Iraqi soldiers battling the Islamic State group recaptured the heart of the town of Beiji, home to the country's largest oil refinery, state television and a military official said today.
	Retaking Beiji, 250 kilometres (155 miles) north of Baghdad, could allow Iraqi forces a base to attack neighbouring Tikrit, taken by the extremists after their lightning advance this summer.
	It also represents a morale boost for Iraq's beleaguered security forces, which saw many of its troops flee the militant offencive.
	State television quoted the top army commander in Beiji, Gen Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, as saying troops recaptured the city's local government and police headquarters at the centre of the town.
	It aired what appeared to be archival footage of the town showing Iraqi army troops firing their weapons from behind sand barriers.
	Al-Saadi later spoke to state television by telephone but the line appeared to be cut off after he said his forces were meeting stiff resistance.
	A senior ...

Iraq military: Troops take centre of refinery town

PTI Automatic

Iraqi soldiers battling the Islamic State group recaptured the heart of the town of Beiji, home to the country's largest oil refinery, state television and a military official said today.
	Retaking Beiji, 250 kilometers north of Baghdad, could allow Iraqi forces a base to attack neighboring Tikrit, taken by the extremists after their lightning advance this summer. It also represents a morale boost for Iraq's beleaguered security forces, which saw many of its troops flee the militant offensive.
	State television quoted the top army commander in Beiji, Gen Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, as saying troops recaptured the city's local government and police headquarters at the center of the town. It aired what appeared to be archival footage of the town showing Iraqi army troops firing their weapons from behind sand barriers.
	Al-Saadi later spoke to state television by telephone but the line appeared to be cut off after he said his forces were meeting stiff resistance.
	A senior military official ...

Iraq military: Troops take center of refinery town

Germany's foreign minister is pushing for an agreement in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program by a November 24 deadline, saying it is a "make-or-break moment" and another opportunity is unlikely to arise soon.
	Germany, the US and four other powers have spent years addressing concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions. However, two days of tough talks ending Monday failed to make major headway toward a final deal.
	Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said today that flexibility and "strength of leadership" on all sides are needed to seal a compromise.
	Steinmeier says he is "convinced that the situation won't come around again so soon." He says he fears that simply extending negotiations "won't bring the solution not in the next two years.

German minister pushes for Iran deal by November 24

Unsure whether they could find halal food in Japan, a group of Muslim school teachers from Malaysia went so far as to prepare their own breakfast before departing.
	By the end of the first day, they were more at ease. School principal Rahanim Adb Rahim and her group from Kuala Lumpur enjoyed a traditional Japanese lunch of seafood tempura with rice before joining the crowds at Senso-ji, a popular temple in Tokyo.
	"It is not as difficult as we thought it would be," Rahanim said later at the Tokyo Skytree, a soaring tower that is one of the city's newest attractions.
	That's welcome news for Japanese tourism officials, who are counting on a still small but growing market of Muslim tourists as Japan looks to diversify its tourism industry, long dependent on visitors from China, Taiwan and South Korea.
	Looking ahead to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is trying to boost tourism as part of his "Abenomics" growth revitalization plan. The government hopes to ...

Japan tries to tap growing Muslim tourist market

The vengeance that Iraq's Shiite militias mete out as they fight the Islamic State group can be just as brutal as that of their sworn sectarian enemies.
	In a grisly video recently posted online, a Shiite fighter shouts the name of a revered imam in victory as he poses beside decapitated bodies. Another militiaman sits nearby, grinning as he maims a corpse.
	One bearded militiaman explains the bodies are those of fighters who "killed our comrades." Another man shouts, "Our fighters were good guys. These are dogs."
	The Shiite militias who have answered the call-to-arms by the government to fight the Islamic State group are growing more brutal, stoked by a desire for revenge against the Sunni extremists who have butchered Shiites who fall into their hands.
	That vigilantism is posing a challenge for the Shiite-led government in Baghdad, where authorities have been embarrassed by international criticism of the militias and are worried about militiamen getting out of control. Sunnis whom 

Iraqi Shiite militias grow brutal in anti-IS fight

Yemeni security officials say Shiite rebels who overtook the capital, Sanaa, tried to impose their authority at the city's international airport, setting off clashes with security personnel that left four dead.
	The officials said today that three security guards and a rebel were killed in overnight clashes. Two other guards and an airport employee were wounded.
	The officials say airport security tried to prevent the Houthi rebels from interfering in airport affairs and trying to search passengers.
	The Houthis, widely suspected of having links to Iran, took Sanaa in September and later expanded their offensive to other towns, waging battles with Sunni tribesmen and al-Qaida militants.
	The officials said flights were suspended during the clashes. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.

Yemen rebels clash with airport security; 4 killed

Following two deadly Palestinian attacks, Israel said it was tightening security in major cities and in the West Bank today amid fears that the violence could spread further.
	The move comes a day after a Palestinian from the West Bank city of Nablus stabbed a 20-year-old Israeli soldier at a crowded Tel Aviv train station. The soldier later died of his wounds.
	Also yesterday, a Palestinian assailant stabbed three people at a bus stop next to a West Bank settlement, killing a 25-year-old Israeli woman and wounding two others.
	The violence comes amid rising tensions spawned by conflicting claims to a Jerusalem holy site and the aftermath of this summer's bloody Gaza war, in which more than 2,100 Palestinians and 70 Israelis were killed.
	In recent weeks Palestinians in east Jerusalem have carried out violent protests, alleging that Jewish zealots are secretly trying to gain control of the site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.
	Complicating the 

Israel heightens security after 2 deadly attacks

On the surface, President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin are all niceties a pat on the back here, a pleasantry there. But away from the cameras, the two leaders are circling each other warily at a global summit in China, coming face to face just as relations between their countries continue to deteriorate.
	Despite a handful of encounters so far, it was unclear whether the leaders had broached any of the tough issues such as harsh US sanctions that have damaged Russia's economy, or a fragile ceasefire in Ukraine that appears at risk of collapse.
	Officials said Obama and Putin didn't delve into substance during a brief run-in last night, and in public appearances today, the two kept their deep-seated disagreements out of sight.
	Just outside of Beijing, where leaders from 21 nations were gathered for economic talks, picturesque Yanqi Lake became the venue for an awkward pas de deux between two of the most powerful leaders in the world.
	Entering an ornate, ...

Obama, Putin circle each other warily in China

It's Ford Motor Company's biggest bet in decades: an aluminum-sided F-150 that could set a new industry standard or cost the company its pickup truck crown.
	Ford was scheduled to start production of the 2015 F-150 today at its Dearborn Truck Plant, four miles from the company's headquarters. It will arrive at US dealerships next month.
	Ford thinks a truck that is lighter and more fuel efficient, but even more capable, will win buyers while its competitors struggle to catch up. Aluminum which is lighter than steel but just as strong isn't new to the auto industry, but this is the first time it will cover the entire body of such a high-volume vehicle. Ford made 647,697 F-150 pickups at its two US plants last year; that's one every 49 seconds.
	There are big risks. F-Series trucks have been the best-selling vehicles in the US for 37 straight years; last year, Ford sold nearly 100,000 more full-size pickups than General Motors. Any quality problems, production hiccups or customer doubts 

Ford starts production of new aluminum F-150

A South Korean court today handed a 36-year prison sentence to the captain of a sunken ferry, saying he was professionally negligent and abandoned his passengers during the disaster in April that killed more than 300 people.
	The chief engineer got 30 years, and 13 other crew members were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, Yonhap news agency and other South Korean media reported, citing the Gwangju District Court in southern South Korea.
	Captain Lee Joon-seok and three other key crew members were earlier indicted by prosecutors on homicide and other charges. Eleven others faced less serious charges.
	Lee has apologized for abandoning the passengers, but said he didn't know his action would lead to so many deaths.
	The widely vilified Lee could have received a death sentence for the homicide charges. South Korea hasn't executed anyone since late 1997, though its courts occasionally issue the punishment.
	Prosecutors and the crew members have one week to appeal, according to the ...

South Korean ferry captain gets 36 years in prison

Sean Michaels has won one of Canada's most prestigious literary awards for his novel about a musical instrument.
	Michaels won the Scotiabank Giller Prize for his book "Us Conductors" yesterday. The debut novelist's book is about the Russian-born inventor of the theremin, which is an ethereal musical instrument that is played without physical contact.
	The USD 88,000 Giller prize honors the best in Canadian fiction and is the richest prize for fiction in North America.
	Past winners have included Margaret Atwood, Mordecai Richler and Alice Munro.
	The Giller was created in 1994 by businessman Jack Rabinovitch in memory of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller.
	Presenters included "Mad Men "actress Jessica Pare. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Broadcast the glitzy awards show across Canada.

Sean Michaels wins Canadian literature award

Germany's World Cup winners were given the Hollywood treatment for the premiere of a film celebrating their victory.
     Players, coaching staff, football emissaries and invited guests gathered at glitzy Potsdamer Platz in Berlin yesterday to see "Die Mannschaft" (The Team), a film that reveals some of the more intimate details from the side's tournament success.
     "You will learn that you can only be successful as a team," coach Joachim Loew said on the red carpet, repeating the mantra that carried his side to victory in Brazil four months before.
     The players arrived all wearing dark suits, shirts and ties - perhaps an attempt to help the golden trophy that they proudly carried shine even more.
     Fans were lined up outside the cinema to greet the arrival of the players. Mario Goetze, whose goal in extra time in the final against Argentina secured the trophy, received the loudest screams from those who braved the November chill to collect autographs.
     Christoph Kramer .

Germany's World Cup win immortalized in film

The convicted ringleader of a smuggling organisation that brought more than 1,000 Cubans into the US, some of them baseball players including Texas Rangers outfielder Leonys Martin, was sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison.
	US District Judge Joan Lenard rejected a request for leniency by Eliezer Lazo, whom she noted was paid USD 22,000 a month through the scheme not counting the percentages of any professional baseball contracts the players signed.
	Prosecutors said yesterday Martin paid the Lazo group USD 1.2 million after signing with the Rangers in 2011.
	Lazo, 41, will begin serving the sentence after finishing an unrelated five-year prison term for money laundering in a Medicare fraud case. In the smuggling case, he pleaded guilty in August to extortion conspiracy.
	The Lazo organisation smuggled Cubans by boat to Mexico for USD 10,000 each, more for the baseball players, according to court documents. They would then usually travel to the US border crossing at ...

14-plus years for Cuban ballplayer smuggler

A stream of lava set a home on fire in a rural Hawaii town that has been watching the slow-moving flow for months.
	The molten rock hit the house around midday. The home's renters already had left the residence in Pahoa, the largest town in Big Island's isolated and mostly agricultural Puna district.
	It could take 30 to 40 minutes for the home to burn down, said Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira yesterday.
	The lava from Kilauea volcano emerged from a vent in June and entered Pahoa Oct 26, when it crossed a country road at the edge of town. Since then, it smothered part of a cemetery and burned down a garden shed. It also burned tires, some metal materials and mostly vegetation in its path.
	Firefighters will basically let a structure burn but fight any fires that spread or threaten other structures, Oliveira said.
	A relative of the home's owners, who live on the mainland, was planning to be at the site to watch the house burn, Oliveira said. He said officials ...

Slow-moving lava hits first house in Hawaii town

The mother of a Guam toddler who died of abuse has said that she regularly found the girl bruised and injured after being in the care of her father, who is accused of killing their child.
	The 23-month-old girl's father, John Castro, is on trial, charged with aggravated murder, assault and child abuse.
	The girl's mother, Suzane Lotino, testified yesterday that she left the child in Castro's care when she worked overnight shifts, Pacific Daily News reported. When she would come home, the girl would have injuries that Castro said came from accidents.
	"He would say they were playing and tripped and fell," Lotino said.
	Some examples Lotino cited included one in Oct 2013 when the girl suffered a fractured skull and another when she heard her daughter scream from another part of the home. Castro told her he jumped on the child's legs to get a centipede off her.
	The girl was crying and limping afterward, Lotino said. He also spanked her so hard once that the girl was bruised for months, .

Mother of beaten Guam toddler testifies at trial

President Donald Ramotar has suspended the National Assembly of Guyana using an unusual constitutional procedure that averts a no-confidence vote in the opposition-dominated parliament.
	Ramotar says he is exercising his right to suspend the assembly for a maximum of six months. The procedure known as a "prorogue" is a step below dissolving parliament.
	The president announced the measure yesterday and said it would allow his government to negotiate with the parliament on a legislative agenda without calling early elections.
	But it also saves him from a no-confidence vote that he would likely have lost in an assembly controlled by the opposition that has blocked his initiatives in the South American country.
	The next round of elections must be called by November 2016 but now are likely to be held earlier.

Guyana president suspends opposition parliament

The US Homeland Security Department is working on an automated system to notify local authorities when an immigrant with a serious criminal history is released into their jurisdictions, according to a letter from a pair of Texas lawmakers.
	Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike have been critical of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency's decision to release convicted criminals facing deportation from immigration jails.
	In a letter sent yesterday to acting ICE Director Thomas Winkowski, Republican Sen John Cornyn and Democrat Rep Beto O'Rourke said they were told about the automated notification system by a senior immigration official in late October. ICE is also considering adding notifications for victims, the pair wrote.
	The letter did not provide details of the how the notification system would work or when it will be launched.
	ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. During the 2013 budget year, ICE released 36,007 criminal immigrants who were ...

US to notify police when immigrants freed

Israel's prime minister says Iran remains "unrepentant" and "unreformed," warning the West against rushing into a deal with it on its nuclear program.
	Benjamin Netanyahu said today he will send a letter to world leaders warning them not to let Iran off the hook as the Nov. 24 deadline for nuclear talks approaches. Netanyahu says Iran continues to call for the annihilation of Israel and should not be negotiated with or allowed to become a nuclear power.
	Netanayhu said: "Don't rush into a deal that would let Iran rush to the bomb."
	While Netanyahu expressed concern about progress in the talks, US Secretary of State John Kerry was meeting for a second day with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Oman. There was no sign of an imminent breakthrough.

Israel premier warns of bad nuclear deal with Iran

The bass player for the heavy metal band Black Tusk has died after being critically injured in a weekend motorcycle crash near his Georgia home.
	The death Jonathan Athon, 32, of Savannah was confirmed today by the band's record label, Relapse Records. Black Tusk recently finished recording a follow-up to the band's 2011 album "Set The Dial" and the 2013 EP "Tend No Wounds," said Bob Lugowe, the label's marketing director.
	Athon suffered critical injuries Friday night when his Harley-Davidson motorcycle crashed into the side on an SUV in Savannah's downtown historic district, according to Savannah -Chatham County police.
	Athon died Sunday at a local hospital after being taken off life support, Black Tusk said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.
	"Doctors told us that he suffered irreparable brain damage shortly after the accident," said the online statement, which Lugowe confirmed came from the band. "He has been in a coma and sustained by life support until now. As per his .

Black Tusk bassist dies after US crash

Rafael Nadal's doctor says the 14-time Grand Slam winner will receive stem cell treatment on his ailing back.
	Angel Ruiz-Cotorro told AP by phone today that "we are going to put cells in a joint in his spine" next week in Barcelona.
	The Spanish tennis star was already sidelined for the rest of the season after having his appendix removed last week.
	Ruiz-Cotorro, who has worked as a doctor for Nadal for the past 14 years, said Nadal's back pain is "typical of tennis" players and that the treatment is meant to help repair his cartilage and is similar to stem cell treatment Nadal received on his knee last year.
	He said Nadal is expected to return to training in early December.
	Several NFL players and baseball players have received stem cell treatment. Nadal's fellow Spaniard Pau Gasol, center of the Chicago Bulls, received stem cell treatment on his knee in 2013.
	Nadal experienced severe back pain during the final of the Australian Open in January when he lost to Stanislas ...

Nadal to receive stem cell treatment for back pain

Tribal and military officials say at least nine Shiite rebels and four armed tribesmen were killed in clashes near Radda, an embattled city in central Yemen.
	The latest violence is part of ongoing confrontations in the surrounding area between local tribes, al-Qaida militants and Shiite rebels known as Houthis.
	Tribal officials said the latest violence began Monday morning when the Houthis advanced, sparking clashes. Fighting continues in the area between Houthi fighters and local tribesmen. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to reporters.
	Some 250 people were killed late last month in fighting between the Houthis, who control parts of Radda, and the Qifa tribe. The Houthis swept down from their northern strongholds and overran Yemen's capital Sanaa in September.

AP

AP

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