Trump Again Threatens Status Of DACA, Demands Border Wall

President Donald Trump has again threatened the future status of a program that allowed children brought illegally to the United States to remain here, demanding he get a bigger border wall separating the U.S. and Mexico.

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Berlin to host New Year's Eve 'safe zone' for women as authorities crack down on harassment

New Year’s Eve celebrations in central Berlin will include a women’s safe zone for the first time, in the hope of preventing a repeat of mob attacks on female revellers during festivities in Cologne two years ago. Up to a million guests are expected to attend the open-air event taking place around Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, featuring fireworks and pop acts such as Rednex and Whigfield this year. The women’s safety area is being established at the request of Berlin police. The tent will be set up near a plaza adjacent to the landmark tourist attraction, and manned by German Red Cross representatives. "There will be three to four (German Red Cross) helpers who are specially trained and can look after women who feel harassed or threatened," a spokesperson for the celebrations, Anja Marx, told German national broadcaster rbb. A police spokesperson told The Telegraph that patrolling authorities planned to check in regularly with staff at the women’s safety tent and tend to instances of criminal offence. A man holds up a sign reading "No violence against women" as he takes part in a demonstration in front of the cathedral in Cologne Credit: ROBERTO PFEIL/AFP Hundreds of women reported sexual attacks and robberies by men outside the main train station at Cologne’s public New Year’s Eve gathering in 2016, where law enforcement was heavily outnumbered by dense crowds. Suspects were largely of North African and Arab background. The incident happened after Germany had accepted a record influx of more than one million migrants in 2015, mostly people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and elsewhere. A leaked police report concluded that more than 1,200 women were sexually assaulted in various German cities at the 2015/2016 New Year’s celebrations. More than 2,000 men were allegedly involved and around 120 suspects were identified, the bulk of which being foreign nationals who were also new arrivals to Germany. Cologne officials set up a security point for its 2016 carnival street festival following the attacks, and took security measures such as installing additional street lighting. Herbert Reul, interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, the state where Cologne is located, told German news agency DPA that authorities had “done everything” this year to ensure that the events of 2015/2016 would not occur again. In Berlin, strict safety precautions, including the banning of large bags, rucksacks, glass bottles and alcoholic beverages, will also be enforced. About 500 security personnel will be on the premises, as well as some 1,600 extra police officers deployed throughout the city. 

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2 dead, 1 hurt in shooting at Southern California law firm

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man walked into the Southern California law firm where he worked and shot two men Friday before turning the gun on himself, police said.

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Hours after Afghan blast, confused families searched desperately for news

By James Mackenzie and Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi KABUL (Reuters) - Hours after the explosion that tore through a Shi'ite cultural center in the Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday, desperate families were still searching for news, as burned bodies were brought in and wards at the nearby Istiqlal hospital filled up. "Everyone was at the hospital but at first nobody knew where they were, they were lost," said Hasan Jan, whose nephews, Abdul Saboor Maqsoudi, 24, and brother Ali Paiman, 18, were among the dead. "Finally they recognized him because of a ring on his finger and his shirt and belt and his watch." The attack, claimed by Islamic State, was the latest in at least two dozen bombings on Shi'ite targets in the Sunni-majority country over the past two years in a brutal campaign by the movement that has killed and wounded hundreds.

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Iran protests: Donald Trump warns 'oppressive regimes cannot endure forever' and touts US military power

US President Donald Trump took to Twitter again to comment on the ongoing protests in Iran, this time to warn that "oppressive regimes cannot endure forever."

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Putin calls for 'pragmatic cooperation' in New Year wishes to Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for "pragmatic cooperation" in his New Year wishes to US President Donald Trump, the Kremlin said on Saturday. In a statement on the Russian president's New Year wishes to world leaders, the Kremlin said Putin told Trump that "a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world".

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Court refuses to release elephants from zoo after campaigners say they are 'persons entitled to liberty'

A Connecticut court has refused to free three elephants from a zoo after an animal rights group asked it to do so. The court ruled that Minnie, Beulah, and Karen do not qualify as “persons entitled to liberty and equality” under state law. Judge James Bentivegna wrote in the decision that “the petition is wholly frivolous on its face” because it relied on applying “human rights of freedom and equality” to the animals.

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Dozens of militants evacuated from southern Syria

BEIRUT (AP) — Dozens of Syrian militants and their families departed aboard buses from an area besieged by government forces near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights early Saturday, part of a deal to clear yet another district of insurgents.

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Nikki Haley seemingly tricked by Russian pranksters into commenting on fictional country 'Binomo'

A pair of Russian comedians appear to have successfully tricked the US’ Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, into commenting on a fictional Asian country. The two comedians Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, known as Vovan and Lexus, posted a 22 minute audio clip of their conversation with the ambassador where they get her to comment on the situation in Binomo – a fictional country in the South China Sea. Posing as the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, they spoke to Ms Haley in the days after Poland was one of 35 countries to abstain on a UN vote to reject Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as “null and void”.

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Ukraine kidnappers free bitcoin analyst after $1 mln ransom paid

By Pavel Polityuk KIEV (Reuters) - Kidnappers in Ukraine have released an employee at a United Kingdom-registered cryptocurrency exchange after getting more than $1 million in bitcoins as ransom, an adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister told Reuters on Friday. Pavel Lerner, a leading analyst and blockchain expert, was abducted by unknown masked people on Dec. 26, according to a statement by his company, EXMO Finance, on its website. "This is the first such case in Ukraine linked to bitcoins," Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, said in a phone text message.

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Thousands of Palestinians take part in anti-Trump protests

Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza and the occupied West Bank for the fourth Friday in a row in protests against U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Palestinian health officials said at least 50 protesters had been wounded by live fire, mostly along the Gaza border. An Israeli military spokeswoman said soldiers had shot at the "main instigators" who she said posed a direct threat to the troops and who were trying to damage the border security fence.

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Road rage finally puts alleged 'Goodfellas' mobster, 82, behind bars

New York may have recorded a dramatic fall in crime this year, including the lowest annual murder total since the 1950s, but a sentencing hearing in Brooklyn on Thursday revealed the persistence of some of the city’s most famous criminal traditions. Prosecutors allege that Vincent Asaro, 82, was inducted into the Bonanno crime syndicate more than 40 years ago and has held the position of captain and been a member of the family’s ruling panel. On Thursday, however, Asaro was sentenced to eight years in prison for his part in a road rage incident in the mob stronghold of Howard Beach, Queens.

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LA Man Arrested For 'Swatting' Call That Led To Innocent Kansas Man's Death

Authorities arrested a 25-year-old man in California for a “swatting” prank emergency call that led to the death of an innocent 28-year-old Kansas man who was shot by police responders on Thursday evening as he stood on his front doorstep.

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Trump reportedly fired his entire HIV/AIDS council by FedEx letter

President Donald Trump reportedly fired the sixteen remaining members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) Wednesday via a letter FedExed from the White House.

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Neighbors Greet Vacationing Mike Pence With 'Make America Gay Again' Banner

WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence was welcomed to Colorado with snow-dusted pines, cool mountain air and a bright rainbow banner with the words, “Make America Gay Again.”

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US eyes increased pumping from biggest federal water project

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Trump administration said Friday it will look at revving up water deliveries to farmers from California's Central Valley Project, the largest federal water project in the United States, in what environmental groups called a threat to protections for struggling native salmon and other endangered species.

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Report: White House intern appears to flash 'white power' hand gesture in photo with Trump

A White House intern appeared to flash a white power hand gesture in a photo with President Donald Trump, a signal that some far-right groups have adopted in recent months.

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Congo orders internet and SMS cut ahead of anti-government demonstrations

Democratic Republic of Congo's government on Saturday ordered telecommunications providers to cut internet and SMS services across the country ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations. Grassroots Catholic activists have called for marches in major cities on Sunday to demand that President Joseph Kabila commit to not changing the constitution to stand for a third term and release political prisoners. Kabila was required by the constitution to step down in December last year when his mandate expired but an election to replace him has been repeatedly delayed and is now scheduled for December 2018.

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Spend on defense, Merkel's allies say, widening gap with SPD

Chancellor Angela Merkel's Bavarian sister party (CSU) has proposed increasing Germany's defense spending to a level that widens a policy gap with the Social Democrats (SPD) ahead of talks on forming a governing coalition. A deal between Merkel's conservative camp and the center-left (SPD) is her best chance of securing a fourth term in office but her possible coalition partners are angling for concessions before talks start in the new year. The CSU said in a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Friday it wanted defense spending to reach NATO's target of 2 percent of national output and more money spent on the military, drones and transportation infrastructure.

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Court refuses to release elephants from zoo after campaigners say they are 'persons entitled to liberty'

A Connecticut court has refused to free three elephants from a zoo after an animal rights group asked it to do so. The court ruled that Minnie, Beulah, and Karen do not qualify as “persons entitled to liberty and equality” under state law. Judge James Bentivegna wrote in the decision that “the petition is wholly frivolous on its face” because it relied on applying “human rights of freedom and equality” to the animals.

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Rare public protests spread across Iran amid spiraling inflation

Iranian police clashed with protesters demonstrating against government corruption on Friday, in a rare public show of discontent in the Islamic republic.  About 300 people gathered in the western city of Kermanshah on Friday calling for a "revolution", shouting "where's my paycheck?", "the people are begging, the clerics act like God" and “death to the dictator”. It followed a day after similar protests in the northeastern city of Mashhad, where more than 50 were arrested.  President Hassan Rouhani's government has been unable to control spiralling prices - the costs of basics such as milk and eggs has doubled in a week. And despite the loosening of international sanctions in 2015, the country has seen little economic growth and few ordinary residents feel they have benefitted.  There have been calls on social media for protests up and down the country, despite warnings from the government against illegal gatherings. Protestors attack security forces in Iran (location unknown) #http://iranprotestspic.twitter.com/aeS8zVyM9X— Wladimir (@vvanwilgenburg) December 29, 2017 The outbreak of unrest reflects growing discontent over rising prices and alleged corruption, as well as concern over the country’s costly involvement in regional conflicts such as Syria and Iraq. There were also chants in Mashhad on Thursday of "not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life for Iran" and "leave Syria, think about us". Mohsen Nasj Hamadani, deputy security chief in Tehran province, said about 50 people had rallied in a Tehran square and most left after being asked to by police, but a few who refused were "temporarily detained", the ILNA news agency reported. In the central city of Isfahan, a resident said protesters joined a rally held by factory workers demanding back-pay. "The slogans quickly changed from the economy to those against Rouhani and the Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei)," the resident said by telephone. Chants in the holy city of Qom tonight, the spiritual center of #Iran: “We don’t want an Islamic Republic!” http://pic.twitter.com/ilawigFGej— Holly Dagres (@hdagres) December 29, 2017 In Qom, a stronghold of the Shi'ite clergy, footage posted on social media showed protesters attacking Ayatollah Khamenei by name. "Seyyed Ali should be ashamed and leave the country alone," they chanted. Police arrested 52 people in Thursday's protests, Fars quoted a judicial official as saying in Mashhad, one of the holiest places in Shi'ite Islam. In social media footage, riot police were seen using water cannon and tear gas to disperse crowds. Some social media videos showed demonstrators chanting "Death to Rouhani" and "Death to the dictator". Protests were also held in at least two other northeastern cities. Openly political protests are rare in Iran, where security services are omnipresent. The last unrest of national significance occurred in 2009 when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election as president ignited eight months of street protests. Pro-reform rivals said the vote was rigged. The protests came as Tehran looked to have bowed to internal pressure to relax its strict Islamic dress codes. Morality police in the capital said they will no longer automatically arrest women for failing to women seen without the proper hijab head-covering in public, mandated since the 1979 revolution. For nearly 40 years, women in Iran have been forced to cover their hair and wear long, loose garments.  Younger and more liberal-minded women have long pushed the boundaries of the official dress code, wearing loose headscarves that do not fully cover their hair and painting their nails, drawing the ire of conservatives. The announcement signalled an easing of punishments for violating the country's conservative dress code, as called for by the reform-minded Iranians who helped re-elect President Rouhani, a relative moderate, earlier this year.

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Merkel sees Germany split over pace of social change

BERLIN (AP) — Germans have rarely been so divided about the changes taking place in their society, the country's long-time leader Angela Merkel said Sunday, adding in her New Year's address that she is committed to helping tackle the challenges of the future by swiftly forming a new government.

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DR Congo Catholics challenge Kabila with demo call

Catholics in crisis-torn Democratic Republic of Congo vowed Saturday to defy a protest ban and hold a "peaceful march" Sunday to urge implementation of a deal for President Joseph Kabila to leave office and for delayed elections. Kabila has been in power since 2001 when he succeeded his assassinated father Laurent Kabila and refused to step down at the end of his second and final term in December 2016. About 150 Catholic churches have urged believers to heed their call to protest, bibles in hand, Sunday in the capital Kinshasa and demand implementation of a deal signed exactly a year ago designed to restore stability with Kabila stepping down.

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Some countries reverse free expression, seeing it as threat

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Two Turkish journalists face possible life sentences on charges they sent "subliminal messages" on television encouraging a government coup. In Hungary, oligarchs loyal to the prime minister have gained control of much of the media after the leading independent newspaper was shut down. And in Poland, a reporter is being threatened with a military trial for writing a book critical of the defense minister.

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Mattis sees larger U.S. civilian presence in Syria

By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday that he expected to see a larger U.S. civilian presence in Syria, including contractors and diplomats, as the fight against Islamic State militants nears its end and the focus turns toward rebuilding and ensuring the militants do not return. The United States has about 2,000 troops in Syria fighting Islamic State. Mattis' comments are likely to anger Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has previously called U.S. troops "illegal invader" forces.

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The High-Tech Ways Authorities Are Keeping You Safe This New Year

Following a year of deadly terrorist attacks, security is going to be tighter than ever before.

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2 Children Among 4 Dead in Basement in Troy After Act of 'Savagery,' Police Say

Two young children and their mother were among the four family members found killed in an act of “savagery” this week inside their basement apartment in the upstate New York city of Troy

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Clashes over US recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital claim 13th victim

A Gazan died on Saturday after being wounded by Israeli fire during a protest on the border over US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a Palestinian health official said. Jamal Muslih, 20, of Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, had been seriously wounded by live fire on Friday, health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said. He was buried on Saturday afternoon. Muslih’s death brings to 13 the number of Palestinians killed since US President Donald Trump announced on December 6 that he would recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv. Mourners at the funeral of Jamal Muslih, who died after being wounded by Israeli fire Credit: Mahmud Hams/AFP Eleven protesters died after clashes with Israeli troops, and two others were killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza earlier in the month. More than 50 Palestinians were wounded in the Friday clashes on the Gaza-Israel border as part of a "day of rage" over the US declaration, called for by both Gaza rulers Hamas and fellow militant group Islamic Jihad. In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said at least 16 people were wounded when Israeli troops fired live rounds during demonstrations, while others were hit with rubber-coated bullets. Earlier on Friday, militants in Gaza fired three rockets at southern Israel, two of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defence system, with the third hitting a village near the border, causing damage but no casualties. Israeli aircraft and tanks targeted two Hamas positions near the border on Friday afternoon in response, again causing damage but no casualties. UN vote to condemn Trump recognising Jerusalem as capital of Israel Late Saturday, the Israeli army carried out a second attack, with fighter jets "targeted an observation post belonging to the Hamas terror organisation in the southern Gaza Strip," a statement read. According to the army, the Friday projectile attack on Israel proved that "Iran, through radical and rogue terror organisations, is operating to deteriorate the situation," risking lives in Gaza and threatening to cause "an escalation". The Israeli defence ministry has in recent weeks been increasingly highlighting the ties between Hamas and Iran, most notably in a series of Facebook posts by COGAT, the unit responsible for activities in the Palestinian territories. Speaking on Channel 2 television Saturday night, Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman claimed that the projectiles fired from Gaza at Israel on Friday were made and supplied by Iran. Rockets from Gaza are often fired by fringe Islamist groups but Israel holds Hamas responsible for all attacks from the territory.    

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LA Man Arrested For 'Swatting' Call That Led To Innocent Kansas Man's Death

Authorities arrested a 25-year-old man in California for a “swatting” prank emergency call that led to the death of an innocent 28-year-old Kansas man who was shot by police responders on Thursday evening as he stood on his front doorstep.

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Trump reportedly fired his entire HIV/AIDS council by FedEx letter

President Donald Trump reportedly fired the sixteen remaining members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) Wednesday via a letter FedExed from the White House.

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Congo orders internet and SMS cut ahead of anti-government demonstrations

Democratic Republic of Congo's government on Saturday ordered telecommunications providers to cut internet and SMS services across the country ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations. Grassroots Catholic activists have called for marches in major cities on Sunday to demand that President Joseph Kabila commit to not changing the constitution to stand for a third term and release political prisoners. Kabila was required by the constitution to step down in December last year when his mandate expired but an election to replace him has been repeatedly delayed and is now scheduled for December 2018.

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US eyes increased pumping from biggest federal water project

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Trump administration said Friday it will look at revving up water deliveries to farmers from California's Central Valley Project, the largest federal water project in the United States, in what environmental groups called a threat to protections for struggling native salmon and other endangered species.

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A year of historic change in Saudi Arabia, with more to come

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia in 2017 laid the groundwork for momentous change next year, defying its conservative reputation for slow, cautious reforms by announcing plans to let women drive, allow movie theaters to return and to issue tourist visas. The kingdom could even get a new king.

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Donald Trump warns Iran 'world is watching' as he condemns arrest of protesters

Donald Trump condemned the arrest of protesters in Iran, telling Tehran that "the world is watching" as officials reported fresh demonstrations over the country’s struggling economy. Many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with regime’s corruption & its squandering of the nation’s wealth to fund terrorism abroad. Iranian govt should respect their people’s rights, including right to express themselves. The world is watching! #IranProtests— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2017 Fifty-two people were arrested in Iran’s second city Mashhad on Thursday, the first day of the protests, which also took place in other areas and spread to the capital Tehran as well as Kermanshah the following day. "There are many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with the regime’s corruption and its squandering of the nation’s wealth to fund terrorism abroad," the White House added in a statement. "The Iranian government should respect their people’s rights, including their right to express themselves. The world is watching," it said. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly taken aim at Iran, denouncing its government as a "fanatical regime" and accusing it of violating an international agreement aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear program, refusing to certify its compliance with the deal. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert also addressed the protests. "The United States strongly condemns the arrest of peaceful protesters. We urge all nations to publicly support the Iranian people and their demands for basic rights and an end to corruption," she said in a statement. People in Iran chant at the clerics: “clerics shame on you, let go of our country.” Today is the second day of anti-government protests happening in #Iran. What started as a protest against high prices has now turned into protests against the Islamic regime.#Iranprotests#http://Islampic.twitter.com/UjM51KH4As— Armin Navabi (@ArminNavabi) December 29, 2017 On Saturday morning tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators took to the streets for pre-planned rallies marking the end of the 2009 unrest which followed disputed elections. Iranian First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri suggested hardline opponents of the government may be behind the anti-government demonstrations, which reportedly remained small on Friday. "Some incidents in the country these days are on the pretext of economic problems, but it seems there is something else behind them," Jahangiri said in comments carried by state broadcaster IRIB. "They think by doing this they harm the government," he said, but "it will be others who ride the wave." Tehran's deputy provincial governor Mohsen Hamedani said "less than 50 people" had gathered in one of the city's squares and several had been arrested after refusing to move on, according to the reformist newspaper Etamad. He said they were "under the influence of propaganda" and were "unaware that the majority of these calls to protest come from abroad." The rally in Kermanshah appeared larger - with hundreds shown protesting in videos shared on social media - and was reportedly focused on those who lost money in the collapse of unauthorized lending institutions in recent years. Much of the anger on the streets has been aimed at the government of President Hassan Rouhani Credit: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File "Protesters asked for clarifications on the fate of their accounts and police dealt with them with tolerance despite them having no permission to protest," the conservative Tasnim news agency reported. It came a day after 52 people were arrested in Mashhad, an important pilgrimage site, for protesting high prices and the poor state of the economy under President Hassan Rouhani. Videos published by reformist media group Nazar showed people chanting "Death to Rouhani," while others shouted "not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life for Iran," reflecting anger in some circles that the government is too focused on regional politics rather than tackling domestic problems. One lawmaker said these protests were also rooted in the collapse of credit institutions and other financial scandals. Unauthorized lending institutions mushroomed under former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad due to weak regulation of the banking sector. An uncontrolled construction boom left many banks and credit companies stuck with toxic debts that, combined with soaring inflation and the chaos caused by international sanctions, pushed many to default on their debts. Since coming to power in 2013, Rouhani has shut down three of the biggest new credit institutions - Mizan, Fereshtegan and Samen al-Hojaj. He tasked the central bank with reimbursing lost deposits, but many are still waiting for compensation. Mashhad was among the areas hardest hit by the closure of Mizan, which had around one million accounts, according to the official IRNA news agency. Kermanshah was particularly affected by problems at another credit institution, Caspian, according to the Tasnim agency.

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Court refuses to release elephants from zoo after campaigners say they are 'persons entitled to liberty'

A Connecticut court has refused to free three elephants from a zoo after an animal rights group asked it to do so. The court ruled that Minnie, Beulah, and Karen do not qualify as “persons entitled to liberty and equality” under state law. Judge James Bentivegna wrote in the decision that “the petition is wholly frivolous on its face” because it relied on applying “human rights of freedom and equality” to the animals.

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Russian environmental activist hospitalized after beating

A leading Russian environmental activist said on Friday he had been hospitalized after being severely beaten by unknown assailants in the southern city of Krasnodar. Andrei Rudomakha, head of the Environmental Watch on the North Caucasus NGO, told Reuters he and a group of activists were assaulted late on Thursday upon returning from the Black Sea coastal city of Gelendzhik where they were documenting the illegal construction of a mansion for high-ranking officials. The regional branch of the Russian Interior Ministry, in a statement sent to Reuters, said authorities were investigating the attack by what it said were three assailants.

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Does living next to a gym lower obesity risk?

Does living next to or near a gym or tennis field lower the odds of obesity? A new study explores this, and the impact of living near a fast food outlet.

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Could this device help to prevent the harms of sitting?

Using a desk fitted with a device to stimulate leg movement may elevate metabolic rate more than sitting or standing desks, according to new research.

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2 Dead, 1 Injured In Shooting At California Law Firm

A shooter opened fire at a southern California law firm Friday, killing one man and injuring another before fatally turning the gun on himself, police said.

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Trump Reportedly Terminated All Members Of HIV/AIDS Council Without Explanation

The White House has reportedly fired the members of Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) without explanation.

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The High-Tech Ways Authorities Are Keeping You Safe This New Year

Following a year of deadly terrorist attacks, security is going to be tighter than ever before.

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Turkey detains 75 Islamic State suspects: police, media

Turkish police detained 75 suspected Islamic State members in two operations on Friday, state media and police said, after arresting about 120 such suspects across Turkey a day earlier, tightening security ahead of the New Year. Some 500 police officers took part in simultaneous raids across Ankara, and many of those detained were foreign nationals, state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Materials seized in the raids indicated some of the suspects had made preparations for an attack over New Year, it added.

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Does living next to a gym lower obesity risk?

Does living next to or near a gym or tennis field lower the odds of obesity? A new study explores this, and the impact of living near a fast food outlet.

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LA Man Arrested For 'Swatting' Call That Led To Innocent Kansas Man's Death

Authorities arrested a 25-year-old man in California for a “swatting” prank emergency call that led to the death of an innocent 28-year-old Kansas man who was shot by police responders on Thursday evening as he stood on his front doorstep.

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Gainesville 'Hot Cop' Resigns Amid Investigation Over Alleged Anti-Semitic Comments

Investigators were also looking into allegations Michael Hamill had consensual sex while on the job.

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Trump Says Postal Service Should Charge Amazon More: Here's Why He's Wrong

USPS has its problems, but Amazon isn't one of them.

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Nikki Haley seemingly tricked by Russian pranksters into commenting on fictional country 'Binomo'

A pair of Russian comedians appear to have successfully tricked the US’ Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, into commenting on a fictional Asian country. The two comedians Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, known as Vovan and Lexus, posted a 22 minute audio clip of their conversation with the ambassador where they get her to comment on the situation in Binomo – a fictional country in the South China Sea. Posing as the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, they spoke to Ms Haley in the days after Poland was one of 35 countries to abstain on a UN vote to reject Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as “null and void”.

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Ukraine kidnappers free bitcoin analyst after $1 mln ransom paid

By Pavel Polityuk KIEV (Reuters) - Kidnappers in Ukraine have released an employee at a United Kingdom-registered cryptocurrency exchange after getting more than $1 million in bitcoins as ransom, an adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister told Reuters on Friday. Pavel Lerner, a leading analyst and blockchain expert, was abducted by unknown masked people on Dec. 26, according to a statement by his company, EXMO Finance, on its website. "This is the first such case in Ukraine linked to bitcoins," Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, said in a phone text message.

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New economic protests in Tehran challenge Iran's government

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A wave of spontaneous protests over Iran's weak economy swept into Tehran on Saturday, with college students and others chanting against the government just hours after hard-liners held their own rally in support of the Islamic Republic's clerical establishment.

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2 Children Among 4 Dead in Basement in Troy After Act of 'Savagery,' Police Say

Two young children and their mother were among the four family members found killed in an act of “savagery” this week inside their basement apartment in the upstate New York city of Troy

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Congo orders internet and SMS cut ahead of anti-government demonstrations

Democratic Republic of Congo's government on Saturday ordered telecommunications providers to cut internet and SMS services across the country ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations. Grassroots Catholic activists have called for marches in major cities on Sunday to demand that President Joseph Kabila commit to not changing the constitution to stand for a third term and release political prisoners. Kabila was required by the constitution to step down in December last year when his mandate expired but an election to replace him has been repeatedly delayed and is now scheduled for December 2018.

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The Latest: Self-closing doors mandatory in fire building

NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on New York City's deadliest residential fire in decades (all times local):

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Save the bees: Inside a bee sanctuary's fight to save colonies – and the world's food supply – from collapse

On a seven-acre plot of land in upstate New York, an expansive lawn juts up behind a brown cottage, gently sloping down into the woods. “It’s like a desert,” Guillaume Gauthereau, the founder and executive director of the New York Bee Sanctuary, said this past August, gesturing to the lush grass as those same bees swirled around. The difference at the sanctuary, however, is that Gauthereau has carefully cultivated a habitat full of vegetation around that grass that gives bees the opportunity to thrive.

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