Islamic State kills 27 Iraqi security personnel in Kirkuk
Islamic State militants ambushed a convoy and killed at least 27 Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces fighters in Iraq, the militia said.
UK
Earthquake shakes southern Mexico for second time in three days
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck southern Mexico early on Monday, sending frightened residents into the streets as seismic alarms echoed across the capital, although there were no immediate reports of damage.
‘The new normal’: With a school shooting every 60 hours, US faces grim reality
The deadly gun rampage at a Florida high school on Wednesday took to 18 the number of school shootings across the United States so far this year – an average of one school shooting every 60 hours.
Putting annexation row behind them, Netanyahu, Trump set March meet
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with US President Donald Trump next month when he visits Washington for the annual AIPAC confab, a White House official said Wednesday.
Brexit legislation under fire as it enters upper house
British Prime Minister Theresa May faces a fresh challenge pushing her flagship Brexit law through parliament after lawmakers demanded changes only a day before parliament’s upper house begins to debate the legislation.
Dead Sea Scrolls manuscript pieced together and deciphered
Israeli scholars have pieced together and deciphered one of two previously unread manuscripts of the Dead Sea Scrolls more than half a century after their discovery, an Israeli university has said.
UK air force scrambles 2 fighters to intercept Russian jets
Britain’s Royal Air Force scrambled two fighter jets to intercept Russian strategic bombers near U.K. airspace on Monday, in another illustration of ongoing tensions.
Surprise awakening of Papua New Guinea volcano forces evacuations
An island volcano in Papua New Guinea has begun spewing ash into the air, forcing the evacuation of more than 500 residents, media and non-profit groups have said.
Papua New Guinea volcano erupts for first time in history, sparking tsunami fears as hundreds flee
A volcano in Papua New Guinea that was thought to be dormant has erupted for the first time in known history, spewing ash thousands of feet into the air and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents.
Donald Trump overturns Obama bans on drilling as he moves to vastly expand US offshore oil
Donald Trump’s administration has announced plans to vastly expand oil and gas drilling in nearly all US coastal waters, reversing protections in the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific.
Christians killed globally for faith at Christmas
The deaths of nearly 150 Christians have been reported in targeted attacks on religious minorities in Nigeria, Cairo and India during the 2017 Christmas season, according to various reports from religious liberty advocates and news agencies.
Russian warships in UK waters keep Royal Navy busy over Christmas
The Royal Navy monitored a series of Russian warships around Britain over Christmas, as the Defence Secretary said Britain would not be intimidated.
Putin, Merkel discuss situation in eastern Ukraine
The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to explain Russia’s decision to withdraw its military observers from a joint group monitoring the truce in eastern Ukraine.
Catalan separatists win election in rebuke to Spain and EU
Catalonia’s separatists look set to regain power in the wealthy Spanish region after local elections on Thursday, deepening the nation’s political crisis in a sharp rebuke to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and European Union leaders who backed him.
Christian Geologist Says Discovery Of Fossilized Tree Stumps Confirms Biblical Account Of Great Flood
A Christian geologist has claimed that a recent discovery of fossilized tree stumps in Antarctica confirms the Bible’s account of the Great Flood in Genesis.
EU says Brexit transition to end in December 2020
The Brexit transition period should end on 31 December 2020, with a clear view what sort of relationship the EU and UK will have afterwards, the EU Commission proposed on Wednesday (20 December).
Poland cries foul as EU triggers ‘nuclear option’ over judicial independence
The Polish government has accused the European commission of a politically motivated attack after the EU’s executive body triggered a process that could see the country stripped of voting rights in Brussels, over legal changes that the bloc claims threaten the independence of the judiciary.
Ancient tomb door with stunning menorah carving revealed in Israel
As the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah comes to a close, the discovery of an ancient tomb door with a stunning menorah carving is providing a fascinating glimpse into Israel’s rich history.
Turkey hopes to open embassy in East Jerusalem, says Erdogan
Turkey intends to open an embassy in East Jerusalem, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, days after leading calls at a summit of Muslim leaders for the world to recognize it as the capital of a Palestinian state.
Chaos as power outage grounds flights at world’s busiest airport
Hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday as a power outage left passengers at the world’s busiest airport stranded in darkened terminals or in aircraft idling on tarmacs.