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Nigeria on Friday signalled more strikes against jihadist groups were expected after a Christmas Day bombardment by US forces against militants in the north of the country, which it said was a joint operation with its military.The west African country faces multiple interlinked security crises in its north, where jihadists have been waging an insurgency in the northeast since 2009 and armed “bandit” gangs raid villages and stage kidnappings in the northwest.The US strikes come after Abuja and Washington were locked in a diplomatic dispute over what Trump characterised as the mass killing of Christians amid Nigeria’s myriad armed conflicts.Nigeria’s military said in a statement that its forces, in conjunction with the United States “conducted precision strike operations against identified foreign ISIS-linked elements” in northwest Nigeria.Washington’s framing of the violence as amounting to Christian “persecution” is rejected by the Nigerian government and independent analysts, but has nonetheless resulted in increased security coordination.”It’s Nigeria that provided the intelligence,” the country’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, told broadcaster Channels TV, saying he was on the phone with US State Secretary Marco Rubio ahead of the bombardment.Asked if there would be more strikes, Tuggar said: “It is an ongoing thing, and we are working with the US. We are working with other countries as well.”- Targets unclear -The Department of Defense’s US Africa Command, using an acronym for the Islamic State group, said “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed in an attack in the northwestern state of Sokoto.US defence officials later posted video of what appeared to be the nighttime launch of a missile from the deck of a battleship flying the US flag.Residents in the far-flung villages of Sokoto state which borders junta-ruled Niger, said they were shocked by the blasts. “We heard a loud explosion which shook the whole town and everyone was scared,” said Haruna Kallah, a Jabo resident, some 100 kilometres from the state capital Sokoto in Tambuwal district.”We initially thought it was attack by Lakurawa (an armed group linked to ISIS in the Sahel),” he said. “But later learnt that it was a US drone attack which surprised us because this area has never been a Lakurawa enclave and we have never had any attacks in the last two years.” Which of Nigeria’s myriad armed groups were targeted remains unclear.Nigeria’s jihadist groups are mostly concentrated in the northeast, but have made inroads into the northwest.Researchers have recently linked some members from an armed group known as Lakurawa — the main jihadist group located in Sokoto State — to Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), which is mostly active in neighbouring Niger and Mali.Other analysts have disputed those links, though research on Lakurawa is complicated as the term has been used to describe various armed fighters in the northwest. Those described as Lakurawa also reportedly have links to al-Qaeda affiliated group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), a rival group to ISSP.While Abuja has welcomed the strikes, “I think Trump would not have accepted a ‘No’ from Nigeria,” said Malik Samuel, an Abuja-based researcher for Good Governance Africa, an NGO.Amid the diplomatic pressure, Nigerian authorities are keen to be seen as cooperating with the US, Samuel told AFP, even though “both the perpetrators and the victims in the northwest are overwhelmingly Muslim”.Tuggar said that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu “gave the go-ahead” for the strikes.The foreign minister added: “It must be made clear that it is a joint operation, and it is not targeting any religion nor simply in the name of one religion or the other.”

President Donald Trump said US forces conducted “powerful and deadly” strikes Thursday against Islamic State group militants in northwestern Nigeria, weeks after he warned against any systemic assault on Christians in the country.The Nigerian foreign ministry early Friday confirmed the air strikes, describing them as “precision hits on terrorist targets” in the country.The Department of Defense’s US Africa Command said “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed in an attack in Sokoto state conducted at the request of Nigerian authorities, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.Few details were provided and it was not clear how many people were killed. Trump said he had “previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.” “MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.US defense officials later posted video of what appeared to be the nighttime launch of a missile from the deck of a battleship flying the US flag.The attack is the first by US forces in Nigeria under Trump, and comes after the Republican leader unexpectedly berated the west African nation in October and November, saying Christians there faced an “existential threat” that amounted to “genocide” amid Nigeria’s myriad armed conflicts.That diplomatic offensive was welcomed by some but interpreted by others as inflaming religious tensions in Africa’s most populous country, which has seen bouts of sectarian violence in the past.Nigeria’s government and independent analysts reject framing the country’s violence in terms of religious persecution — a narrative long used by the Christian right in the United States and Europe. But Trump, spotlighting what his administration says is global persecution of Christians, stressed last month that Washington was ready to take military action in Nigeria to counter such killings.- ‘Grateful’ for cooperation -The Nigerian foreign ministry said the country was engaged with international partners.”Nigerian authorities remain engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America, in addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism,” the ministry said.Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said he was “grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation” in an X post. The United States this year placed Nigeria back on the list of countries of “particular concern” regarding religious freedom, and has restricted the issuance of visas to Nigerians. Trump last month also threatened to stop all aid to Abuja if it “continues to allow the killing of Christians.” Nigeria is almost evenly divided between a Muslim-majority north and a largely Christian south.Its northeast has been in the grip of jihadist violence for more than 15 years by the Islamist Boko Haram group, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives and displaced two million people.At the same time, large parts of the country’s northwest, north and center have been hit by criminal gangs known as “bandits” who attack villages, killing and kidnapping residents.On Wednesday an explosion ripped through a mosque in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, killing at least seven worshippers. No armed groups immediately claimed responsibility.

Torrential rains unleashed flash floods and warnings of debris flow across southern California’s fire-scarred areas, as a series of Christmas storms pummeled the state, with downpours and high winds forecast through Friday.Driven by an atmospheric river known as “the Pineapple Express,” which moves heavy moisture from Hawaii to the US West Coast, storms were expected to dump months’ worth of rain in California over a few days.Early Thursday, the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast that southern California, including Los Angeles, the second-most populous US city, was at risk of excessive rainfall.It warned of a “broad plume of moisture” producing heavy rain in California on Thursday.”Numerous flash flooding events are possible. In addition, many streams may flood, potentially affecting larger rivers. The flooding may include debris flows in or near recently burned areas,” the service said, referring to areas affected by wildfires.The rain was forecast to continue through Friday, the service said.Although there was a break in the rain in parts of southern California on Thursday before more wet weather was expected, the NWS warned that some areas could see winds with gusts of up to 55 miles per (88.5 kilometers per hour). State authorities declared a state of emergency in several counties, including Los Angeles.”We’re not out of it yet. Rain continues to fall across LA County making roadways, waterways and flood channels extremely dangerous. Check conditions before venturing out today,” Los Angeles County officials said Thursday on X.- Rescue work -Heavy rain began lashing Southern California Wednesday, where some communities had already seen 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) of rain in the first storm, forecasters said.At least three people died in storm-related incidents, including a man killed by a falling tree, the Los Angeles Times reported.In San Bernardino County, adjacent to Los Angeles, authorities told AFP they were working to divert the flow of floodwater on Thursday.Muddy water streamed through the mountain town of Wrightwood a day earlier, trapping people in their homes, said Christopher Prater, spokesperson for the county fire department.”Fire department personnel were out there rescuing people, assisting them from their houses, getting them to safety, also while affecting rescues from people that were stranded in their vehicles,” he said Thursday, with work going on into the night.Fire-burn scar zones, which are less able to absorb water due to vegetation being stripped from them, were under special alert — including the coastal areas of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, both still recovering from devastating wildfires in January.In northern California, a dangerous storm was tracked developing early Thursday morning in the San Francisco Bay Area, with an emergency alert for flash flooding issued, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.Soon after noon on Thursday (2000 GMT), the NWS office in San Francisco warned that a severe thunderstorm near Santa Cruz could spawn a tornado. The service was also predicting that a winter storm could bring heavy snowfall to the Sierra Nevada Mountains along California’s eastern border.

The chief of a prominent anti-disinformation watchdog has sued President Donald Trump’s administration over a US visa ban, calling it an “unconstitutional” attempt to expel the permanent American resident, court filings show.Imran Ahmed, a British national who heads the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), was among five European figures involved in tech regulation whom the US State Department said this week would be denied visas.The department accused them of attempting to “coerce” US-based social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose. The European Union and several member states strongly condemned the move and vowed to defend Europe’s regulatory autonomy.The campaigner filed his complaint Wednesday in a New York district court against Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, US Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.Ahmed, a critic of billionaire Elon Musk, holds US permanent residency, commonly known as a “green card.””I am proud to call the United States my home,” he said in a statement. “My wife and daughter are American, and instead of spending Christmas with them, I am fighting to prevent my unlawful deportation from my home country.”Ahmed faces the “imminent prospect of unconstitutional arrest, punitive detention, and expulsion” from the United States, the court filing said.However, a district judge granted a temporary restraining order barring Ahmed’s arrest or detention, with a further hearing scheduled for Monday.When reached for comment Thursday, the State Department expressed defiance.”The Supreme Court and Congress have repeatedly made clear: the United States is under no obligation to allow foreign aliens to come to our country or reside here,” a spokesperson said.Rogers said earlier that Ahmed was sanctioned because he was a “key collaborator” in efforts by former president Joe Biden’s administration to “weaponize the government” against US citizens.- ‘Not be bullied’ -“My life’s work is to protect children from the dangers of unregulated social media and AI and fight the spread of antisemitism online. That mission has pitted me against big tech executives — and Elon Musk in particular — multiple times,” Ahmed said.”I will not be bullied away from my life’s work.”The crackdown also targeted former European commissioner Thierry Breton, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of the German nonprofit HateAid, and Clare Melford, who leads the UK-based Global Disinformation Index.Condemning the move, the European Commission said it was seeking clarification from Washington, and if needed “will respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures.”Breton, the EC’s former top tech regulator, often clashed with tycoons including Musk — a Trump ally — over their obligations to follow EU rules.The State Department has described him as the “mastermind” of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which imposes content moderation and other standards on major social media platforms operating in Europe.The DSA stipulates that major platforms must explain content-moderation decisions, provide transparency for users and ensure researchers can carry out essential work, such as understanding how much children are exposed to dangerous content.But the act has become a bitter rallying point for US conservatives who see it as a weapon of censorship against right-wing thought in Europe and beyond, an accusation the EU furiously denies.Ahmed’s CCDH also frequently clashed with Musk, reporting a spike in misinformation and hate speech on X since the billionaire’s 2022 takeover.

Torrential rains unleashed flash floods and warnings of debris flow across southern California, particularly in fire-scarred areas, with further downpours forecast for Thursday as authorities declared a state of emergency in several counties.Driven by an atmospheric river known as “the Pineapple Express,” which moves heavy moisture from the tropical climes of Hawaii to the US West Coast, the storm was expected to deliver months’ worth of rain over a few days.Early Thursday, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned about the risk of excessive rainfall over parts of southern California, including in Los Angeles, the second-most populous city in the United States.The NWS warned of a “broad plume of moisture” producing heavy rain in California on Christmas Day, adding there was a “moderate risk” of excessive rainfall over southern parts of the state. “Numerous flash flooding events are possible. In addition, many streams may flood, potentially affecting larger rivers. The flooding may include debris flows in or near recently burned areas,” the bulletin added, referring to areas affected by wildfires.The rain was forecast to continue on Friday, the service said.State authorities declared a state of emergency in several counties, including Los Angeles.- Rescue work -Heavy rain lashed southern California on Wednesday, spawning floods and debris flows. Some communities had already received 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) of rain in the first storm, forecasters said.The Los Angeles Times reported that at least three people had died in storm-related incidents, including a San Diego man who was killed by a falling tree.  On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works warned Angelenos to stay well away from waterways such as flood control channels, rivers, and streams — even after the rain stopped.”Water from upstream communities can move quickly through channels with little warning. What may look shallow or calm can suddenly become fast-moving and dangerous,” the agency warned in a post on X.In San Bernardino County, adjacent to Los Angeles, authorities told AFP they were working to divert the flow of floodwater on Thursday.Muddy water streamed through the town of Wrightwood a day earlier, trapping people in their homes, said Christopher Prater, spokesperson for the county fire department.”Fire department personnel were out there rescuing people, assisting them from their houses, getting them to safety, also while effecting rescues from people that were stranded in their vehicles,” he said, with work going on into the night.- Fire-affected communities -Fire-burn scar zones, which are less able to absorb water due to vegetation being stripped from them, were under special alert — including the coastal areas of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, both still recovering from devastating wildfires in January.In northern California, a dangerous storm was tracked developing early Thursday morning in the San Francisco Bay Area, with an emergency alert for flash flooding issued in the area, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The National Weather Service was also predicting that a winter storm could bring heavy snowfall to the Sierra Madre Mountains.Ariel Cohen, an NWS meteorologist, had warned that from Wednesday afternoon through Friday, “many areas will likely experience significant flooding, along with rockslides and mudslides, especially in the higher elevations.” “If you were planning to travel on the roads during Christmas, please reconsider your plans,” he added.

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged Russia and Ukraine to find the “courage” to hold direct talks and spoke of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza in his first Christmas message.The US pope, who was elected by fellow cardinals in May after the death of his predecessor pope Francis, also condemned the “senselessness” of war and the “rubble and open wounds” it leaves behind.Speaking to a crowd of some 26,000 people in St Peter’s Square, the pope called for “solidarity with and acceptance of those in need” in Europe — a possible reference to growing anti-immigration sentiment on the continent.”Let us pray in a particular way for the tormented people of Ukraine,” he said.”May the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue,” he added.Russian and Ukrainian officials have spoken separately in recent weeks to US negotiators about proposals to end the war started by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.Tens of thousands have been killed, eastern Ukraine decimated and millions forced to flee their homes.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week outlined key points of a plan to end the conflict after US talks.But Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far shown no willingness to compromise, doubling down on his hardline demands.- ‘Return of life’ -In his first Christmas homily as pontiff, Leo addressed the dismal conditions in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are still living in temporary shelters in wintry conditions weeks after a fragile ceasefire took hold.”How… can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold,” the pope said, adding that the territory’s inhabitants “have nothing left and have lost everything.”The UN has said an estimated 1.3 million people currently need shelter assistance in Gaza and has warned of the increasing risk of hypothermia as temperatures dip.”The war, in all its forms, has been harsh on everyone living on this land,” Elias al-Jalda, a Palestinian Christian from Gaza, told AFP after attending a Christmas mass at Gaza’s only Roman Catholic Church late on Wednesday.”We hope this year will mark the beginning of a new phase — one defined by a complete end to the war and the return of life to Gaza,” said Jalda, one of dozens attending the mass.- ‘Compassion and reconciliation’ -Sarah Mullally, who becomes head of the Church of England next month, addressed the issue of immigration directly in her Christmas sermon Thursday.”Our national conversations about immigration continue to divide us, when our common humanity should unite us,”  said the future archbishop of Canterbury.”We who are Christians then hold fast to joy as an act of resistance,” she added.Britain’s King Charles III called for “compassion and reconciliation” at a time of “division” across the world in his annual Christmas Day message broadcast.”With the great diversity of our communities, we can find the strength to ensure that right triumphs over wrong,” he said.”It seems to me that we need to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation the way our Lord lived and died.”As well as being king of the United Kingdom, Charles is head of the 56 countries that make up the Commonwealth.- Joy in Bethlehem -In Bethlehem, the Christian community celebrated its first festive Christmas in more than two years as the occupied West Bank city emerges from the shadow of the war in Gaza.Hundreds of worshippers gathered for mass on Wednesday night at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ.In Syria, Christmas lights illuminated Damascus’s Old City despite the Christian community’s fears of violence after a deadly attack in June.Around the district, home to several important churches, red baubles hung from trees, shopkeepers put up Christmas decorations and street vendors peddled warm chestnuts.”Syria deserves joy and for us to be happy, and to hope for a new future,” said student Loris Aasaf, 20.- Trump’s Christmas message -In the United States, President Donald Trump issued a starkly different message to those of religious leaders.He wished a Merry Christmas “to everyone, including the radical left-wing scum”, referring to Democrats.In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had a sombre message after the deadly attack during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14.”After the terror inflicted on Jewish Australia celebrating Hanukkah and Bondi Beach, we feel the weight of sorrow in our hearts,” he saidburs-jj/rh

The tiny Pacific island nation of Palau has agreed to accept up to 75 non-American migrants from the United States under a deal worth $7.5 million, the two countries have said.President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise to expel undocumented migrants, has accelerated deportations and cracked down on border crossings since returning to power this year.Under a new memorandum of understanding, Palau will let up to 75 third-country nationals from the United States live and work on the sparsely populated archipelago, officials said Wednesday.In return, the United States will grant $7.5 million to Palau for public service and infrastructure needs.With some 20,000 people spread across hundreds of volcanic isles and coral atolls, Palau is by population one of the smallest countries in the world.The migrants from the United States have not been charged with crimes and will help to fill needed jobs in Palau, both sides said.”Palau would have to agree on a case-by-case basis as to individuals who will be arriving in Palau under the arrangement,” the Pacific nation said in a statement.The deal was announced following a call between Palau President Surangel Whipps and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.”Through this partnership, the United States and Palau are taking concrete steps to strengthen our security and protect our communities, while also fostering a safe, more secure, and more prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” the US State Department said in a separate statement.During the call with Whipps, Landau said the United States was committed to building a new hospital and improving Palau’s capacity to respond to national disasters.Washington will also provide additional funding of $6 million for reforms to prevent the collapse of Palau’s civil service pension plan, while adding another $2 million for law enforcement initiatives.The Palauan archipelago — a string of limestone islands and coral atolls — lies about 800 kilometres (500 miles) east of the Philippines.Whipps has overseen the expansion of US military interests since winning power in 2020, including the construction of a long-range US radar outpost, a crucial early warning system as China ramps up military activity in the Taiwan Strait.Palau gained independence in 1994 but allows the US military to use its territory under a longstanding “Compact of Free Association” agreement.In return, the United States gives Palau hundreds of millions of dollars in budgetary support and assumes responsibility for its national defence.

Nasry Asfura, a conservative businessman backed by US President Donald Trump, was declared winner of the Honduran presidential vote Wednesday, weeks after a razor-thin election marred by delays and allegations of fraud.The national electoral council CNE said the 67-year-old son of Palestinian immigrants defeated fellow conservative TV personality Salvador Nasralla by less than one percentage point Asfura’s victory marks the return of the right wing to power in one of Latin America’s poorest countries after four years of leftist Xiomara Castro’s presidency. It also aligns Honduras with a rise of conservative governments in the region following shifts in Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Argentina.”Honduras: I’m ready to govern. I won’t let you down,” Asfura posted to X after the win was declared, thanking election officials for validating his victory.Asfura, who takes office on January 27, prevailed with just 40.1 percent of the vote, narrowly beating Nasralla at 39.5 percent, according to the official results.Rixi Moncada, a lawyer from the leftist Libre Party, which currently runs the government, trailed in third with 19.2 percent.Within minutes of the result declaration, the United States welcomed the election of Asfura, saying it would help stop illegal immigration.”We look forward to working with his incoming administration to advance our bilateral and regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States, and strengthen the economic ties between our two countries,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.Following the lengthy counting process in the Central American country’s election, Rubio called on all sides to “respect the confirmed results so that Honduran authorities may swiftly ensure a peaceful transition of authority.”Argentina’s President Javier Milei, a Trump ally, said on X that the Honduras vote amounted to “a resounding defeat of narco-socialism.” – Tensions, challenges -The result was announced more than three weeks after the November 30 election. The wait for the outcome has caused tensions among Hondurans, and the sluggish count has been accompanied by claims of irregularities and voter fraud.Nasralla had demanded a full recount due to alleged irregularities, and has not recognized Asfura’s victory.The recount of nearly 2,800 tally sheets with suspected inconsistencies was pored over by hundreds of electoral staff and political delegates to decide the race.The CNE had until December 30 to declare a winner. Last week, thousands of supporters of the outgoing president’s leftist Libre Party staged a demonstration in the capital Tegucigalpa to protest what they consider “fraud” in the vote.On the eve of the election, Trump in a surprise move pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, a member of Asfura’s party who was serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking.Extradited by Honduras to face justice in the United States, Hernandez insists he had been set up by the previous administration of US president Joe Biden because of his conservative policies.The pardon was widely seen as contradicting Trump’s crackdown on alleged drug traffickers in Latin America.Trump also endorsed Asfura, suggesting they could “work together to fight the narcocommunists,” and warned “there will be hell to pay” if the conservative candidate’s razor-thin lead was overturned in the count.On Wednesday Hernandez took to X to congratulate Honduran voters, saying the country “closes a cycle and opens a new era with hope, commitment and responsibility.”Asfura faces major challenges. He has pledged to attract foreign investment to the nation of 11 million people and re-establish ties with Taiwan — after his predecessor warmed to China in 2023.He will govern a more polarized country amid lingering doubts about the elections, which Castro said was under “serious question” due to a lack of transparency, coercion of voters by gang members, and “threats” from Trump.Honduras is also plagued by violence and the crime of drug traffickers and major gangs, which Castro has struggled to combat despite declaring a state of emergency.Although murders have declined, Honduras remains one of the region’s most violent countries, with some 27 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024.

US President Donald Trump seized on the occasion of Christmas Eve to assail opposition Democrats, branding them “radical left scum” as he sent out holiday greetings.From his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, the Republican spent the day before Christmas spreading some yuletide cheer. He participated in NORAD Santa tracker calls and sent Christmas greetings to American troops worldwide.Trump did not share that same bonhomie with rival Democrats.”Merry Christmas to all, including the Radical Left Scum that is doing everything possible to destroy our Country, but are failing badly,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.”We no longer have Open Borders, Men in Women’s Sports, Transgender for Everyone, or Weak Law Enforcement. What we do have is a Record Stock Market and 401K’s, Lowest Crime numbers in decades, No Inflation, and yesterday, a 4.3 GDP, two points better than expected,” he added.Trump lashed out at the opposition, which has criticized his administration over its handling of the cost of living, a day after Commerce Department data showed the economy had grown by 4.3 percent in the third quarter — the highest GDP in two years.But the report also showed the price index for domestic purchases rose 3.4 percent — a much higher inflation reading compared with 2.0 percent in the second quarter.In the week before Christmas, Democrats had criticized the Justice Department over its slow release and heavy redaction of thousands of records from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, once a friend of Trump.Trump also sent greetings to troops worldwide, including those who are part of a major US naval buildup in Caribbean waters, where Washington has mounted a campaign to pressure Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to leave office.