19 December 2014 Last updated at 05:25
Mount Sinjar: Islamic State siege broken, say Kurds
Kurdish forces in northern Iraq are claiming their biggest victory yet against Islamic State (IS) militants.
They say they have broken the IS siege of Mount Sinjar, where thousands of Yazidis and other displaced Iraqis have been trapped since August.
IS controls a swathe of Iraq and Syria, where it has declared a caliphate.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon's top officer says US air strikes have killed several high-ranking military leaders of IS in Iraq.
The Kurdish offensive against IS forces besieging Mount Sinjar began early on Wednesday with the most intensive round of air strikes yet by US and coalition forces - 45 in all.
South Korea court orders breakup of ‘pro-North’ leftwing party
Dissolution of Unified Progressive party raises questions of South’s commitment to democracy
South Korea’s constitutional court has ordered the dissolution of a small leftist political party hounded by claims of pro-North Korea views, a move critics say exposes limits of freedom of expression in a country once ruled by military dictators.
The justice ministry petitioned the court to disband the Unified Progressive party (UPP) in November 2013, accusing it of supporting North Korea-style socialist systems and posing a threat to South Korea’s liberal democracy. The request was made two months after key party members were arrested for allegedly plotting a pro-Pyongyang rebellion to overthrow the South Korean government in the event of a war on the Korean peninsula.
The party was founded in late 2011 with a merger of small progressive groups, and has five lawmakers, all of whom, the court ruled, are to be deprived of their seats.
Apple labour conditions: Chinese workers who make products for tech giant 'work 16 hours a day, 18 days in a row', BBC claims
Geert Wilders to be prosecuted for inciting hatred
Dutch far-right leader seen on TV leading his supporters in anti-Moroccan chanting
Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders remains unrepentant after being told he is to be prosecuted for inciting hatred and discrimination towards Moroccans during the European elections campaign last March, describing the charges as “a travesty”.
The prosecution stems from a campaign rally in a café in The Hague, broadcast live on television, at which Mr Wilders led his supporters in anti- Moroccan chanting, sparking a record 6,400 complaints to the police and a nationwide debate about the apparent demise of tolerance.
Moderate Dutch looked on aghast as the leader of the anti-Islam, anti-EU Freedom Party asked the crowd if they wanted more or fewer Moroccans in their city, prompting the chant: “Fewer, fewer, fewer.” After that he leaned towards the microphone and smiled: “We can take care of that.”
CIA report reveals setbacks in "high value" targeted assassinations
US efforts to kill Taliban leaders in Afghanistan have had "limited" results, according to a secret CIA document. Targeted killing can backfire, provoking insurgents to regroup in a way favorable to them, analysts say.
The 2009 report published on the Wikileaks website analyzes the effects of so-called "high value targeting."
The document was created just months before US President Barak Obama ordered a "surge" in order to push back the Taliban and defeat al Qaeda.
After the report was completed, "US drone strike killing rose to an all time high," according to the WikiLeaks website.
The report, which takes into account the effectiveness of high-value targeting (HVT) programs in a series of conflicts worldwide, notes that "endemic lawlessness" in Afghanistan also constricted the effort.
"The government's limited influence outside of Kabul has impeded integration of high-value targeting (HVT) efforts," the report points out, adding that some targets hide in Pakistan which "also complicated the HVT effort."
Latin America applauds new US-Cuba ties
US allies in Latin America say the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries is evidence that nations can work through differences.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA — The renewal of ties between Cuba and theUnited States complicates matters for Havana's chief ally, Venezuela, which has been moving in the opposite direction, becoming more stridently anti-American.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and leaders across Latin Americaapplauded Cuba's decision to swap prisoners with the US and Washington's easing a longstanding embargo on Wednesday. But analysts said the news is bound to shift geopolitical relations across the region and leave Venezuela more isolated.
The restoration of diplomatic relations between the US and the communist island nation came just days after Mr. Maduro called thousands into the streets to protest American imperialism and said he was thinking about breaking all ties with the "insolent Yankees."
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