World Digest: Sept. 17, 2014

AUSTRALIA

15 arrested in major anti-terror operation

Australian police detained 15 people Thursday in a major counterterrorism operation, saying intelligence indicated that a random, violent attack was being planned in Australia.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said intelligence that Islamic State supporters were planning to carry out a killing to demonstrate the group’s abilities led to counterterrorism raids in Sydney.

He said “exhortations” were coming from an Australian who is senior in the Islamic State movement to support networks in Australia to “conduct demonstration killings.” He did not name the Australian.

Police said 800 federal and state police officers raided more than a dozen properties across Sydney as part of the operation — the largest in Australian history.

Police said one person was charged with serious terrorism-related offenses and was to appear in court later Thursday.

— Associated Press

SYRIA

15 children die after getting vaccinations

At least 15 children died after receiving vaccinations in rebel-held parts of northwestern Syria, while the death toll from two days of government airstrikes on a central city climbed to nearly 50, activists said.

The children, some just babies, exhibited signs of “severe allergic shock” about an hour after they were given a second round of measles vaccinations in Idlib province on Tuesday, with many suffocating to death as their bodies swelled, said physician Abdullah Ajaj, who administered the vaccinations. It was unclear what killed the children.

Syria’s conflict has caused the collapse of its health system in contested areas and thrown nationwide vaccination efforts into disarray. Polio reemerged in parts of Syria last year.

In the latest violence, meanwhile, government airstrikes apparently targeting a rebel commander killed about 50 people in the opposition-held city of Talbiseh this week, activists said.

— Associated Press

Finland charges 4 in terror case: Prosecutors in Finland have charged four people with financing terrorism for allegedly collecting money for an al-Qaeda-linked militant group in Somalia. District Prosecutor Elina Hypponen said it is the first time that terror charges have been filed in Finland. She said the defendants collected “thousands of euros” to fund terrorist activities by the al-Shabab group in 2008-2011.

Toronto’s Rob Ford has cancer, doctor says: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s doctor said the politician has cancer. Zane Cohen, a colorectal surgeon, said Ford has a malignant sarcoma tumor, describing it as “very rare.” Ford, dogged by drug and alcohol scandals, has been hospitalized for a week with a tumor in his abdomen.

Pakistan says airstrikes killed 40 militants: Pakistan’s military launched airstrikes on five militant hideouts in a troubled tribal region near the border with Afghanistan, killing 40 suspected fighters as part of an operation that began this summer. The airstrikes were carried out in Datta Khel, a Taliban stronghold in North Waziristan. The military said that it also destroyed ammunition depots.

Russia, Egypt seal preliminary arms deal: Russia and Egypt have reached a preliminary deal for Cairo to buy arms worth $3.5 billion from Moscow, the Interfax news agency quoted the head of a Russian state arms agency as saying. Russia, the world’s second-largest arms exporter, has sought to boost its military ties with Egypt as relations between Cairo and Washington recently soured.