22 Libya soldiers slain after speedboat attack on oil ports
Islamists killed at least 22 soldiers Thursday after a surprise attack in which they used speedboats in a failed bid to seize some of Libya's main oil terminals, officials said.
The fighting in the oil-rich region came as pro-government forces lost ground to Islamist militias in the eastern city of Benghazi, where militants beheaded six people and killed 14 others, military officials said.
The militiamen belonging to the Fajr Libya, or Libya Dawn, launched the attack on Al-Sidra port by firing rockets from speedboats, setting an oil tank on fire, security sources said.
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US cheers release of American Stacey Addison in Timor Leste drugs case
The United States welcomed on Thursday the release of an American woman held in a Timor Leste jail for nearly two months after drugs were discovered in a taxi she was sharing.
A post on a Facebook page dedicated to advocating the release of veterinarian Stacey Addison also cheered what it called "a Christmas miracle".
Ms Addison, who was travelling in East Timor as a tourist when she was arrested on Sept 5, has denied any wrongdoing.
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Arsonist sets fire to Swedish mosque, injuring five: Police
An arsonist set fire to a mosque in the Swedish town of Eskilstuna on Thursday, injuring five people, police said, an incident which comes amid an intense debate over immigration.
The immigration debate has pitted the far right, which wants to cut the number of asylum seekers allowed into Sweden by 90 per cent, against mainstream parties intent on preserving the Nordic country's liberal policy.
Between 15 and 20 people were in the mosque, located in the ground floor of a building in a mainly residential area, when the fire erupted.
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Topless Femen activist grabs Baby Jesus from Vatican Nativity scene
An activist from the feminist group Femen bared her breasts in St Peter's Square on Christmas Day and rushed the Nativity scene, grabbing the Baby Jesus figurine.
A Vatican police officer wearing a black cape was quick to arrest the blonde activist and wrest the figurine away from her.
The words "God Is Woman" were daubed in large letters on her chest.
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Morocco bans Ridley Scott's movie Exodus
Morocco has banned cinemas from showing the biblical epic Exodus: Gods And Kings just one day before the Hollywood blockbuster was due to be screened, media reports said Thursday.
It was unclear why officials decided to ban the movie which had been given the green light by the state-run Moroccan Cinema Centre (CCM), which implements all rules concerning the industry.
Theatre managers said they received "verbal" instructions from the CCM not to begin screening the movie as planned on Wednesday, according to news website media24.
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