| Christmastime storms, tornadoes kill at least 41 in U.S. Posted: 27 Dec 2015 03:05 PM PST  At least 11 people were killed in the Dallas area over the weekend by tornadoes, including one packing winds of up to 200 miles per hour (322 km per hour). "A tornado of that strength is very rare in a metropolitan area," National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Bishop said in a telephone interview. "It is a very difficult time to be struck by such a horrible storm the day after Christmas." Three other deaths were reported in the Dallas metropolitan area, the United States' fourth most populous with about 7 million residents.
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| Relatives of 2 killed by Chicago police question shootings Posted: 27 Dec 2015 01:35 PM PST  CHICAGO (AP) — Grieving relatives and friends of two people shot and killed by Chicago police said Sunday the slayings raised concerns about why officers "shoot first and ask questions later," adding that law enforcement officials had failed the city's residents.
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| Iraqi army declares first major victory over Islamic State in Ramadi Posted: 27 Dec 2015 12:01 PM PST  By Ahmed Rasheed and Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's army declared victory over Islamic State fighters in a provincial capital west of Baghdad on Sunday, the first major triumph for the U.S.-trained force since it collapsed in the face of an assault by the militants 18 months ago. The capture of Ramadi, capital of mainly Sunni-Muslim Anbar province in the Euphrates River valley west of the capital, deprives Islamic State militants of their biggest prize of 2015. The fighters seized it in May after government troops fled in a defeat which prompted Washington to take a hard look at strategy in its ongoing air war against the militants.
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| Families demand Chicago police, mayor explain shooting deaths Posted: 27 Dec 2015 02:21 PM PST  By Justin Madden CHICAGO (Reuters) - The families of two black Chicagoans killed by police accused officers on Sunday of having used excessive force and Mayor Rahm Emanuel of having failed them, piling pressure on a city facing a U.S. federal probe over possible racial bias in policing. Police shot Quintonio LeGrier, 19, a male college student who was visiting his father, and Bettie Jones, a 55-year-old mother of five, on Saturday. Family members said police were called after LeGrier threatened his father with a metal baseball bat.
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| Christmastime storms, tornadoes kill at least 43 in U.S Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:57 PM PST Storms hit the U.S. South, Southwest and Midwest over the Christmas holiday weekend, unleashing floods and tornadoes that killed at least 43 people, flattened buildings and snarled transportation for millions during a busy travel time. The bad weather or threat of it prompted the governors of Missouri and New Mexico to declare a state of emergency for their states. In Missouri, emergency workers have evacuated residents from their homes and conducted dozens of water rescues, Governor Jay Nixon said on Sunday. |
| California firefighters work to contain last stretch of wildfire Posted: 27 Dec 2015 12:29 PM PST  More than 400 California firefighters battled on Sunday to contain a final stretch of wildfire that caused the temporary closure of a major highway and forced evacuations northwest of Los Angeles, officials said. The fire charred some 1,235 acres between the coastal cities of Ventura and Carpinteria. Firefighters had dug containment lines around 70 percent of the blaze by early afternoon, Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Captain Mike Lindbery said.
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| At least 11 die from Texas tornadoes, 13 in Midwest flooding Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:37 PM PST  The latest of a succession of freakish winter weather events across the country also could include heavy snow and massive flooding.
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| Chicago Police: Woman accidentally killed by officer fire Posted: 26 Dec 2015 09:32 PM PST  CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago police officer responding to a domestic disturbance call accidentally shot and killed a 55-year-old woman, who was among two people fatally wounded by police gunfire, the department said late Saturday.
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| Iran's Rouhani says it's up to Muslims to improve Islam's image Posted: 27 Dec 2015 04:13 AM PST  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that Muslims must improve the image of their religion, which has been tarnished by the violence of hardline groups such as Islamic State, "It is our greatest duty today to correct the image of Islam in world public opinion," Rouhani told a conference on Islamic unity in Tehran in a speech broadcast by state television. "Did we ever think that, instead of enemies, an albeit small group from within the Islamic world using the language of Islam, would present it as the religion of killing, violence, whips, extortion and injustice?" Rouhani said.
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| Wildfire burns 1,200 acres outside Los Angeles, closes highway Posted: 26 Dec 2015 07:08 PM PST  By Patrick T. Fallon VENTURA, Calif. (Reuters) - Firefighters on Saturday gained the upper hand on a wildfire northwest of Los Angeles that burned about 1,240 acres of land, forced the closure of parts of a major highway and led to evacuations, fire officials said. Hundreds of firefighters battled the blaze in the Solimar Beach area of Ventura County and were able to draw containment lines around 60 percent of the conflagration by Saturday evening, county fire officials said. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, they said, and there were no reports of damage to structures.
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| Top rebel's death in Syria reshuffles deck ahead of peace talks Posted: 27 Dec 2015 11:02 AM PST  BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian government forces booby trapped a cluster of farm buildings in the southern Daraa province and detonated the explosives as several Islamic rebel factions gathered at the venue, killing 17 militants, opposition activists said Sunday.
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