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Rouhani acknowledges Iranian discontent as protests continue
Fireworks, food and prayers: new year celebrated around the world
At least 10 tourists and two pilots killed as plane crashes in Costa Rica
'What a year it's been': Trump lauds major feats of 2017 in end-of-year video
Emmanuel Macron's new year's speech: 'France can't succeed without a strong Europe'
Congo security forces kill at least seven during protests
Colorado police officer shot dead and four others wounded in 'ambush-style attack'
'Urk has a problem': Dutch fishing town caught up in cocaine-smuggling trial
China's growth engine stutters as factories slow down
US vice-president Mike Pence greeted by 'Make America Gay Again' sign
Dozens dead in head-on collision between bus and lorry in Kenya
Donald Trump's jobs promise just about holding up but trouble may lie ahead
South Korea seizes second ship suspected of smuggling oil to North
Bratislava in the spotlight: Slovakian city celebrates 25 years as capital
'Is that a terrorist?' Prince Philip makes joke about bearded bystander
Lorde called a bigot over cancelled Israel concert in full-page Washington Post ad
Nigeria: death toll in Boko Haram attack on loggers rises to 25
Playing with Fire and Bobby Kennedy: a Raging Spirit reviews – 1968 looms large
The trade deal that triggered a health crisis in Mexico – in pictures
New year, new rules: what changes around the world from 1 January
Leading CEO among five Britons killed in seaplane crash north of Sydney
Iran's enemies would be wise not to wish for regime change
Iranian protests are complex jigsaw puzzle, say observers
Words fail Trump but for supporters his message is loud and clear
Harsh winter conditions threaten to freeze Niagara Falls – video

Rouhani acknowledges Iranian discontent as protests continue

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 11:09 AM PST

People take to the streets again despite heavy police presence and efforts to block social media apps

Iranian authorities have threatened a crackdown against protesters and scrambled to block social media apps allegedly used to incite unrest as the biggest demonstrations in nearly a decade continued for a fourth day.

People across Iran took to the streets again on Sunday evening in defiance of a heavy presence of riot police and state warnings to stay away.

Fireworks, food and prayers: new year celebrated around the world

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 09:55 PM PST

Singer avoids last year's bungled performance as revellers gather across the world to ring in 2018 with food, fireworks and prayers

Thousands of revellers packed cities across the UK to see in the new year with fireworks captivating crowds in London and Edinburgh. Crowds took to the streets to join lively celebrations amid preparations by emergency services to tackle one of the busiest nights of the year.

The firework display in London featured a soundtrack dominated by women to mark the centenary of women being granted the vote, while cities around the world also had similarly impressive displays.

At least 10 tourists and two pilots killed as plane crashes in Costa Rica

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 02:39 PM PST

Aircraft came down in mountainous area of Punta Islita, a popular tourist area 140 miles west of the capital of San José

A plane crashed in Costa Rica on Sunday, killing at least 12 people – with 10 of them US citizens – the country's security ministry said.

The crash, the cause of which is not yet known, took place in the mountainous area of Punta Islita, which is popular with tourists, in the province of Guanacaste, about 140 miles west of the capital of San José.

'What a year it's been': Trump lauds major feats of 2017 in end-of-year video

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 01:03 PM PST

The nomination of Neil Gorsuch, the Hurricane Harvey response, jobs figures and his recent tax cut – just some of what Trump sees as his biggest accomplishments

Donald Trump has posted a video summarising his first year in office, which gives an insight into what the president sees as his biggest accomplishments as 2018 begins.

Beginning with martial drums and numerous shots of the Marine One helicopter, and US soldiers keeping watch over the president, the three-and-a-half-minute clip focuses first on Trump's nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the supreme court – one of his best decisions in the eyes of conservatives, but a move viewed much more nervously by liberals.

Emmanuel Macron's new year's speech: 'France can't succeed without a strong Europe'

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 01:57 PM PST

French president promises to listen to dissenting voices but appeals to Europeans not to give in to 'nationalists and sceptics'

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, appealed to European citizens "not to give in to nationalists and sceptics", as he used his new year's speech to promise to make the European Union "more united, more sovereign and more democratic".

Macron said in a televised address: "I deeply believe Europe can become that economic, social, environmentally-friendly, scientific power that will be able to face China and the United States." He added: "Europe is good for France. France can't succeed without a strong Europe."

Congo security forces kill at least seven during protests

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 11:12 AM PST

UN peacekeepers say security forces shot at least seven people during demonstration in Kinshasa against President Joseph Kabila's refusal to step down

Security forces killed at least seven people in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday during protests against President Joseph Kabila's refusal to step down from office, United Nations peacekeepers said.

A police spokesman said three people had been killed in altercations with security forces in the capital, Kinshasa, and that two of the deaths were being investigated.

Colorado police officer shot dead and four others wounded in 'ambush-style attack'

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 12:37 PM PST

Man fired more than 100 rounds at officers responding to disturbance
Suspect, who has not been named, shot and killed

A man fired more than 100 rounds at sheriff's deputies early Sunday, killing one and injuring four others, before being fatally shot himself in what authorities called an ambush. Two civilians were also injured.

Douglas County sheriff Tony Spurlock said the shooting occurred at a home at the Copper Canyon Apartments, a landscaped complex in Highlands Ranch, 16 miles (28km) south of Denver.

'Urk has a problem': Dutch fishing town caught up in cocaine-smuggling trial

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 03:59 AM PST

Five people, including three fishermen from Urk, are suspected of attempting to smuggle 261 kilos of cocaine in their boat

It may be the Netherlands' most religiously devoted community, where television and dancing are spurned by some as the devil's work. But the wrath of God for indulging in those pursuits is unlikely to be the most pressing concern at the moment for some of the 20,000 residents of Urk, for centuries a major centre for Dutch fishing.

During an ongoing trial of five people, including three of the town's fishermen, suspected of attempting to smuggle 261 kilos of cocaine worth €6.5m in their cutter boat, claims have emerged that the town's fishing community has been infiltrated by a gang using financial favour and threats of violence, and even murder, to keep their hold.

China's growth engine stutters as factories slow down

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 08:23 AM PST

Crackdown on air pollution and slump in property market have hit industrial output, official figures show

Growth in China's manufacturing sector slowed in December as a punishing crackdown on air pollution and a cooling property market start to weigh on the world's second-largest economy.

The data supports the view that the Chinese economy is beginning to gradually lose steam after growing by a forecast-beating 6.9% in the first nine months of the year. However, signs of a sharper slowdown – a major fear among global investors – have yet to materialise.

US vice-president Mike Pence greeted by 'Make America Gay Again' sign

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 06:38 AM PST

Sign hung by neighbours outside Pence's Colorado vacation home
Pence has opposed laws prohibiting discrimination against gay Americans

Neighbours of the home where Mike Pence has been staying in Colorado this week have a message.

They placed a rainbow-coloured banner on a stone pillar at the end of the driveways to both homes near the posh ski resort of Aspen. The banner reads 'Make America Gay Again' – a play on Donald Trump's campaign slogan 'Make America Great Again'.

Dozens dead in head-on collision between bus and lorry in Kenya

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 02:28 AM PST

Police say crash took place on notorious highway where more than 100 people have lost their lives in accidents in December

Thirty-six people have been killed and 11 injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a lorry on a notorious road in Kenya where more than 100 people have died in December.

"The death toll is now 36," said the Rift Valley traffic police chief Zero Arome, explaining the initial toll of 30 had risen, "after six passengers succumbed to injuries in hospital."

Donald Trump's jobs promise just about holding up but trouble may lie ahead

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 04:00 AM PST

Jobs lay at the heart of the president's campaign but, while employment has continued its Obama-era upward trend, the figures mask lurking structural issues

Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! That was Donald Trump's promise to America when he was elected president last November. So as we approach the end of Trump's first year in office, how has the job market done?

South Korea seizes second ship suspected of smuggling oil to North

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 05:05 AM PST

Panama-flagged tanker KOTI seized at Pyeongtaek-Dangjin port on suspicion of violating international sanctions

South Korean authorities have seized a second vessel suspected of transferring oil products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions.

The Panama-flagged tanker, KOTI, was seized at Pyeongtaek-Dangjin port, on the west coast, a South Korean customs official said. A marine official said the seizure had happened recently.

Bratislava in the spotlight: Slovakian city celebrates 25 years as capital

Posted: 01 Jan 2018 12:00 AM PST

No longer in the shadow of Vienna, Budapest and Prague, the Slovak capital is shaking off its dour Communist-era reputation and rediscovering its position in the heart of Central Europe

"East of Vienna, the Orient begins," the famous dictum of 19th century Austrian statesman Metternich has been associated by generations of writers with Bratislava, the Slovak capital 35 miles to the east. Visiting in 1933, Patrick Leigh Fermor described an exotic mix of Slav, Hungarian, Jewish and German: "A different cast had streamed on stage and the whole plot had changed."

But 25 years ago, Bratislava found itself thrust into a new role as capital of newly independent Slovakia. Since then it has carved its own niche in Central Europe, refusing to ape or be overshadowed by its neighbours, and shaking off its dour Communist-era reputation to rediscover a wealth of historic architecture and its enviable location on the Danube.

'Is that a terrorist?' Prince Philip makes joke about bearded bystander

Posted: 01 Jan 2018 01:08 AM PST

Duke of Edinburgh allegedly made comment about man with long ginger beard while attending church at Sandringham

Prince Philip has been accused of making a gaffe on a walkabout at Sandringham on Sunday after he reportedly pointed at a bearded member of the public and asked: "Is that a terrorist?"

The Queen's husband, 96, was attending St Magdalene church, close to the royal family home in north Norfolk, on New Year's Eve along with his daughter Anne, the Princess Royal, when he allegedly made the remark.

Lorde called a bigot over cancelled Israel concert in full-page Washington Post ad

Posted: 01 Jan 2018 01:00 AM PST

Advertisement taken by rabbi Shmuley Boteach also accuses New Zealand of prejudice against Israel

A full-page advertisement has been taken out in the Washington Post calling Kiwi musician Lorde a bigot and accusing New Zealand of prejudice against Israel.

The ad, on the fifth page of the paper's 31 December edition, was taken out by outspoken rabbi Shmuley Boteach's This World: The Values Network and criticises the 21-year-old for joining "a global antisemitic boycott of Israel" while still performing in Russia.

Nigeria: death toll in Boko Haram attack on loggers rises to 25

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 05:30 PM PST

More victims found after motorcycle-riding gunmen attack logging site where people were loading firewood into vehicles

The number of loggers killed in a Boko Haram attack in north-east Nigeria has risen to 25 following the discovery of more victims, survivors and militias said on Sunday.

Motorcycle-riding gunmen attacked a logging site where people were loading firewood into vehicles 20km from the state capital Maiduguri on Saturday.

Playing with Fire and Bobby Kennedy: a Raging Spirit reviews – 1968 looms large

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 11:00 PM PST

MSNBC hosts Lawrence O'Donnell and Chris Matthews have written books about politics 50 years ago. Why is 1968 and all that so important to liberals?

A television actor courting the far right. A "law and order" candidate railing about race and crime. An eccentric, one-cause liberal cheered on by students who balk at the establishment's colorless pick. Two arch manipulators, each intent to win at all costs – with one even arranging contacts with a foreign nation to his own ends.

If the conceit sounds like HBO's version of the 2016 election, that seems to be what the MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell has in mind with Playing With Fire, his new book about the 1968 race. Ronald Reagan is the actor, billed as "the Donald Trump of the 1960s"; George Wallace the demagogue whose voters "sounded like Trump voters in 2016"; Eugene McCarthy the ideologue, with echoes of Bernie Sanders; Hubert Humphrey the party's choice, a nod to Hillary Clinton; Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon are the puppetmasters, wheeling and dealing to the end.

The trade deal that triggered a health crisis in Mexico – in pictures

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 11:00 PM PST

When Mexico signed a free trade agreement with the US and Canada in 1994, it triggered the insidious rise of obesity and malnutrition. At a stroke, Mexico became a tariff-free dumping ground for soft drinks and junk food imported from the US. Today, almost a quarter of a century on, the country has the world's second highest obesity rate and a growing child malnutrition crisis. Photojournalist James Whitlow Delano visited Oaxaca state to report

Photographs by James Whitlow Delano

New year, new rules: what changes around the world from 1 January

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 10:00 PM PST

British rail fares will rise again this year and Californians will be able to buy marijuana legally for recreational purposes

Saudis and Emiratis will pay more tax, the Swiss will pay less, Brits will start taking more expensive train journeys and China will stop taking in the world's rubbish.

These are some of the changes that will take effect as the world ticks over into a new year.

Leading CEO among five Britons killed in seaplane crash north of Sydney

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 07:42 PM PST

British businessman Richard Cousins, his fiancee Emma Bowden and their three children died, along with Australian pilot Gareth Morgan, on New Year's Eve

Police have confirmed the passengers killed on the seaplane that crashed north of Sydney on New Year's Eve were a family visiting Australia from the UK.

Experienced Australian pilot Gareth Morgan, 44, died when the aircraft he was flying crashed into Jerusalem Bay. On board were British businessman Richard Cousins, 58, his fiancee Emma Bowden, 48, her daughter Heather Bowden, 11, and his sons, Edward Cousins, 23, and William Cousins, 25.

Iran's enemies would be wise not to wish for regime change

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 09:00 PM PST

Tensions with Saudi Arabia are high, and any weakening of the Iranian government could lead to a dangerous escalation

Like birds of prey circling high in the desert sky, Iran's many foes and rivals are watching the street protests in Tehran and other cities with beady-eyed anticipation.

Hopes that the unrest could trigger regime collapse, voiced openly in the US and Israel, appear premature. But any real or imagined weakening of the Iranian government's grip could presage a dangerous escalation of regional tensions.

Iranian protests are complex jigsaw puzzle, say observers

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 11:08 AM PST

Demonstrations unprecedented since 1979 revolution, but reasons behind them are both economic and political

A striking image, taken by an amateur photographer on a smartphone, shows a young woman in Tehran taking off her hijab, perching on a telecoms box, and holding her headscarf aloft on a stick.

It may look as if she is waving a white flag of truce, but given her geographical location, in a country where wearing hijab is obligatory for women, it is a small – yet audacious – act of resistance, embodying the aspiration of a young nation frustrated with economic grievances, but also lack of social and political freedom.

Words fail Trump but for supporters his message is loud and clear

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 04:00 AM PST

Language experts have pored over speeches that have translators tearing their hair out and some find his macho bluster surprisingly effective

Presidents are often remembered for their words as well as their actions but at the close of one of the most tumultuous years in White House history, Donald Trump has linguists scratching their heads.

Harsh winter conditions threaten to freeze Niagara Falls – video

Posted: 31 Dec 2017 08:50 AM PST

North America is in the throes of unusually cold winter weather and, with temperatures expected to remain below -10C (14F), Niagara Falls may freeze over as it last did during the winter of 2014-15

Aneka Info

World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

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