Two British teenagers, fined in June on charges of stealing artefacts from the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz, will now face trial for the same offence, a Polish prosecutor said today.
	The  two, back in England, had been given a one-year probation along with the fine after pleading guilty in June, then released by Polish authorities.
	But they have since reversed their plea to not guilty, prompting the new charges, said Mariusz Slomka from the prosecutor's office in Oswiecim, the southern city where the Auschwitz camp is located.
	If found guilty, they could face up to 10 years in prison for "stealing objects of historical value," said Slomka. He said the "charges were delivered yesterday to the court in the city of Krakow", in southern Poland.
	Born in 1997 and 1998, the boys -- both minors -- were students at the Perse School, a private facility near Cambridge in southern England.
	They were detained in June near barracks where the prisoners' personal items used to be sorted, Pawel ..

Two British teens to face trial over Auschwitz theft

PTI Automatic

Syrian authorities today arrested two prominent members of the domestic opposition as they travelled to Riyadh to meet other regime opponents, a colleague said.
	Ahmad al-Asrawi and Munir al-Bitar, two members of the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change (NCCDC), were stopped at Syria's border with Lebanon, said the body's secretary general, Yahya Aziz.
	Both Asrawi and Bitar were headed to Saudi Arabia to join fellow members of the opposition's "supreme committee for negotiations," Aziz told AFP.
	The "supreme committee" is a 33-member group formed earlier this month at a landmark meeting of Syria's armed and political opposition in Riyadh.
	The committee is set to choose at least part of an opposition delegation for peace talks with President Bashar al-Assad's government next month.
	"Syrian authorities today arrested our two colleagues Ahmad al-Asrawi and Munir al-Bitar at the Syrian-Lebanese border point as they were heading to the supreme committee meeting in ...

Syria arrests opposition figures on way to Riyadh meeting

Moscow today called for Ankara to arrest a rebel it claims killed the pilot of the Russian jet downed by Turkey last month on the Syrian border.
	"We demand that the Turkish authorities take immediate steps to apprehend Alparslan Celik and his accomplices and bring them to justice for the murder of the Russian pilot," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
	In an interview published Sunday in Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, Celik -- a Turkmen rebel and citizen of Turkey -- said that his "conscience cannot be bothered by a person who threw bombs at Turkmen civilians every day," referring to the slain Russian pilot.
	Both pilots aboard the downed Su-24 jet ejected and parachuted to the ground on the Syrian side of the border, one of whom was killed by gun fire from the ground.
	"Revenge is the most natural right," Celik said in the interview, while refraining from claiming the pilot's death.
	Moscow and Ankara have been locked in a bitter spat over the downing of .

Moscow demands arrest of rebel for 'murder' of Russian pilot

US comic Bill Cosby has been charged with sexual assault in Pennsylvania over an incident that took place in 2004, a prosecutor said today -- the first criminal charges filed against the actor after dozens of women claimed abuse.
	"Mr Cosby is charged with aggravated indecent assault. This is a felony of the first degree," Kevin Steele, assistant district attorney for the state's Montgomery County, told reporters in Norristown, in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
	Cosby, 78, was to be arraigned on the charge of aggravated indecent assault later today.
	The charges stems from allegations made by a former employee of Temple University in Philadelphia, who says Cosby assaulted her at his home near the East Coast city in 2004.
	"On the evening in question, Mr Cosby urged her to take pills that he provided to her and to drink wine -- the effect of which rendered her unable to move, (or to) respond to his advances, and he committed aggravated indecent assault upon her," Steele said.
	Steele ...

Bill Cosby charged with sexual assault: prosecutor

Months of fighting in Ramadi have caused extensive destruction, officials said today, warning that it was too soon for civilians to return to the Iraqi city after its recapture from jihadists.
	Iraqi forces declared victory Sunday night in the Ramadi battle after wresting back control of the city's central government complex from the Islamic State group.
	Some jihadist fighters have yet to be flushed out, mostly on the eastern edge of the city, and many reconquered areas have yet to be fully cleared of roadside bombs and booby traps.
	"There is extensive destruction in the city as a result of terrorist activity and military operations," said Ibrahim al-Osej, a member of the Ramadi district council.
	IS fighters had laid thousands of explosive devices across Ramadi as part of their defence against an offensive that was launched on December 22 by elite federal forces.
	The US-led coalition supporting the Iraqi effort to reclaim the city, which was lost to IS in May, has also carried out 

Thousands of homes destroyed in Iraq's Ramadi: official

Germany took in almost 1.1 million asylum seekers this year, an all-time record and five times last year's total, a newspaper reported today citing unpublished official figures.
	Monthly arrivals for all of December reached an estimated 125,000 with 117,000 registered by December 29, said the Saechsische Zeitung regional daily.
	This would bring the year's total to 1.09 million newcomers, after just over 200,000 last year.
	The December arrivals actually represented a slowdown after 206,000 new asylum requests were registered in November, 181,000 in October and 164,000 in September.
	German Chancellor Angela Merkel has won both praise and criticism for her decision in September to open Germany to a record wave of refugees, about half from war-torn Syria.
	Faced with opposition in her conservative camp and popular concerns about an influx greater than one percent of the national population of 80 million, she has vowed steps to reduce numbers next year.
	Her plan involves an EU deal ...

Germany took in 1.1 mn asylum seekers in 2015: report

Pakistan and Afghanistan have established a hotline between their respective military commanders and made first contact today, the Pakistani military said.
	Pakistan army spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said on Twitter that the direct line between the military commanders of the two countries was agreed during a visit to Kabul Sunday by the country's powerful army chief General Raheel Sharif.
	"Hot line established between DGMOs (Director Generals of military operations) of both countries. First contact/call just made," Bajwa tweeted.
	The Pakistan army chief's visit to Kabul follows talks between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over recent weeks that sought to pave the way for a Islamabad-brokered peace process between Taliban and Afghan government.
	Afghanistan sees Pakistan's support as vital to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.
	Pakistan hosted a milestone first round of talks in July but the negotiations stalled when the ...

Pakistan, Afghanistan set up military hotline

Philippine security forces clashed with al-Qaeda-linked gunmen believed to be holding foreign hostages today, leaving one soldier and eight of the gunmen dead, the military said.
	The clash occurred near Patikul town on the remote southern island of Jolo, where gunmen from the Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf are believed to be holding two Canadian hostages along with a Norwegian and a Filipina.
	Regional mlitary spokesman Major Filemon Tan said that one soldier was killed and four wounded, but did not respond to queries about the status of the hostages thought to be held by the gunmen.
	Eight of the around 100 attackers were also killed, Tan told reporters, adding that the militants belonged to an Abu Sayyaf faction led by Hajan Sawadjaan.
	Abu Sayyaf last month released a video of two Canadian tourists, a Norwegian resort operator and a Filipina abducted in another area of the southern Philippines in September, and demanded one billion pesos (USD 21 million) in ransom.
	A Dutch ...

Nine dead as Philippine troops clash with kidnappers

Female motorbike taxi drivers in headscarves zig-zag through heavy traffic in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, the latest two-wheeled transport service for women making a dent in the male-dominated world of ride-hailing apps in the Muslim nation.
	A flurry of new motorbike taxi options have in the past year appeared in the metropolis of 10 million, led by popular service Go-Jek, giving Indonesia's growing middle class a greater choice of transport to get through some of the world's worst traffic jams.
	The services -- many inspired by ride-sharing app Uber and accessible on smartphones -- are a challenge to traditional motorbike taxis in Indonesia, known as "ojeks", which are ubiquitous but have drawn criticism with their dishevelled, dangerous drivers and unpredictable pricing.
	Several services with women drivers entered the market in 2015 after years of growing piety in Indonesia, which has the world's biggest Muslim population, and amid heightened safety concerns following reports .

Indonesia's Muslim women hail female-only motorbike taxis

An Australian actress who was detained in Malaysia after allegedly kidnapping her son is to be allowed to return home with no charges filed against her, a senior police official said today.
	Eliza Szonert was taken into police custody last week for allegedly grabbing her son while he was with her separated partner at a restaurant earlier this month.
	"She can leave Malaysia for home with her son. We have investigated the case and the deputy public prosecutor has decided that there will be no prosecution against her," Kuala Lumpur police chief Tajuddin Mohamad Isa told AFP.
	"Our concern is for the well-being of the child," he added.
	Szonert, who acted in the popular Australian TV soap opera "Neighbours", was engulfed in controversy after the alleged snatching was caught on video.
	The Melbourne actress is alleged to have abducted her son from his father Ashley Crick, a businessman now based in Malaysia, at a restaurant in a popular mall in Kuala Lumpur on December 10.
	Various media .

'Aussie actress accused of kidnapping son to return home'

Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza said today he would fight proposed African Union peacekeepers if they set foot on Burundian soil, defying intense global pressure to accept the force.
	"Everybody should respect the borders of Burundi. If the troops are in violation of this decision, they will have attacked Burundi, and each Burundian must stand up to fight them. The country will have been attacked and we will fight them," Nkurunziza said in a speech broadcast on state radio.
	The 54-member African Union gave Burundi a four-day deadline on December 17 to accept a 5,000-strong force to halt months of violence, pledging to send troops even though Burundi said it was opposed to an "invasion force".
	The small central African country descended into bloodshed in April when Nkurunziza announced his intention to run for a controversial third term in a July election that he went on to win.
	"You cannot send troops to a country if the United Nations Security Council has not accepted it... .

Burundi president vows to fight African Union peacekeepers

Jihadists in Iraq and Syria are holding over 3,000 Yazidi hostages, a Yazidi activist once imprisoned by the Islamic State said today.
	"At this moment there are 3,400 people in detention who are Syrian or Iraqi," Nadia Murad Basee Taha told Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos during a visit to Athens.
	"I call on you to convey my voice to the European Union because thousands of women and small children continue to be held hostage," said the 21-year-old Taha, a member of one of the Iraqi minorities hardest hit by jihadist atrocities.
	Taha was abducted by IS fighters in August 2014 from her village in Iraq and held for three months, during which time she was used as a sex slave.
	She managed to escape to Germany and on December 16 told the United Nations Security Council that IS "has made Yazidi women into flesh to be trafficked in."
	The Yazidis are neither Muslims nor Arabs and follow a unique faith despised by the Islamic State jihadist group. The Kurdish-speaking minority is ...

Jihadists holding over 3,000 Yazidis hostage: activist

Belgium is probing whether a motorcycle gang was involved in an alleged plot to launch attacks in Brussels during New Year's festivities, a source close to the probe said today.
	Federal prosecutors announced yesterday the authorities had arrested two people suspected of plotting to attack "emblematic sites" in the Belgian capital following raids in the areas of Brussels and Liege.
	A source close to the investigation told AFP a counter- terrorism judge was probing links between the "Kamikaze Riders" gang and the alleged plotters.
	"The investigation is looking at this group of motorcyclists," the source said on condition of anonymity without saying whether those arrested were gang member.
	Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure said that one of those arrested is a Salafist who founded the gang and that several of its members are supporters of the jihadist cause.
	The two suspects are due to appear in court tomorrow when a judge will determine whether to keep them in custody.
	The ...

'Belgium probes bike gang in alleged Islamist New Year plot'

A Nigerian businessman is set to unveil what he says is Africa's largest statue of Jesus, describing it as a symbol of peace in a country wracked by Islamist insurgency.
	Obinna Onuoha commissioned the 8.53 metre tall "Jesus de Greatest" statue in 2013, hiring a Chinese company to carve it out of white marble.
	Standing barefoot with arms outstretched, the 40 ton statue will tower over St Aloysius Catholic Church in the mainly Christian village of Abajah in Nigeria's southeastern state of Imo.
	"It's going to be the biggest statue of Jesus on the continent," said Onuoha, the 43-year-old chief executive officer of an oil and gas distribution company.
	"Definitely pilgrims will come."
	Around 1,000 people are expected to attend the statue's unveiling on New Year's Day.
	Onuoha said he has contacted the police just to be sure that it is not attacked or vandalised.
	Nigeria, Africa's largest country with 170 million people, is split between a more prosperous Christian south and a poor ...

Nigerian builds 'biggest' statue of Jesus in Africa

The South African selectors on Wednesday added wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock and fast bowler Chris Morris to their squad for the second Test against England starting in Cape Town today.
     The additions were announced after South Africa suffered a 241-run defeat in the first Test at Kingsmead.
     "Following our performance and injuries in the first Test, we have recognised the need to bolster the squad," said Linda Zondi, the convener of selectors.
     Apart from taking the gloves to reduce the workload of star batsman AB de Villiers, the left-handed De Kock could strengthen South Africa's fragile batting. De Kock hit a century for the Titans franchise against the Cape Cobras in a first-class match at the weekend.
     Morris was picked as cover for Dale Steyn, who suffered a shoulder injury in Durban. Steyn remains in the squad but is unlikely to play. Kagiso Rabada is probably next in line if Steyn is ruled out.
     South African squad: Hashim Amla (captain), Dean Elgar, Stiaan 

South Africa add two to squad

Bangladesh police have charged national cricketer Shahadat Hossain with assaulting an 11-year-old girl he employed illegally as a maid.
     Police said Hossain, who has played 38 Tests for Bangladesh, and his wife Nritto Shahadat were formally charged on Tuesday with assault and torture.
     "The allegations against Shahadat and his wife were proved in our primary investigations," police Inspector Shafiqur Rahman told AFP.
     The 29-year-old cricketer, who denies any wrongdoing, was suspended from all forms of the game on September 13 over the allegations.
     He and his wife went into hiding after police raided their house in September following a complaint from the young girl.
     Police said one of her hands had been burnt with a hot cooking paddle, while other injury marks were also found on her body. Television footage showed her looking frail and thin with swollen black eyes.
     Hossain, who has also played 51 one-day internationals for Bangladesh, handed himself in to ..

Bangladesh cricketer charged with assaulting child maid

The copyright of Hitler's "Mein Kampf" expires Friday, with plans by several publishers for annotated reprints sparking fierce debate over how one of the world's most controversial books should be treated seven decades after the defeat of the Nazis.
	The southern German state of Bavaria was handed the copyright of the book in 1945, when the Allies gave it the control of the main Nazi publishing house.
	For 70 years, it refused to allow the anti-Semitic manifesto to be republished out of respect for victims of the Nazis and to prevent incitement of hatred.
	But "Mein Kampf" - which means "My Struggle" - falls into the public domain on January 1, meaning that the state of Bavaria can no longer challenge reproductions or translations of the inflammatory work.
	For several European countries that were under Nazi occupation, including Austria and the Netherlands, the expiration of copyright will have little impact as reprints and sales of Hitler's diatribe remain banned there.
	But in ...

Anguish as reprints of 'Mein Kampf' planned for new year

Over one million migrants and refugees crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Europe in 2015, nearly half of them Syrians, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said today.
	The milestone marks an almost five-fold increase over 2014 figures, when UNHCR recorded 219,000 arrivals via the perilous sea crossing.
	"The vast majority of those attempting this dangerous crossing are in need of international protection," the agency said.
	The massive movement of people this year in Europe, most of them seeking refuge from conflict, has exposed deep divisions among EU leaders on how to deal with the influx.
	In total, 1,000,573 made their way across the Mediterranean since January 1, while 3,735 people who attempted the journey died or went missing, the UN agency said.
	Greece was by far the top landing spot with 844,176 arrivals, followed by Italy, a distant second with 152,700 migrants landing on its shores.
	The figures underscore the enormous impact that Syria's nearly five-year civil war has had on ...

Over one million reach Europe by sea in 2015: UN

The United States continues to spy on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's communications despite promising to curtail the hacking of its allies, media reported today.
	Contacted by AFP, the White House did not deny the report, which cites several serving and former US officials, but stressed the importance of its ongoing close ties with Israel.
	Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem as well as the spokesman of the Israeli foreign ministry declined to comment on the report.
	Two years ago, after rogue intelligence contractor Edward Snowden revealed the vast extent of the National Security Agency's online surveillance, President Barack Obama promised to limit spying on US allies.
	Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel had been embarrassed by the revelation that her cellphone had been monitored and other allies expressed private concerns about the breadth of NSA monitoring.
	But, according to The Wall Street Journal report, Obama decided there was a "compelling national security purpose" .

US spying on Netanyahu communications: report

Turkish police detained in Ankara two suspected suicide bombers linked to Islamic State (IS) jihadists who were plotting an attack on New Year's Eve in the capital, a Turkish official said today.
	"They are suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State and were planning an attack on the New Year in Ankara," the official said, asking not to be named.
	Counter-terror police arrested the two people in the Mamak district in the outskirts of the capital, the private NTV television reported.
	Turkey is on high security alert after 103 people were killed on October 10 when two suicide bombers ripped through a crowd of peace activists in Ankara, the worst attack in modern Turkey's history.
	That attack was blamed on IS jihadists, like two other deadly strikes in the country's Kurdish-dominated southeast earlier in the summer.
	Turkish authorities have over the past months cracked down on the group's so-called "sleeper cells" throughout the country.

Turkey detains two IS suspects over New Year attack plot

Saudi economic growth is set to slow further in 2016 after the OPEC heavyweight announced record deficits due to the slump in oil prices, an economic report said today.
	Jadwa Investment forecast the Saudi economy would grow by just 1.9 per cent next year, down from 3.3 per cent this year and 3.5 per cent in 2014.
	The world's top oil exporter announced Monday a record budget deficit of USD 98 billion in 2015 and projected a shortfall of USD 87 billion next year.
	Jadwa expects the oil sector to grow by a meagre 0.9 per cent on an average crude production of 10.2 million barrels per day.
	To finance the budget, the Saudi government withdrew from its huge fiscal reserves and issued bonds on the domestic market.
	The reserves dropped from USD 732 billion at the end of 2014 to USD 628 billion in November, Jadwa said.
	The kingdom is estimated to have issued domestic bonds worth around USD 30 billion since July, raising public debt to USD 38 billion, or 5.8 per cent of Gross Domestic ...

AFP

AFP

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