Real World News

Turkey's Erdogan: Demirtas Kurdish autonomy plea is 'treason' 29 December 2015 From the section Europe Image copyright AP Image caption President Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) regained its parliamentary majority in November Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned as "treason" a call by prominent Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas for …

US 'affluenza' teenager Ethan Couch arrested in Mexico 29 December 2015 From the section US & Canada Image copyright ABC News Image caption Ethan Couch killed four people in 2013 while driving drunk A Texas teenager who avoided jail over a fatal drink-driving crash by claiming he suffered from "affluenza" has been detained by police in Mexico. Ethan Couch, 18, a…

John Beeden becomes first non-stop solo Pacific rower 27 December 2015 From the section Australia Media caption'I didn't realize it would be so difficult'A Briton has made the first non-stop solo rowing trip across the Pacific from North America to Australia. John Beeden, 53, set off from San Francisco on 1 June and rowed for an average of 15 hours a day. He had hoped to reach Cairns in north-east Australia weeks ago, but was slowed down by bad weather. Mr Beeden, who rowed across the Atlantic four years ago, sa…

Iran nuclear deal: Tehran on track, says John Kerry 28 December 2015 From the section Middle East Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Iran has always insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful The US says Iran has taken a "significant step" towards meeting its nuclear commitments, by sending a large quantity of uranium abroad. Secretary of State John Kerry sp…

UK floods: David Cameron to visit swamped communities 28 December 2015 From the section UK Media captionThe BBC News helicopter captured scenes of the extent of the floodingThe prime minister is expected to visit flood-hit areas of northern England later, as swamped communities continue to battle against rising waters. Nearly 30 severe flood warnings - meaning there is a danger to life - remain in place in England and Wales. Hundreds of soldiers have joined the effort against "unprecedented" flooding in Yorkshire a…

'Comfort women': Japan and South Korea hail agreement 28 December 2015 From the section Asia Image copyright AFP Image caption Activists for comfort women erected a statue of a girl which they call a "peace monument" outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul in 2011 The leaders of Japan and South Korea have welcomed the agreement between their two countries to settle the…

France opens archives of WW2 pro-Nazi Vichy regime 28 December 2015 From the section Europe Image copyright AFP Image caption Pro-Nazi French officials deported 76,000 Jews in 1940-1944 France is opening up police and ministerial archives from the Vichy regime which collaborated with Nazi occupation forces in World War Two. More than 200,000 declassified documents a…

Iraq declares Ramadi liberated from Islamic State 28 December 2015 From the section Middle East Image copyright AP Image caption The capture of the government complex came after weeks of fighting The Iraqi city of Ramadi has been "liberated" from so-called Islamic State, the Iraqi military has declared. Spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Rasul said forces had achieved an "epi…

Syria fighters' evacuation from Zabadani 'under way' 28 December 2015 From the section Middle East Image copyright AP Image caption Images broadcast on Lebanon's Al Manar TV channel showed people boarding the convoy in Zabadani Dozens of Syrian rebel fighters are being evacuated from the village of Zabadani near the Lebanese border under a UN-brokered deal. A convoy…

Dozens dead in US Christmas storms 28 December 2015 From the section US & Canada Image copyright AP Image caption Police said some 600 buildings had been damaged in the Dallas area At least 43 people have been killed over the past five days by severe storms across southern and western parts of the United States. Flash floods, tornadoes and now snow have destroye…

Japan and South Korea to discuss 'comfort women' issue 28 December 2015 From the section Asia Image copyright AFP Image caption Activists for comfort women erected a statue of a girl which they call a 'peace monument' outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul in 2011 Japan and South Korea's foreign ministers are set to discuss the fraught issue of so-called "comfort wome…

China Telecom chairman Chang Xiaobing under investigation 28 December 2015 From the section Business Image copyright AFP Image caption Chang Xiaobing became the chairman of China Telecom in August after serving as the chairman of rival China Unicom for 11 years The chairman of one of China's largest state-owned mobile operators, China Telecom, is being investigated b…

South China Sea: Filipino protesters land on disputed island 28 December 2015 From the section Asia Image caption The island of Pagasa in the South China Sea is controlled by the Philippines Protesters have landed on a remote Philippine island in the disputed South China Sea, officials say. About 50 Filipinos, mostly students, reached Pagasa in the Spratly archipelago on Saturday, saying they planned to stay fo…

Paris attacker Samy Amimour buried in unmarked grave 27 December 2015 From the section Europe Image copyright AFP Image caption Amimour's parents took precautions to ensure the burial plot could not be identified One of the men who attacked the Bataclan music venue in Paris on 13 November was buried on Christmas Eve in a northern suburb, reports say. Samy Amimour wa…