A Vietnamese man has had scissors removed from his abdomen which were left behind during surgery 18 years ago, after reporting a stomachache that was nearly two decades in the making.
	Ma Van Nhat, now 54, underwent surgery in 1998 after a car accident and only recently discovered that doctors had left an unwelcome gift behind when they closed him up.
	Doctors discovered the 15-centimetre scissors near his colon after a recent ultrasound.
	He had a three-hour operation at the weekend to remove the scissors, according to Ngo Trung Thang, deputy head of general affairs at Gang Thep Thai Nguyen hospital, 80 kilometres north of Hanoi.
	"He is recovering well," Thang told AFP today.
	Nhat had spent nearly two decades "eating, drinking and having a pretty normal life", according to Suc Khoe va Doi Song news site, the official mouthpiece of Vietnam's health ministry.
	The ultrasound that discovered the scissors only came about after Nhat reported stomach pains.
	Officials said they were ...

Scissors pulled from Vietnam man's stomach after surgery

PTI Automatic

An attack carried out by the Islamic State group on a police station in the Iraqi city of Samarra has left three members of the force dead, officers said today.
	According to security officials from Salaheddin province, in which Samarra is located, a group of four gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed Mutawakil police station in Samarra late yesterday.
	They holed themselves up in the police station and were subsequently besieged by Iraqi security forces, leading to clashes that lasted several hours.
	"The exchange of fire started around 9:00 pm (local time) and lasted way past midnight," a Samarra police colonel told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
	"The four suicide bombers who attacked the police station were all killed," the colonel said.
	"Three members of the police were also killed, including a lieutenant colonel, and four wounded."
	An official from Salaheddin province said the curfew that was imposed late yesterday on Samarra, a city 110 kilometres north of Baghdad, ..

IS attack on Iraq police station kills three

Scoreboard on the opening day of the
third Test between Australia and Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground today:
     Australia 1st innings
     M Renshaw   not out                  167
     D Warner    c Sarfraz b Riaz         113
     U Khawaja   c Sarfraz b Riaz          13
     S Smith     c Sarfraz b Shah          24
     P Handscomb not out                   40
     Extras: (B-2, LB-1, W-1, NB-4)         8
     Total: (For 3 wkts; 88 overs)        365
     Fall of wickets: 1-151, 2-203, 3-244.
     Bowling: Amir 16-1-58-0, Imran 17-3-81-0, Riaz 19-4-63-2, Shah 30-2-132-1, Azhar 4-0-16-0, Shafiq 2-0-12-0.

Sydney, Jan 3 (AFP) Scoreboard on the opening day of the

David Warner joined the illustrious company of Don Bradman and Victor Trumper with a Test century before lunch as rookie partner Matthew Renshaw flourished for his maiden hundred against Pakistan today.
     Warner smashed a whirlwind 18th Test hundred off 78 balls in just 117 minutes while 20-year-old Renshaw blossomed after claiming his century in 282 minutes in the third Test in Sydney.
     At the close, after winning the toss, Australia were 365 for three with Renshaw taking his score to 167 and fellow newcomer Peter Handscomb on 40.
     Warner became the first Australian since Bradman 87 years ago to make a century in the opening session on the first day of a Test, and the only batsman to achieve the feat in Australia.
     Bradman made 105 in Leeds in 1930 on his way to 334, with fellow Australians Trumper hitting 103 in Manchester in 1902 and Charlie Macartney scoring 112 at Leeds in 1926.
     Warner was finally out 20 minutes after lunch, caught behind by Sarfraz Ahmed off .

Warner in Bradman class, Renshaw maiden century

Mexicans angry over a steep hike in gasoline prices blocked roads around the country, but the government refused to budge on the energy reform behind the increase.
	The business federation Coparmex also weighed in, calling the increase inflationary and bad for consumers.
	Police said protesters blocked roads in around 10 states and that in some cases officers closed with demonstrators.
	President Enrique Pena Nieto's government announced last week that the price of gasoline would increase by as much as 20 per cent to 0.88 dollars per liter while diesel would rise by 16.5 per cent to 0.83 dollars. The increases took effect on New Year's Day.
	Pena Nieto has promised that fuel prices will eventually fall thanks to a landmark 2014 energy reform he instituted, which ended a seven-decade-old monopoly held by the state-run firm Pemex.
	The government plans to end subsidies and let the market dictate prices in March. But Mexicans will feel the pinch at the pump before they start ...

More protests in Mexico over gasoline price hike

An elderly Australian man serving time for killing his wife and two grandchildren was charged today with the murder of a fellow inmate after an apparent attack with a sandwich toaster.
	John Walsh, 77, is alleged to have beaten Frank Townsend in their shared cell at a correctional facility for aged prisoners near Sydney. Local reports said he used a sandwich toaster.
	A guard was alerted to the injured inmate late yesterday after hearing noises coming from their cell.
	"The officer switched the cell light on and saw the 71-year-old had been assaulted," a spokeswoman from New South Wales Corrective Services said, adding that Townsend was rushed to hospital but later died.
	In 2008, Walsh was sentenced to life in jail for the gruesome murder of his wife and young grandchildren.
	He beat his wife and seven-year-old grandson to death and drowned his five-year-old granddaughter in the bath, while attempting to kill his daughter with an axe.
	There were no known problems between Walsh and ..

Elderly Aussie 'kills cellmate with toaster'

China's manufacturing activity expanded at its quickest pace in nearly four years in December, an independent research firm said today, in a sign of improving health for the world's second-largest economy.
	The private Caixin Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), an indicator of conditions at smaller manufacturers, beat expectations with a reading of 51.9 in December, up from 50.9 the previous month.
	A PMI figure above 50 marks an expansion of activity, and below 50 a contraction.
	It was the survey's highest score since January 2013, the Chinese financial magazine said in a joint statement with data compiler IHS Markit.
	"The Chinese manufacturing economy continued to improve in December, with the majority of sub-indices looking optimistic," Caixin analyst Zhong Zhengsheng said in the statement.
	December's reading was boosted by stronger demand and an increase in new clients for Chinese manufacturers, which pumped output growth to a 71-month high, it said.
	On Sunday, the official ...

China manufacturing accelerates at fastest for 4 years: survey

David Warner said he was honoured to join the likes of Donald Bradman after smashing a whirlwind century before lunch in the third Test against Pakistan today.
     The left-hander slammed his 18th Test hundred and third at the Sydney Cricket Ground off 78 balls to reach three figures in just 117 minutes with 17 fours.
     At tea after winning the toss, Australia were 224 for two with Warner's opening partner Matthew Renshaw within sight of his first Test hundred on 83 and skipper Steve Smith, playing in his 50th Test, not out 12.
	Warner became the first Australian since Bradman 87 years ago to make a century in the opening session on the first day, and the only person to achieve the feat during a Test match in Australia.
	Bradman was the last to do so with 105 in Leeds in 1930 on his way to 334, with fellow Australians Victor Trumper hitting 103 in Manchester in 1902 and Charlie Macartney scoring 112 at Leeds in 1926.
	"That's obviously an honour and privilege to be amongst the ...

Warner joins Bradman with Test century before lunch

David Warner became the first Australian since Donald Bradman to smash a century before lunch on the first day in a flying start to the third Test against Pakistan here.
     It was also the first time a batsman has scored 100 in the first session of a Test match in Australia, with Warner only the fourth Australian batsman to achieve the rare feat.
     Don Bradman was the last to do so with 105 in Leeds in 1930 on his way to 334, with Victor Trumper hitting 103 in Manchester in 1902 and Charlie Macartney scoring 112 at Leeds in 1926.
     The only other player to post a Test century before lunch on the first day of a Test was Pakistan's Majid Khan (108) against New Zealand in Karachi in 1976.
    	At lunch in Sydney after winning the toss, Australia were 126 without loss with Warner hurtling along on 100 off 78 balls with the more sedate Matthew Renshaw on 25 off 84 balls.
	Warner raced out of the blocks with five boundaries in the first three overs and brought up the 50-run opening .

Warner smashes ton before lunch in Aussie run spree

A nationwide collapse of the US customs service computer system has left thousands of passengers lined up at airports awaiting clearance to officially enter the country, the authorities and US media said.
	"Customs and Border Protection has nationwide outage. Expect delays in passenger processing until the system is restored," Fort Lauderdale's airport, a major hub for the United States and Caribbean, said on Twitter.
	A Customs and Border Protection department spokesman told NBC News that there had been a disruption at several airports and was "taking immediate action to address the technology disruption."
	But that was not immediate enough for the thousands of tired and cranky passengers arriving at US gates but unable to clear customs.
	An official for Miami International Airport told NBC that passengers on "more than 30 international flights were affected," one traveler told the same affiliate that two people fainted waiting in line.
	Miami International tweeted its regrets for ...

US Customs computer collapse leaves travelers waiting

Syria's ceasefire appeared under threat as government forces intensified their attacks near Damascus and around 10 rebel groups said they were suspending talks about planned peace negotiations this month.
	The talks are due to take place in the Kazakh capital Astana in late January but the rebels said they were pulling out of discussions due to "violations" by Damascus of a four-day old truce.
	The talks are being organised by Russia, which supports the Syrian regime, and Turkey and Iran, which back the rebels.
	"As these violations are continuing, the rebel factions announce... The freezing of all discussion linked to the Astana negotiations," they said in a joint statement.
	The rebels said they "respected the ceasefire across the whole of Syria... But the regime and its allies have not stopped shooting and have launched major and frequent violations, notably in the (rebel) regions of Wadi Barada and Eastern Ghouta", near Damascus, they said.
	For the past two weeks, even before the 

Syrian army advances as rebels put peace talks on hold

A wildfire ravaged 50 hectares of woodland and destroyed homes in the tourist city of Valparaiso in western Chile, driving the authorities to evacuate hundreds of people.
	At least one person was reported hurt after the fire broke out on the outskirts of the historic port city, the National Emergencies Office (ONEMI) said in a statement.
	Television pictures showed thick grey smoke filling the streets in the Laguna Verde district, where the blaze struck, and flames devouring green hillsides.
	Hundreds of firefighters along with water-dumping airplanes and helicopters were battling the blaze, officials said.
	"Emergency protocol have been activated," the country's President Michelle Bachelet said on Twitter. She expressed "solidarity with the people affected."
	Located 120 kilometres northwest of the capital Santiago, Valparaiso is home to Chile's national Congress.
	The flames destroyed five homes and 50 hectares of woodland, ONEMI said yesterday evening. It reported no fatalities for 

Huge wildfire destroys homes in Chile tourist city

Gunmen in military uniforms have killed eight people in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region, residents and an NGO said, as rebels accused the army of being behind the attack.
	The shooting happened on Sunday in Nertiti in the Jabal Marra area, where sporadic clashes between the army and rebels have continued despite a government-announced unilateral ceasefire.
	Ashafih al-Saleh, who heads an association that supports displaced people in Darfur, yesterday said: "Eight people, mostly women, were killed inside their homes."
	He accused the army of carrying out the attack "to avenge the death of a soldier whose body was found" in Nertiti.
	Resident Faisal Ashaq said his 13-year-old daughter was killed in the attack.
	"Gunmen in military uniforms appeared suddenly in their four-wheel-drives, shooting with guns and machine guns screwed on to their vehicles," he said.
	A medical source said around 60 people were wounded.
	The Sudan Liberation Army - Minni Minnawi rebel group accused ...

Sudan gunmen kill 8 people in Darfur

Eleven civilians, including five members of one family, and 14 Huthi rebels have been killed in shelling and air strikes in Yemen in two days, military and rebel sources said today.
	An air strike by the pro-government Saudi-led coalition killed five Shiite rebels today when it targeted a convoy of three vehicles in Marees, in the southern province of Daleh, a military official said.
	One of the vehicles was transporting weapons, the official said, adding three other rebels were wounded in the strike.
	Six other insurgents were killed in a similar raid on two vehicles in Al-Makhdara, in the central province of Marib, another military official said.
	Shelling by government forces killed three more rebels in the same area of Marib, east of the rebel-held capital Sanaa.
	The Arab coalition started an air campaign against the Iran-backed rebels in March 2015 after the insurgents closed in on President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in his refuge in the southern city of Aden.
	Rebel media accused .

Bombing, air strikes kill 25 in Yemen

At least six people were hacked to death in troubled northeastern DR Congo in two attacks last week blamed on Ugandan rebels, a regional official told AFP today.
	The government and the UN mission in the central African country MONUSCO have accused the shadowy rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), dominated by hardline Ugandan Muslims, of carrying out a two-year bloodbath in the region.
	"There have been attacks blamed on suspected ADF members near the border with Nord Kivu (province), which left at least six people dead in Irumu territory," the vice governor of Ituri province, Pacifique Keta, said.
	Keta added that the death toll was provisional and security had been beefed up.
	Separately, Gill Gotabo, a civil society leader in Ituri, reported that 14 people were killed in the attacks, which took place in the villages of Saboko and Bialee.
	Irumu territory in Ituri province is near Beni in neighbouring Nord Kivu province -- the main target of attacks where the ADF are alleged .

Fresh 'rebel' attacks in east DR Congo leave six dead

At least 60 people were killed in a prison riot in Brazil's Amazon region when fighting broke out between rival gangs, an official said today.
	The riot happened Sunday at a prison in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, said the head of the state's prisons administration, Pedro Florencio.
	"There are 60 dead so far," he told journalists.
	Riots are common in Brazil's overcrowded and underfunded prisons.
	Some 622,000 people were imprisoned in Brazil as of the end of 2014, according to a justice ministry report. Most of them are black males.
	That makes it the world's fourth-largest prison population, the report said, after the US, China and Russia.
	Human rights groups have long complained about the conditions in Brazilian prisons.
	On October 18, deadly riots broke out at three separate prisons blamed on fighting between members of the country's two largest gangs.
	During that episode, rioting inmates took visitors hostage, beheaded rivals and burned others alive, authorities

At least 60 killed in Brazil prison riot: official

Brazil prison riot

Between 50 and 60 bodies have been found, according to an initial count

More than 50 killed in Brazil prison riot: Reports

Press Trust of India

A senior Egyptian judge hanged himself in custody today a day after his arrest in connection with an investigation into a corruption case, his lawyer said.
	Wael Shalabi, secretary general of the council of state, an administrative court, was taken in for questioning yesterday, his lawyer Sayed el-Beheiry told AFP.
	After questioning him, prosecutors ordered that he be detained for four days pending further investigation, he said.
	Shalabi's arrest came days after the Administrative Control Authority responsible for tracking corruption in state institutions arrested the council of state's chief procurement officer, Gamal el-Labban.
	The public prosecutor's office issued a gag order on publishing details of the case shortly after news broke about Shalabi's death.
	"He faced a lot of pressure" during interrogation yesterday when he "denied accusations that were directed at him", Beheiry said.
	"He went to the bathroom, attached his scarf to the water-heater and hung himself.
	"This is ..

Egypt judge hangs himself amid graft scandal

More than 50 killed in Brazil prison riot in Amazon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied any wrongdoing today ahead of his expected questioning by police in a graft probe, telling his political opponents to put any "celebrations" on hold.
	"We hear all the media reports. We see and hear the festive spirit and atmosphere in television studios and in the corridors of the opposition," Netanyahu told lawmakers from his Likud party, according to a video posted to his Facebook page.
	"I want to tell them to wait for the celebrations. Do not rush. I told you and I repeat: There will be nothing because there is nothing. You will continue to inflate hot air balloons and we will continue to lead the state of Israel.

Netanyahu denies wrongdoing before expected questioning in

Syria's army advanced today as it battles to capture a rebel region that is key to the capital's water supply, launching strikes and artillery fire threatening a fragile nationwide truce.
	The ceasefire brokered by regime ally Russia and Turkey, which backs the opposition, is now in its fourth day, despite sporadic violence and continued fighting in the Wadi Barada area near Damascus.
	"Regime forces and fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah group are advancing in the region and are now on the outskirts of Ain al-Fijeh, the primary water source in the area," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor.
	He said government troops and allied fighters were engaged in fierce clashes with rebels, including from the former Al-Qaeda affiliate now known as Fateh al-Sham Front.
	The monitor said government forces were carrying out air strikes and artillery fire on the area, northwest of the capital, but reported no casualties.
	Wadi Barada has been ...

AFP

AFP

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