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ALTON KUPRI, Iraq (AP) — The Islamic State group has released about 200 Yazidis (yah-ZEE'-deez) held for five months in Iraq. Kurdish military officials say most of them are elderly, infirm captives who likely slowed the extremists down. Three were young children, and almost all are in poor health and show signs of abuse and neglect. Thousands of Yazidis fled in August when the Islamic State group captured the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar. But international rights groups say hundreds were taken captive and some Yazidi women forced into slavery.
PARIS (AP) — French police have released three women arrested Friday but will continue to interrogate nine others who were detained in an anti-terror sweep connected to the Paris terror attacks. Police in France, Germany, Belgium and Ireland have arrested dozens of suspects in recent days as part of a crackdown on terrorism sparked by the attacks.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Pope Francis has ended his Asian pilgrimage with an appeal for Filipinos to protect their young from sin and vice so they can instead become missionaries of the faith. Officials estimate a record 6 million people poured into Manila's rain-soaked streets and its biggest park today for the final Mass of the Pope's trip. The Mass fell on an important feast day honoring the infant Jesus.
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's president is vowing to reassert control over the country's eastern region, where fighting has intensified this weekend. Petro Poroshenko told a crowd of several thousand gathered today in Kiev that Ukraine would not "give up an inch" of its land to Russian-backed separatists. The separatist stronghold of Donetsk is being shaken by both incoming and outgoing artillery fire in a battle for control of the city's airport.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Icy conditions and accidents have closed highways and bridges in and around Philadelphia. One pileup involved at least 20 cars on Interstate 76, which serves the city's western suburbs. It's been closed in both directions after cars slammed into one another amid freezing rain this morning. Accidents also caused the closure of Interstate 95 in both directions in parts of Philadelphia.
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