Nigeria: Boko Haram is crushed, forced out of last enclave

The Boko Haram extremist group has finally been crushed – driven from its last forest enclave with fighters on the run and no place to hide, Nigeria’s president declared Saturday. His victorious statement came as the Islamic State group, with which one faction of Boko Haram is allied, claimed a successful attack on an army barracks in northeast Nigeria’s Yobe state “killed and wounded many.”

Gbese Mantse never goofed; NDC was victorious – Gbese youth

The Gbese Youth in Greater Accra have stated that there is no basis for calls on the Gbese Mantse to step down since the National Democratic Congress won in the jurisdiction of the chief. The Gbese Mantse, Nii Ayi Bonte II, had said at a public gathering before the December 7 polls that he would step down if the John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress party lost the general elections.

Israel’s Netanyahu lashes out at Obama over UN vote

In this Dec. 11, 2016, file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem. Netanyahu lashed out at President Barack Obama on Saturday, Dec. 24, accusing him of a “shameful ambush” at the United Nations over West Bank settlements and saying he is looking forward to working with his “friend” President-elect Donald Trump.

Arsenal target Draxler will join PSG, Wolfsburg confirm

Julian Draxler’s difficult 18 months at Wolfsburg have come to an end, with the club confirming he will join Paris Saint-Germain. The Germany international has signed a four-year deal after the Ligue 1 champions agreed a transfer fee reportedly worth a 35million, plus a further a 10m in add-ons.

All bets are off after UN infamy Jack Engelhard

Jack Engelhard’s classic international bestselling novel Indecent Proposal, which later became a worldwide hit movie, has been republished to meet readers’ demands. His other major works include Compulsive: A Novel, his award-winning post-Holocaust Montreal memoir Escape from Mount Moriah, plus Slot Attendant: A Novel About A Novelist.

Outdoor programmes no longer the only option for kids

From left, Nico Bolli, 10, Nisha Hardman, 9, Jaden Collie, 11, and Ravi Jatania, 11, were up for a day of caving at the Kaniwhaniwha Reserve in Pirongia. Kids today have many more options than kids who grew up in the 1980s, says University of Waikato sport sociology associate professor Dr Holly Thorpe.

110 dogs saved from meat trade land in Canada

An animal protection organization says more than 100 dogs who were destined for a Chinese dog meat festival have landed in Canada to begin new lives. Humane Society International Canada says 110 dogs landed in Toronto on Thursday night after being rescued from an annual dog meat festival in Yulin, China earlier this year.

President calls for public private partnership in healthcare

Hyderabad, Dec 24 : President Pranab Mukherjee Saturday called for public private partnership to overcome deficiencies in healthcare infrastructure in the country. [NK Andhra Pradesh] Expressing concern over the deficiencies in the healthcare infrastructure, he said the only long-lasting solution was to create cooperative structures comprising the government and private stake holders as well as civil society.

Rebels supported by Turkish troops have laid siege to the IS-held town for weeks.

A Syrian man gestures in the former rebel-held Salaheddin district in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on December 23, 2016 after Syrian government forces retook control of the whole embattled city. Photo – AFP A Syrian man gestures in the former rebel-held Salaheddin district in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on December 23, 2016 after Syrian government forces retook control of the whole embattled city.

Note ban is a firebomb on cash economy, poor: Rahul

Dharamsala : Escalating the attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused him of dividing the country between the rich and the poor and dubbed the move as “firebombing” on cash economy and farmers and labourers. Addressing a public rally here, the Congress vice president said the prime minister with his note ban decision has removed the “hat” of Himachal Pradesh as it has hit hard the state’s horticulture, agriculture and tourism sectors.

Annan Athletic 3-1 Berwick: Match Report

Abroath leave it late to sink Cowdenbeath Second-half goals from Josh Skelly and Steven Doris saw Arbroath narrow the gap on Scottish League Two leaders Forfar to four points with a 2-0 win at Cowdenbeath. The visitors needed 74 minutes to break the deadlock against their rock-bottom hosts, who are now two points adrift at the bottom and in danger of facing a relegation play-off.

Sweden’s German-born queen hospitalized for dizziness

In this file photo dated Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016, Queen Silvia of Sweden during a meeting with the Pope, at the Vatican. Sweden’s popular German-born Queen Silvia has been hospitalized for observations on her 73rd birthday because of dizziness, according to a statement Saturday Dec. 24, 2016, from the royal household.

Why Obama Broke with Israel at UN

Jordan Fabian, The Hill: The White House’s decision to break with decades of U.S. policy and allow the U.N. Security Council to condemn Israeli settlements is the culmination of years of bad blood between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. … Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, said the rapid expansion of settlement activity under Netanyahu had put the possibility of a future peace agreement at risk.

Senior citizens enjoy traditional Christmas lunch

A total of 79 elderly people, from organisations such as the White Lodge Care Home, Stokenchurch Day Centre, Fingest Tea Club, and Marlow Age Concern, sat down to eat a festive three-course meal on December 15 and opened presents. The dull December day was also brightened by some festive entertainment from the Hambleden Village choir, led by Christine Wells, and the audience joined in with carol singing.

Investigation into Berlin truck attack turns to terrorist network

A man mourns at a makeshift memorial for the victims of the Christmas market attack near the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedaechtniskirche in Berlin on December 24. MILAN-Investigators on Saturday sought to hunt down where the Berlin Christmas market attacker got possible logistical support to cross at least two European borders and evade capture for days before being killed in a police shootout during a routine stop in a Milan suburb. Tunisian fugitive Anis Amri ‘s fingerprints and wallet were found in a truck that plowed into a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday night, killing 12 people and injuring 56 others.

Vote on Israel could spur further action – or trouble for UN

The U.S. green light that allowed the U.N. Security Council to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem could spur moves toward new terms to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But it also poses dangers for the United Nations with the incoming Trump administration and may harden Israel’s attitude toward concessions.

Vote on Israel could spur further action – or trouble for UN

The U.S. green light that allowed the U.N. Security Council to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem could spur moves toward new terms to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But it also poses dangers for the United Nations with the incoming Trump administration and may harden Israel’s attitude toward concessions.

LETHBRIDGE: Catching up to rural Vietnam

In November, I was in Vietnam – way, way out there in the Northern province of Ha Giang on the border with China. There were ethnic peoples in traditional dress, dangerous mountain passes, very few tourists and not a lot of modern conveniences.

LETHBRIDGE: Catching up to rural Vietnam

In November, I was in Vietnam – way, way out there in the Northern province of Ha Giang on the border with China. There were ethnic peoples in traditional dress, dangerous mountain passes, very few tourists and not a lot of modern conveniences.

India’s Modi lays foundation of huge statue amid criticism

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone for a massive memorial of a medieval warrior king that’s expected to cost billions of rupees and has come under criticism from environmental activists and others. The memorial, which includes a proposed 192-meter -tall statue of Shivaji, a 16th century ruler from western India, will be built off the coast of Mumbai on land reclaimed from the Arabian Sea.

Fight to restore DST goes on

Turkish Cypriot Teachers’ union boss Sener Elcil said he will continue to fight until the re-introduction of Daylight Saving Time and three senior members of the coalition are dismissed. “The separatist political regime created by Turkey in the north of our island is regulated by commands coming from Turkey,” Elcil told the Cyprus Weekly.

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Television pictures showed two men being led from the aircraft in handcuffs. The prime minister of the tiny Mediterranean island, Joseph Muscat, tweeted: “Hijackers surrendered, searched and taken in custody”.

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Television pictures showed two men being led from the aircraft in handcuffs. The prime minister of the tiny Mediterranean island, Joseph Muscat, tweeted: “Hijackers surrendered, searched and taken in custody”.

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Winnersa Elections around the world have a single characteristic: they declare winners and losers. In Cyprus, though, elections have a unique outcome: only winners emerge from the ballot boxes.

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Winnersa Elections around the world have a single characteristic: they declare winners and losers. In Cyprus, though, elections have a unique outcome: only winners emerge from the ballot boxes.