Iraq struck by bombings that kill 23
BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a checkpoint outside a Shiite town north of Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 14 people, Iraqi officials said, while a string of bombings in the Iraqi capital killed nine others.
Monday’s checkpoint bombing took place at one of the busy entrances to the town of Khalis, about 50 miles north of the Iraqi capital. The town is a Shiite enclave surrounded by Sunni areas.
Eight policemen and six civilians were killed and up to 41 people were wounded. In a statement, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.
In Baghdad, separate bomb explosions rocked three commercial areas later on Monday, killing nine and wounding 26, police said.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for these attacks, which bore the hallmarks of IS. Commercial areas and big gatherings of Shiite followers are among the most common targets for the extremist group.
China quiets the news
HONG KONG — China has ordered several of the country’s most popular internet portals to halt much of their original news reporting, in a move that could confine an even larger share of the journalism in the country to Communist-controlled mouthpieces ahead of an important party meeting next year.
The profit-driven portals have in recent years expanded their investigative teams to increase readership among China’s more than 600 million internet users by scooping the staid state-owned news media on stories about subjects including industrial pollution, tainted milk powder and police brutality.
But on Monday, several news organizations reported that the Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the websites of a number of the companies to shut down or “clean up” several of their most popular online news features.
South Sudan’s shake-up
JUBA, South Sudan — After a tumultuous two weeks in the world’s youngest country, a new shake-up is worsening the volatile relationship between Salva Kiir, the president of South Sudan, and his long-standing opponent, Riek Machar, the vice president.
Mr. Machar, whose bitter rivalry with Mr. Kiir helped plunge the nation into civil war soon after it declared its independence from Sudan, has been in hiding since clashes erupted in the capital, Juba, two weeks ago. He claims that he was targeted in the fighting and that his life is in danger.
Now, some members of his own fractured party have nominated a new leader to take Mr. Machar’s place. Taban Deng Gai, the minister of mining, accepted the nomination Sunday, and a government spokesman said Mr. Kiir now recognizes Mr. Deng as the vice president.
Also in the world…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared a unilateral cease-fire with communist guerrillas effective immediately Monday and asked the rebels to do the same to end decades of deadly fighting and foster the resumption of peace talks. … Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Monday cast doubt on prospects for a military partnership with Russia to combat IS inside Syria, saying the problem is that Russia is focused mainly on supporting the Syrian government. … The bodies of 22 migrants arrived in Sicily on Friday after they were discovered by a Doctors Without Borders ship patrolling the central Mediterranean Sea.