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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Jan. 14

Xinhua, January 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

French people on Wednesday rushed to buy Charlie Hebdo's first edition after gunmen stormed the magazine's offices and killed 12 victims one week ago in an attack believed to be revenge for publishing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in the past.

A sudden and crazy interest in the paper was witnessed across the country. Long queues formed in the early morning in Paris and in France's main cities to buy the "survivors' edition," according to local reports. (France-Charlie Hebdo-Sales)

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COLOMBO -- Pope Francis became the first pontiff to visit the former war-torn northern region of Sri Lanka when he conducted a sermon on Wednesday to bless thousands and call for reconciliation.

On his second day, the Pope flew by helicopter to historically sacred Madhu shrine in the north-western Mannar region, which operated as a neutral zone for thousands of refugees during Sri Lanka's three-decade war with Tamil separatists. (Sri Lanka-Pope-Visit)

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DAMASCUS -- A total of 40 opposition militants were killed Wednesday during clashes with the Syrian troops in a southern contested town, the state news agency SANA reported.

15 militants of "takfiri and terrorist groups" were killed when the Syrian troops targeted their positions in the strategic town of Sheikh Miskin in the southern province of Daraa, said SANA, adding that the troops also destroyed a weapon depot and vehicles outfitted with machine guns there. (Syria-Rebels-Death)

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BAGHDAD -- 36 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in clashes and air strikes across Iraq Wednesday, a security source said.

In Iraq's province of Anbar, U.S.-led coalition warplanes pounded a school building used as IS headquarters, leaving 13 militants killed and six others wounded along with four vehicles destroyed, a security source told Xinhua. (IS-Crackdown-Iraq)

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BERLIN -- The German cabinet agreed Wednesday to make necessary changes to Germany's identity card law to combat international terrorism.

The new law is aimed at stopping people from leaving Germany to fight for terror groups in conflict regions. Potential extremists affected by the law would have their ID card confiscated and replaced with a new one that does not allow them to travel outside Germany. (Germany-Terrorism-Policy)

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ROME -- Italian President Giorgio Napolitano resigned on Wednesday after almost nine years at the helm of the country and before the natural end of his second tenure.

A letter of resignation signed by the 89-year-old president was taken by his secretary general to the heads of the two chambers of parliament and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi for a formal view. (Italy-President-Resignation)

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SANAA -- The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for attacks on Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket in Paris, in an online video released Wednesday.

"We, the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), claim responsibility for this operation as a vengeance for the Messenger of Allah," AQAP military leader Nasr al-Anisi said in the 11-minute online video. (Yemen-Al-Qaida-Charlie Hebdo) Endi