UPDATE:

France’s far-right fails to win a single region in elections

PARIS: -- There was applause for the leader but France’s far-right national front has failed to win a single region in the second round of elections according to exit polls.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878422-defeat-for-marine-le-pen-exit-polls/#entry10189218

UPDATE:

Saudi Arabian vote in first female councillors in landmark election



RIYADH: -- Saudi Arabian women have taken another large leap forward in their path to greater equality with at least eight female candidates winning seats in Saturday’s local council elections, according to regional media.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878209-saudi-arabia-women-vote-for-first-time-in-local-elections/?p=10189222

Montenegro protesters oppose NATO membership



PODGORICA: -- “No to NATO” was the message coming out of a demonstration in Montenegro.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878428-montenegro-protesters-oppose-nato-membership/

Protesters call for end to British airstrikes in Syria



LONDON: -- Protesters have taken to the streets of London, to call on the government to end its airstrikes in Syria.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878429-protesters-call-for-end-to-british-airstrikes-in-syria/

States expanded gun rights after Sandy Hook school massacre
By RYAN J. FOLEY

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in which a mentally troubled young man killed 26 children and educators, served as a rallying cry for gun-control advocates across the nation.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878430-states-expanded-gun-rights-after-sandy-hook-school-massacre/

Obama aims to allay concerns about terror-fighting strategy
By JOSH LEDERMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fears of terrorism are hanging over America's holiday season, so President Barack Obama is planning a series of events this week aimed at trying to allay concerns about his strategy for stopping the Islamic State group abroad and its sympathizers at home.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878431-obama-aims-to-allay-concerns-about-terror-fighting-strategy/

Large 2016 establishment field has NH GOP leaders on edge
By JULIE PACE

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — The Republican establishment has flexed its muscle in New Hampshire's presidential primaries for years. But in the unpredictable 2016 election, the state's standard political playbook faces challenges on two fronts.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878432-large-2016-establishment-field-has-nh-gop-leaders-on-edge/

China's efforts on climate deal partly due to its pollution
By LOUISE WATT

BEIJING (AP) — China's push for a global climate pact was due in part to its own increasingly pressing need to solve serious environmental problems, observers said Sunday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878433-chinas-efforts-on-climate-deal-partly-due-to-its-pollution/

Libyans urged to accept cease-fire, embrace UN unity plan
By MATTHEW LEE

ROME (AP) — Diplomats trying to help Libya emerge from the chaos that terrorists have exploited said Sunday that rival political factions in the North African country need to accept an immediate cease-fire and embrace a U.N.-brokered plan aimed at creating a "secure, democratic, prosperous and unified state."

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878434-libyans-urged-to-accept-cease-fire-embrace-un-unity-plan/

Company plans gravel island to extract Arctic offshore oil
By DAN JOLING

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Arctic offshore drilling by Royal Dutch Shell PLC drew protests on two continents this year, but a more modest proposal for extracting petroleum where polar bears roam has moved forward with much less attention.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878437-company-plans-gravel-island-to-extract-arctic-offshore-oil/

CNN: Christie returns to main GOP presidential debate stage
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — CNN is inviting Gov. Chris Christie back to prime-time in the upcoming Republican presidential debate.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878439-cnn-christie-returns-to-main-gop-presidential-debate-stage/

Russia fires warning shots at 'provocative' Turkish fishing boat



BRUSSELS: -- More tension between Moscow and Ankara after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a Turkish vessel apparently to avoid a collision in the Aegean.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878440-russia-fires-warning-shots-at-provocative-turkish-fishing-boat/

Julian Assange to be questioned by Sweden

LONDON: -- Ecuador has agreed to allow Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to be questioned by the Swedish authorities at the Ecuadorean embassy in London.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878441-julian-assange-to-be-questioned-by-sweden/

Nurofen painkillers to be pulled over misleading claims
Patrick Hatch
Reporter for The Age

SYDNEY: -- Some types of Nurofen painkillers will be pulled from sale after claims that they treat specific types of pain were found to be misleading.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878442-nurofen-painkillers-to-be-pulled-in-australia-over-misleading-claims/

Bangladesh blocks Twitter, Skype, imo after unblocking Facebook
Senior Correspondent, bdnews24.com

DHAKA: -- The latest clampdown on micro-blogging site Twitter, Microsoft Corp's online telephone and video service Skype, and communication app imo came on Sunday night amid the ban on Facebook Messenger, Viber, and WhatsApp.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878443-bangladesh-blocks-twitter-skype-imo-after-unblocking-facebook/

Iowa poll: Ted Cruz leads Donald Trump
Eric Bradner
By Eric Bradner, CNN

(CNN)Another poll shows Ted Cruz leading Donald Trump in Iowa.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878445-iowa-poll-ted-cruz-leads-donald-trump/

Australian teen pleads guilty to terror charge

MELBOURNE: -- An Australian teenager detained during raids in Melbourne in May has pleaded guilty to a terror-related charge.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878448-australian-teen-pleads-guilty-to-terror-charge/

Band favored by North Korean leader cancels Beijing concerts
CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — An all-female band formed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un canceled its concerts in Beijing and abruptly left the Chinese capital due to unspecified communication issues, possibly further cooling relations between the traditional allies.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878452-band-favored-by-north-korean-leader-cancels-beijing-concerts-leaves-china-abruptly/

Vandals spray-paint 2 mosques in California

HAWTHORNE, California (AP) — Two mosques in the city of Hawthorne were vandalized Sunday with paint and a fake grenade was left in the driveway of one of the properties, police said, adding that the FBI is helping with the investigation.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878454-vandals-spray-paint-2-mosques-in-california/

Islamabad's Christian slums face demolition
Faras Ghani

ISLAMABAD: -- Plans to demolish a Christian-majority slum "to protect the beauty of Islam" in Pakistan's capital were put on hold after a stay-order was issued by the Supreme Court.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878461-islamabads-christian-slums-face-demolition/

Teenage Palestinian girl shot after alleged attack

Condition of the 16-year-old unclear after she was shot in the West Bank after trying to stab Israelis, police say

DOHA: -- A teenage Palestinian girl who allegedly attempted to stab Israelis in the West Bank was shot on Sunday, Israeli police said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878467-teenage-palestinian-girl-shot-after-alleged-attack/

Alibaba agrees to pay US$266m for South China Morning Post

[sHANGHAI] Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has agreed to pay HK$2.06 billion (S$375.6 million) to acquire Hong Kong's flagship English-language newspaper the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the newspaper group said in a statement on Monday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878470-alibaba-to-pay-us266-million-for-hong-kongs-south-china-morning-post/

Fosun founder Guo Guangchang appears in public

SHANGHAI: -- Guo Guangchang, the high-profile Chinese tycoon detained by police late last week, appeared at his company's annual meeting in Shanghai on Monday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878474-fosun-founder-guo-guangchang-appears-in-public/

Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza in response to rocket firing
English.news.cn

GAZA, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Israeli fighters carried out two successive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip early Monday in response to earlier rocket firing from the coastal enclave into Israel, and no casualties were reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878475-israel-launches-airstrikes-on-gaza-in-response-to-rocket-firing/

Taiwanese, Chinese nationals nabbed in Yogya for alleged cybercrime



JAKARTA: -- Indonesia's Immigration officials and police have arrested 15 Taiwanese and Chinese nationals for allegedly running a cybercrime operation from Yogyakarta's Sleman district, The Jakarta Globe reported on Sunday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878476-taiwanese-chinese-nationals-nabbed-in-indonesia-for-alleged-cybercrime/

Malaysian children attending 'terrorist school' in Syria

KUALA LUMPUR: -- Malaysia's Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division has said a number of Malaysian children are believed to be undergoing training at a militant camp in Syria, run by the Islamic State (IS) terror group, New Straits Times reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878477-malaysian-children-attending-terrorist-school-in-syria/

Philippines braces for tropical storm Nona's landfall



MANILA: -- Philippines President Benigno Aquino III has been monitoring the severe tropical storm to ensure preparedness for its anticipated landfall, philstar.com reported, citing Malacañang as saying on Sunday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878478-philippines-braces-for-tropical-storm-nonas-landfall/

Military-run telecom firm offers free 4G service in southern VN province



HANOI: -- Viettel Telecom under military-run Viettel Group on Saturday began offering free 4G mobile service on a trial basis to customers in some parts of the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau for one week, Tuoi Tre News reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878480-military-run-telecom-firm-offers-free-4g-service-in-southern-vn-province/

Suu Kyi inaugurates nationwide trash cleanup campaign



YANGON: -- National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Sunday launched a nationwide garbage collection drive, after her appeal to party members to promote civic values, The Irrawaddy reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878484-suu-kyi-inaugurates-nationwide-trash-cleanup-campaign/

SET down 17.58 points at opening /Bangkok Post