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Today's Global News from Foreign Policy <http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/UlMc6uYQJxFs8sWzF4a73>


TOP NEWS

Islamic State Murders American Hostage

Islamic State Murders American Hostage

<p> <b>Top news: </b>The Islamic State jihadist group released a video showing the murder of Peter Kassig, an American humanitarian aid worker who had been held in captivity by the group for over a year. Kassig, who was <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF9rA82b7 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">also known as Abdul Rahman</a> after converting to Islam in captivity, is the fifth Western hostage beheaded by the jihadist group. </p><br><p> President Barack Obama condemned the murder. Kassig "was taken from us in an act of pure evil by a terrorist group that the world rightly associates with inhumanity," <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF9sA5f49 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">the president said</a> in a statement. </p><br><p> The Islamic State's 16-minute-long video also shows a mass beheading of Syrian government soldiers. The latest video appears less slickly produced than previous propaganda efforts. <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF9tA68a9 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Analysts say</a> this could be a sign that the U.S.-led air campaign against the jihadists in Syria and Iraq has limited the group's ability to operate in the open. The Islamic State is believed to have one more American hostage. </p><br><p> <b>Japan: </b>Japan's economy <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF9uA1f60 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">shrank by 1.6 percent</a> in the third quarter of 2014, bringing the country unexpectedly into recession. The poor growth figures came not only as a surprise to economists but also a challenge to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has attempted to revive the country's long-stalled economy with a mixture of monetary and fiscal stimulus known as "Abenomics." The bad news for Japan appears to have brought down <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF9vA1737 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">stock markets in Europe and oil prices</a>. </p><br>

Middle Eeast

<ul><p> • Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF9wA7f6b style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">returned their ambassadors</a> to Qatar eight months after pulling them out to punish the Qatari government for its support of Islamist groups.</p><br> <p> • Iran <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF9xAfe94 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">disbarred a former hardline prosecutor</a> who is accused of ordering the torture of protesters in 2009.</p><br> <p> • Egypt will <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF9yA3983 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">try five students in a military court</a> on charges of terrorism for participating in a protest.</p><br> </ul>
Africa

<ul><p> • Nigeria's army claims that it has <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF9zAa7b1 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">retaken the town of Chibok</a> after Islamist insurgents captured the town two days before.</p><br> <p> • Political and military leaders in Burkina Faso have <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF90A81c4 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">selected Michel Kafando to be interim president</a>.</p><br> <p> • A team of 160 Chinese doctors has <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF91Aeb66 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">landed in Liberia</a> to help fight the Ebola outbreak there.</p><br> </ul>
Asia

<ul><p> • Australia and China will <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF92A3ace style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">sign a trade deal</a> that will open China up to more Australian exports and invite Chinese investment in Australia.</p><br> <p> • A <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF93A20cd style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">fire at a carrot-packing plant</a> in the Chinese city of Shouguang killed 18 people and inured 13 more.</p><br> <p> • The 15 women who died last week following a sterilization procedure in India may have <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF94Ae58d style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">received tainted drugs</a>.</p><br> </ul>
Americas

<ul><p> • Colombia's government <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF95A3237 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">suspended peace talks</a> with FARC guerillas after the left-wing insurgent group kidnapped an army general.</p><br> <p> • President Barack Obama has promised that he will <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF96Aa150 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">move ahead with an immigration reform plan</a> to halt deportations despite congressional objections.</p><br> <p> • Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff said that the <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF97A2f3b style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">ongoing corruption scandal</a> at the state oil company, Petrobras, will change her country's political culture.</p><br> </ul>
Europe

<ul><p> • Portugal's interior minister <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF98A6fde style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">resigned</a> after an investigation was launched into corrupt practices in the ministry.</p><br> <p> • The European Union may impose new sanctions on <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF99Ad613 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">eastern Ukrainian separatists leaders</a>, but has not agreed to put new sanctions on Russia.</p><br> <p> • Romania's social democrat prime minister <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71zve9.2h5i/VGnum8PoxNH4kF9-A6302 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">lost the presidential election</a> in an upset victory for center-right mayor from Transylvania. </p><br> </ul>
- By Max Strasser

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