Syrian troops cemented their hold on Aleppo today after retaking full control of the city, as residents anxious to return to their homes moved through its ruined streets.
	Syria's army announced yesterday it had recaptured the former rebel stronghold of east Aleppo following a landmark evacuation deal that saw thousands of opposition fighters and residents bussed out.
	It was the biggest victory for President Bashar al-Assad's forces in nearly six years of civil war and a major win for his foreign backers, with key ally Russia hailing the recapture as "very important" step.
	Braving the cold, war-weary residents crossed districts that had become infamous front lines, eager to return to neighbourhoods they had not seen in years.
	An AFP correspondent saw civilians wrapped in coats trekking through the cold, some rolling their belongings on wheelbarrows.
	"I came to check on my house, which I haven't seen in five years," resident Khaled al-Masri said. "I really hope my home wasn't badly 

Syria army, civilians move into ruined Aleppo streets

PTI Automatic

Germany said it was "relieved" by reports from Italian authorities that the prime suspect in the Berlin Christmas market attack was shot dead by Milan police today, and thanked Rome.
	"There are growing signs that this is actually the person (wanted in the attack). Should this be proved true, the ministry is relieved that this person no longer poses a danger," interior ministry spokesman, Tobias Plate, told reporters.
	Foreign ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer said Berlin was "grateful to the Italian authorities for the very close cooperation based on trust".
	"Our colleagues at the consulate in Milan were informed in a very timely way," he told the same news briefing.
	Plate said that Berlin had not yet received "official confirmation" from Italy that the dead man was in fact the suspect, Anis Amri, after Italy's interior minister Marco Minniti told a news conference in Rome that Amri had been shot after firing at two police officers.
	A spokeswoman for Chancellor Angela Merkel, ...

'Germany relieved Berlin attack suspect killed in Italy'

Russia's President Vladimir Putin said today that US President-elect Donald Trump accurately read the popular mood in the United States to win the election, although "nobody except us" believed in his success.
	The US president-elect "precisely felt the mood of the society and worked in that precise paradigm, he went to the end, though nobody believed that he would win except us," Putin said while answering a state media journalist at his annual press conference.
	Asked what he thought about support among some Americans for him, Putin said "I don't put it down to me, the fact that a large part of Republican voters support the Russian president."
	"It means that a large part of the American people have the same idea of how the world should be, of our common dangers and problems," he said.
	"It's good that there are people that sympathise with us in our concept of traditional values," he said, and it may be a good starting point in "building relations" between the United States and ...

Putin: Nobody believed Trump would win 'except us'

Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat today said on Twitter he had been alerted to a "potential hijack" of a Libyan plane reported to be headed for the Mediterranean island.
	"Informed of potential hijack situation of a #Libya internal flight diverted to #Malta. Security and emergency operations standing by -JM," the premier said in a post from his official account.
	Maltese government sources told AFP there were 118 people on board the plane, including seven crew.
	Maltese media reported that the hijacked plane was an Airbus 320 that had been on a domestic Libyan flight operated by Afriqiyah Airways.
	Libya has been in a state of chaos since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi left warring militias battling for control of different parts of the country.
	Forces loyal to a fledgling national unity government recently took control of the coastal city of Sirte, which had been a bastion for the Islamic State group since June 2015.
	Western powers have pinned their hopes of containing ...

Hijacked Libyan plane headed for Malta: PM

People were protesting against President Joseph Kabila's refusal to step down

At least 40 killed in DR Congo anti-Kabila protests: UN

Critics and victims of military abuses expressed alarm today after President Rodrigo Duterte said he wanted Philippine leaders to be able to wield martial law powers without judicial and congressional approval.
	Duterte, a fiery populist politician who was elected by a landslide earlier this year largely on a vow to kill 100,000 criminals, has cultivated an image as a no-nonsense leader.
	He has made reviving the death penalty in the mainly Catholic nation his top legislative priority as part of his war on crime, and has likened himself to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler as he said he was "happy to slaughter" three million drug users.
	Speaking during a visit to the northern Philippines yesterday, the 71-year-old lamented how the constitution tied the president's hands in dealing with security crises including war.
	"If you have martial law, only one person should be in control," Duterte said.
	"If there's invasion or war and I declare martial law, I cannot proceed on and on to deal with the 

Philippine critics alarmed by Duterte's martial law talk

The Tunisian man suspected of carrying out the deadly Berlin truck attack at the Christmas market was shot dead by police today in Milan, Italy's interior minister Marco Minniti said.
	The minister told a press conference in Rome that Anis Amri had been fatally shot after firing at two police officers who had stopped his car for a routine identity check around 3:00 AM (0200 GMT).
	Identity checks had established "without a shadow of doubt" that the dead man was Amri, the minister said.
	He said Amri had coolly pulled the weapon from a backpack and began shooting. One of the officers was hit in the shoulder during the exchanges, the minister said. The officer was in hospital, awaiting surgery but not in any danger.
	Italy had Amri's fingerprints on file as a result of him having been in prison in Sicily between 2011 and 2015.
	Thought to be around 24, he had been on the run since escaping after Monday's attack which left 12 people dead.
	He had arrived in Italy from his native Tunisia .

Italy confirms Berlin truck attack suspect shot dead in Milan

Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat today said on Twitter he had been alerted to a "potential hijack" of a Libyan plane reported to be headed for the Mediterranean island.
	"Informed of potential hijack situation of a #Libya internal flight diverted to #Malta. Security and emergency operations standing by -JM," the premier said in a post from his official account.

Malta PM says he has been alerted to 'potential hijack' of

The Berlin attack may have rattled nerves but, mindful of their own dark history, Germans are resisting calls for a security overhaul and reject any talk of being at war -- setting the country apart from other jihadist-hit nations.
	Long-held fears of a major attack on German soil became reality on Monday when an extremist rammed a truck into a crowded Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring dozens. The suspected attacker, 24-year-old Tunisian Anis Amri, was shot dead by police in Italy early Friday.
	The attack, claimed by the Islamic State group, horrified Germany, which had until now escaped the type of jihadist carnage seen in neighbouring France and Belgium.
	But while the shock and grief are the same, there are no cries for a state of emergency and there is no question of flooding the streets with armed soldiers.
	Chancellor Angela Merkel herself on Thursday said she was "very proud of how calmly most people reacted to the situation".
	Experts attribute the sang-froid ..

'We're not at war', stoic Germans say after Berlin attack

Five people were killed and dozens injured following an explosion and fire at a gas station in Ghana's capital Accra, the police and fire service said today.
	"The situation is very serious," regional police commander Yoosa Bonga told AFP of last night's incident.
	"We can't immediately say what caused the fire but we took several people to the 37 Military Hospital for treatment but unfortunately five people are dead."
	A spokesman for the Ghana Fire Service, Billy Anaglatey, said "four bodies were retrieved from the streets and one on the premises of the gas station".
	He said some of the victims were passers-by, adding that the fire also damaged a nearby school building.
	A resident, Daniel Amissah, who had just left the gas station before the explosion, said a leakage on the main gas tank was suspected as the cause.
	At least 150 people were killed in June last year when a petrol station in Accra caught fire, with heavy flooding contributing to the deaths as the blaze was believed .

5 killed in Ghana gas station blast: police

President Vladimir Putin said today the recapture of the devastated city of Aleppo by Syrian regime forces was a "very important" step towards stabilising the war-torn country.
	"The liberation of Aleppo from radical elements is a very important part of the normalisation in Syria, and I hope, for the region overall," Putin told defence minister Sergei Shoigu in a meeting, Russian news agencies reported.
	The Syrian army said late yesterday that it had retaken full control of Aleppo, scoring its biggest victory against opposition forces since the civil war erupted in 2011.
	The Kremlin strongman said that after the ouster of rebels from Aleppo, Moscow will now look to end fighting across the country.
	"Everything needs to be done for fighting to stop on all Syrian territory," Putin was quoted as saying.
	"In any case, we will strive toward this."
	Moscow has been conducting a bombing campaign in Syria in support of long-time ally President Bashar al-Assad since September 2015.
	Russia .

Putin says Aleppo recapture 'very important' for Syria

Berlin truck attack suspect shot dead in Milan: Italian

The Saudi-led coalition battling rebels in Yemen used banned cluster bombs in attacks near two schools this month, Human Rights Watch said today.	The watchdog said that the alliance fired Brazilian-made rockets containing the outlawed munitions on December 6, near two schools in the Huthi rebel stronghold province of Saada, killing two civilians and wounding six including a child.
	That incident came a day after Saudi Arabia joined the US and Brazil in abstaining from a UN General Assembly vote that overwhelmingly endorsed an international ban on cluster bomb use.
	"Brazil should be on notice that its rockets are being used in unlawful attacks in the Yemeni war," said HRW arms director Steve Goose.
	"Cluster munitions are prohibited weapons that should never be used under any circumstances due to the harm inflicted on civilians. Brazil should make an immediate commitment to ending production and export of cluster munitions."
	The weapons can contain dozens of smaller bomblets that ...

Coalition used banned cluster bombs in Yemen: HRW

At least 88 civilians have been killed in 24 hours of Turkish air strikes on an Islamic State group bastion in northern Syria, a monitoring group said today.
	A barrage of raids hit Al-Bab yesterday, killing 72 civilians including 21 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
	Bombardment continued today, leaving another 16 civilians dead, including three children.
	"Eighty-eight civilians have been killed in 24 hours," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
	He said it was the bloodiest attack by Turkish forces that his monitoring group had recorded since Ankara began its intervention in Syria in late August.
	The Observatory says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved.
	Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies have been seeking to capture Al-Bab, about 25 kilometres from the northern Syrian border, for weeks.
	IS yesterday released a video purportedly showing two captured 

88 dead in Turkish raids on IS-held Syria town: monitor

Credit Suisse said today it had reached an agreement with US authorities to pay almost USD 5.3 billion to settle disputes over the sale of mortgage-backed securities.
	"Under the terms of the settlement, Credit Suisse would pay to the DoJ (US Department of Justice) a civil monetary penalty of USD 2.48 billion," the Swiss banking giant said in a statement.
	"In addition, Credit Suisse would provide consumer relief totaling USD 2.8 billion over the course of five years post settlement," it said.
	The settlement, which still needs approval by the bank's board, would release Credit Suisse from "potential civil claims by the DoJ related to its securitisation, underwriting and issuance" of mortgage-backed securities, it added.
	The business was mostly carried out from 2005 to 2007, it said.
	Just hours earlier, Germany's Deutsche Bank said it had agreed to pay a total of USD 7.2 billion (6.9 billion euros) to settle a case with the DoJ over its role in the subprime mortgage crisis.
	On ...

Credit Suisse agrees to pay $5.3 bn to settle US mortgage case

Fresh Turkish raids on an Islamic State group stronghold in northern Syria killed 16 civilians today, a monitor said, a day after dozens were killed in fierce bombardment of the town.
	Today's strikes on Al-Bab killed 16 civilians, including three children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
	The raids brought the total civilian toll from 24 hours of Turkish raids on the town to at least 88 dead, including 24 children, the Observatory said.

Fresh Turkish raids on IS-held Syria town kill 16: monitor

Egypt agreed to postpone a UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements when US president-elect Donald Trump called President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the presidency said today.
	Egypt had requested yesterday that the resolution demanding Israel halt settlements be postponed after Israel launched a frantic lobbying effort.
	The presidency said the two leaders had agreed to allow Trump's incoming administration a chance to tackle the issue.

Egypt's Sisi, Trump agreed in call on UN Israel vote delay

A strong typhoon was set to wallop the Philippines on Christmas Day, officials warned today, as millions of people criss-cross the mostly Catholic nation to celebrate one of the most important dates on the religious calendar.
	Nock-Ten was expected to be packing winds of up to 194 kilometres an hour and gusts of nearly 241 kilometres an hour when it hit the eastern tip of the archipelago's main island of Luzon on Sunday, the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center said.
	The Philippine's weather bureau is predicting more modest wind speeds.
	"Our people are being made aware that we could get hit on Christmas Day," Romina Marasigan, spokeswoman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, told AFP.
	"The highest levels of preparedness are being undertaken," she said, including stocking up designated evacuation centres with food and other provisions.
	Millions of Filipinos are travelling by land, sea or air to their hometowns for   the festive holiday.
	Local weather ...

Strong typhoon set to wallop Philippines over Christmas

A man was charged today in an infamous Australian serial killer case after one of the country's longest and most complex police investigations spanning 20 years.
	The deaths of three women who disappeared from the upmarket Perth suburb of Claremont after a night out between 1996 and 1997 shocked the country and struck fear into the city.
	Police struggled to pin the blame on anyone and followed thousands of leads before arresting Bradley Edwards, 48, at a home in a Perth suburb yesterday.
	He was charged with the murders of Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon, whose bodies were found dumped in bushland. But an investigation into the killing of Sarah Spiers remains ongoing. Her body has never been found.
	Edwards, who police allege acted alone, was also accused of attacking two other women.
	Western Australia Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said authorities never gave up.
	"This has already been the biggest and most complex police investigation in WA history," he said. "Hundreds of ...

Australia serial killer breakthrough after 20 years

The present Chelsea regime did not break any rules in keeping quiet about allegations of sex abuse suffered by former youth player Gary Johnson, the English Premier League said.
     "After careful consideration, the board has determined that no Premier League rules were broken by the club not reporting this matter to them in 2014," the Premier League said in a statement Thursday.
     The Premier League said it has insisted that Chelsea -- whose present owner Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich took over years after the abuse -- have an independent expert carry out a full safeguarding audit.
     "The League has no reason to have any concerns about Chelsea's current provisions in this area, but, given the seriousness of these historical allegations, feels that such a review is an appropriate course of action," it added.
     Chelsea additionally has to provide the Premier League with details of the club's internal review on historic abuse, launched after Johnson and several other ...

Chelsea cleared by EPL for not reporting abuse claims

German authorities have arrested two brothers on suspicion of planning an attack on a shopping centre in the western city of Oberhausen, police said today.
	The two men were aged 28 and 31 and originally from Kosovo, police said, with the country on edge after a jihadist drove a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin killing 12 people.

AFP

AFP

Page 1224 - Afp