Barack Obama has revealed he advised his successor Donald Trump not to attempt to run the White House “the way you would manage a family business”.
In an interview with ABC News, the outgoing president said that Donald Trump must “respect” US institutions.
Barack Obama said: “After you have been sworn in, you are now in charge of the largest organization on Earth.”
The president warned that there was a difference between governing and campaigning.
“There are world capitals and financial markets and people all around the world who take really seriously what he [Donald Trump] says,” he said.
Image source AP
Barack Obama also talked about the US intelligence agency’s report into alleged cyber-attacks by Russia and the attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential campaign.
He said that he had “underestimated” the impact of such attacks.
Barack Obama said: “I think that I underestimated the degree to which, in this new information age, it is possible for misinformation… and so forth to have an impact on our open societies.”
He added that a conversation had taken place with Donald Trump in which he had discussed the importance of having faith in the intelligence community.
“There are going to be times where the only way you can make a good decision is if you have confidence that the process is working,” the president said.
Last week Donald Trump said he was a “big fan” of intelligence agencies, after months of casting doubt on the Russian link to the security breach. But he later raised questions over how the Democratic Party had responded to the cyber-attacks.
Donald Trump will be inaugurated on Friday, January 20.
Four Israeli soldiers have been killed and17 others were wounded, in a truck attack in Jerusalem, police said.
A Palestinian man drove the truck into a group of soldiers, in what police called a terror attack.
The victims are three women and one man, all in their twenties.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacker, who was shot dead by soldiers, was a suspected supporter of ISIS.
However, the prime minister gave no evidence to support the claim.
The victims were taking part in an educational trip, the Israeli military said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tweeted that their names were Lt. Yael Yekutiel, 20; Lt. Shir Hajaj, 22; 2nd Lt. Erez Orbach, 20 and 2nd Lt. Shira Tzur, 20.
Image source Getty Images
The attacker, identified as 28-year-old Fadi Qunbar, came from the Palestinian district of Jabel Mukaber in east Jerusalem, near to the attack site.
CCTV footage showed the truck ploughing at high speed into the soldiers, before reversing over the victims.
The attack took place on the popular Armon Hanatziv promenade overlooking the walled Old City of Jerusalem.
In response, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said security had been heightened throughout Jerusalem.
An emergency meeting of the Israeli security cabinet approved administrative detention for ISIS sympathizers and authorized the destruction of the driver’s home.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu visited the site of the attack on January 8 and said: “We know that there has been a series of terror attacks.
“There definitely could be a connection between them – from France to Berlin, and now Jerusalem.”
The latest truck attacks took place during last year in Nice and Berlin.
The US state department condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms” and the EU also issued a condemnation.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas praised the attacker. Hamas spokesman Abdul-Latif Qanou called it a “heroic” act and encouraged other Palestinians to “escalate the resistance”.
Nokia has announced its first Android smartphone is to be released exclusively in China.
The Nokia 6 will be marketed in partnership with the local internet retail giant JD.com.
The announcement coincided with the final day of the CES tech show in Las Vegas, where other new mobile phones and gadgets have been launched.
Nokia no longer manufactures phones that carry its name but has instead licensed its brand to another Finnish company, HMD Global.
Until now, the only phones that had been released under the deal had been more basic “feature phone” models.
The Nokia 6 had been highly anticipated and marked the company’s return to the smartphone market after a series of Windows Phone models. Microsoft briefly used the brand for about a year after buying Nokia’s mobile devices unit in 2014.
Nokia once dominated the mobile phone market but struggled after the launch of the iPhone a decade ago, and the subsequent release of Google’s Android operating system.
HMD Global had previously indicated it would release several Nokia-branded Android phones in 2017.
It is expected to provide details of at least some of the other launches at another trade show – Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress – in February.
Nokia said in a statement: “The decision by HMD to launch its first Android smartphone into China is a reflection of the desire to meet the real world needs of consumers in different markets around the world.
“With over 552 million smartphone users in China in 2016, a figure that is predicted to grow to more than 593 million users by 2017, it is a strategically important market where premium design and quality is highly valued by consumers.”
The Nokia 6 phone runs Android 7.0 – the latest version, also known as Nougat – and has a 5.5in 1080p “full high definition” screen, a 16 megapixel rear camera, 4GB of RAM memory and 64GB of storage, two amplifiers supported by Dolby Atmos audio processing, which HMD says creates audio that “seems to flow all around users”.
The specifications are mid-range, and so is the price: 1,699 yuan ($245).
That makes Nokia 6 slightly more expensive than Huawei’s Honor 6X but cheaper than Xiaomi’s Mi 5s.
Esteban Santiago, who is suspected of carrying out a deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale airport, has been charged by prosecutors.
The 26-year-old is accused of opening fire at the airport’s Terminal 2, killing five people and injuring six others.
Esteban Santiago is charged with carrying out an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death, which carries a maximum punishment of execution.
He also faces lesser weapons charges.
Esteban Santiago, who is in custody, told agents he had planned the attack and bought a one-way ticket to Fort Lauderdale, according to court papers.
Authorities said they did not know why he chose this target and that terrorism had not been ruled out.
Image source Anchorage Police
US Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said: “Today’s charges represent the gravity of the situation and reflect the commitment of federal, state and local law enforcement personnel to continually protect the community and prosecute those who target our residents and visitors.”
Esteban Santiago is said to have used a semi-automatic handgun that he apparently legally checked on a flight from Alaska.
Officials were also looking whether mental health problems played a role after it emerged that the suspect had been referred for a health assessment by the FBI.
Two months ago, Esteban Santiago walked into an FBI office in Alaska in an agitated and incoherent state, the FBI and Anchorage police said.
The man was carrying a loaded magazine but had left his handgun in his car, with his newborn child.
During the later mental health evaluation, Esteban Santiago told the FBI he was hearing voices and believed he was being controlled by a US intelligence agency.
His gun was confiscated but the authorities found no wrongdoing, and it was returned in December. It is not clear if this is the same gun that he is accused of using in the attack at the airport baggage claim area.
The suspect is a former member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, according to the Pentagon.
Esteban Santiago served in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011, and ended his service in August 2016.
President-elect Donald Trump says Democrats have shown “gross negligence” by allowing their servers to be hacked in the run-up to the November 8 presidential election.
Donald Trump made the comments after an intelligence report said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “sought to help Donald Trump win”.
He has stopped short of accusing Russia of interfering, saying only that the election outcome was not affected.
The Kremlin has not commented, but Russia has previously denied the claims.
Following the report’s findings, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that voting machines and other election databases would be classified as “critical infrastructure” and given more protection from cyber-attacks.
Emphasizing that the election outcome was not affected, Donald Trump added on January 7: “Only reason the hacking of the poorly defended DNC is discussed is that the loss by the Dems was so big that they are totally embarrassed!”
Image source Flickr
In an interview with ABC, President Barack Obama said that he was concerned that there had been “Republicans or pundits or cable commentators who seem to have more confidence in Vladimir Putin than fellow Americans because those fellow Americans are Democrats.
“That cannot be.”
Asked whether Donald Trump was among them, President Obama said: “We have to remind ourselves we’re on the same team. Vladimir Putin’s not on our team.”
The unclassified report says that Russia developed a “clear preference” for Donald Trump.
Russia’s goals, the document added, were to “undermine public faith” in the US democratic process and “denigrate” Hillary Clinton, harming her electability and potential presidency.
However, the report gives no detailed evidence of Vladimir Putin’s alleged role.
The report says the Russian president liked Donald Trump because he had vowed to work with Russia and the Russian leader had had “many positive experiences working with Western political leaders whose business interests made them more disposed to deal with Russia, such as former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder”.
In contrast, Vladimir Putin had blamed Hillary Clinton for inciting anti-government protests in 2011 and early 2012 “and because he holds a grudge for comments he almost certainly saw as disparaging him”.
Carrie Fisher’s ashes were carried in an urn shaped like a Prozac pill as she was laid to rest alongside her mother Debbie Reynolds at a joint private funeral service in Los Angeles.
Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars series, was frequently open about her experience of mental health issues.
“I felt it was where she would want to be,” Carrie Fisher’s brother, Todd, said.
Carrie Fisher, 60, and Debbie Reynolds, 84, died within a day of each other last month.
Following the joint funeral service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hill, Todd Fisher said the giant pill in the shape of the anti-depressant drug was chosen as the urn for his sister’s ashes because it was one of Carrie’s “favorite possessions”.
“She loved it, and it was in her house, and Billie [Carrie Fisher’s daughter] and I felt it was where she would want to be,” he said.
Image source Getty Images
Todd Fisher added that Carrie and her mother were now “together, and they will be together here and in heaven”.
Apart from Carrie Fisher’s cremation and the family’s choice of urn, no details were revealed about the private funeral ceremony.
Prozac (fluoxetine), a potent anti-depressant drug, was introduced in the US in 1988. Since then it has helped define how people think about mental illness.
On January 5, a joint memorial ceremony was held at Carrie Fisher’s estate in Coldwater Canyon, Los Angeles.
Among those in attendance were fellow actors Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow and Meg Ryan. Star Wars creator George Lucas and Stephen Fry and Eric Idle were also guests at the ceremony.
Other guests included Jamie Lee Curtis, who stars with Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd on TV series Scream Queens, Courtney Love, and Ed Begley Jr., Candice Bergen and Ellen Barkin.
Carrie Fisher died three days after suffering a cardiac arrest on a flight from London to LA in December.
Debbie Reynolds, who starred opposite Gene Kelly in the 1952 musical Singin’ in the Rain, died a day later after she was rushed to hospital with a suspected stroke.
Esteban Santiago, the suspected gunman that killed five people in a shooting at Fort Lauderdale airport has been detained, Florida police say.
According to reports, the 26-year-old Iraq war veteran may have been mentally disturbed. He reportedly said the government was controlling his mind and made him watch jihadist videos.
Officials say they have not ruled out terrorism as a possible motive.
Esteban Santiago opened fire at the baggage claim area of Terminal 2 as passengers were collecting their luggage. Witnesses said he walked along the carousels and did not say anything as he shot people who were trying to run or hide.
The attacker surrendered to police when he ran out of ammunition, witnesses added.
Image source Anchorage Police
Esteban Santiago, who was wearing a Star Wars T-shirt, had traveled from Alaska, officials said. He checked in an unloaded gun and ammunition with his luggage, and loaded the semi-automatic gun in the bathroom after landing and collecting his bag.
FBI’s George Piro told journalists: “We are looking at all avenues. We have not ruled out terrorism and we will be pursuing every angle to try to determine the motive behind this attack.”
Sheriff Scott Israel earlier said it appeared that the attacker had acted alone.
Esteban Santiago is expected to face federal charges and make his first appearance in court on January 9.
He is a former member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, according to the Pentagon. The suspect served in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011, and ended his service in August 2016.
He had received a general discharge from the Alaska National Guard for unsatisfactory performance.
George Piro said that Esteban Santiago had turned up at an FBI office in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska, in November, behaving erratically and was turned over to local police, who took him to a medical facility for a mental evaluation.
“We looked at his contacts, we did our inter-agency checks and everything and, at that point, we closed our assessment,” he added, saying that Esteban Santiago had “clearly” stated that he did not intend to harm anyone.
An unnamed official quoted by AP news agency said that Esteban Santiago told FBI agents back then that the US government was controlling his mind and making him watch videos from ISIS.
Esteban Santiago’s brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently.
According to an intelligence report, Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to help Donald Trump win the presidential election.
The unclassified report says Vladimir Putin “ordered” a campaign aimed at influencing the election.
Moscow has not commented, but Russia has previously denied the claims.
After being briefed on the findings, Donald Trump stopped short of accusing Russia of interfering, saying only that the election outcome was not affected.
The president-elect later went on to blame “gross negligence” by the DNC for “allowing” the hacking to take place.
Following the report’s findings, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that voting machines and other election databases would be classified as “critical infrastructure” and given more protection from cyber-attack.
The 25-page report says that Russia developed a “clear preference” for Donald Trump.
Russia’s goals, the document added, were to “undermine public faith” in the US democratic process and “denigrate” Hillary Clinton, harming her electability and potential presidency.
Image NBC News
The report said: “We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election.”
The unclassified version contained no detailed evidence of Vladimir Putin’s alleged role, but it said Russia’s actions included: hacking into the email accounts of the DNC and top Democrats; using intermediaries such as WikiLeaks, DCLeaks.com and Guccifer 2.0 persona to release the information acquired from the hackings; using state-funded propaganda and paying social media users or “trolls” to make nasty comments.
The identities of the Russian agents allegedly directly responsible for the hack are known to US authorities but have not been released publicly, reports say, citing intelligence sources.
The report, a cut-down version of the classified document presented to President Barack Obama on January 5, was released shortly after intelligence chiefs briefed Donald Trump on their findings.
Since winning the election on November 8, Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned US intelligence claims of Russian hacking.
In a statement after the briefing, Donald Trump declined to single out Russia, but said he had “tremendous respect for the work and service done” by those in the US intelligence community.
He said: “While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election.
“Whether it is our government, organizations, associations or businesses we need to aggressively combat and stop cyber-attacks. I will appoint a team to give me a plan within 90 days of taking office.”
The meeting at Trump Tower involved National Intelligence Director Gen. James Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan and FBI Director James Comey.
Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated on January 20, described their talks as “constructive”.
At least 5 people have been shot dead and other eight injured after a gunman opened fire at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida, say officials.
The shooting happened at the baggage claim area in Terminal 2, just before 13:00 local time, the airport confirmed.
Hundreds of passengers were standing on the tarmac outside the terminal as dozens of police cars and ambulances rushed to the scene.
One of the first reports of the incident came from former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, who said in a tweet: “I’m at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running.”
A witness told MSNBC that the shooter was a “slender man’ who was wearing a Star Wars T-shirt.
The gunman, who appeared to be in his 20s, did not speak before or during the attack, John Schlicher said.
Image source NBC
He added that his mother-in-law administered first aid to someone who had been shot in the head.
Florida Senator Bill Nelson told US media that the gunman has been identified as Esteban Santiago, but that has not been confirmed by law enforcement.
A man in handcuffs was seen being escorted away from the airport by police nearly two hours after the shooting was first reported.
Mobile phone footage from the scene showed police officers frisking passengers and uniformed Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers.
A Miami TV station tweeted footage claiming to be filmed from inside the baggage terminal.
The video shows several injured people laying on the floor, as witnesses shout for medical help.
The attacker was arrested without any shots fired, said Sheriff Scott Israel.
“People were scared and frantically running to avoid being shot. People were tripping over each other. They were trying to make a fast exit out of the door.”
Florida Governor Rick Scott is travelling to the airport to be briefed by police.
Federal aviation authorities issued a “ground stop” notice, barring flights from leaving or entering the airport.
President-elect Donald Trump has criticized Arnold Schwarzenegger, his replacement as host of The Celebrity Apprentice, saying the Hollywood star was “destroyed” in TV ratings.
Donald Trump, who described himself as a “ratings machine”, wrote: “So much for being a movie star.”
In response, Arnold Schwarzenegger called on Donald Trump to work for all Americans “as aggressively as you worked for your ratings”.
The new season debut on January 2 was seen by an estimated 4.9 million people – down 43% on the last season premiere in 2015.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has received mixed reviews for his debut as the new star of The Celebrity Apprentice.
Image source Flickr
Arnold Schwarzenegger has replaced Donald Trump’s “You’re fired” catchphrase with “You’re terminated” – a reference to his line in The Terminator movie and its sequels.
Donald Trump tweeted on January 6: “Wow, the ratings are in and Arnold Schwarzenegger got “swamped” (or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT.
“So much for being a movie star – and that was season 1 compared to season 14. Now compare him to my season 1.”
According to Variety, more than 11 million people watched the opening episode of Celebrity Apprentice in 2008.
Referring to Republican Ohio governor John Kasich and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump added: “But who cares, he supported Kasich & Hillary.”
In return, Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote: “There’s nothing more important than the people’s work, @realDonaldTrump.”
The former California governor added: “I wish you the best of luck and I hope you’ll work for ALL of the American people as aggressively as you worked for your ratings.”
Donald Trump helped create The Apprentice and starred on it until 2015, when his political career took over.
The contestants on the current season, who compete to raise money for charity, include boxer Laila Ali, Boy George and Motley Crue singer Vince Neil.
Vice-President Joe Biden has told Donald Trump to “grow up” and criticized his attacks on the intelligence community.
On January 6, Donald Trump will be briefed on allegations that Russia meddled in the US presidential election – claims he has cast doubt on.
Joe Biden said it was “absolutely mindless” for Donald Trump not to have faith in intelligence agencies.
Russia denies hacking alleged to have helped Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.
On January 5, the president-elect questioned how intelligence agencies were confident about the alleged Russian hacking “if they never even requested an examination of the computer servers” belonging to the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
In an interview with the PBS, Donald Trump: “For a president not to have confidence in, not to be prepared to listen to, the myriad intelligence agencies, from defense intelligence to the CIA, is absolutely mindless.
“The idea that you may know more than the intelligence community knows – it’s like saying I know more about physics than my professor. I didn’t read the book, I just know I know more.”
When asked what he thought of Donald Trump’s regular attacks on Twitter, Joe Biden said: “Grow up Donald, grow up, time to be an adult, you’re president. Time to do something. Show us what you have.”
Photo AP
The VP went on to call Donald Trump “a good man”.
Joe Biden said he had read a US intelligence agencies report outlining Russian involvement, the details of which are starting to emerge in media.
According to the Washington Post and NBC News citing intelligence sources, agencies had intercepted communications in the aftermath of the election showing senior Russian government officials celebrating Donald Trump’s win over rival Hillary Clinton.
US authorities had also identified Russian actors who delivered stolen Democratic emails to the WikiLeaks website.
NBC News says the alleged Russian hacking targeted not just the DNC but also the White House, joint chiefs of staff, the department of state and large US corporations.
An unclassified version will be made public next week.
Joe Biden said the report clearly details “that the Russians did, as a matter of policy, attempt to affect and… discredit the US electoral process”.
He said the hacking was part of a systematic campaign to undermine Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager John Podesta was among those hacked on the DNC server.
On January 5, the Director of National Intelligence, Gen James Clapper, told a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the hack, and said the motive would be revealed next week.
President Barack Obama last week ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats from the US over the alleged hacking. Russia has said it will not reciprocate.
Donald Trump has repeatedly rejected allegations that the Russian government hacked into the computers of John Podesta or the servers of the DNC.
On January 4, the president-elect repeated a suggestion that “a 14-year-old” may have been responsible for the breach.
On January 5, he said he was a “big fan” of intelligence agencies, after months of casting doubt on the Russian link, but later went on to raise questions over how the Democratic Party responded to the security breach.
Last week, Donald Trump said he would announce information about hacking “on Tuesday or Wednesday”, but no announcement came.
Samsung Electronics has announced that its profit in Q4 of 2016 surged 50% despite the fiasco with its flagship Note 7 phone.
Analysts had expected the company’s profits to surge thanks to its mainstay semiconductor business, but the result surpassed even the most optimistic forecasts. The semiconductor division cashed in on strong demand and a tight supply for microchips during the September-December period, likely contributing to more than half of its quarterly earnings.
The earnings estimate would mark Samsung’s highest quarterly profit since 2013.
In October 2016, the world’s largest smartphone maker had to scrap the Note 7 after batteries caught fire and even replacement devices went up in smoke.
Samsung said it expected to post 9.2 trillion won ($7.8 billion) in operating profit for the months from September to December.
In an earlier profit forecast for the fourth quarter, Samsung had said it expected the Note 7 recall would mean a $2.1 billion hit to their profits.
Samsung first issued a recall for the Galaxy Note 7 in September following complaints about exploding batteries.
After replacement devices deemed safe were also found to overheat and catch fire, Samsung scrapped the phone entirely.
The company said that it will “very soon” share details of its inquiry into the cause of the Note 7 problems.
Samsung will disclose a detailed earnings release for Q4 of 2016 in late January which will give more insights into the performance of its individual businesses.
At least four people have been killed in a car bomb and gun assault on a courthouse in the Turkish city of Izmir, state media say.
Two attackers, a police officer and a court worker are being reported dead.
Officials blamed Kurdish militants for the attack. A third attacker is reportedly still being sought.
The attackers drove a car to the courthouse entrance, sparking an exchange with police and then detonating the car bomb.
Other of people were injured in the explosion, some critically.
Some of Turkey’s big cities have been targeted recently both by ISIS and by Kurdish militants.
Turkey launched a military operation in Syria last year to push back ISIS and Kurdish forces from the Turkish border.
Image source birgun.com
ISIS had said it was behind last weekend’s Istanbul club attack that left 39 people dead.
Izmir’s Governor Erol Ayyildiz the attackers were armed with Kalashnikov rifles and grenades.
Deputy PM Veysi Kaynak said that, judging by the weapons found following the raid, a much larger attack was being planned.
Images from the scene showed two cars ablaze. Erol Ayyildiz said that the second had been destroyed in a controlled explosion.
Reports of the number of people injured in the car bomb blast ranged from five to 11.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at the opening of a metro line in the capital, Ankara, said that Turkey was “under mutual attack by terrorist groups and they want Turkey to be brought to its knees”.
The Turkish president said: “They won’t be able to set people against each other. They couldn’t destroy our unity.”
No-one has yet said they carried out the Izmir attack but the governor said initial findings pointed to the involvement of Kurdish fighters from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The PKK is fighting for an independent Kurdish state within Turkey.
It has carried out many attacks on Turkish security forces, particularly in the south-east.
A number of people of Uighur ethnicity have been detained in Turkey over the deadly Istanbul’s Reina club attack that killed 39, the state-run news agency reports.
Those arrested are believed to have come from China’s Xinjiang region with ties to the attacker, Anadolu agency says.
Deputy PM Veysi Kaynak also said they were closing in on the attacker, who he said was possibly an ethnic Uighur.
Also on January 5, there was an explosion near the courthouse in the city of Izmir in western Turkey.
Social media images showed two vehicles ablaze and several people were reported wounded.
Other images showed what appeared to be the body of a man carrying a gun, amid media reports he was an attacker who was shot dead by police.
Anadolu reported a second man was shot dead and police were seeking a third.
ISIS says it carried out the Istanbul attack over Turkey’s military involvement in the Syrian civil war.
Turkish authorities have reportedly tightened security at the country’s land borders and airports to prevent the attacker from fleeing abroad.
Local media have run images of a suspect, saying the pictures were handed out by the police. But the police have given no official details.
The Turkish foreign minister has said the authorities have identified the gunman, but has not given further details.
Special forces made the early morning arrests at a housing complex in Selimpasa, a coastal town on the outskirts of Istanbul, after police were reportedly tipped off that individuals linked to the attacker were in the area.
Uighurs were among those detained – the number was not confirmed – on suspicion of “aiding and abetting” the attacker, Anadolu reported.
At least 36 people were already in custody over suspected links to the attack, many of whom were picked up in an earlier police operation in Izmir.
Several families had recently traveled there from Konya, a central city where the main suspect was said to have stayed for several weeks before the attack.
Separately, Veysi Kaynak told Turkish broadcaster A Hamer that the authorities knew where the suspect, who he described as “specially trained”, was hiding, without giving further details.
The deputy prime minister confirmed the attacker had acted alone, but may have had help inside Reina club.
Veysi Kaynak expressed confidence in the Turkish police operation but said he could not rule out the possibility of the attacker fleeing the country.
Previous media reports incorrectly suggested the attacker was a national from Kyrgyzstan, after a passport photo claiming to show the gunman was circulated.
It later emerged the passport belonged to someone unrelated to the attack.
Kyrgyzstan’s embassy in Turkey has since asked the media to retract the reports and issue an apology.
More than half of those killed in New Year’s attack on Istanbul’s popular Reina club were foreigners, including citizens from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq and Morocco.
The gunman managed to escape in the aftermath of the attack.
A day later, ISIS issued a statement saying “a heroic soldier” belonging to the group had carried out the attack in retaliation for Turkey’s military role in northern Syria.
Veysi Kaynak also said on January 5 Turks were questioning the use of the country’s Incirlik air base by both NATO and the US-led coalition launching air strikes on ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
Turkey launched a military operation in Syria in August to push back ISIS and Kurdish forces.
Some of Turkey’s big cities have since been targeted in a number of bomb attacks by ISIS and by Kurdish militants.
Former Mexican Finance Minister Luis Videgaray, who organized Donald Trump’s visit to Mexico, has been named as President Enrique Pena Nieto’s new foreign minister.
Luis Videgaray was sacked as finance minister in 2016 over the role he played in organizing the visit of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Donald Trump had angered Mexicans, calling Mexican immigrants to the US “rapists”.
Luis Videgaray will now lead talks with the Trump administration, including on the wall the president-elect has promised to build between the US and Mexico.
Announcing the appointment, President Enrique Pena Nieto said that “the instruction to minister Videgaray is to accelerate the dialogue and contacts so that, from the first day of the new [US] administration, we can establish the basis of a constructive working relationship”.
Image source Wikipedia
Luis Videgaray was seen as the main organizer of the meeting between Donald Trump and President Enrique Pena Nieto in August, which was criticized by Mexicans both in the national press and on social media.
Many Mexicans saw the invitation by Enrique Pena Nieto as a sign that the Mexican president was bowing to Donald Trump even though the latter had said during his campaign that he wanted to build a border wall between the US and Mexico which he insisted Mexico would pay for.
Enrique Pena Nieto said the meeting was to convey Mexico’s interests to Donald Trump.
When Donald Trump appeared at a campaign rally in the US just hours later again promising that Mexico would pay for his planned wall “100%”, President Pena Nieto said that “we could have done things in a better way”.
Luis Videgaray stepped down from his post as finance minister just days after the visit and a spokesperson for the ministry said at the time that Videgaray would not take on another public office.
However, on January 4, President Enrique Pena Nieto named him as his new foreign minister, saying that Luis Videgaray would “promote Mexico’s interests without diminishing our sovereignty and the dignity of Mexicans”.
Luis Videgaray is replacing Claudia Ruiz Massieu who reportedly was opposed to President Enrique Pena Nieto hosting Donald Trump.
Donald Trump has in the past praised Luis Videgaray as “brilliant”.
The trial of Choi Soon-sil has got under way in South Korea.
Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of President Park Geun-hye, is at the center of an influence-peddling scandal involving the South Korean president.
She is charged with abuse of power and attempted fraud.
Separately, the Constitutional Court began considering President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment over the scandal.
That trial, where the court must ratify or overturn a parliamentary impeachment vote, began despite Park Geun-hye’s absence.
Proceedings opened on January 3 but were curtailed because Park Geun-hye did not attend.
On January 5, the court went ahead anyway.
Image source Getty Images
Park Geun-hye’s lawyer has previously said she will not be in court “unless there are special circumstances”, Yonhap news agency reported.
Both cases center on allegations President Park Geun-hye gave Choi Soon-sil unauthorized access to government decisions and allowed her to exploit their close relationship to solicit money from corporations for foundations from which she benefitted.
Both women have apologized but deny committing criminal offences.
The scandal has rocked South Korea, sparking several huge demonstrations.
While the impeachment process continues, Park Geun-hye remains formally president but with most of her powers handed to the prime minister, a role that normally has little executive authority.
Separately, Yonhap news agency reports that South Korea has sent a formal extradition request to Denmark for Choi Soon-sil’s daughter, Chung Yoo-ra, several days after saying they were working on it.
Chung Yoo-ra, a former national equestrian rider, was arrested in Denmark on January 8 and later appeared in court accused of overstaying her visa.
Part of the investigation into Choi Soon-sil’s activities relates to a gift horse from South Korean conglomerate Samsung allegedly for Chung Yoo-ra’s training.
The prestigious Ewha Women’s University in Seoul is also accused of giving Chung Yoo-ra a place – she has since left – because of her mother’s connections.
According to a recent study, people who live near major roads have higher rates of dementia.
The study, published in the Lancet, suggests that as many as 11% of dementia cases in people living within 50m of a major road could be down to traffic.
The researchers, who followed nearly 2 million people in Ontario, Canada, over 11 years (from 2001 to 2012), say air pollution or noisy traffic could be contributing to the brain’s decline.
There were 243,611 cases of dementia diagnosed during that time, but the risk was greatest in those living closest to major roads.
The study findings show that compared with those living 300m away from a major road the risk was: 7% higher within 50m; 4% higher between 50-100m; 2% higher between 101-200m.
The analysis suggests 7-11% of dementia cases within 50m of a major road could be caused by traffic.
The researchers adjusted the data to account for other risk factors like poverty, obesity, education levels and smoking so these are unlikely to explain the link.
One of the study authors, Dr. Hong Chen, from Public Health Ontario, said: “Increasing population growth and urbanization have placed many people close to heavy traffic, and with widespread exposure to traffic and growing rates of dementia, even a modest effect from near-road exposure could pose a large public health burden.
“More research to understand this link is needed, particularly into the effects of different aspects of traffic, such as air pollutants and noise.”
The researchers suggest noise, ultrafine particles, nitrogen oxides and particles from tire-wear may be involved.
However, the study looks only at where people diagnosed with dementia live. It cannot prove that the roads are causing the disease.
Nearly 50 million people around the world are diagnosed with dementia.
However, the causes of the disease, that robs people of their memories and brain power, are not understood.
The best advice to reduce the risk of dementia is to do the things that we know are healthy for the rest of the body – stop smoking, exercise and eat healthily.
Donald Trump has backed Julian Assange in casting doubt on intelligence alleging Russian hacking the US election.
The WikiLeaks founder said Russia was not the source for the site’s mass leak of emails from the Democratic Party.
The president-elect has now backed that view in a tweet, writting: “Assange… said Russians did not give him the info!”
Donald Trump has repeatedly refused to accept the conclusions of the US intelligence community.
Several US agencies including the FBI and the CIA believe Russia directed hacks against the Democratic Party and the campaign of its presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
The information, released through WikiLeaks and other outlets, was intended to help Donald Trump win the election, say the FBI and CIA.
Image source RT
On January 3, Donald Trump said an intelligence briefing he was due to receive on the issue had been delayed.
“Perhaps more time needed to build a case. Very strange!” he wrote.
However, intelligence officials insisted there had been no delay in the briefing schedule.
In an interview with Fox News, Julian Assange repeated his claim that Russia was not behind the leak.
He also said a 14-year-old boy could have carried out one of the hacks, on the email account of Hillary Clinton’s aide, John Podesta.
In 2010, several leading Republican figures were calling for Julian Assange to be imprisoned after his website published thousands of embarrassing diplomatic cables leaked by former Army Pte. Chelsea Manning.
Donald Trump tweeted twice on January 4 in support of what Julian Assange said on Fox News.
However, the president-elect has previously been critical of the WikiLeaks organization.
When asked by a Fox News reporter in 2010 to comment on leaks, Donald Trump responded: “I think it’s disgraceful, I think there should be like death penalty or something.”
Israeli soldier Elor Azaria, who was filmed shooting dead a wounded Palestinian attacker after he had been disarmed of a knife, has been convicted of manslaughter.
Sgt. Elor Azaria, 20, shot Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, 21, in the head while he was lying immobile on a road.
The incident happened in Hebron in the occupied West Bank in March 2016, after another soldier was stabbed.
Sgt. Elor Azaria said he thought Abdul Fatah al-Sharif might have an explosive vest, but prosecutors said his motive was revenge.
The high-profile trial has proven extremely divisive in Israel.
There have been rallies to support the soldier and some senior politicians backed Sgt. Elor Azaria. However, top military figures were quick to say that his actions did not reflect the values of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
In the incident on March 24, Abdul Fatah al-Sharif and another 21-year-old Palestinian, Ramzi Aziz al-Qasrawi, stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier before troops opened fire on them, wounding Sharif and killing Qasrawi.
Image source Times of Israel
Footage of the scene several minutes later, filmed by a Palestinian and released by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, shows Abdul Fatah al-Sharif alive.
A soldier, identified as Sgt. Elor Azaria, is then seen cocking his rifle and fatally shooting Abdul Fatah al-Sharif from several meters away.
In their indictment, prosecutors said Sgt. Elor Azaria “violated the rules of engagement without operational justification as the terrorist was lying on the ground wounded and represented no immediate threat for the accused or others who were present”.
Delivering the verdict on January 4, the panel of three military judges rejected Sgt. Elor Azaria’s defense that he shot Abdul Fatah al-Sharif because he continued to pose a threat.
Elor Azaria had told the court that he believed there might be a suicide belt under the Palestinian’s jacket.
The judges, who took two-and-a-half hours to deliver their verdict, noted that Sgt. Elor Azaria’s commanders had testified that he did not mention the same concerns when they questioned him immediately after the shooting incident.
The judges also said there was no dispute regarding the veracity of the statements made by another soldier, who testified to military investigators that Sgt. Elor Azaria had told him during the incident: “They stabbed my friend and tried to kill him – he deserves to die.”
Elor Azaria told the court that he did not recall having any such conversation, but the head of the judging panel, Col. Maya Heller, described him as an “unreliable witness”.
She said: “His motive for shooting was that he felt the terrorist deserved to die.”
Prosecutor Lt. Col. Nadav Weissman said: “This is not a happy day for us. We would have preferred that this didn’t happen. But the deed was done, and the offence was severe.”
A spokesman for Sgt. Elor Azaria’s family said evidence proving his innocence had been ignored. “It was like the court was detached from the fact that this was the area of an attack,” he said.
His mother, Oshra Azaria, shouted at the judges: “You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
The defense team has said it will appeal against the verdict. Sentencing is expected in the next few weeks. Manslaughter in Israel carries a maximum 20-year term.
Abdul Fatah al-Sharif’s father Yusri was quoted as saying Sgt. Elor Azaria deserved a life sentence. Andul Fatah al-Sharif’s uncle, Fathi, told Haaretz that the decision to try him for manslaughter rather than murder was “a perversion of justice and of the court”.
A right-wing member of the governing coalition, Naftali Bennett, has called for an immediate pardon for the soldier.
The final decision lies with President Reuven Rivlin, who said in a statement that he would only deal with the issue once the judicial process had run its course.
Ellen DeGeneres has decided to cancel Kim Burrell’s appearance on her show after the gospel singer made anti-gay comments.
During a sermon at a church in Houston, Texas, Kim Burrell referred to “the perverted homosexual spirit”.
The gospel singer had been due to sing with Pharrell Williams on The Ellen DeGeneres Show later this week.
However, Ellen, who is a well-known advocate of gay rights, tweeted: “For those asking, Kim Burrell will not be appearing on my show.”
Image source Vimeo
The show host had been asked by fans to cancel Kim Burrell’s planned appearance and an online petition was launched.
In a video published after the sermon, Kim Burrell said she made “no excuses or apologies” for her comments.
She added: “I love you and God loves you but God hates the sin in you and me.
“I never said all gays were going to hell. I never said <<LGBT>>… I said <<SIN>>.
“To every person who is dealing with the homosexual spirit, that has it, I love you and God loves you but God hates the sin in you and me. Anything that is against the nature of God.”
Kim Burrell added “enemies” had posted only a portion of her original speech.
Pharrell Williams and Kim Burrell had been due to sing their track I See Victory from the soundtrack of the movie Hidden Figures on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on January 5.
The gunman who carried out Istanbul’s Reina club attack on New Year’s Eve has been identified, Turkey’s foreign minister says.
However, Mevlut Cavusoglu did not name the attacker.
He gave no further details about the inquiry into the murder of 39 people at the Reina club.
ISIS has said it was behind the nightclub attack in which dozens more were hurt.
Meanwhile, a number of suspects have been arrested in the western city of Izmir.
The police operation on January 4 was said to have targeted families who had recently traveled to Izmir from Konya, a central city where the main suspect was said to have stayed for several weeks before the attack.
Turkish authorities released images of the main suspect on January 3 but later discounted reports that he was a 28-year-old Kyrgyz national who had flown home from Istanbul.
The country is under growing pressure while the gunman remains on the loose. Checkpoints were set up in Istanbul on January 4 as officers checked cars and taxis. Police arrested 12 people in raids in Istanbul on January 3.
Turkish media have run images of a suspect, saying the pictures were handed out by the police. But the police have given no official details.
A video posted on social media showed a man being physically attacked on the Asian side of Istanbul on January 4 as people shouted: “It’s him” and “it’s the Reina attacker”. The man was punched, knocked to the ground and taken to a local police station before being released.
EU affairs minister Omer Celik said the gunman had clearly had training in the Middle East, and had managed to evade police by not using technology and steering clear of “all modern intelligence techniques”.
In his first public comments about the attack, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that the jihadist would not succeed in dividing Turks, saying: “In Turkey, no-one’s way of life is under any threat. Those who claim this have to prove it. It is my duty to protect everyone’s rights.”
The Reina club, which sits on the banks of the Bosphorus, is one of Istanbul’s most fashionable venues – popular with foreigners and often frequented by singers and sports stars.
The attacker is said to have arrived by taxi before rushing through the entrance with a long-barreled gun he had taken from the boot of the car.
He fired randomly at people in an assault lasting seven minutes, and then fled during the chaos.
On January 3, Turkey extended its state of emergency for another three months. It was implemented following the July failed coup which was blamed on a movement loyal to US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen.
However, Turkey’s big cities have also been targeted by ISIS and by Kurdish militants.
ISIS was blamed for an attack last June on Istanbul’s Ataturk airport, in which more than 40 people were killed. Police are investigating whether the nightclub suspect belongs to the same cell.
Turkey’s Deputy PM Numan Kurtulmus said on January 2 that Reina club attack was a “message” against Turkey’s operations in Syria but that they would not be affected.
Turkey launched a military operation in Syria in August to push back ISIS and Kurdish forces.
Driving can be one of the most fantastic things in a person’s life. It can represent freedom and independence and opens a huge amount of opportunities for getting out into the world and taking control of your life. That being said, it can also be an extremely stressful experience. Plenty of people actually find driving to be seriously unpleasant and will go to any lengths to avoid it. The problem is that these days, there’s not much that you can really do without driving. We drive to work, to pick up our kids and to see our friends. You can find ways to avoid driving if you really try, but for the vast majority of people, if you want to get around, you’ll probably have to get behind the wheel of a car. If driving is something that you really don’t enjoy and is the cause of a lot of stress, then the best thing that you can do is be prepared for some of the most common problems that you might some up against while on the road. That way you’re going to be much more able to deal with these problems when they actually happen. With that in mind, here are just a few of the worst things about driving.
Let’s start with the big one, shall we? A crash is probably the number one thing on a lot of people’s lists of fears when it comes to driving. A car accident can be one of the most unpleasant things that will ever happen in your life. Not only does it put you in a position of possibly having to be without your car for an extended period, but that’s just about the best case scenario! There’s also a major risk of some serious injury as well. Plenty of people are injured, or worse every year in accidents and, even if they are physically unharmed, a crash can have some extremely damaging, long-term psychological effects. It can make you never want to get behind the wheel of the car again as well as resulting in possible PTSD. The best thing that you can do to avoid a crash is to adjust the way that you’re driving. If you adopt a style of defensive driving, then you minimize the risks around you. This means that you drive in a way that consciously predicts hazards that might come along. There are plenty of courses that you can go on in order to learn to drive in this way, and it really is a fantastic method of avoiding any unwanted accidents. If you do end up in an accident then you should make sure that you have a company like Peterson Law Office to support you in the event of any claims that you need to make.
Reckless drivers
Most of the time there’s one really common cause of an accident, and that’s other people driving recklessly. Despite the obvious dangers that come with getting behind the wheel of a car, plenty of people seem to drive as if they’re totally invincible. Ignoring speed limits and traffic signals, overtaking on a single lane road and Lord knows how many other dangerous types of behavior. If you’re on the road and you end up close to someone who’s driving in this manner, it can be a terrifying experience. If they do something particularly reckless and cause an accident, it can feel like you’re going to end up smack dab in the middle of it. The ideal thing to do in this situation is to find somewhere to pull up and wait until they’re well out of sight. If the way that they’re driving is causing a serious risk, then it might also be a good idea to try to take a note of their license plate and report them to the police. It might not seem like the sort of thing that the police would be interested in, but it’s far better to report that kind of driving before anything happens than after someone ends up getting hurt.
If you’re a careful driver, then being behind the wheel will probably take up a fair amount of your concentration. That’s what makes it all the more frustrating when you have passengers who are dedicated to distracting you as much as possible. This is particularly bad when you have kids who don’t quite understand how difficult driving a car can be when someone is yelling in your ear. Make sure that you set out some ground rules before anyone gets in your car so that you never find yourself halfway through a journey with someone who won’t stop talking while you’re trying to navigate a busy road
Nobody wants to think about what might happen if they suffer a personal injury. You might have to take a few weeks off work, and that means you could struggle to pay your bills. You might also have to spend time in the hospital recovering from the incident. Unfortunately, we don’t have a free health care system in the US, and so those medical bills can become expensive. With that in mind, we wanted to spend some time highlighting the procedure you need to follow. When all’s said and done, you need the most compensation possible for your accident. So, you’ll have to conduct a lot of research and source the right information.
Evidence is the primary factor used to determine the level of compensation you receive. So, it makes sense to gather as much of it as possible. That means you might have to gain access to CCTV recordings or obtain medical reports from your doctor. You should also take photographs of any injuries you sustained. Ask for copies of x-rays, and always keep them safe. At some point, you will have to submit all that evidence to a specialist who will use it to fight your case. Without evidence, the chances of you receiving the level of compensation for which you are entitled are slim.
Taking a look at similar cases is also a sensible move if you want to increase your compensation rate. Judges will have a hard time awarding $5000 for an incident in which other people received more. If you have some case studies to hand, you can always appeal any decisions and get better outcomes. At the end of the day, you need to understand how much cash you stand to make before starting the process. You might discover that pushing ahead with your personal injury claim doesn’t make sense. You might also discover that you’re likely to get a small fortune. All that information will help you to make the right decisions during the early stages.
If you want to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit, there is lots of expert assistance available. You will have to pay for the aid, but it’s worth every dime. People working in that industry understand how claims progress through the court system. So, they are the best ones to ensure you get the money you deserve promptly. They will give advice on anything you can do to speed the process. They should also manage to get things sorted much more quickly than you could alone. Best of all? Some companies won’t expect you to pay their invoices until your claim is complete. That means you don’t need thousands of dollars in the bank to get things underway.
We hope you found that information useful, and that it will help you to get things right. You might get lucky and never have to deal with such an instance. However, statistics show that most people will find themselves entitled to compensation at some point in their lives. So, it’s better to prepare now and ensure you always take the appropriate action.
Donald Trump has made a fresh assault on America’s intelligence community.
The president-elect tweeted that an intelligence briefing he was due to receive on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election – which is said to have benefited Donald Trump – had been delayed.
He wrote: “Perhaps more time needed to build a case. Very strange!”
However, intelligence officials insisted there had been no delay in the briefing schedule.
Image NBC News
Several intelligence agencies including the FBI and the CIA believe Russia directed hacks against the Democratic Party and the campaign of its presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, releasing embarrassing information through WikiLeaks and other outlets to help Donald Trump win the election.
The president-elect initially dismissed the claims as “ridiculous” but subsequently said he would meet US intelligence chiefs to be “updated on the facts of this situation”.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said once again on January 3 that Russia was not the source for the site’s mass leak of emails from the Democratic Party in the run-up to the US presidential election.
Meanwhile, Rex Tillerson has agreed he will cut all ties with Exxon Mobil and comply with conflict-of-interest requirements.
In his New Year’s resolution, Mark Zuckerberg has announced plans to spend 2017 touring the US.
The Facebook founder posted that this year’s personal challenge is to “have visited and met people in every state in the US”.
Mark Zuckerberg, 32, added that he needs to travel to about 30 states to fulfill the pledge.
His previous New Year challenges have included running 365 miles, reading 25 books and learning Mandarin.
Photo Facebook
Mark Zuckerberg’s US tour plan comes amid speculation that a future personal challenge could include running for president of the United States.
He said in a Facebook post: “After a tumultuous last year, my hope for this challenge is to get out and talk to more people about how they’re living, working and thinking about the future.
“For decades, technology and globalization have made us more productive and connected.
“This has created many benefits, but for a lot of people it has also made life more challenging. This has contributed to a greater sense of division than I have felt in my lifetime. We need to find a way to change the game so it works for everyone.”
Mark Zuckerberg added that the road trips would help him to make “the most positive impact as the world enters an important new period”.
He said: “My trips this year will take different forms – road trips with [wife] Priscilla, stops in small towns and universities, visits to our offices across the country, meetings with teachers and scientists, and trips to fun places you recommend along the way.”
In 2016, there was speculation that Mark Zuckerberg could one day launch a bid for the White House.
That was fuelled by documents showing the Facebook founder has made provisions to keep control of the company if he works for the government.
Mark Zuckerberg also said last week that he was no longer an atheist.
He posted a Christmas message, prompting someone to ask: “Aren’t you an atheist?”
Mark Zuckerberg replied: “No. I was raised Jewish and then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important.”
