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A federal jury Tuesday sentenced Dylann Roof to death for killing nine black church members in Charleston, S.C. in a racially motivated attack in 2015. Roof, who is white, faced either life in prison or execution for the slayings on June 17, 2015. The Justice Department said he is the first person to get the death penalty for federal hate crimes. The jury reached the unanimous decision after about three hours of deliberations. In his closing argument on Tuesday, Roof denied that he was filled with hatred. “Wouldn’t it be fair to say that the prosecution hates me because they’re trying to give me the death penalty?” Roof asked rhetorically. “Anyone who hates anything, in their mind has a good reason for it. And sometimes that’s because they’ve been misled and sometimes it isn’t. But I would say that in this case the prosecution, along with anyone else who hates me, are the ones who have been misled.” Acting as his own attorney, Roof concluded his closing argument after only five minutes...

At least 600 people were celebrating New Year - barely 75 minutes old - when a gunman struck at Istanbul's Reina nightclub, spraying some 180 bullets indiscriminately. The club is a glitzy venue, known for attracting famous singers, actors and sports stars. It also attracts a wide range of nationalities. Among the 39 people killed, the biggest single nationality was Turkish, but some two-thirds of the dead were from abroad. Lebanon One of the three Lebanese who lost their lives in the attack, Elias Wardini was a personal trainer. He travelled to Istanbul to celebrate the New Year with his friends. His last post on Instagram shows him in Istanbul with Rita Chami, 25, who also died in the attack. India Abis Rizvi was a 49-year-old Bollywood producer who co-wrote Roar: The Tigers of Sunderbans in 2014. He was working on a second film. Abis Rizvi He was one of two Indian fatalities. The other was Khushi Shah, a Mumbai fashion designer in her 20s. Turkey Among the Turkish victims was Ha...

ISTANBUL (AP) –   An armed assailant who is believed to have been dressed in a Santa Claus costume opened fire at a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations, killing at least 35 people and wounding 40 others, according to Istanbul's governor and Turkey's state-run news agency. Gov. Vasip Sahin said the attacker, armed with a long-barreled weapon, killed a policeman and a civilian outside the club before entering and firing on people partying inside. He did not say who may have carried out the attack. "Unfortunately (he) rained bullets in a very cruel and merciless way on innocent people who were there to celebrate New Year's and have fun," Sahin told reporters. Footage from the scene showed at least six ambulances with flashing lights and civilians being escorted out. NTV said police had cordoned off the area and an operation to capture the assailant was ongoing. The attack occurred shortly after midnight in the club where an estimated 600 people c...

At least 28 people have died in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, in a double bombing claimed by so-called Islamic State (IS). The explosions happened one after another in the busy al-Sinak market. More than 50 people were injured. Police said a roadside bomb exploded near a car spare parts shop, then a suicide bomber detonated his device among the crowd that had gathered. Baghdad has seen frequent attacks, often targeting Shia districts. IS released a statement saying two of its militants had carried out the bombings wearing suicide vests. The jihadist group is  under pressure from an Iraqi army offensive further north in Mosul , the last major IS stronghold in the country. Many of the victims in Saturday's attacks worked in spare parts shops in the largely Shia area, witnesses said. "They were gathered near a cart selling breakfast when the explosions went off," local shopkeeper Ibrahim Mohammed Ali told the AFP news agency. In November,  77 people including Shia pilgrims die...

Niger Interior Minister on Wednesday said dozens of Boko Haram fighters have given themselves up to authorities in southern Niger, days after the Islamist group suffered key losses over the border in Nigeria. Minister Mohamed Bazoum said that 31 young people from Diffa, who were enrolled a few years ago in Boko Haram, decided to surrender. The fighters arrived in the remote desert town of Diffa in groups and were being held by local authorities. “I learned that the first who surrendered were not arrested, and I surrendered. “We expect a pardon from the government so that we can participate in the development of the country and help us get rid of the trauma," a former Boko Haram combatant told newsmen. In June, tens of thousands of people fled Diffa as Boko Haram swept the region. However, five Niger soldiers were killed by the militants near Diffa in September. It was not clear what would become of the ex-Boko Haram fighters, but authorities said there was the possibility of reint...

Families of the Nigerian "Chibok girls" freed by Islamist group Boko Haram say they are being closely guarded and were not allowed home for Christmas. Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls in April 2014, but freed 21 of them in October after negotiations with the Red Cross. The freed girls have been in government custody since their release but were brought home to Chibok for Christmas. But family members told the BBC that the girls were kept in a politician's house and barred from going home. They were also prevented from attending church services with their families. The girls were take to the house of an assembly member in Chibok to be reunited with their parents but weren't allowed to go to their own homes. "I can't believe my daughter has come this close to home but can't come home," said one father. "There's no point bringing them to Chibok only to be locked in another prison. They couldn't even go to church on Christmas Day." Anoth...

Two suspected female suicide bombers who invaded the Kasunwa shanu cattle market in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital on Monday. One of the suicide bombers was instantly killed in the explosion while the second woman was lynched by irate mob in the vicinity and eventually died. Security forces later detonated her device.

Gunmen have kidnapped an Iraqi female journalist after posing as members of the security forces and bursting into her home in Baghdad, authorities said on Tuesday. Afrah Shawqi Hammudi was abducted on Monday at around 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) from her home in a southern neighbourhood of the capital, said Ziad al-Ajili, head of the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory. “Eight armed men burst into her house in Saidiya dressed in plain clothes and entered by pretending to belong to the security forces,” he told AFP. “They tied up her son and stole mobile phones, computers and cash before kidnapping Afrah and fleeing.” The report was confirmed by a source in Iraq’s interior ministry who spoke on condition of anonymity. Hammudi, 43, is employed by Asharq al-Awsat, a London-based pan-Arab newspaper, as well as a number of news websites, including Aklaam. On Monday she published a stinging article on the website in which she hit out at the armed groups which “act with impunity” in Iraq. Prime Ministe...

Chicago's citywide crime wave didn't slow down during the holiday weekend. City police investigated 27 shooting incidents this Christmas weekend, 12 of which were fatal, city Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said during a Monday news briefing. "The violence primarily occurred in areas with historical gang conflicts on the South and West sides of the City," Johnson said. "We now know that the majority of these shootings and homicides were targeted attacks by gangs against potential rival gang members and groups who were at holiday gatherings." Chicago police said there have been 753 homicides and 3,495 shooting incidents in the city from January 1 to December 25. During the same time frame in 2015, there were 478 homicides and 2,393 shooting incidents. Chicago tops 700 homicides for the year "These were deliberate and planned shootings by one gang against another," Johnson said Monday. "They were targeted knowing fully well that individual...

A suicide bomber has killed herself and her accomplice in Kasuwan Shanu in Borno State, DSP Victor Isuku of the Borno State Police Command spokesman confirmed this on Monday. The police spokesman said in a statement that one of the suicide bombers detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strapped to her body, killing herself and her accomplice whose IED vest did not explode.

President Muhammadu Buhari has commended Nigerian Army troops on the capture of Sambisa Forest, widely regarded as Boko Haram's last enclave. The President made the commendation in a State House press statement issued on Saturday. President Muhammadu Buhari has commended Nigerian Army troops on the capture of Sambisa Forest, widely regarded as Boko Haram's last enclave. The President made the commendation in a State House press statement issued on Saturday. "I delighted at, and most proud of the gallant troops of the Nigerian Army, on receipt of the long-awaited and most gratifying news of the final crushing of Boko Haram terrorists in their last enclave in Sambisa Forest. I want to use this opportunity to commend the determination, courage, and resilience of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole at finally entering and crushing the remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents at “Camp Zero,” which is located deep within the heart of Sambisa Forest," said President Buhari. The Pre...

CAIRO –  The U.S. military says its airstrikes have killed 28 al-Qaida militants in Yemen since September. Central Command said in a statement Thursday that the airstrikes took place between Sept. 23 and Dec. 13. Army Maj. Josh T. Jacques, a spokesman, said the strikes "pressure the terrorist network and hinder their ability to attack the U.S. and our allies." Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, as the Yemeni affiliate is known, has been behind a number of failed attacks on the U.S. homeland and is widely seen as the most dangerous branch of the global network. The fight against AQAP has been complicated by Yemen's civil war, which pits the government and a Saudi-led coalition against Shiite Houthi rebels and forces loyal to a former president.

Italian police killed the Islamist terrorist suspected in the deadly attack on a Berlin Christmas market, after confronting him in Milan, some 675 miles from the scene of Monday's carnage, police said. Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti told reporters at a news conference that the dead man was "without any doubt" Amri. Monday's attack in Berlin, for which ISIS has claimed credit, left 12 dead and more than 50 injured, including two Americans. The shootout occurred just after 3 a.m. local time, according to Italian police. Amri was pulled over in a vehicle and asked for identification, and pulled a .22 calibre gun out of his backpack and fired at a cop, police said. The police officer, identified as Critian Morio, was struck, but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Morio and another police officer who was not injured "have done an extraordinary service to the community," Minniti said. Authorities are retracing Amri's three days ...

The presidency has debunked reports that another 21 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram have been released by their abductors. Earlier, reports were circulating across the media that Boko Haram had released 21 Chibok girls on Thursday. The girls were said to have been brought to Yola International Airport, Adamawa state. But presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said the girls seen at the airport were the ones earlier released in October. “No new girls have been released but by God’s grace, they will be. Happy Christmas, everyone,” Shehu said. “Today, the DSS took the 21 Girls already secured to Yola, Adamawa State on their way home to celebrate the Christmas with their families,” Shehu explained. He, however, confirmed that negotiations for the release of more of the kidnapped girls were still ongoing. “The negotiations are ongoing and the Department of State Service, DSS is full of optimism that they will be successful,” he said. In April 2014, Boko Haram insurgents ki...

Turkish authorities on Thursday released six close relatives of the assassin of the Russian ambassador to Ankara after holding them for almost three days for questioning in the wake of the killing, state media said on Thursday. Investigators are looking for links of the killer, Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas, to the group of the US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen who Ankara blames for the failed July 15 coup. Russia, which on Thursday was laying to rest ambassador Andrei Karlov with full honours in Moscow, has urged caution and warned not to jump to hasty conclusions. Both parents, the sister, two uncles and an aunt of the assassin were released after questioning in Aydin province in western Turkey, state-run news agency Anadolu said. Turkish media said the authorities were still holding six suspects linked to the Rustu Unsal police academy in Izmir where Altintas studied from 2012-2104 and where officials believe he came under the influence of Gulen. Among these are ...

Taliban militants in Afghanistan say they are responsible for attacking the house of a member of parliament in Kabul, killing at least five people. The attack took place in the compound of the Helmand MP, Mir Wali. He is believed to have survived but two of his grandchildren are reported to have been killed. Security forces at the scene say the gunmen are now holding hostages. SecurA number of people are reported to have been wounded including a former police chief. Gunfire and explosions were recently reported to have been heard at the premises in the west of the city. Afghanistan Kabul mosque suicide attack kills dozens Twin Kabul explosions 'kill 24 people' Kabul families struggle to smile amid rising violence Taliban attack on Afghanistan police cadets near Kabul kills dozens Relatives and friends of Mr Wali - who is reported to have escaped the attackers through the house of a neighbour - are believed to be among the hostages. The Taliban in a statement said suicide bomber...

A Europe-wide manhunt is under way for the Tunisian man wanted for the Berlin lorry attack, who had been under surveillance earlier this year, media reports say. Anis Amri, 24, was reportedly monitored on suspicion of planning a robbery in order to pay for guns but surveillance was lifted for lack of evidence. Before entering Germany, he had served four years for arson in Italy. Monday evening's attack at a Christmas market killed 12 and injured 49 more. An arrest warrant was issued after Anis Amri's residence permit was found in the cab of the lorry that left a trail of carnage at a Christmas market near Berlin's most famous shopping street, the Kurfuerstendamm. ADVERTISEMENT The German authorities warn he could be armed and dangerous and are offering a reward of up to €100,000 (£84,000; $104,000) for information leading to his arrest. Freedom or security, Berlin asks Prime suspect Can police protect Christmas crowds? Reports suggest he may have been injured in a struggle...

TORONTO -- The parents of a Canadian man held hostage in Afghanistan say a recently released video of their son and his family marks the first time they've seen their two grandchildren, who were born in captivity. Canadian Joshua Boyle and his American wife, Caitlan Coleman, were kidnapped in 2012 while travelling in a mountainous region of northern Afghanistan. In a video uploaded to YouTube earlier this week, Coleman -- sitting next to her husband and two young children -- urges governments on all sides to reach a deal to secure the family's freedom. Boyle's parents, Patrick and Linda Boyle, said they watched the video on Monday, getting their first glimpse at their young grandsons. "It is an indescribable emotional sense one has watching a grandson making faces at the camera, while hearing our son's leg chains clanging up and down on the floor as he tries to settle his son," the Boyles said in a written statement. "It is unbelievable that they have ...

MOSCOW – The spokesman for President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday indicated that Moscow doesn't believe the gunman who killed Russia's ambassador to Turkey acted on his own, but refused to explain the reasons for the suspicion. "We shouldn't rush with any theories before the investigators establish who were behind the assassination of our ambassador," said spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who offered no suggestions about who those people might be. The ambassador, Andrei Karlov, was killed Monday evening in front of stunned onlookers at a photo exhibition in Ankara. The assassin, Mevlut Mert Altintas of Ankara's riot police squad, was killed in a police operation. On Tuesday, Russia flew a team of 18 investigators and foreign ministry officials to Turkey to take part in the probe. Their plane returned with Karlov's body and his family. Russian officials and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu who was visiting Moscow met the family at the Vnukovo airport l...

The fugitive suspected of driving a truck into a crowded Berlin Christmas market on Monday was on the radar of German authorities as far back as June, when they tried - and failed - to deport him after learning he was plotting a "serious act of violent subversion," a German official told The Washington Post. Further, security agencies exchanged info as recently as November that allegedly tied Anis Amri to Islamist militants, yet the Tunisian-born 24-year-old was able to evade terror investigators in the lead-up to Monday's ISIS-claimed massacre, which killed 12 and wounded 48. Authorities released two new images of Anis Amri, the suspect in Monday's attack in Berlin. (German police) Berlin prosecutors told The Associated Press in a statement Wednesday that they first launched an investigation against Amri on March 14 followed a tip from federal security agencies. The tip warned that Amri might be planning a break-in to finance the purchase of automatic weapons for ...