| Minimum Wage Raises Coming To 18 States On New Year’s Day Posted: 31 Dec 2017 05:00 AM PST  Minimum wage workers in 18 states will get a pay hike next week when higher wage floors go into effect around the country for 2018.
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| New report shows Australian allies alerted US of Papadopoulos Posted: 30 Dec 2017 02:42 AM PST  A new report by the New York Times shows that the Russia inquiry began after Australian allies alerted U.S. officials about George Papadopoulos' knowledge of Russian information against Hillary Clinton.
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| Sheriff's Deputy Killed, 6 Other People Hurt In Colorado Shooting Posted: 31 Dec 2017 08:03 AM PST  The Douglas County Sheriff's Office in Colorado says "multiple deputies" were shot as they responded to a domestic disturbance call at an apartment complex south of Denver on Sunday morning.
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| Social media companies ignoring pleas over extremism could face tax hikes Posted: 30 Dec 2017 10:00 PM PST  Internet companies could simply move their money abroad if the Government introduces a potential terror tax to crackdown on the spread of extremist material online, critics fear. Keith Simpson, a senior Tory MP and member of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, said taxing companies if they fail to cooperate with efforts to fight terrorism was an "attention grabber headline" but would be difficult to enforce. Ben Wallace, the Security Minister, said "patience is running out fast" with web companies. He accused them of putting profit before public safety and that "if they continue to be less than co-operative, we should look at things like tax as a way of incentivising them or compensating for their inaction". He also suggested web companies were "ruthless profiteers" - a remark which prompted an angry response from Facebook with the internet giant saying he was "wrong to say that we put profit before safety". Any levy could be similar to the windfall tax imposed on excess profits of privatised utilities by the Blair government in 1997, or the charge Margaret Thatcher's government placed on banks in 1981. The amount of tax paid in the UK by internet companies relative to their overall profits has provoked widespread fury in recent months and has prompted questions about how effective any new charge would be. The likes of Facebook and Twitter have been warned they could face tax hikes Credit: LOIC VENANCE/AFP Mr Simpson told The Telegraph: "Part of me says 'well, good luck' if you think that this can persuade them and raise money. "I suspect that it will be incredibly difficult." He said companies could react to any attempt to impose a new levy by moving their money away from the UK. "It is convenient to use the UK for many reasons but they might decide to go to another European country or somewhere else," he said. "It is incredibly difficult to do this but that is not to say that we shouldn't try to do this. "I did think this was a bit of an attention grabber headline." Mr Simpson said he believed the "broad mass of the public would agree" with such a windfall tax being introduced "but merely making promises is not enough". Mr Wallace said in an interview with the Sunday Times that obstruction and inaction by social media companies is costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds as law enforcement agencies pick up the cost of tackling radicalisation. Simon Milner, of Facebook, said: "Mr Wallace is wrong to say that we put profit before safety, especially in the fight against terrorism. We've invested millions of pounds in people and technology to identify and remove terrorist content." Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for YouTube said the video website is "doing more every day to tackle these issues" while Twitter said 95 per cent of terrorist content was removed proactively from the site.
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| Christians in shock after deadly attack on Coptic Church in Egypt Posted: 30 Dec 2017 12:27 PM PST ![Christians in shock after deadly attack on Coptic Church in Egypt]( "Christians in shock after deadly attack on Coptic Church in Egypt") By Mostafa Salem CAIRO (Reuters) - At an hour that Sama'an Farag usually spends leisurely sipping his morning tea, the doorman at the Mar Mina Coptic Church near Cairo found himself springing up to close the doors upon hearing gunshots and the sound of ricocheting bullets. Inside, dozens of children at Sunday school, held on Friday morning to coincide with Egypt's weekend, were rushed upstairs out of the range of the gunfire. God forbid if he (gunman) had entered the church - there would have been many more victims," said churchkeeper Saad Saeed.
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| New moms in Puerto Rico face a health care crisis Posted: 30 Dec 2017 08:13 AM PST  Since Hurricane Maria, public health experts say Puerto Rico is facing a growing crisis, and with many doctors having left the island, expectant mothers must turn to the few still-open clinics.
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| Merkel sees Germany split over pace of social change Posted: 30 Dec 2017 07:59 PM PST  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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| Revellers welcome 2018 in Europe Posted: 31 Dec 2017 02:17 PM PST  Countless revellers switched into party mode Sunday across Europe to ring in 2018 after Sydney and Hong Kong earlier welcomed New Year on the other side of the globe with dazzling firework displays. Revellers danced to Auld Lang Syne in Hong Kong as the city staged a stunning pyrotechnics display over its famous Victoria Harbour and thousands watched as "shooting stars" were fired from the rooftops of skyscrapers in a 10-minute musical fireworks display.
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| Alleged 'Nigerian Prince' Email Scammer Arrested In Louisiana Posted: 30 Dec 2017 10:51 AM PST  Police in Slidell, Louisiana, have arrested a man who allegedly helped scam people out of thousands of dollars in "Nigerian prince"-style email schemes.
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| 6 Of The Most Bizarre News Stories In 2017 Posted: 31 Dec 2017 04:00 AM PST  2017 was a huge year in news: The United States got a new president.
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| Police Rescue Adorable Baby Seal Found Waddling on the Road Posted: 30 Dec 2017 10:12 AM PST  He was 2 miles from the ocean.
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| China Shuts Down Domestic Ivory Trade In Effort To Fight Poaching Posted: 30 Dec 2017 01:20 PM PST  WASHINGTON — China, one of the world's largest markets for elephant ivory, will close out 2017 by shutting down its domestic ivory trade in an effort to curb poaching and ensure a future for the imperiled species.
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| Neighbors Greet Vacationing Mike Pence With 'Make America Gay Again' Banner Posted: 30 Dec 2017 12:15 PM PST  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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| 2 dead, 1 hurt in shooting at Southern California law firm Posted: 29 Dec 2017 06:13 PM PST  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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| New Year's Eve celebrations: world welcomes 2018 Posted: 31 Dec 2017 12:27 PM PST  The New Year has officially begun, as midnight passed in Samoa, Tonga and Christmas Island/Kiribati, the first places in the world to welcome in 2018. The last places on Earth to see in the New Year are minor outlying US islands like Baker Island and Howland Island - although these are uninhabited. The last inhabited island is American Samoa which will welcome 2018 when it's 11am in London on January 1. When major cities will welcome 2018 11.00 GMT Auckland, New Zealand 13:00 GMT Sydney, Australia 15:00 Tokyo 16:00 Beijing and Hong Kong 20:00 Dubai 23:00 Paris, Rome and Brussels 00:00 London 05:00 New York 08:00 Los Angeles In the UK, Storm Dylan is set to bring a wet and windy end to the year, with howling gales in excess of 70mph hitting parts of Ireland and Wales and squally rain bearing down on the UK mainland. Forecasters have warned of severe gusts of up to 80mph. New Year's Eve 2017, in pictures Across the pond, New Yorkers have been warned as they prepare for one of the coldest New Year celebrations on record. Revellers have been told to bring handwarmers, wrap up warm and avoid alcohol as they flock to Times Square, which is due to hit a frosty 11 degrees celcius, which would tie for second place with 1962. The coldest ever recorded New Year's Eve at Times Square was in 1917, when it was -17 Celsius at midnight. Drinking alcohol is warned against because it causes body temperature to drop faster. Partygoers have been told to cover all exposed skin. London celebrates It is finally the UK's turn to welcome in 2018 and London does it in usual style with a massive fireworks display over the Thames in front of the Houses of Parliament. Fireworks on the Thames by Parliament and Big Ben herald the start of the New Year Credit: Peter Macdiarmid/LNP Hundreds of thousands took to the streets to watch dazzling fireworks and join lively celebrations across the UK. Crowds swamped the banks of the River Thames in London for the 12-minute display after Big Ben's bongs rung out across the capital at midnight, having been turned back on for the festive period. Fireworks explode over Big Ben and the giant Ferris wheel of the London Eye at midnight Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe More than 100,000 ticket-holders watched London's New Year's Eve fireworks, which featured a soundtrack dominated by women to mark the centenary of women being granted the vote. Songs by Aretha Franklin, Annie Lennox, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa and Florence Welch were among those included in the women-only second half of the world-famous show. More than 10,000 fireworks lit up the capital's sky during that sold-out event, prompting huge cheers from the lively crowd. Scotland Yard confirmed fewer Metropolitan Police officers were working during this year's celebration, but security at the event appeared tight, with armed police on patrol and security barriers erected. The huge event took place at the end of the year which saw London hit by four terror attacks. Edinburgh's Hogmany is in full swing Torchbearers blazed through the city accompanied by a cast of pipers and drummers with the procession starting at St Giles cathedral and making its way down the Royal Mile towards Holyrood Park, passing Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyrood House. Hogmany celebrations Credit: Ian Georgeson/The Corner Shop The Torchlight Procession which marks the opening of city's New Year celebrations, makes its way through Edinburgh Credit: David Cheskin/PA Fireworks light up the sky in Edinburgh during the Hogmanay New Year celebrations Credit: David Cheskin/PA Revellers braved blustery conditions to enjoy Hogmanay celebrations, after Storm Dylan earlier threatened to cause disruption. Gusts of up to 76mph were recorded in parts of Scotland on Sunday afternoon but conditions calmed, allowing one of the world's biggest street parties to go ahead as planned. Tens of thousands saw in 2018 against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. Underbelly, which is producing the event for the first time, promised the "best party ever" for the 75,000 people attending, with live music, DJs, street entertainment and the "ultimate fireworks display" from Edinburgh Castle. Rag'n'Bone Man is headlining Concert in the Gardens, with Declan McKenna and Nina Nesbitt as support acts, while those performing on the three Street Party stages include The Human League, Sacred Paws, Treacherous Orchestra and Huey Morgan. Berlin celebrates Fireworks explode next to the Quadriga sculpture atop the Brandenburg gate during New Year celebrations in Berlin Fireworks explode next to the Quadriga sculpture Credit: HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/REUTERS Athens rings in 2018 Fireworks explode by the Ancient Acropolis in Athens Fireworks explode by the Ancient Acropol Credit: LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP Moscow's skies explode with colour Fireworks lit the sky over the Bolshoy Kamenny bridge where Red square and Kremlin Palace are seen on background during the New Year's celebrations in Moscow, Russia Fireworks light the sky in Moscow Credit: TATYANA MAKEYEVA/REUTERS A performer during New Year celebrations in central Moscow Credit: Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS Dubai puts on light show Dubai celebrated the start of 2018 with a spectacular New Year's Eve extravagant light show in its usual impressive fashion. "Light Up 2018" promised to be a dazzling experience that integrated music, visuals and the performance of The Dubai Fountain in a brilliantly choreographed show. The world's tallest building was emblazoned with the words Year of Zayed. 2018 will mark 100 years since the birth of the founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nayhan. Dubai welcomes in 2018 with an extravagant light show Dubai welcomes in 2018 with an extravagant light show Hong Kong and Beijing count down to 2018 An impressive fireworks display lit up Hong Kong as partygoers counted down to 2018. The musical fireworks stretched 1.1km along the harbourfront, during the 10-minute show which started at midnight. The display includes a "Magic Stardust" firework, inspired by the idea of dancing fairies which scatter magical stardust over the harbour, a symbol of the New Year's blessings to the city. Time to party and celebrate the #NewYear in style in #HongKong! ���� See more here: https://t.co/vmOi3Q37Bupic.twitter.com/ECLAMvpbhM— Hong Kong (@discoverhk) December 27, 2017 Members of the public were able to "make a wish" on the stars, with the various colours symbolising love, health, happiness and wealth. Additionally, there were well-attended countdown parties across Hong Kong, with revellers enjoying a multitude of activities from karaoke to masquerade. Beijing rang in the New Year at the same time, after Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech. Stunning aerial view of #Beijing's Central Axis lit up for #NewYear's Eve https://t.co/ckmMgGC03kpic.twitter.com/m2tn5q5wb9: Stunning aerial…— Mensur Lawler (@honzaruiite) December 31, 2017 He said the year 2018 marked the first year of fully implementing "the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China," also promising that by 2020 all rural workers will be lifted out of poverty. The city was lit up by spectacular fireworks - it is known for its displays and China is thought to have invented them more than a thousand years ago during the Tang dynasty. Balloons, fireworks and foxes: Tokyo rings in the New Year Tokyo celebrated the New Year at 3pm UK time. The Japanese capital saw the first snow of the season on Sunday as people prepared to ring in 2018. There were many countdown parties taking place across the city, with some celebrities in attendance. Happy New Year from Tokyo American Club. pic.twitter.com/fv2g3AYVG8— Tokyo American Club (@TACtokyo) December 31, 2017 Singer John Legend and wife Chrissy Teigan were in Japan in order to celebrate the New Year. She tweeted earlier in the evening: "3 hours and 12 minutes left in this ridiculous year but who's counting." During the celebrations, balloons were released at Tokyo Park and there was a fireworks display at Sea Paradise Aquarium in Yokohama. Happy New Year from the cool craziness of Tokyo with 80,000 people celebrating @Shibuya_Crossinpic.twitter.com/dKg1jItU6G— rachel lilley (@NZRACHEH) December 31, 2017 A more unusual way to ring in the New Year is the Oji Fox Parade, at which revellers dress as foxes as they count down to midnight. Spectacular fireworks fill Australia's skies Sydney, Australia rang in the New Year at 1pm UK time, after a family-friendly firework show earlier in the evening. The Opera House could be seen illuminated by the fireworks as an estimated 1.6 million people gathered to watch. The fireworks for this evenings New Years Eve celebrations in #Sydney. #SydNYEpic.twitter.com/yVvUe9Mp4j— Ross Johnson (@rossxjohnson) December 31, 2017 Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the display would enforce the city's position as the New Year's Eve capital of the world He said:"The most technologically advanced fireworks display I'm told. Wow! The family-friendly 9pm fireworks set the scene for a huge celebration. We can't wait to see what midnight brings #SydNYEpic.twitter.com/f6YUb5FFeW— City of Sydney (@cityofsydney) December 31, 2017 "It'll promote Sydney to the world. There'll be a billion viewers out there watching." Melbourne also celebrated in style, with 14 tonnes of fireworks launched from the top of 22 city buildings. New Zealand celebrates the new year Record numbers were expected to show up to New Zealand's new year celebrations as it became one of the first countries to celebrate 2018, at 11am UK time. Good news. It's 2018 in NZ already and it's not bad so far. Happy New Year!— Jemaine Clement (@AJemaineClement) December 31, 2017 In Auckland, revellers were treated to reggae music from local bands at a block party and in Rotorua, there is a free festival featuring local entertainment, fireworks and the hedline act Elemeno P. There are quite a few festivals happening across the country - but alcohol has been banned in many parts of New Zealand including Queenstown, Frankton, Arrowtown, Wanaka and Hawea. Fireworks in Auckland Credit: Dave Rowland/Getty Images This came into effect on Wednesday and will be in place until the 6th. The alcohol bans are put in place to avoid disruption and danger, but the elements caused some chaos, with a south-westerley wind hitting the beaches and sending towels and umbrellas flying. Police were also forced to deal with escaped sheep. Big news coming out of Timaru. Cows were wondering on the road but were mooved off by a motorist. Our unit didn't find cows but did find sheep. Ewe know what that could mean. #NZPCanterburyNYE— CanterburyPoliceNZ (@NZPCanterbury) December 31, 2017 A local police department tweeted: "Big news coming out of Timaru. Cows were wondering on the road but were mooved off by a motorist. Our unit didn't find cows but did find sheep. Ewe know what that could mean. " First country rings in the New Year Samoa became the first country to celebrate 2018 as midnight struck on the islands. Samoa became the first country to celebrate the New Year Credit: David Kirkland/ Photolibrary RM The most interesting thing about the New Year in Samoa is the fact that one can take an hour's flight to American Samoa, which is on the other side of the dateline, and celebrate the New Year twice, twelve hours later as it is one of the last places to hit midnight. Fia Fia dance��mosquito dance Samoa的傳統舞基本上就是打蚊子舞��最喜歡他們跳舞唱歌時的樣子,完全就是自然奔放的太平洋之子們阿�� #samoa #pacificisland #islandboys #mosquitodance #fiafianight A post shared by MEI_CINDY (@meihan_huang) on Dec 30, 2017 at 11:36pm PST Often, Samoans and visitors to the country celebrate with fireworks and traditional juggling and dancing. People visit from all over the globe in order to be the first to see the New Year. A post shared by Carol Sheldon (@carolshe) on Dec 30, 2017 at 8:20pm PST In 2011, officials in Samoa decided to move from the eastern side of the international date line to the western side, making it the first country to celebrate the New Year instead of the last. This put the Pacific island nation on the same weekday as its neighbours to the west, including Australia and New Zealand, and was aimed at making trade with the countries easier and boosting the economy.
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| Russian court upholds ban on Navalny running against Putin in 2018 Posted: 30 Dec 2017 04:06 AM PST ![Russian court upholds ban on Navalny running against Putin in 2018]( "Russian court upholds ban on Navalny running against Putin in 2018") Russia's Supreme Court on Saturday dismissed an appeal by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny against a decision by the country's central election commission to bar him from taking part in next year's presidential election. The commission this week barred Navalny from taking part in the March 18 vote because of a suspended prison sentence he says was trumped up. Navalny, who did not attend the Supreme Court hearing, wrote on Twitter that he and his supporters "will not recognize elections without competition" and renewed calls for a boycott of the vote.
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| Sydney New Year's Eve Fireworks Celebration Posted: 31 Dec 2017 10:03 AM PST  Australia ushered in the new year with a fireworks display over Sydney Harbour Bridge Sunday night/Monday morning.
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| Tiny Bird Found In Cockpit Forces Delta Flight To Make A U-Turn Posted: 31 Dec 2017 02:49 PM PST  A Delta pilot traveling from Detroit to Atlanta turned back when he found a small-winged creature flapping around his large-winged aircraft on Saturday.
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| For reproductive rights campaigners 2017 felt like the calm before the storm Posted: 30 Dec 2017 03:00 AM PST  Activists protest against the Trump administration and rally for women's rights during a march to honor International Woman's Day on 8 March 2017 in Washington. The year 2017 was supposed to be when reproductive health battles simmering in the states boiled over into national policy. Not only did Republicans retain control of Congress in last year's election, Donald Trump stocked his administration with people opposed to not only abortion but everything from sex education to insurance coverage for contraception.
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| Iran's Rouhani rejects violence but vows 'space for criticism' Posted: 31 Dec 2017 10:08 AM PST  Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday that government bodies must provide "space for criticism" as he sought to head off days of unrest, but warned protesters that violence was unacceptable. "Criticism is different to violence and destroying public property," he said in a cabinet meeting, according to the state broadcaster. "Government bodies should provide space for legal criticism and protest," Rouhani said in his first public comments since the protests began on Thursday.
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| Catelynn Lowell Of 'Teen Mom OG' Heads Home After Treatment For Suicidal Thoughts Posted: 30 Dec 2017 09:45 PM PST  "Teen Mom OG" reality star Catelynn Lowell Baltierra is heading back home to Michigan after six weeks in a treatment center following a struggle with suicidal thoughts.
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| Activist Erica Garner, Daughter Of Eric Garner, Dead At 27 After Heart Attack Posted: 30 Dec 2017 07:34 AM PST  Activist Erica Garner, the eldest daughter of police chokehold victim Eric Garner, died Friday morning, less than a week after suffering a heart attack.
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| Russian security agency arrests supermarket bombing suspect Posted: 30 Dec 2017 08:58 AM PST  MOSCOW (AP) — A man was arrested Saturday in connection with a St. Petersburg supermarket bombing that wounded 18 people, Russia's main domestic security agency said.
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| Ten prisoners in eastern Turkey on hunger strike, health worsening: lawyers Posted: 30 Dec 2017 07:34 AM PST ![Ten prisoners in eastern Turkey on hunger strike, health worsening: lawyers]( "Ten prisoners in eastern Turkey on hunger strike, health worsening: lawyers") The health of 10 women prisoners in Turkey has deteriorated since they went on hunger strike to protest against a new security measure, a lawyers' association in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir said on Saturday. Six women in a jail in the eastern province of Elazig went on hunger strike on Nov. 10, to protest against a rule obliging them to wear an ID while outside their living quarters, the Bar association said. The Diyarbakir Bar said the prisoners were losing weight and starting to have serious health problems.
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| New Year Kicks Off With Supermoon Lunapalooza Posted: 30 Dec 2017 05:43 PM PST  On Jan. 1, the full Moon will be at or near its closest point in its orbit around Earth, making it a supermoon.
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| New Year's resolutions for big tech: how Silicon Valley can be better in 2018 Posted: 30 Dec 2017 11:00 PM PST  New Year's resolutions are crap. It is in that spirit that we have created a list of New Year's resolutions for the tech industry. Tech companies have been promising to improve their hiring of women and underrepresented minorities for nearly two decades.
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| Donald Trump warns Iran 'world is watching' as he condemns arrest of protesters Posted: 29 Dec 2017 07:45 PM PST  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#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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| 'Shaking' 2-Year-Old Girl in Diaper Found Wandering Into Traffic on Frigid Day Posted: 30 Dec 2017 10:37 AM PST  A two-year-old girl wearing only a diaper was found in Massachusetts
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| Houston Police Arrest 'Drunk' Man With Stash Of Weapons In Hotel Room Posted: 31 Dec 2017 07:37 AM PST  Houston police arrested an intoxicated man with a cache of weapons in his hotel room early Sunday, according to local media reports.
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| Meghan Markle Says No New Year's Resolution For Her Posted: 31 Dec 2017 09:49 AM PST  While most people are creating long lists of New Year's Resolutions, Meghan Markle says she has given them up!
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| Deputy killed, six wounded in Colorado shooting Posted: 31 Dec 2017 01:10 PM PST  A sheriff's deputy was killed and six others, including four deputies, were wounded Sunday in what police called a "disturbance" in a residential suburb near Denver, Colorado. The lone suspect was killed at the end of a two-hour standoff at an apartment complex in Highlands Ranch, 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of Denver, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock told reporters in a televised briefing. The dead deputy was identified as Zachary Parrish, 29, a married father of two young children.
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| America's Javelin Missiles Are Going to Ukraine (but Can They Stop Russia's Army?) Posted: 30 Dec 2017 05:38 PM PST  On December 22, 2017 the State Department announced it had issued an export license for lethal military aid to Ukraine—including $47 million for 210 Javelin missiles and thirty-five command launcher units (CLUs) with which to launch them. Ukraine first requested Javelins in the fall of 2014 to counter Russian tank units that had intervened in a separatist conflict in Eastern Ukraine, sending the Ukrainian Army into retreat.
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| Western Canada ice storms cause power outages during bitter cold spell Posted: 30 Dec 2017 12:35 PM PST ![Western Canada ice storms cause power outages during bitter cold spell]( "Western Canada ice storms cause power outages during bitter cold spell") By Jim Finkle TORONTO (Reuters) - Some 36,000 homes and businesses in British Columbia lost power due to ice storms in western Canada on Saturday, and workers rushed to restore service before nightfall as forecasters predicted extremely cold temperatures across the nation. Electric utility BC Hydro warned on Twitter that conditions remained hazardous in the affected area of southwestern British Columbia, which is known as Fraser Valley, due to downed power lines. Canada is suffering from the same blast of Arctic air that sent much of the U.S. Northeast and Midwest into a record-breaking deep freeze.
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| Dozens of militants evacuated from southern Syria Posted: 30 Dec 2017 06:55 AM PST  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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| Colombia ships 50 tonnes of holiday ham to Venezuela Posted: 30 Dec 2017 01:48 PM PST  Colombia has shipped around 50 tonnes (55 tons) of ham to Venezuela after protests broke out over shortages of the traditional holiday staple, an official said Saturday. The first two trucks of ham arrived in Venezuela on Friday night, a source from Colombia's national tax and customs office told AFP. The transport ministry said it had issued a firm a "special permit" to transport the ham to Barinas, western Venezuela.
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| Yeah, All Of This Really Happened In 2017 Posted: 31 Dec 2017 05:00 AM PST  Some might call the last year a turning point or a culmination of bottled feelings, but one thing we can agree on is that 2017 was a wild ride with some of the craziest news cycles in recent history.
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| Consumer Reports' Top Appliance Stories of 2017 Posted: 30 Dec 2017 07:49 AM PST  Virtually every year, stories about making household chores easier—and ways to get the most out of your home appliances—top the list. And 2017 was no exception. Read on for the best vacuums for h...
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| Daughter takes on ruling that may let mom's killer go free Posted: 30 Dec 2017 09:38 PM PST  On a spring day in 1994, a retired German couple who'd traveled to California to see their daughter were sightseeing in the San Jacinto Mountains when they were robbed and shot by three young men. Gisela Pfleger, 64, died in the attack. Her husband, 62-year-old Klaus, was severely injured.
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| Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s 4 Pillars Plan: Make a few easy changes for a slimmer, healthier and happier 2018 Posted: 30 Dec 2017 01:04 PM PST  Of all the GPs at Dr Rangan Chatterjee's previous surgery, he was the only one to eschew the Tannoy system when calling his patients in. Rather charmingly, he walked to the waiting room to fetch each one. "It's more personal," he says. "It's really nice to go and shake someone's hand, look them in the eye and watch them walk to your consultation room. The dynamic starts there. It also got me out of my chair 45 times a day. It's just a small thing that I think the patients really liked and had a lot of benefits for me." This "small thing" he's recounting across the kitchen island at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, goes to the heart of Dr Chatterjee's philosophy. As he points out, it enabled him to build extra movement into his daily routine without much trouble. But perhaps more importantly, it signalled a resetting of the doctor-patient relationship; making a connection that enabled the physician to see the bigger picture. Our lifestyles can be our best medicine! ���� Over 16 years of seeing tens of thousands of patients has taught me this. When you get the fundamentals of food, movement, sleep and relaxation right, it is amazing how good we can feel. ���� This is what I wrote my book, The Four Pillar Plan. To give people simple, practical information, as well as a little bit of inspiration ��, to live as well as they possibly can. (Link to pre-order in my bio above!) ���� Who agrees that our lifestyles can be our best medicine? Type 'YES' below if you agree! ���� #the4pillarplan #healthylifestyle #bookstagram #selfcare #lifestylemedicine #livebarefoot #vivobarefoot #food #healthykids A post shared by Dr Rangan Chatterjee (#health) (@drchatterjee) on Dec 22, 2017 at 8:17am PST The handsome 40-year-old father-of-two, star of BBC One'sDoctor in the House, is at the forefront of a new generation of social-media-savvy medics who are all about making connections – sharing everything from the quick vegetable coconut curry he whipped up for his kids with his 12.5k followers on Instagram, to his Tedx talk on how he helps patients reverse type-2 diabetes without medication, which has amassed more than 850,000 views on YouTube. And he has a very big picture in mind: overhauling the way the NHS operates. "Our whole model is about diagnosing and giving a pill," he tells me. "That's what we're very good at and that model of care works very well for acute problems." Many chronic conditions, often viewed as inevitable evils of modern life, could be cured with a series of straightforward tweaks to our daily routines It is clearly working less well for tackling chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and depression, which have reached genuine crisis levels in Britain, despite our ever increasing intake of pharmaceutical products. A record number of antidepressants were dispensed last year, according to NHS Digital, while spending on diabetes drugs reached £984.2m as the number of Britons diagnosed with the condition has more than doubled to nearly 3.5 million in the past 20 years. What truly empassions Dr Chatterjee – so much so that he regularly springs from his chair to emphasise his point – is that most of these conditions, often viewed as inevitable evils of modern life, could be cured with a series of straightforward tweaks to our daily routines. He is more likely to write lifestyle prescriptions – a diet high in healthy fats, some meditation and more physical activity – to tackle the root causes of a patient's depression, than a mood-altering drug to suppress their symptoms. "The way we are collectively living our modern lives is having a negative impact on our health," he says, simply. "I want to strip it all back – and give people the blueprint." Which is exactly what he does in his first book, The 4 Pillar Plan: How to Relax, Eat, Move, Sleep your way to a Longer, Healthier Life, published this Thursday and serialised in The Daily Telegraph from tomorrow. Following a six-way auction among publishers, the simple health revolution looks set to become a 2018 bestseller. The way we are collectively living our modern lives is having a negative impact on our health. I want to strip it all back – and give people the blueprint A whole-life plan rather than another quick-fix gimmick, Dr Chatterjee advocates making five small and easily achievable changes in each of the four broad areas outlined by the titular 'pillars': rest, diet, movement and sleep. In practical terms, that might mean prioritising at least 15 minutes of me-time a day; introducing daily micro-fasts; building more walking into your regular routine; and setting a bedtime alarm that kicks off a 'no-tech' 90 minutes before sleep that will give you more energy the following morning. It is striving for balance, with a couple of changes across all four pillars rather than 20/20 perfection, that will lead to the biggest improvements and, crucially, ones that can be sustained, even when our optimistic New Year's resolutions are a distant memory. 'People think about calories, they think of fat and carbs. That's too short-sighted,' says Dr Chatterjee, pictured here in his kitchen in Wilmslow, Cheshire Credit: Andrew Fox/The Telegraph It's a revelation Dr Chatterjee took several years to arrive at. Having grown up in a medical family in the North West - his father moved to Britain from Calcutta in the early 1960s to work in the NHS - he studied at Edinburgh Medical School, sat exams in immunology, and worked in the city for two years. When his father fell ill with lupus, he returned to Cheshire to help care for him, continuing to do so -– in tandem with his busy job as a GP – for the 15 years Dr Chatterjee Snr was on dialysis, until his death almost five years ago. "A huge part of me has been defined by being a carer for my dad," he says. "I understand what it's like for patients when they're sick." A huge part of me has been defined by being a carer for my dad. I understand what it's like for patients when they're sick But the real turning point came seven years ago, when his then six-month-old son almost died on a family holiday in the French Alps, as he and his wife relaxed in their friend's chalet, one evening. "She suddenly screamed out to me, 'His arms went back and he's not moving!'" recalls Chatterjee. "I froze. He had been very phlegmy throughout the day so I thought maybe he'd blocked his airway. I was trying to clear it and I couldn't." At the nearest A&E he was given diazepam to stop his convulsions, then rushed down the mountain by ambulance to the main hospital. "I was freaking out," says Chatterjee. "He ended up in a foreign hospital for five nights." The problem? A simple vitamin deficiency. "His calcium level in his blood was really low and the reason was he was low in vitamin D." My workout yesterday afternoon. Clearing up leaves with my 2 little 'helpers'. Loads of brushing, raking, lifting and a ton of fresh air. Was it cardio, HIIT or strength training?? Doesn't really matter and probably a combination of all 3! What are you doing this weekend to get moving? #Autumn #instagood #photooftheday #fashion #like4like #picoftheday #happy #photography #instagram #followme #style #travel #life #cute #fitness #nature #girl #fun #photo #me #lifestyle #follow4follow #friends #food #like #followforfollow #Family #l4l #igers #hair A post shared by Dr Rangan Chatterjee (#health) (@drchatterjee) on Nov 12, 2017 at 2:08am PST That his son nearly died from a preventable condition which his father, a doctor, knew nothing about, had a profound effect on Chatterjee, who is only just learning to relinquish his guilt. "It ate me up," he says. "I became obsessed. I started to read about vitamins, nutrition, the gut microbiome and gut health, and I was coming across all this science that with all my [medical] training I hadn't heard about." He spent tens of thousands of pounds of his own money travelling to conferences in the US to develop his understanding of the interconnectedness of human health. "I was going to get my son sorted, and I have: he's thriving." I became obsessed. I started to read about vitamins, nutrition, the gut microbiome and gut health - all this science that with all my [medical] training I hadn't heard about The cornerstone of his solution was a change in his family's diet, incorporating foods to promote gut health. "People think about calories, they think of fat and carbs. That's too short-sighted. I think about food in terms of its impact on our gut microbes and how it impacts on our immune system. Because 80 per cent of your immune system lives in your gut." Central to his dietary advice is a redefinition of our five-a-day, shifting the focus to five different coloured vegetables, rather than any old combination of fruit and veg. He practises what he preaches: on his fridge is a rainbow-coloured chart and each night his wife, a former criminal barrister, seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter tick off the colours they've managed that day. Dr Chatterjee advocates eating five different coloured vegetables a day Credit: Maximilian Stock Ltd/ Getty Images Contributor "The different colours help promote the growth of different gut bugs so the more colours you have, the more health benefits you're going to get," he explains. "We made it into a fun game at home." He jumps off his seat again to show me the step he keeps on the kitchen floor ("it drives my wife crazy"), on which he performs the glute exercises that have cured the chronic back pain he suffered for 10 years, in the time it takes his morning coffee to brew. "I build it in to be part of my life. I want to inspire people and say 'look, it's not about joining that expensive gym. You don't need any equipment, you can do press-ups here," – he demonstrates against the island. "I've got 80-year-old patients who are doing a strength workout in their kitchen every day." We're walking around feeling tired, needing coffee to get us through, an alarm clock to get us up, working from deadline to deadline. I want to help people understand how quickly they could feel well From the patient whose panic attacks improved by 80 per cent to the menopausal woman whose symptoms dramatically reduced by following The 4 Pillar Plan, he reels off success stories with the enthusiasm and excitement of one who has seen the light. Upon reading the book, I felt I had too. "People these days don't know how good they could feel. We're walking around feeling tired, needing coffee to get us through, an alarm clock to get us up, working from deadline to deadline. I want to help people understand how quickly they could feel well," he says. "For all chronic health conditions, 10 per cent of our health outcome is down to our genes. A whole 90 per cent is down to our environment and how we live our lives." He wants to help us tackle the 90 per cent. I'm starting tomorrow. Tomorrow: the first part of Dr Chatterjee's four pillar plan: Relax (and lose weight) The 4 Pillar Plan: How to Relax, Eat, Move and Sleep Your Way to a Longer, Healthier Life by Dr Rangan Chatterjee is published by Penguin Life (£16.99). To order your copy for £14.99 plus p&p call 0844 871 1514 or visit books.telegraph.co.uk. Dr Chatterjee will appear at the Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival
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| Guinea massacre suspects to go before criminal tribunal Posted: 30 Dec 2017 09:24 AM PST  Fourteen suspects held over a 2009 stadium massacre in Guinea which killed 157 people are to go before a criminal tribunal after a legal investigation concluded, the country's justice minister said. "I am happy to announce to you that the judicial investigation into the 2009 Conakry stadium massacre ended on December 29. At least 157 people were killed and 109 women raped by troops during a massive opposition protest in the stadium on September 28, 2009 against the rule of then junta chief Moussa Dadis Camara after his security forces opened fire on the crowd.
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| Israeli pipeline, once a link to Iran, will remain a mystery Posted: 31 Dec 2017 04:49 AM PST ![Israeli pipeline, once a link to Iran, will remain a mystery]( "Israeli pipeline, once a link to Iran, will remain a mystery") An oil pipeline company established decades ago by Israel and Iran, and a new Israeli company that is meant to replace it, can continue to operate secretly, an Israeli parliamentary committee ruled on Sunday. The Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Co (EAPC) was a joint venture set up in 1968, when the two nations were friendly, to transport Iranian oil via Israel to the Mediterranean. Ties were cut after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, and the enemies are now locked in arbitration that could be worth billions of dollars.
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| Daughter of Eric Garner dies following heart attack Posted: 30 Dec 2017 03:38 PM PST  Erica Garner, who became an outspoken critic of police brutality following her father's death on Staten Island in 2014, died Saturday at age 27.
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| Top GOP Races To Watch In 2018 Posted: 31 Dec 2017 10:11 AM PST  WASHINGTON ― With a hint of a blue wave on the horizon, Republicans are facing added pressure to get their house in order and field the best candidates possible ahead of next year's congressional midterm elections.
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| Rebels storm Indian paramilitary camp in Kashmir; 8 dead Posted: 31 Dec 2017 06:36 AM PST  SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Five Indian soldiers and three suspected militants were killed Sunday after rebels stormed a paramilitary camp in disputed Kashmir, triggering a daylong battle, officials said.
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| Night sky – January 2018: Once in a Blue Moon Posted: 31 Dec 2017 06:42 AM PST  The full Moon on Jan 2 will be the perigee full Moon of 2018. Perigee is the point in an object's elliptical orbit around the Earth where its distance to our planet is minimised. The Moon experiences perigee once per orbit but not always coinciding with full Moon. When it does, it produces a Moon which is appears slightly larger and brighter than those that proceed or follow it. The popular press uses the term Supermoon to describe such an event, a loose term originating from astrology rather than astronomy. Interestingly, the astrological definition means that the full Moons on Dec 3, 2017 and on Jan 31, 2018 are also technically Supermoons. A complete cycle of lunar phases takes one synodic month, approximately 29.5 days long: Moon phases The Moon repeats its phases over a period known as a synodic month, approximately 29.5 days long. So if the Moon is at a particular phase, for example full Moon, it reaches the same phase 29.5 days later. If the Moon is full early in a month containing at least 30 days, two full Moons may occur in the same calendar month. Such timings occur on average once every two-and-a-half years. In rare cases the timing will be such that February misses out altogether with the two full Moons in January being followed by two in March. This will be the case in 2018, a situation that happens roughly four times every century. The second full Moon in a month has, somewhat inaccurately, become known as a Blue Moon and if you're wondering whether this is linked to the phrase 'once in a blue Moon', it isn't. That references the effects caused by a volcanic eruption. Micron sized particles injected into the atmosphere from such events are particularly good at scattering red light, leaving the blue component to dominate. The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 was notable for causing blue coloured Moons. The varying distance of the Earth from the Sun throughout the course of the year, causes the apparent size of the Sun as seen from Earth to change Credit: PETE LAWRENCE Earth's orbit is also elliptical, causing our planet to pass through positions where it is alternately closest and farthest from the Sun. The farthest point occurs at the start of July and is known as aphelion. The closest point is known as perihelion and occurs at the start of January; the 3rd at 03:17 to be exact. Although it may not feel like it, our distance from the Sun on Jan 3 will be 3.1 million miles closer than it will be on July 6 at aphelion. Scintillating Sirius Finding Sirius Switching away from the Sun and daylight, one of the defining sights on a cold January night is that of the beautiful star Sirius twinkling away low towards the southern part of the sky. Sirius is the brightest night time star of them all and the alpha star of Canis Major the Great Dog. It is a fairly obvious sight but if you want further confirmation you have the right target, simply follow the line of Orion's Belt down and to the left; it points directly at Sirius. Sirius's brightness is due in part to its relative closeness to our own Sun. It's a close neighbour, only 8.6 light years away (50,560,000,000,000 miles) and shines with a blue-white colour. From the UK at least, it never gets very high in the sky. For this reason, its light has to pass through a thick layer of turbulent atmosphere and this causes its light to deviate slightly, resulting in noticeable twinkling or, as the effect is known scientifically, scintillation. At low altitudes above the horizon, the atmosphere acts like a prism, spreading incoming starlight into its component colours. Known as atmospheric dispersion, this effect combines with scintillation to make Sirius flash intense colours. Make a point to stare at Sirius the next time it is clear and the colours should be obvious. If you have good dark skies or a pair of binoculars to hand, centre your view on Sirius and then move your gaze down until you arrive at a cluster of stars named Messier 41 (M41). This cluster was known in ancient times, perhaps even being seen by Aristotle as early as 325 BC. In total it contains around 100 stars and covers an area about the same as the full Moon. At its distance of 2,300 light years – that's 270 times further away than Sirius – its apparent size translates to a physical diameter of around 26 light years. Its proximity to Sirius makes it a particularly nice object to hunt down on a chilly winter evening. The night sky in January Night sky January 2018 The chart shows how the sky will appear at midnight on 1 January, 11pm on 15 January and 10pm on 31 January. The planets are shown along with the location and phase of the Moon at 5-day intervals. The Moon is full on 2 January and again on 31 January. The full Moon on 2 January is a perigee-full Moon, the closest of 2018. The stars are shown as circles; the larger the circle the brighter the star. The hazy area represents the Milky Way. Orientate the chart by holding it in front of you rotated so the compass bearing at the bottom matches the direction you're facing. The bottom of the chart then reflects your horizon with the middle of the chart representing the view directly above your head. The chart is designed to be viewed using a red torch outside. Red light allows you to see the chart detail without ruining your night vision.
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