QWorld: Mosul Sealed Off; Turkey’s EU Membership in Trouble

Read the headlines from across the world on QWorld.

ISIS fighters in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq. (Photo: AP)

1. Kurds, Shi'ite Fighters to Coordinate After Sealing off Mosul

Kurdish and Shi'ite forces near Mosul have agreed to coordinate their operations in support of a US–backed offensive seeking to encircle and capture ISIS’s last major urban stronghold in Iraq, US and Iraqi officials say.

2. Trump Keeps Politics on His Thanksgiving Menu

US President-elect Donald Trump spent the Thanksgiving holiday at his Mar-a-Lago resort, dining with his family at the Florida golf club after revisiting a campaign pledge he made about restoring American manufacturing.

3. Wildfires Tear Across Israel, Netanyahu Calls Arsonists "Terrorists"

Wildfires tore across central and northern Israel, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee the city of Haifa, as leaders blame arsonists for some of the blazes and brand them terrorists.

4. South Korean Political Crisis Hits Park's Ratings, Consumer Confidence

South Korean President Park Geun-hye's approval rating falls to 4 percent amid a deepening political crisis, marking an all-time low for any democratically-elected leader in the country, according to a Gallup Korea poll.

5. New Zealand Looks Offshore for Workers to Rebuild After Quake

New Zealand is looking offshore for hundreds of workers to rebuild roads, railways and buildings after this month's earthquake amid a shortage of local workers in an overstretched construction industry.

6. France's Fillon Found 'More Convincing' Than Juppe in Final Primary Debate -Poll

An assertive Francois Fillon told French voters that rival Alain Juppe "does not really want to change things" in a debate a flash poll showed Fillon winning, days before a vote to decide which one will run in the 2017 presidential election.

7. EU Lawmakers Urge Halt to Turkey EU Membership Talks

European Union lawmakers called for a temporary halt to EU membership talks with Turkey because of Ankara's "disproportionate" reaction to July's failed coup, although EU governments are unlikely to take heed.

8. Hurricane Otto Hits Nicaragua Coast as Quake Shakes Region

Hurricane Otto battered Nicaragua with powerful winds and torrential rains the same day a major earthquake shakes the region, with homes damaged and thousands evacuated, but no deaths reported.

9. Multi-Million Pound Sex Pistols Collection to Go up in Flames

The son of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren said he will set fire to millions of dollars of punk memorabilia as a protest against the musical scene's appropriation by the mainstream.