Reuters

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  At least 25 Dead In Biggest Baghdad Bombs In Months

  Two bombs claimed by Islamic State killed 25 people in central Baghdad on Saturday, as fighting intensified in the northern city of Mosul where government forces are trying to rout the jihadists from their last major stronghold in the country.

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  Yazidi Woman Held For Two Years By ISIS Escapes As Iraqi Forces Advance Into Mosul

  A Yazidi woman held captive by Islamic State militants for more than two years managed to escape when Iraqi forces pushed into Mosul and provided information that helped them retake a neighbourhood of the city, Iraqi commanders said.

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  Incredible Escape By Yazidi Woman From Islamic State After Being Held For Two Years In Iraq

  A Yazidi woman held captive by Islamic State militants for more than two years managed to escape when Iraqi forces pushed into Mosul.

• Charleston Church Shooting: Psychiatric Exam Ordered For Dylann Roof

  A federal judge on Thursday ordered a psychiatric examination for Dylann Roof, days before he is to represent himself as prosecutors make the case that he should be executed for the June 2015 massacre at a Charleston, South Carolina, church.

• Chinese Control Over Religion In Tibet To Increase

  The Communist Party's control over religion in Tibet can only increase, the region's top official was quoted as saying on Thursday, vowing to step up efforts to expose the "sinister intentions" of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

• Pressure On Chinese Catholics To Come Under Beijing Control

  Chinese Catholics are under pressure to distance themselves from the Vatican and come under Beijing's influence.

• Cold War II: Obama Evicts 35 Russian Agents After Election Hacking

  President Barack Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian suspected spies and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies on Thursday over their involvement in hacking US political groups in the 2016 presidential election.

• UK Defends Israel Against Kerry's Attack

  Britain scolded US Secretary of State John Kerry for describing the Israeli government as the "most right-wing in Israeli history", a move that aligns Prime Minister Theresa May more closely with President-elect Donald Trump.

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  Iraqi Forces Launch Second Phase Of Mosul Offensive Against Islamic State

  Iraqi security forces on Thursday began the second phase of their offensive against Islamic State militants in Mosul, pushing from three directions into eastern districts where the battle has been deadlocked for nearly a month.

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  Kerry To Lay Out A Vision For Israel-Palestine Peace

  The speech, less than a month before President Barack Obama leaves office, is expected to be the administration's last word on a decades-old dispute.

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  Indonesia Will Try Christian Jakarta Governor For Blasphemy

  An Indonesian court will proceed with a controversial blasphemy trial against Jakarta's Christian governor, who is accused of insulting the Qur'an.

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  New Battle For Mosul 'Within Days', Says US Army Source

  Iraqi forces will resume their push against Islamic State inside Mosul in the coming days, a US battlefield commander said.