Bosnian town cancels New Year celebrations due to protests
The mayor of the northwestern Bosnian town of Banja Luka has canceled Monday’s New Year celebrations for security reasons after protesters demanding the truth about a student’s death prevented a public concert taking place the previous evening.
Iraqi warplanes strike Islamic State leaders in Syria: military
Iraqi warplanes hit a meeting of Islamic State leaders near Deir al-Zor in Syria on Monday, destroying the building they were gathered in, the military said in a statement, without giving further details about the militants targeted.
French court orders sending Central African Republic war crimes suspect to ICC
A French court has authorized Central Africa Republic soccer executive and alleged militia leader Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona to be handed over to the Hague war crimes tribunal, a judicial source said on Monday.
Violence, gangs cast pall over life in Honduras
Ana Luz, sister-in-law of Ronald Blanco, looked on grimly as neighbors of the murdered Honduran man washed away the rills of blood left where his bullet-ridden body had lain outside his house in a troubled barrio on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa.
Bangladesh PM rejects complaints of rigging after landslide win
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday rejected opposition complaints of vote rigging and said people had gone to the polls enthusiastically in a largely peacefully general election that her ruling alliance swept with a landslide.
Families, friends of trapped Indian miners lose hope after 18 days
Relatives of at least 15 Indian miners trapped in a “rat-hole” mine for 18 days said on Monday they have given up hope that any of them would be found alive, even as rescue operations were stepped up.
Fired bodyguard contradicts French presidency on Macron contacts
Emmanuel Macron’s former security advisor said he had been in regular touch with the president and top officials since losing his job, contradicting official denials of continued contacts with an aide at the center of a damaging political firestorm.
Vatican spokesman, deputy resign suddenly
The spokesman for the Vatican and his deputy resigned suddenly on Monday, an official statement said.
Israeli spy sees possible threat from Iraq as Iran’s clout grows
Iran could use its growing clout in Iraq to turn the Arab country into a springboard for attacks against Israel, the top Israeli intelligence official said on Monday.
Palestinian court jails U.S.-Palestinian for life for Jerusalem land sale
A Palestinian court sentenced an American-Palestinian on Monday to life imprisonment for violating a ban on selling land to Israelis, judiciary officials said.
