather or threat of it prompted the governors of Missouri and New Mexico to declare a state of emergency for their states. In Missouri, emergency workers have evacuated residents from their homes and conducted dozens of water rescues, Governor Jay Nixon said on Sunday.
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| Sri Lanka bowled out for 117 in 2nd ODI vs. New Zealand Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:53 PM PST  CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand's Matt Henry took 4-33 and Mitchell McClenaghan 3-32 as Sri Lanka was bowled out for just 117 in 27.4 overs despite winning the toss and batting Monday in the second game of the one-day series.
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| Boko Haram attacks northeast Nigerian city, many killed Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:37 PM PST MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Boko Haram Islamic extremists struck the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri for the first time in months Monday with rocket-propelled grenades and multiple suicide bombers, witnesses said. At least 15 people were killed but the toll was feared many times higher. |
| Sri Lanka 117 all out in 2nd ODI vs. New Zealand Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:20 PM PST CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — Scores on Monday from the second one-day international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval: |
| Slavisa Jokanovic is new head coach at Fulham Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:19 PM PST LONDON (AP) — English Championship club Fulham appointed former Watford manager Slavisa Jokanovic as head coach late Sunday, 49 days after firing Kit Symons. |
| Boko Haram attacks key northeast city in Nigeria: residents Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:07 PM PST  Boko Haram jihadists attacked a key city in northeast Nigeria on Sunday evening, residents told AFP, the second assault in days as Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's deadline to eradicate the militants is set to expire. The jihadists invaded Jiddari Polo, an area on the outskirts of the capital of northeastern Borno state, Maiduguri, at around 6:30 pm (1730 GMT), shooting guns and unleashing explosives. "We had just finished evening prayer in the mosque when we began to hear the barrages of artillery fire and sound of gunfire," said local Shehu Mala.
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| Rio youths tell of Christmas night torture by police: media Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:00 PM PST  Police in Rio de Janeiro tortured five young people, aged between 13 and 23, on Christmas night, allegedly burning them and sexually molesting them after demanding extortion money, local media reported Sunday. The young people were riding home from a party on motorbikes when the police stopped them allegedly for not wearing their helmets, the Rio daily O Dia said. Eight military police who work in the Santa Teresa slum demanded money in exchange for letting them go, the report said.
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| Torrential rains, flooding kill at least 10 in South America Posted: 27 Dec 2015 03:46 PM PST  Mudslides have killed at least four people in Brazil, one of several South American countries where torrential rains and flooding now have claimed at least 10 lives, officials said on Sunday. The epic rainfall also has driven 160,000 people from their homes in Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay, said officials. Authorities said fatalities from the current violent weather include two deaths in Argentina and four in Paraguay.
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| Relatives seek justice after new Chicago police shootings Posted: 27 Dec 2015 03:20 PM PST  Friends and relatives of two African-Americans fatally shot by police in Chicago issued an emotional plea for justice Sunday, calling the incident the latest proof that the city's officers are far too quick to use deadly force. Family members held a press conference following Saturday's police shootings of Bettie Jones, 55, a mother of five, and Quintonio LeGrier, a 19-year-old engineering student.
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| Texas tornadoes kill 11 as wild weather lashes US Posted: 27 Dec 2015 03:04 PM PST  At least 11 people were killed as tornadoes ripped through Texas, according to authorities who searched house-to-house Sunday for additional victims of the freak storms lashing the southern United States. The rare December twisters that flattened homes and caused chaos on highways raised the death toll from days of deadly weather across the South to at least 28. The extreme weather, fueled by unseasonably warm air, is likely to continue for the next few days, the National Weather Service warned, complicating search and rescue efforts and possibly wreaking more havoc in the region.
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| Puerto Rico governor says US changing view on status Posted: 27 Dec 2015 03:04 PM PST SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla has denounced what he is calling a change in the U.S. government's historic position on the island's political status. |
| In Paraguay, more flee worst floods in decades as levee creaks Posted: 27 Dec 2015 03:03 PM PST  By Mariel Cristaldo and Sarah Marsh ASUNCION/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - With further rain looming, more families abandoned their homes on Sunday in Paraguay, the country hardest hit by the worst flooding in decades in the area bordering Uruguay and Argentina, which has already forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate. The El Niño weather phenomenon has exacerbated summer rains, swelling rivers in the region. The River Paraguay, which flows by the country's capital, Asuncion, has already reached 7.82 meters (25.66 feet), its highest level since 1992.
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| Catalan party delays key decision on backing separatist government Posted: 27 Dec 2015 02:43 PM PST  A far-left Catalan separatist party on Sunday put off until January 2 a decision on whether to back the formation of a new government led by outgoing regional president Artur Mas that would work towards breaking away from Spain. Separatists won a majority of seats in the 135-seat Catalan parliament for the first time in a September election in the wealthy northeastern region of Spain which is home to 7.5 million people. Mas's "Together for Yes" secessionist alliance, which won 62 seats, needs the backing of the smaller CUP grouping to remain at the helm in Catalonia.
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| Politician Balls becomes Norwich chairman Posted: 27 Dec 2015 02:31 PM PST  Former opposition Labour finance spokesman Ed Balls is to become the chairman of Norwich City, the struggling English Premier League club announced Sunday. Norwich fan Balls was born in eastern England's biggest city and wanted to play for the club. "But the next best thing is to become chairman of Norwich City and do what I can off the pitch to help City succeed on the pitch," he said.
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| Sri Lanka wins toss, bats in 2nd ODI vs. New Zealand Posted: 27 Dec 2015 02:01 PM PST CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat Monday in the second one-day international against New Zealand. |
| Slovakia beats Belarus 4-2 in world juniors Posted: 27 Dec 2015 01:37 PM PST HELSINKI (AP) — Lukas Hrusik broke a tie 19 seconds into the third period and Slovakia beat Belarus 4-2 on Sunday in its first round-robin game in the world junior hockey championship. |
| Egypt's Interior Ministry says 3 killed in Giza blast Posted: 27 Dec 2015 01:23 PM PST CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's government says an explosion in Cairo's twin city of Giza killed three people, including a senior judge, and injured 11. |
| Britain sends in more troops as historic city floods Posted: 27 Dec 2015 01:09 PM PST  Britain's government dispatched more troops on Sunday to tackle "unprecedented" flooding in northern England which has forced hundreds to flee their homes, including in the historic tourist city of York. Prime Minister David Cameron made the announcement after hosting a conference call of the emergency COBRA committee on the floods, which have caused chaos during the post-Christmas holiday period. The industrial cities of Leeds and Manchester and towns and villages around them have also been hit by flooding, as well as Lancashire in northwest England.
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| Fall of Ramadi flashpoint hands Iraq forces landmark victory Posted: 27 Dec 2015 12:33 PM PST  The Islamic State group abandoned its last stronghold in Ramadi Sunday, effectively handing Iraqi forces their biggest victory since last year's massive jihadist nationwide offensive. There were still parts of the flashpoint government complex the elite counter-terrorism service could not enter, as jihadists had rigged the entire area with explosives before retreating. There is no resistance," Sabah al-Numan, the counter-terrorism force's spokesman, told AFP.
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| California firefighters work to contain last stretch of wildfire Posted: 27 Dec 2015 12:29 PM PST  More than 400 California firefighters battled on Sunday to contain a final stretch of wildfire that caused the temporary closure of a major highway and forced evacuations northwest of Los Angeles, officials said. The fire charred some 1,235 acres between the coastal cities of Ventura and Carpinteria. Firefighters had dug containment lines around 70 percent of the blaze by early afternoon, Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Captain Mike Lindbery said.
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| Morocco postpones opening of huge solar plant without explanation Posted: 27 Dec 2015 12:22 PM PST  Morocco postponed without explanation the inauguration of Noor-1, a solar power plant due to open Sunday in Ouarzazate, part of what will eventually be the world's largest solar power production facility. When asked by AFP, the communications agency that organised the inauguration on behalf of Moroccan solar energy agency Masen gave no reasons for the last-minute delay. With an electricity production capacity of 160 megawatts, Noor-1 is supposed to allow Morocco to significantly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
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| Hundreds in Corsica defy ban after violent anti-Arab protests Posted: 27 Dec 2015 12:20 PM PST  Corsica's administrator Christophe Mirmand announced a ban on all protests and gatherings until at least January 4 in the poor Jardins de l'Empereur housing estate, the epicentre of the violence on Thursday through Saturday. "We aren't thugs, we aren't racists," they cried as they marched to the police station and then through several low-income neighbourhoods, before returning to the entrance to the Jardins de l'Empereur estate, an AFP journalist said.
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| Germany recruits 8,500 teachers for child refugees Posted: 27 Dec 2015 12:18 PM PST  Germany has recruited 8,500 people to teach child refugees German, as the country expects the number of new arrivals to soar past the million mark in 2015, Die Welt daily reported Sunday. With some 196,000 children fleeing war and poverty entering the German school system this year, 8,264 "special classes" have been created to help the new arrivals catch up with their peers, Die Welt said, citing a survey carried out in 16 German federal states. According to Germany's education authority, 325,000 school-age children reached the EU country in 2015, amid Europe's worst migration crisis since World War II.
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| France opens access to Nazi-collaboration era archives Posted: 27 Dec 2015 12:10 PM PST  France will throw open access to police and legal archives drawn from one of the country's darkest hours, when the Vichy regime collaborated with Nazi occupiers during World War II, authorities said Sunday. France has a painful relationship with this portion of its past, when the government helped the Nazis deport 76,000 Jews from its territory during the war. The archives include documents from the foreign, justice and interior ministries as well as from France's provisional government after liberation.
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| Islamic extremists kill at least 15 Tuaregs in Mali's north Posted: 27 Dec 2015 11:53 AM PST BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Islamic extremist in Mali's north have killed at least 15 people in two attacks in the Kidal region near the border with Algeria, a jihadi group and resident said. |
| Saracens make it perfect seven, Robshaw returns to Twickenham Posted: 27 Dec 2015 11:42 AM PST  Saracens claimed a seventh win in seven games to stay top of the English Premiership with a 26-16 victory over Wasps as England skipper Chris Robshaw returned to Twickenham for the first time since his World Cup nightmare. Despite Wasps keeping pace with the leaders at 9-9 at the Ricoh Arena, it was Saracens who put their foot on the gas with two tries in three minutes from Duncan Taylor and Owen Farrell.
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| U.S.-led coalition unable to confirm if Iraqi forces have cleared Ramadi government center Posted: 27 Dec 2015 11:30 AM PST The U.S.-led military campaign against Islamic State is unable to determine at this time whether Iraqi security forces have cleared Ramadi's government center, a U.S. defense official said on Sunday. The Iraqi military on Sunday said Iraqi forces had recaptured the last Islamic State hotbed in the city of Ramadi, which fell to Islamic State militants in May. "We are unable to confirm at this time whether or not they have cleared the government center," a U.S. military official said, on condition of anonymity. |
| German lawmakers irked by NATO plane deployment Posted: 27 Dec 2015 11:12 AM PST  A NATO force of reconnaissance planes that includes German personnel will be sent to help Turkey police its border, drawing ire from politicians in Germany who said on Sunday they were not consulted. "The government must immediately inform parliament of the details of this deployment, in particular what missions will be assigned to these planes and the destination of any data they collect," Tobias Lindner, the green party's head of defence matters, demanded in German daily Bild. NATO plans a temporary transfer of AWAC aircraft from the west German base in Geilenkirchen to the Konya base in central Turkey, Germany's defence ministry wrote in a December 18 letter revealed Sunday.
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| North African al-Qaida says top figure killed in ambush Posted: 27 Dec 2015 11:03 AM PST ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — A leading figure of the North African affiliate of al-Qaida has been killed in an ambush by Algerian soldiers, one of 109 terrorists killed by Algerian security forces in 2015, the country's Defense Ministry said Sunday. |
| Syrian army kills 17 Islamic militants in country's south Posted: 27 Dec 2015 11:02 AM PST  BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian government forces booby trapped a cluster of farm buildings in the southern Daraa province and detonated the explosives as several Islamic rebel factions gathered at the venue, killing 17 militants, opposition activists said Sunday.
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| Syria anti-IS documentary maker 'assassinated' in Turkey Posted: 27 Dec 2015 11:01 AM PST  A Syrian activist who produced documentaries hostile to the Islamic State group was assassinated in Turkey Sunday, according to the group with which he worked, "Raqa is Being Slaughtered Silently". "Film maker Naji Jerf, father of two children, was assassinated... today in Gaziantep", on the border with Syria, with a silencer-equipped pistol, the group said in a statement on Twitter. RBSS is a group of citizen journalists who work to expose human rights abuses in Raqa, the northeastern city that IS uses as its de facto capital in Syria.
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| Israeli army: 2 Palestinians killed after stabbing soldier Posted: 27 Dec 2015 10:58 AM PST  JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli troops shot and killed two Palestinians after they stabbed a soldier on Sunday near at a West Bank checkpoint, the military said.
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