Iraqi army to start operation to liberate Ramadi

1. US-led airstrikes in northern Iraq have claimed the lives of some 20 people, including at least 12 civilians. The air raids reportedly targeted residential areas in the Daesh-held city of Mosul. The aerial campaign by US and its allies against Daesh that started in 2014 has been widely criticized for being ineffective.

2. Iraq’s Defense Ministry says the army will launch a military attack to recapture the city of Ramadi from Daesh terrorists. It also added that the Takfiris prevent civilians from leaving the city in order to use them as human shields. The terrorists took over Ramadi in May.

3. The United Nations refugee chief says the people who reject Syrian asylum seekers are the best allies of terrorists. Antonio Guterres said the refugees are the first victims of terror attacks. His comments come after US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump proposed an entry ban on all Muslims.

4. US Muslim leaders say they are planning to launch voter registration drives and other campaigns to counter anti-Islam sentiments being propagated by politicians and media. Muslim-American advocacy and religious groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also pledged to counter recruitment efforts by terrorists such as Daesh.

5. Iran’s foreign minister has criticized the recent visa waiver restriction law in the US, calling it discriminatory and against European independence. Zarif was speaking at a meeting with President of French Senate in Tehran. Gerard Larcher also said that France’s Senate will adopt a serious stance against the US legislation.

6. Spain's Prime Minister has offered a dialogue with other political groupings to form a coalition to avoid early elections. Mariano Rajoy said the coalition would only include the parties defending the unity of Spain or its European commitments. Rajoy’s conservative party lost its parliamentary majority on Sunday polls.

7. Haiti's presidential and legislative run-off elections have been postponed amid accusations of irregularities in the electoral process. Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council however did not provide a new date for the final round of the national elections. The votes were scheduled for December 27.

8. A spokesman for Nigeria's Islamic Movement says Muslims wounded in recent military raids are dying of lack of medical care in detention. Nigerian military forces attacked members of the Shia community in northern Nigeria last week and arrested top Muslim cleric Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky.

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