Spanish authorities said today they had arrested two suspected jihadists in Madrid and found bullets and weapon magazines while conducting raids linked to the detentions.
	According to the Europa Press news agency, the magazines were of the type used for assault rifles such as the AK-47, but a police spokeswoman was unable to confirm this when contacted by AFP.
	The interior ministry said the two men were Spanish and had been detained for "glorifying terrorism," without giving any further details.
	The arrests come as Spain strengthens security during the holiday season.
	Authorities in Madrid are taking unprecedented measures for New Year's Eve, when thousands gather in the central Puerta del Sol square for traditional celebrations that see Spaniards swallow 12 grapes for each stroke of midnight.
	All those entering the square will be searched.
	Bollards will be used on nearby roads alongside police vans to guard against truck attacks like those that hit Nice in France in July, and ..

Spain detains two suspected jihadists, bullets found

PTI Automatic

Chinese police have shot dead four people who allegedly attacked a Communist Party office in the restive Xinjiang region today, state media said, in the bloodiest such incident in months.
	The four "rioters" drove up to a local party office and "detonated (an) explosive device", killing one person and injuring three others, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement from the local authorities.
	The four assailants were then "shot dead by police", Xinhua added, without specifying whether they were killed on the spot or later in the day.
	Xinjiang, the homeland of the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority -- many of whom complain of discrimination and controls on their culture and religion -- is often hit by deadly unrest.
	China blames the violence on Islamist separatists but rights groups point to Beijing's own actions as a driver.

China police kill four over Xinjiang attack: state media

Turkey and Russia have agreed a ceasefire for all of Syria that should come into force at midnight, Turkish state media said today, but rebel groups said no such official truce had been agreed.
	The state-run Anadolu news agency said the plan aims to expand a ceasefire in the city of Aleppo -- brokered by Turkey and Russia earlier this month to allow the evacuation of civilians -- to the whole country.
	If successful, the plan would form the basis of upcoming political negotiations between the Damascus regime and the opposition, overseen by Russia and Turkey in the Kazakh capital Astana, it added.
	But in a speech in Ankara after the report was published, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made no reference to the plan, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he could not answer on an issue "about which I don't have enough information".
	A Syrian rebel source, who asked not to be named, told AFP in Beirut that details still had to be submitted to opposition fighters and said there was .

Russia, Turkey said to agree Syria ceasefire, rebels caution

Russia today blasted a report in The New York Times that officials have acknowledged a massive sports doping conspiracy, reiterating claims there was no government involvement.
     The New York Times reported Tuesday that the acting director general of Russia's scandal-mired national anti-doping agency had "for the first time" conceded officials conducted the programme to cheat.
     "It was an institutional conspiracy," Anna Antseliovich, was reported as telling the US newspaper in an article datelined from Moscow.
     Antseliovich and others interviewed continued to reject the characterization of the doping scheme as "state-sponsored," telling the Times that top government officials were not involved.
     But Moscow later slammed the article, with anti-doping agency RUSADA insisting that Antseliovich's words were "distorted and taken out of context".
     The New York Times reporter "took these words out of context, creating the impression that RUSADA's leadership had admitted to 

Russia blasts NYT doping 'conspiracy' report

Jailed Bahraini rights activist Nabeel Rajab, who was ordered freed on bail today, will remain in custody for questioning in a different case, the prosecution office said.
	"He will remain in jail pending the case being handled by the public prosecution, until the investigation is concluded," prosecution chief Mohammed Salah said in a statement carried by state news agency BNA.
	A Bahraini court had earlier ordered Rajab freed pending trial on charges of spreading false information, with the case to resume on January 23.
	But Salah said Rajab was being questioned in another cybercrime case on a similar charge of "spreading false news about the situation in the kingdom."
	Rajab's son Adam lamented the decision to keep his father behind bars.
	"Sadly, my father will not be released," he wrote on Twitter. "Those oppressors already have another case ready for him. They dont want him out."
	Rajab has been repeatedly detained for organising protests and publishing tweets deemed insulting to 

Bahrain activist to remain in jail in separate case:

Chinese customs seized over three tonnes of pangolin scales, state media said, in the country's biggest-ever smuggling case involving the animal parts.
	Shanghai Customs found around 3.1 tonnes of pangolin scales mixed in with a container of wood products imported from Nigeria, state broadcaster CCTV reported yesterday.
	It estimated up to 7,500 of the creatures could have been killed.
	The reclusive pangolin has become the most trafficked mammal on Earth due to soaring demand in Asia for their scales for traditional medicine and their flesh, considered a delicacy.
	State media have previously said the scales fetch around 5,000 yuan (USD 700) per kilogramme (USD 700) on the black market -- which would make the seizure worth more than USD 2 million.
	Although the international pangolin trade is illegal in China and they are listed as one of the most-protected wild animals, law enforcement remains weak.
	Pangolins are also farmed in the country and an online site selling traditional ...

China in biggest-ever pangolin scale seizure: reports

Uruguay's last military dictator, General Gregorio "El Goyo" Alvarez, died today at age 91 of heart failure, a defense ministry official said.
	Alvarez, who played a central role in a 1973 coup that installed a military regime in Uruguay, ruled the country from 1981 to 1985.
	He was serving a 25-year prison sentence for human rights violations committed during the dictatorship.
	Suffering from dementia and respiratory problems, he was transferred two weeks ago to the Montevideo Military Hospital, where he died.
	Human rights activists called on Uruguayans to remember victims of the regime on the occasion of his death.
	"With the greatest respect, a rapist, a murderer, a torturer, a 'disappearer' doesn't redeem himself by dying," said lawyer Oscar Lopez Goldaracena, who took part in Alvarez's trial for the kidnapping and presumed murder of 40 regime opponents.
	Thousands of people were jailed, tortured or killed by the regime in Uruguay, one of many Latin American countries where the ..

Uruguay's last dictator, Gregorio Alvarez, dies at 91

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said today he will not be a "dictator" in discussions over his proposal to expand the World Cup finals from 32 to 48 teams.
     "I strongly believe in that, but obviously I'm not a dictator," Infantino told the closing session of the Dubai International Sports Conference.
     "This is something that needs to be discussed. When discussed with the associations in the summits they were overwhelmingly in favour, but more discussions will have to take place," he said.
     Infantino's proposal for a 48-team World Cup in 2026, featuring 16 groups of three, will be submitted to the FIFA Council next month. A 40-team World Cup is also on the table.
     Infantino said that expansion means "inclusion" in the "biggest social and sporting event."
     He said failure to qualify for the finals strongly affects nations, with coaches being sacked and clubs and players criticised.
     If they qualify "the whole country lives and breathes football. Everyone gets ...

Infantino says not 'dictator' on World Cup expansion

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal's Euro 2016-winning coach Fernando Santos scooped the top prizes at the seventh edition of the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai.
     Ronaldo claimed the best player award after helping his country land their first major title at this year's European Championship and firing Real to a record 11th European Cup triumph.
     "Probably (this) was my best year so far," Ronaldo, who earlier this month won the Ballon d'Or for the fourth time in his career, said in a short video message.
     "The people still doubt about me, about Real Madrid, about national team, and you have the proof. We win everything, so amazing year, I'm so happy."
     The 62-year-old Santos was named best manager after masterminding Portugal's success in France, while Champions League winners Real Madrid took home the prize for club of the year.
     Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery, under pressure at the Parc des Princes following a mediocre first half of the season, ..

Ronaldo, Santos honoured at Globe Soccer Awards

Former Bundesbank president Hans Tietmeyer, a key architect of the euro who oversaw its introduction in Germany, has died at the age of 85, the central bank announced today.
	Tietmeyer ran the mighty Bundesbank from 1993 to 1999, a period that straddled the aftermath of German reunification as well as the launch of the single European currency and the creation of the European Central Bank.
	"Hans Tietmeyer was an outstanding president, who always acted with the goal of monetary stability in mind," current Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann said in a statement.
	"Our thoughts and sympathies go out to his family."
	Tietmeyer died yesterday, the statement added, without giving further details.
	A fierce defender of the independence of central banks, Tietmeyer was credited with ensuring that the same principle was enshrined in the statutes of the ECB, which was modelled in large part on the Bundesbank and is likewise based in Frankfurt.
	Before joining the Bundesbank, Tietmeyer was a junior ..

Euro forefather Tietmeyer dies aged 85

Sudanese lawmakers voted today to bring back the post of prime minister, a position abolished after President Omar al-Bashir came to power in a 1989 Islamist-backed coup.
	The move to delegate limited powers to a prime minister fits with reforms proposed by a national dialogue between Bashir's government and some opposition groups.
	Bashir scrapped the post after leading a bloodless coup against then-premier Sadiq al-Mahdi with the help of Mahdi's brother-in-law, Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi.
	In October, after a quarter-century in power, Bashir concluded a year-long national dialogue aimed at resolving the insurgencies in Sudan's border regions and healing the country's crisis-wracked economy.
	The talks, launched in October 2015, were boycotted by most mainstream opposition and armed groups.
	On October 10, Bashir submitted a "national document" to serve as a framework for a new Sudanese constitution.
	That led to today's amendment, approved by all 387 MPs present out of a total 

Sudan lawmakers vote to bring back PM post

The United States embassy in Ankara today denied Washington had ever supported Islamic State (IS) jihadists in the Syrian conflict after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed the extremists had enjoyed US backing.
	"The United States government is not supporting Daesh," the embassy said in a terse statement, using another acronym for IS.
	The United States "did not create or support Daesh in the past. Assertions the United States government is supporting Daesh are not true," it added.
	The statement did not mention Erdogan by name but said there was "considerable misinformation circulating in Turkish media" about US operations against IS in Syria.
	"For those interested in the truths, here are the truths," the embassy said.
	Erdogan had yesterday accused coalition forces led by the United States of supporting not just the Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) in Syria but also IS.
	"It's quite clear, perfectly obvious," he said, adding that Turkey could provide proof in ...

US denies Erdogan accusations of 'supporting IS'

Israel's military said today it had arrested the brother of a Hamas security chief accused of involvement in tunnel building in the Gaza Strip.
	The military said in a statement that Bilaal Razayna was arrested after crossing from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
	It said his brother Mustafa Razayna is a head of internal security for Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip.
	Gaza interior ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bozum said the man arrested was in his 20s but that he had been detained when approaching the border on the Gazan side of the fence.
	He said his brother worked in the interior ministry, without providing further details, but added that the man had mental health problems and was not in contact with the Gaza security services.
	The military said Razayna was arrested on November 27, but the information was cleared for release only today.
	It alleged he was part of Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, for the last 10 years and "was closely associated ..

Israel says arrests brother of Hamas security chief

German police today detained a Tunisian national on suspicion of having ties to Anis Amri, the suspected Berlin truck attacker gunned down by Italian police last week, prosecutors said.
	"The deceased suspect Anis Amri had saved the number of this 40-year-old Tunisian national in his phone. The investigations indicate that he could have been involved in the attack," the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement.
	The suspect was taken into custody early today after federal police officers searched his home and work premises.
	"The extent to which the suspicions against the detained person can be confirmed remains subject to further investigation," the statement added.
	Twelve people were killed and dozens injured on December 19, when Amri is believed to have hijacked a truck and used it to mow down people at a Berlin Christmas market.
	The 24-year-old went on the run and was the focus of a frantic four-day manhunt before being shot dead by police in Milan after opening fire ...

German police detain alleged contact of Berlin truck attacker

A strong earthquake struck northeast of Tokyo today but there was no fear of a tsunami, Japan's meteorological agency said.
	It put the magnitude at 6.3, while the US Geological Survey measured it at 5.9. The quake struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, 18 km north-northeast of the town of Daigo.

Strong quake hits northeast Japan, no tsunami risk

Strong quake hits northeast Japan, no tsunami risk:

A Bahraini court today ordered the release of prominent rights activist Nabeel Rajab pending his trial on charges of spreading false information and posting insults online, a judicial source said.
	The decision follows repeated requests to release Rajab who suffered recurring health problems.
	The court postponed his trial to January 23, the source said.

Bahrain court frees prominent activist pending trial

The bodies of 11 migrants who died trying to make the perilous journey to Europe have washed up on beaches around Libya's capital Tripoli, the Red Crescent said today.
	"Teams from the Tripoli branch of the Libyan Red Crescent recovered 11 bodies washed up around Tripoli," Red Crescent volunteer Mohannad al-Fallah said.
	"The teams in charge of recovering bodies were sent on Tuesday to several beaches around Tripoli, in residential areas where residents are accustomed to alerting authorities" about the sighting of bodies, he said.
	The Libyan Red Crescent said on its Facebook page that the bodies were recovered at the Hay Al Andalus beach in the capital and in another area about 15 kilometres (10 miles) west of the city.
	People smugglers have exploited the chaos gripping Libya since the 2011 uprising that overthrew dictator Moamer Kadhafi to traffic migrants across the Mediterranean to Europe.
	Many set off from the western coast in small boats for the journey to Italy, 300 ...

11 dead migrants found on Libya beaches: Red Crescent

Two ousted pro-independence Hong Kong lawmakers today announced they were making a final bid to overturn a controversial Beijing-linked ban preventing them from taking up their seats in parliament.
	Yau Wai-ching and Baggio Leung were elected in citywide polls in September but deliberately misread their oaths of office during their swearing-in ceremony, inserting expletives and draping themselves with "Hong Kong is not China" flags.
	This prompted a rare interference by Chinese authorities.
	The pair were amongst a handful of rebel candidates who took seats for the first time after the September polls, advocating either independence or self-determination for the southern Chinese city.
	The new movement supporting a possible split from Beijing for the semi-autonomous city has gained traction as young pro-democracy campaigners grow increasingly frustrated with a lack of political reform.
	Beijing took aim at the pair in a special "interpretation" of the city's constitution in early ...

Hong Kong's ousted anti-China lawmakers make appeal over ban

A Chinese shopping mall is ringing in the year of the cock with a giant sculpture of a chicken that looks like US president-elect Donald Trump.
	China has gone cuckoo for the cartoonish pastiche -- complete with orange pompadour -- of the billionaire politician in Taiyuan,  capital of the northern province of Shanxi.
	The scowling statue is one of many roosters popping up around the country as it prepares to celebrate the lunar new year at the end of January.
	With its tiny wings parroting Trump's distinctive hand gestures, replicas of the bird are available on the Chinese shopping site Taobao for as much as 12,000 yuan (USD 1,700) for a 10-metre version.
	Trump has captured the Chinese imagination, and riled its authorities, with his threats to talk turkey about massive tariffs on Chinese exports.
	With his crowing tweets on Twitter, including attacks on China's foreign and economic policy, it is no surprise that the Chinese internet wants to give the strutting American leader the ...

China gives Trump the bird

Israel delayed a vote today on permits for settler homes at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request, ahead of a speech by US Secretary of State John Kerry, an official said.
	The discussion was pulled from the agenda in a move following last week's UN Security Council resolution demanding a halt to Israeli settlement building and with Kerry set for a major speech on the conflict later in the day.
	Hanan Rubin, a Jerusalem city councillor and a member of the planning committee that was to discuss the permits, told AFP its members had been informed of Netanyahu's request by the committee chairman.
	"We were told by the chairman... That it was pulled at the request of the prime minister so we can avoid a conflict with the US government just before Kerry's speech tonight," Rubin said.
	Netanyahu's spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
	Rubin said the committee had been planning to vote on permits for 492 units in the Ramat Shlomo and Ramot settlement ...

AFP

AFP

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