· 7 years ago · Feb 05, 2018, 09:44 AM
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12 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/10/asia/myanmar-rohingya-militants-arsa-intl/index.html">Rakhine ambush could mark new phase for Rohingya insurgency</a>
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16 <span>Jan 11, 2018</span>
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19 Rohingya militants have claimed responsibility for an ambush on Myanmar security forces that injured five, a sign the group may be reasserting itself after a long silence. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) has been regrouping and recruiting and this attack could mark the beginning of an insurgency that could escalate tensions between Myanmar and Bangladesh and draw the attention of international jihadi groups, experts say. In a statement posted on Twitter Sunday, ARSA's leader Ata Ullah said the group had carried out an ambush against the Myanmar military at San Kar Pin Yin village in northern Maungdaw in Rakhine State on the morning of January 5. The attack is the first the group has publicly claimed since the end of a ceasefire in October, the aftermath of which resulted in a brutal crackdown by Myanmar's military, and the exodus of more than 650,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh. "Come February, March, if we saw the beginning of a hit-and-run, low- level insurgency, I wouldn't be surprised. It seems unlikely this ambush on January 5 was just a one-off," said Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based security analyst who writes for Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Monitor. A military vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device by suspected terrorists, the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported Monday. It added that fighting between security forces and attackers took place at the scene. When contacted by CNN, Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay didn't provide any more information. Phill Hynes, head of Political Risk and Analysis at Hong Kong-based Intelligent Security Solutions, told CNN that the group would continue to escalate tensions. "This year, I would expect to see guerrilla-style tactics, lightning attacks, small-scale attacks, poking the nest. They want to keep the spotlight on their cause and turn it into a rallying point," he said. The US Embassy in Yangon condemned ARSA's attack, saying the "act of violence only serves to further undermine peace and security in northern Rakhine State and the region." Catastrophic crackdown Myanmar's military portrays ARSA as a potent force that can muster up to 10,000 fighters and poses a serious threat to the country's stability. Security analysts cast doubt on that assessment, suggesting the fighters are outgunned, under equipped and likely to only number in the hundreds, at least when the August attacks took place. The group itself is opaque, communicating mainly by infrequent posts on Twitter and YouTube. ARSA first publicly emerged in October 2016, when the group claimed responsibility for deadly attacks on police border posts in Rakhine State that killed nine officers. Then known as Harakat al-Yaqeen or "Faith Movement," they represented the first armed insurgency in decades to emerge from within the country's Muslim minority Rohingya, a group that has long been denied citizenship and discriminated against in Myanmar. However, it was last year the group really grabbed the world's attention when on August 25, ARSA launched spontaneous attacks on 30 border police posts and an army base in northern Rakhine State, killing 12 security officials. The catastrophic crackdown by Myanmar's military that followed the attack saw the Rohingya flee en masse, arriving in Bangladesh with chilling accounts of massacres, systematic rape and torching of villages. The US and UN have described what unfolded as "ethnic cleansing" of the mainly Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country where few seem to have much sympathy for the Rohingya. ARSA: 'Protecting the Rohingya community' In an interview obtained by CNN and published in February 2017, the group's leader, Ata Ullah, said they decided to fight back against the government after 70 years of repression. The group has declined subsequent interview requests. "We, the vulnerable and persecuted people, have asked the international community for protection against the atrocities by the government of Myanmar, but the international community turned its back on us," Ata Ullah said. Ata Ullah expressed a similar sentiment in the statement posted Sunday: "At this juncture, ARSA has left with no other option but to combat 'Burmese sate sponsored terrorism' against the Rohingya population for the purpose of defending, salvaging and protecting the Rohingya community with its best capacities," the statement apparently signed by him said. It's not clear whether or how the Tatmadaw, as the Myanmar military is known, will respond militarily after the January 5 attack. Davis said there's unlikely to be the same kind of "clearance operations" seen in 2016 and again, on a much greater scale, last year when Human Rights Watch said 354 Rohingya villages were burned down and 6,700 Rohingya were killed, according to figures provided by Doctors Without Borders. However, Davis said there would be local follow-up operations. "They need to establish whether the attack team came from across the border and returned to Bangladesh or is still hiding out inside Myanmar territory." Silence Analysts say ARSA has to adapt to radical new circumstances if it is seeking to maintain an insurgency. Prior to August 2017, according to a December report from the International Crisis Group, it was operating from cells within villages. Now, those villages are largely gone, burned down by the Tatmadaw. "I imagine inside Myanmar they would be trying to establish a network of camps in the hills. The word camps tends to conjure up visions of various semi-permanent facilities but what we are talking about here is more likely to involve logistical jumping off spots for attacks on the military in the lowlands," said Davis. "I would be surprised if at present they are able to sustain more than a couple of hundred combatants at most inside Myanmar." Another long-standing constraint has been a lack of access to firearms. According to the ICG report, many of the fighters in August 2017 were male villagers armed with sharp objects or IEDs. It added that they had been reassured that armed reinforcements had been dispatched but they never arrived. "My best guess is that they probably don't have more than a few hundred modern rifles, and certainly no support weapons like machine guns, or rocket propelled grenades, which would be essential to take on a modern military in any serious fashion," said Davis, from Jane's. Support? It's not easy to assess how much support ARSA has among the Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh. Bangladesh has made clear it won't harbor or support terrorists, with the emergence of any kind of cross-border insurgency likely to jeopardize its main priority -- the safe repatriation of the Rohingya. In media interviews, some Rohingya refugees have criticized ARSA for bringing more misery upon them, and say they are feared because they are reported to have killed Rohingya seen as informers or those with close ties to the Myanmar regime. Others fault them for recklessly provoking conflict without being properly armed. Other interviews, however, clearly suggest a wellspring of support for the group, with anger instead pointed firmly at Myanmar's military. Hamida Begum, a Rohingya refugee whom CNN spoke with in September, said she he had sent her son to fight -- though she didn't specify whether he fought for ARSA. "I'm leaving him at the hand of almighty Allah. We are ready to face any situation. I'm not feeling bad for him," she said. Transnational jihad? A 2016 report from the International Crisis Group said that Ata Ullah was born in Pakistan and has lived in Saudi Arabia, from where it said ARSA is run by a committee of Rohingya emigres. Ata Ullah, in the interview obtained by CNN, denied reports that he was born in Karachi, saying he was the "son of Arakan" -- an old name for Rakhine State and denied ties to groups in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. However, it's this background that has fueled speculation that he might have ties to international jihadi groups, not the least by the Myanmar government. The International Crisis Group said in its December 2017 report that a Pakistani instructor was killed on May 4, 2017 during an ARSA explosives training course. Myanmar media reported that two of the deceased were Pakistanis. Hynes said estimates suggested that up to 150 foreign fighters were involved in the ARSA movement. However, ARSA has repeatedly denied any ties to jihadi groups, and the ICG concluded that "there has been no operational sign of transnational jihadism in Myanmar yet." "But clearance operations in the name of addressing terrorist threats could prove to be a self-fulfilling prophecy and inspire international jihadist groups to take action," the International Crisis Group concluded. Davis, of Jane's agrees with this assessment, characterizing the group as fighting on an "ethno-nationalist" basis like BRN, the Muslim separatist group in southern Thailand. However, with jihadi groups like ISIS suffering defeats in their traditional strongholds in the Middle East and North Africa, and Ata Ullah's reported ties to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Davis says the group is potentially vulnerable to inroads by international jihadi elements. "Given Ata Ullah's West Asian background, ARSA is less inoculated against jihadist influences. If things were to become more complicated, and elements in the group frustrated, it is not inconceivable that ARSA's current avowedly ethno-nationalist stance — 'all we want is Rohingya rights' — might shift. "
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35 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/10/politics/us-travel-guidance-threat-level/index.html">New State Dept travel guidance ranks countries by threat level</a>
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42 The State Department launched its new travel advisory system Wednesday in an effort to simplify the information it provides to American travelers about security threats abroad. The system, announced last month, ranks countries into four security tiers based on a number of factors, including the risk of crime, terrorism, natural disaster, and civil unrest. Those tiers are: Tier 1 - Exercise normal precautions
43Tier 2 - Exercise increased caution
44Tier 3 - Reconsider travel
45Tier 4 - Do not travel Based on CNN's review of the published information eleven countries landed in Tier 4: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, the Central African Republic, Yemen. "Basically, these are the countries where, under the previous travel warning, we already recommended people not to go to them," said Michelle Bernier-Toth, the acting deputy assistant secretary of state for overseas citizens services. While the State Department is warning all US citizens not to travel to those countries, it cannot prohibit them from doing so. North Korea is the exception to that rule, since the United States banned travel on American passports to that country over the summer. The State Department insists the rankings are based solely on security conditions in a country, but is aware of the possibility for pushback from governments that are unhappy with their ranking. "We gave our embassies authority to provide their host governments with an advance of the final travel advisory for their country if they thought that was important to the host government," said Bernier-Toth on a conference call with reporters Wednesday, adding that "by and large, I think there have been no surprises." "We do not give foreign governments the ability to change the language," she noted. "These are not political documents. These are simply based on our assessment of the security situation, and what we need to tell US citizens who might be traveling or living in that country." There were, however, some surprises in the new rankings. Cuba, for instance, where the State Department has previously advised against travel, was listed as a Tier 3, rather than Tier 4, country. In September, the agency stated in a travel warning that, "numerous U.S. Embassy Havana employees have been targeted in specific attacks," suffering "significant injuries as a consequence of these attacks." "Because our personnel's safety is at risk, and we are unable to identify the source of the attacks, we believe U.S. citizens may also be at risk and warn them not to travel to Cuba," the travel warning noted. "As we were putting all this together we did a very careful assessment," said Bernier-Toth, explaining the Tier 3 ranking, "we talked to all of our experts, and this is where we came out on Cuba." The new page for Cuba on the State Department's travel website states that Americans should, "Reconsider travel to Cuba due to health attacks directed at U.S. Embassy Havana employees." Several European countries that are popular with American tourists were put at the Tier 2 level due to risks related to terrorism. These include France and Belgium, where an ISIS cell conducted deadly attacks in 2015 and 2016, as well as Germany, where a truck plowed into a group of people at a Christmas market in December 2016. Perennial US adversary Russia was listed as a Tier 3 country, due to the risk of "terrorism and harassment." The Democratic Republic of Congo was ranked at Tier 2, despite what the State Department has flagged as "ongoing instability and sporadic violence in many parts of the country." An American UN monitor was found dead in the DRC's Central Kasai region last year along with a Swedish counterpart. At least 15 UN peacekeepers have also been killed in the country in recent weeks. US citizens are advised not to travel to the eastern DRC and Kasai provinces under the new system, which sometimes has separate, higher tier rankings for particular regions within a country. The changes are the result of a year-long review process, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Carl Risch told reporters last month. That process found that members of the public were confused by the current system and unsure how to respond to the various alerts and warnings issued by the State Department. "We wanted it to be an easier to understand system," Risch said. That was a message echoed by Bernier-Toth on Wednesday. She noted that even some of her colleagues had difficulty understanding the difference between "travel alerts" and "travel warnings" under the previous system. "We shouldn't need to spend more time explaining the difference between those two documents than we do explaining what the threat actually is," she said.
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61 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/10/opinions/conservative-civil-war-opinion-sheffield/index.html">Bannon and the never Trumpers should stop fighting -- and back the President</a>
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65 <span>Jan 10, 2018</span>
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68 The ongoing conservative civil war came to a head Tuesday with the ouster of Steve Bannon at Breitbart News. This latest twist comes in the wake of a dispute between President Trump and Bannon, triggered by bombshell quotes in Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury" book. It's disappointing that Wolff comingles fact and fiction, leaving the truth hanging. As anti-Trump conservative David Brooks says in The New York Times, "Wolff doesn't pretend to adhere to normal journalistic standards. He happily admits that he's just tossing out rumors that are too good to check." After some silence, Bannon rejected the quotes attributed to him calling Trump's son, Don, Jr., "treasonous" for meeting with a Russian lawyer during the 2016 campaign. Trump has understandably distanced himself from his former adviser. One of Bannon's lead financial backers, Rebekah Mercer, has also distanced herself from Bannon, siding with the President. By separating himself from Bannon, Trump is continuing to govern more like a traditional conservative than many observers expected. Bannon embodied the ongoing strife surrounding the conservative movement, and he sought to circumvent the President and become a movement by himself, in spite of Trump. Yet Bannon's fortunes only rose because of Trump, and he joined the Trump campaign in the homestretch, more than a year after the candidate descended the Trump Tower escalator. Bannon's attempt at internal guerilla warfare is harmful for the future of the conservative movement. If Bannon helped sound the war cry that led to Trump's victory, he failed to understand that to everything there is a season, including peace. If conservatives are smart, Bannon's departure will be a turning point to move beyond the contentious climate of a conservative civil war launched amidst the 2016 election among the Never Trump "Establishment" types, the bomb-throwing, anti-establishment Bannonites and the growing body of conservative Trump supporters. Congress hangs in the balance with November's elections, and ongoing fracturing will be a stumbling block to advancing a conservative policy agenda. Trump was the most non-traditional candidate in modern history, with no elected public policy track record and an aggressive tone. But now a year later, he's delivered in big ways that even the most ardent Never Trump conservatives must acknowledge. Trump has succeeded in placing stalwart conservative judicial nominees at all levels, spearheaded the most robust tax reform in a generation, protected Internet freedom by rolling back flawed net neutrality, and let the world know American energy policy is made in Washington, not on foreign soil. Abroad, Trump continued the efforts that led to ISIS' defeat, stood up to Pakistan on terrorism, rightfully acknowledged Jerusalem as Israel's capital, successfully pressured China to support tougher North Korea sanctions, bolstered the Ukrainians against Russia, and more. It's time for the Never Trumpers (who are my former 2016 compatriots -- I wrote in Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) as a protest presidential vote) to stop living in a fantasy world: Trump isn't going anywhere. The criminal Russia collusion investigation against Trump has not yet turned up evidence of criminal collusion by the President. Any discussion of the 25th Amendment and Trump's fitness for office is detached from reality. There is currently no evidence that Trump is either physically unable to perform the duties of president or that the requisite number of leaders would coalesce to remove him. Even Brooks, still an anti-Trumper, acknowledges that most virulent anti-Trumpers don't know any Trump supporters, living in their own bubbles. Sadly, this perpetuates the very problems that lead to our fractions 2016 election. The way conservatives transcend the tumultuous political climate is to help Trump, and therefore America, succeed. That doesn't mean lawmakers should agree with the president on everything, but the continued Never Trumpers are rejecting William F. Buckley's mantra to back "the rightwardmost viable candidate." Turning your back on a Republican president in office undermines the spirit that Buckley supported. Conservatives can grow their governing base if they work together. As CNN's Chris Cillizza reports, Democrats must defend 26 Senate seats in November, compared to a mere eight for Republicans, and 10 of those Democratic seats are in states that Trump carried in 2016 -- including five where he dominated by double digits. However, conservatives also need to collaborate against the joint risk as an incumbent party in a non-presidential cycle, historically bad news for the party in power -- and especially this year, when polling suggests Republicans are in trouble. In the House, Larry Sabato reports 12 seats held by Democrats went for Trump compared to 23 seats held by Republicans in districts that voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. It appears that Trump will be focusing on infrastructure as an early 2018 priority, hoping for a bipartisan win. Immigration is another area where cross-aisle conversations are ongoing. And welfare reform is a topic in which the two parties could work on a repeat of the 1996 reforms that was arguably the catalyst that lifted millions of people out of poverty. Trump's victory blindsided many "Establishment" conservatives, but that doesn't mean they and MAGA foot soldiers can't and shouldn't work together. Rather than stubbornly clinging to preconceptions about each other, dialogue and respectful understanding of differences will move us forward. A reconciliation could take us a long way back toward Ronald Reagan's Shining City on a Hill.
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84 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/09/us/nazi-white-supremacist-amtrak-terrorism-arrest-trnd/index.html">Neo-Nazi charged with terrorism in attempt to wreck Amtrak train, complaint says</a>
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91 A white man who was involved with neo-Nazi groups and who attended a "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville has been charged with terrorism for attempting to wreck an Amtrak train, according to a criminal complaint filed in US District Court. Taylor Michael Wilson, 26, of St. Charles, Missouri, was first arrested back in October on state charges after he entered a secure area of an Amtrak passenger train in rural Nebraska, the complaint states. He allegedly played with the controls and applied the emergency brakes, causing the train to stop with intent to harm those aboard, the complaint states. Wilson, who had a fully loaded weapon on him, was charged with use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony and felony criminal mischief, both state charges. He was released on a partially secured bond on December 11, court documents state. But a further search warrant and investigation from the FBI led to the discovery of a stash of firearms at his residence and several connections to what the complaint describes as white supremacist groups. He was arrested again on December 23 and he was ordered detained on January 2, according to the complaint. Investigators found an arsenal of weapons, ammunition and a hand-made shield at his residence and learned that he had told his roommate he was interested in killing black people, according to the criminal complaint. Investigators also learned that Wilson had been involved in neo-Nazi groups, and that he was once suspected of pointing a firearm at a black woman in a road rage incident, the complaint states. Jerry Sena, Wilson's attorney, said Wilson plans to plead not guilty to the charges. Sena added that Wilson does not have any history of mental illness, no history of drug abuse and little or no criminal history. Wilson faces up to life in prison if convicted on the terrorism charges. Attempted train takeover Wilson boarded the Amtrak train in Sacramento, California, and was traveling to Missouri when he entered a secure area and triggered an emergency stop on October 22, according to the complaint. Two Amtrak conductors told the FBI that Wilson continually egged them on as they attempted to detain him, saying "What are you going to do, shoot me?" Wilson also went through drastic mood swings and "would start saying crazy things about going to the moon," one conductor said. The train engineer and Amtrak personnel detained him, and he was arrested when police arrived, the complaint states. A deputy with the Furnas County Sheriff's Office found a fully loaded handgun in his waistband and a fully loaded speed-loader, the complaint states. In addition, a backpack belonging to Wilson contained three more loaded speed-loaders, a box of ammo, a fixed blade knife, a gas mask and other items. Connections to white supremacy When he was booked at the Furnas County Sheriff's Office, Wilson was in possession of a business card for the National Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi party, according to the complaint. He also had a card for the Alabama preacher William Davidson of The Covenant Nation Church, a church based on the belief that "White people are part of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel," according to the complaint. A search warrant for his cell phone showed that he had a banner with the annotation "'Hands up don't shoot' is Anti-white fake news -- Altright'" over an unknown highway, the complaint states. Later, the FBI interviewed Wilson's cousin and roommate, who said Wilson had joined an "alt-right" group that Wilson had found researching white supremacy forums online, the complaint states. Wilson also traveled with what the complaint describes as a neo-Nazi group to the "Unite the Right" protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, that became violent, according to his cousin. The cousin said he wasn't sure if Wilson brought anything other than a shield and a bulletproof vest, but he said that Wilson had about 20 to 25 firearms and normally carried a firearm on him. His cousin said Wilson expressed an interest in "killing black people" and others besides whites, especially during the protests in St. Louis this fall after the acquittal of a St. Louis police officer who fatally shot a black man, the complaint states. Wilson also made statements that the cousin interpreted to mean that Wilson and his group were behind "Whites Only" signs that were placed on businesses, the complaint states. In September, several bars and restaurants in The Grove neighborhood of St. Louis discovered the "Whites Only" stickers on their businesses, CNN affiliate KMOV reported. The "alt-right" generally refers to the right-wing movement that strictly opposes immigration and argues that white people are under attack in society. White supremacist groups believe that the white race is better than other races and should therefore dominate society, while the term neo-Nazis generally refers to white supremacists who support genocide or ethnic cleansing. The complaint states that investigators conducted a search warrant of his residence and located a hidden compartment behind his fridge that contained a large amount of weaponry: a tactical vest, scores of ammunition magazines and a handmade shield as well as white supremacy documents and paperwork. Wilson's father, Michael Wilson, provided investigators with his son's firearms, ammo and tactical body armor. One of the firearms was a fully automatic rifle, and another was converted to a short rifle, both possible federal crimes, the complaint states. Road rage Wilson had no evident criminal history, but investigators discovered that he was a suspect in a road rage incident in which he allegedly pointed a handgun at a black woman in St. Charles, the complaint states. The woman told police the license plate number of the man's vehicle, which was then traced to Wilson. But police were later unable to locate her, so the case was placed in inactive status, the complaint says. Wilson told his cousin about an incident in which he pointed a gun at somebody while driving, according to the complaint, a story that the complaint says fits the description of the road rage incident in St. Charles.
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107 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/09/politics/russia-us-attack-base-syria/index.html">Russia suggests US may have had role in attack on Russian bases in Syria</a>
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111 <span>Jan 9, 2018</span>
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114 The Russian government appeared to suggest Tuesday that the US military had a role in a recent attack on two Russian military bases in Syria, an attack that Russia said involved 13 armed drones, a notion immediately rejected by the Pentagon. Russia claimed that a US Navy P-8 aircraft flew overhead during the attack, drawing a link between the US military and the militant drone attack, however multiple US defense officials told CNN that a P-8 was not operating in the area during the incident and has not flown in the area for some time. The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement Monday saying that 10 "assault drones" had attempted to attack Khmeimim Air Base, the Russian military's primary air base in Syria. The statement said three additional drones had tried to attack the Russian naval facility at Tartus. Russian troops were able to intercept the drones using electronic warfare jamming and Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missiles, according to the statement, which also said that no casualties or damage to Russian equipment resulted from the attack. The Russians said an analysis of the downed drones found they were using a "modern GPS guidance system," adding that the drones used technology that may have been supplied by "countries with high-technological capabilities of satellite navigation and remote dropping control of professionally assembled improvised explosive devices." The statement said the drones "carried explosive devices with foreign detonating fuses," adding that the "usage of strike aircraft-type drones by terrorists is the evidence that militants have received technologies to carry out terrorist attacks." The Pentagon declined to comment on the nature of the drones involved in the attack on the Russian facilities but did note that US and coalition troops fighting ISIS had faced "commercially available" drones used by the terror group which are "widely available, easy to control and certainly do not require significant technical expertise." The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement Tuesday slamming the Pentagon's comments. The Russians also implied that the US may have had a role in the recent attack, saying the technology used in the drone attack "draws attention to the fact that the US Navy Poseidon intelligence aircraft was patrolling between Tartus and Khmeimim over four hours at the altitude of 7,000 meters during terrorists' attack." The US military rejected the accusation, calling it "utterly irresponsible." "We do not discuss the disposition of intelligence platforms. Any suggestion that that US or coalition forces played a role in an attack on a Russian base is without any basis in fact and utterly irresponsible," Pentagon spokesman Maj. Adrian Rankine-Galloway said. The US Navy did not have P-8 surveillance aircraft operating in the area during the time that the Russians claimed it was there and a P-8 aircraft has not operated in the area for some time, three US defense officials told CNN Wednesday. The spat comes as Russian facilities in Syria have come under multiple attacks. Less than a week prior to the drone attack, unidentified militants launched a New Year's Eve mortar attack on Khmeimim Air Base that damaged several aircraft and inflicted casualties on military personnel, according to Russian media outlets. A US defense official confirmed the details of the damage to CNN. That attack came less than a month after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the base to mark the Russian military's success in backing the regime of Bashar al-Assad. While Putin had announced that a "significant part of the Russian military contingent" would withdraw from Syria, he said the Russians would continue to maintain the two bases. A spokesman for the Kremlin defended the Russian military's ability to guard against attacks during a Tuesday conference call with members of the press. "The military infrastructure that remains at the bases in Khmeimim and in Tartus have all the necessary capabilities to combat these occasional terrorist attacks, which unfortunately will continue," Dimitry Peskov told reporters.
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130 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/09/politics/kfile-pete-hoekstra-no-go-zones/index.html">New US ambassador to Netherlands regularly made unsubstantiated 'no-go zones' claims, speculated 15% of Muslims could be jihadists</a>
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134 <span>Jan 9, 2018</span>
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137 The new US ambassador to the Netherlands, who was confronted last month by a Dutch reporter with comments he made in 2015 about Islamic "no-go zones," repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims about the nature of Muslim communities in Europe and pushed a hardline view of Islam, a KFile review of his public appearances and writings shows. Pete Hoekstra, a former 18-year Republican congressman from Michigan who served for several years as chair of the House Intelligence Committee, was nominated by President Donald Trump last July to serve as ambassador to the Netherlands and confirmed by the Senate in November. After leaving Congress in 2011, Hoekstra in 2014 joined the Investigative Project on Terrorism, a non-profit group that describes itself as the "world's most comprehensive data center on radical Islamic terrorist groups." A KFile review of Hoekstra's time with the group reveals he claimed on multiple occasions that there are "no-go zones" in European cities and speculated as much as 15% of Muslims are extremists, a number that totals 270 million. He also promoted conspiracy theories asserting longtime Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin had connections to the Muslim Brotherhood and said he considered the possibility that then-President Barack Obama was allowing radical Islam to proliferate on purpose. Hoekstra was also a frequent guest on a radio program hosted by Frank Gaffney, an anti-Muslim conspiracy theorist based in Washington who warns of the "creeping" influence of Sharia law worldwide. Hoekstra drew criticism last month for denying in an interview with the Dutch news program Nieuwsuur that he made comments in 2015 asserting that there are Muslim-controlled neighborhoods in Europe that are so dangerous that non-Muslims cannot enter. There is no evidence to support claims of so-called "no-go zones" in Europe. In 2015, Fox News had to issue an apology and a correction for comments made by a pundit on its air claiming the existence of such zones across Europe. That pundit was Steve Emerson, who runs the Investigative Project on Terrorism where Hoekstra served as a fellow. Hoekstra apologized for initially denying he made the remarks in the interview with Nieuwsuur, writing in a tweet that he looked "forward to the opportunity to learn, to listen and to move on in the spirit of peace and friendship with the people and the leaders of the Netherlands." Reached for comment, a spokesperson for the State Department pointed to Hoekstra's earlier statement on Twitter. A representative from the White House did not respond to a request for comment. No-go zones: Hoekstra has made false claims about "no-go zones" several times. In a 2016 radio interview, he told Gaffney, "You know there are no-go zones in Europe, areas that you know law enforcement and civil society by the government cannot be enforced, and you know they have become safe havens and sanctuary areas for the radical jihadist movement." "They are places that, you're right, these groups can find safe havens. But at the same time, they have allowed the mosques to preach radical jihadism, so the mosques are training centers." Hoekstra made similar claims in an Internet radio show, on DC local radio and in a NewsMax op-ed he co-authored. In a 2016 speech to activists in Colorado, Hoekstra said there are parts of Europe where Sharia law is allowed. "Look at what's going on in Europe in large parts of, you know, in many parts of Europe there are, there are, there are little enclaves or areas where they allow for Sharia law," Hoekstra said. On Islam: In a 2017 radio interview, Hoekstra speculated that as much as 15% of Muslims could be radical jihadists, a number that would total 270 million. It's unclear where he came up with this figure. "We should recognize that it is a radical jihadist, Islamic force that we face," Hoekstra said. "Whether it's 10% of the Islamic community or the Muslim community or whether it's 15% or whatever the percentage is, it's a significant number. We need to recognize that this is a threat from people who use religion to motivate their followers, to recruit their followers, and those types of things." Hoekstra has also derided past US presidents for calling Islam a "religion of peace." In one video with activist Ginni Thomas in 2016, he said it is "clearly not true" that Islam is a religion of peace. "I mean you hear former President Bush and President Obama now for what 15 years telling us, 'Islam is a religion of peace,'" Hoekstra said. "The average person on the streets says, 'whoa there.' See they're beheading Christians, there's you know, there are suicide bombers, they're taking gays and lesbians and throwing them off the top of buildings, and they're selling women into sex slavery. That doesn't kind of look like a religion of peace to me. Now that's not all Muslims, but that's that's what a lot of people are saying. So then they ask the question to say well why would our President be telling us this. It's clearly not the truth." Referred to Middle East refugees as "invaders:" Hoekstra twice-referred to refugees from the Middle East as "invaders" on a far-right radio show. "We took a stable part of the world and we turned it into an ungoverned region that is now exporting fighters and weapons and refugees or invaders into Syria, into Iraq, and into southern Europe," Hoekstra said during a discussion about US involvement in Libya.' "The Muslim population has been shown ineffective in terms of integrating them into our culture and to really becoming German. And the third thing is ISIS and other groups, and we know this very clearly, they know they have infiltrated the refugees or invaders, whatever you want to call them. They are part of the folks coming," he added later in the broadcast. Spread false claims about Huma Abedin: At a 2016 conference hosted by Brigitte Gabriel, an anti-Muslim activist whom he has praised and said he was working with, Hoekstra said that Huma Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, had "egregious" ties to the Muslim Brotherhood but added there were better examples that connected the US government to the group. Claims that Abedin has connections to the Muslim Brotherhood have been labeled as false and unfounded by fact-checkers from the Washington Post, PolitiFact, and Snopes. "We need to recognize that a lot more has come out about Huma and a lot of this stuff has been known by the Investigative Project on Terrorism, and I've talked with Steve (Emerson) about this extensively. We don't believe, as egregious as what Huma Abedin and her connections and her family are, again it's why we're doing what we've done, the research, we think there are much better examples of making the connection between the US government and this administration and their connections with the Muslim Brotherhood," Hoekstra said. Hoekstra also shared an article on Twitter that made the unfounded claims, calling it "worth a read." Said he had considered President Obama might be aiding rise of radical Islam on purpose: In an appearance on a far-right radio show Tru News in 2015, a host asked Hoekstra if he had considered the possibility that Obama was intentionally trying to create safe havens for jihadists. "I've considered that possibility," Hoekstra answered. "That is a frightening thought that we would have leaders in our government who would actually want to create a safe haven for radical jihadists, but that is in effect, what they have done and it's the result of Hillary Clinton's policies that have created an arsenal of weapons and the training ground for jihadists." The host later added that he was "firmly convinced" that it was Obama's "desired strategy." "His policies have created an environment where radical jihadism has flourished, is worse on the Arabian peninsula," Hoekstra said. "It is flourishing in Syria and Iraq, Turkey, and it is flourishing in northern Africa. I was just in Europe a couple of months ago, still have a lot of contacts in Europe. You know the people of Europe are frightened about what to Europe with this mass infusion of people from the Middle East and this president is doing nothing to stabilize or control the events that are going on. Either he's facilitating, as you would argue, or he's standing on the sidelines as this is happening."
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153 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/08/politics/mike-pence-middle-east-trip-israel-egypt-jordan/index.html">Pence to head to Middle East late next week</a>
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156 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
157 <span>Jan 8, 2018</span>
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160 Vice President Mike Pence will leave late next week for a Middle East trip that will take him to Egypt, Jordan and Israel, his office announced Monday. Pence's Middle East swing is taking place a month later than originally scheduled after Pence delayed the visit to remain in Washington for the tax vote. The postponement also came amid tensions in the region over President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "At President Trump's direction, the vice president is traveling to the Middle East to reaffirm our commitment to work with the US' allies in the region to defeat radicalism that threatens future generations. The vice president is looking forward to meeting with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Israel to discuss ways to work together to fight terrorism and improve our national security," the vice president's press secretary Alyssa Farah said in a statement. Pence is no longer scheduled to visit the West Bank or meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whom Pence was initially scheduled to meet with in December. Abbas canceled that meeting in protest over Trump's Jerusalem decision. Pence will leave on January 19 and arrive in Egypt on January 20 to meet with Egyptian President Abed Fattah el-Sisi before traveling to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah on January 21. Pence will cap off his trip with two days in Israel, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin. There, Pence will give a speech at the Knesset, visit the Western Wall and the Yad Vashem museum. Pence's visit now comes as protests have quelled in Jerusalem and the West Bank over the decision. Bu tensions in the region are still running high. Palestinian officials have refused to engage in a US-led peace process in the wake of Trump's Jerusalem decision and Trump last week threatened to withhold US aid to the Palestinian territories if the Palestinians don't return to the negotiating table.
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176 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/08/middleeast/idlib-syria-npw-analysis-intl/index.html">Idlib: Syria's latest version of hell</a>
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180 <span>Jan 8, 2018</span>
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183 As world attention falters on the Syria crisis, and a climate of peace talks bizarrely instead leads to an escalation of the government's military offensives, there is a small pocket of civilians, some rebel fighters and some jihadists that is fast becoming the beleaguered country's latest version of hell. Idlib in the country's northwest is currently the focus of a new and sustained offensive by the Syrian regime. It has long been the region to which civilians and fighters are evacuated from rebel-friendly areas after lengthy and brutal regime sieges. The thousands who fled bombardment in eastern Aleppo mostly ended up there. The United Nations thinks half of the two million people in Idlib are internally displaced, and therefore crammed into its overstretched camps. Some other aid agencies put the total figure of people there at three million. Between the savage winter desert weather and Russian-backed bombardment, things are about to get worse. The regime seems keen to retake those areas that are strategically important to it, and also to forge a more direct route north toward Aleppo. The offensive is causing tens of thousands of civilians to be pushed north, according to UN officials, up toward a tightly policed border with Turkey -- effectively trapping increasingly more civilians in an increasingly deadly and small space. They must have hoped their torture and bombardment would have ended when they got to Idlib, but they have instead seen the attacks continue. The key complication for the West -- whose policy is already neutered after six years of hapless half-interventions in the war -- is that al Qaeda and remnants of ISIS also haunt Idlib. Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, now rebranded as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has a strong presence there, among other jihadists, as well as moderates. US airstrikes have gone for al Qaeda targets there. Western officials are worried about the concentration of extremists in this one pocket who have thus far escaped the deadly scrutiny of the campaign against ISIS. The landscape of Idlib is flat and often inhospitable. There are millions sheltering there, with perhaps as many as a hundred thousand looking for new homes in the crammed camps if the regime keeps up its assault. Turkey, where once they might have fled, has closed its border and is publicly closer to the Russian-backed Syrian regime than ever before. This is the final holdout, perhaps, of Syria's Sunni rebellion, and it is facing a ghastly yet hideously unnoticed onslaught.
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199 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/05/politics/rex-tillerson-transcript/index.html">Transcript: CNN's exclusive interview with Rex Tillerson</a>
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203 <span>Jan 6, 2018</span>
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206 Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke exclusively with CNN's Global Affairs Correspondent Elise Labott Friday. Here is a transcript: ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Secretary Tillerson thanks so much for joining us, and Happy New Year. SECRETARY REX TILLERSON: Happy New Year to you and to all the Americans out there as well. It's a pleasure. LABOTT: Let's start with North Korea. There was big news last night about the North and South arranging talks for next week. North Korea now, coming to the table. Is that an opening, maybe for talks with the US, or nuclear talks? TILLERSON: Well, I think it's too early to tell. We need to wait and see what the outcome of their talks are. The President had a -- President Trump had a good call with President Moon yesterday morning, which I participated in. And their intent is to talk about the Olympics. Obviously a very important upcoming event for South Korea and the potential participation of North Korea in those Olympics, so our understanding is that's the content of the meetings. So, I think it's a little early to draw any conclusions at this point. LABOTT: But it could be a positive sign, maybe, that North Korea wants to engage a little bit? TILLERSON: Well, we'll see. We'll see. Perhaps. I know some are speculating that this may be their first effort to open a channel, but as you know we've had channels open to North Korea for some time, and so they do know how to reach us if and when they're ready to engage with us as well. LABOTT: Well maybe you'll be next. TILLERSON: We'll see. LABOTT: If you can explain a little bit about what the US policy is on North Korea, because I think Americas are a little bit confused. Do the North Koreans have to give up their nuclear program before committing to talks? TILLERSON: Our policy is the complete, verifiable, irreversible, denuclearization... LABOTT: Right. TILLERSON: ...of the Korean peninsula. That is a policy that is commonly held by everyone in the region as well. LABOTT: Right. TILLERSON: The Chinese have that as a stated policy. Russia has it as a stated policy. So, regionally, all of the countries in the neighboring area, as well as the international community, are well aligned on the policy. How we achieve the ultimate endpoint -- the final fully -- full denuclearization, the verification of that, and the irreversibility of it, clearly that's going to take some time. So how we begin the talks is yet to be determined, but we clearly need a signal from North Korea that they understand these talks must lead to that conclusion. The pathway of how you get there, that is the nature of a negotiation. There'll be some give and take to achieve those objectives. So that objective has never changed. LABOTT: Because you said, it's unrealistic for them to kind of sit down and say, we're ready to do it. But it sounds like, you know, they have to show some willingness, but then the mechanics of that are able to be worked out. TILLERSON: We have to have a shared view that that is the reason we're talking. That's the purpose of these talks, and it is through those talks that North Korea actually can chart the way for themselves of a more secured future, a more prosperous future for their people as well. So there are very positive outcomes to these talks from North Korea as there will be positive outcomes for the security of the entire region. That is the nature of the negotiations. LABOTT: Do you think -- a lot's been made about the President's tweet on the nuclear button, but now North Korea's talking with South Korea. Do you think that tough rhetoric has worked here? TILLERSON: I think the rhetoric that North Korea understands is while it is our objective, and the President's been very clear, to achieve a denuclearization through diplomatic efforts, those diplomatic efforts are backed by a strong military option if necessary. That is not the first choice, and the President's been clear that's not his first choice. But, it is important that North Koreans as well as other regional players understand how high the stakes are in an effort to ensure our diplomatic efforts are fully supported, and I think to date, the diplomatic efforts have been supported very well in the international community. If you look at the three U.N. Security Council resolutions on sanctions, the participation in those sanctions and a number of countries going well beyond the Security Council resolutions and imposing unilateral actions on their own, both economic as well as diplomatic. I think it is a recognition that the President has demonstrated to the world how high the stakes are. That's why we must achieve a diplomatic outcome, but the North Koreans have to understand that, and they have to understand that the penalties to them will continue and will only grow more severe in terms of sanctions actions and other actions until they do get on a pathway to achieve that objective that the entire world hopes to achieve. LABOTT: So it sounds like this kind of good cop, bad cop if you will. Hold out the prospect of talk, but if talks don't work, military action. That might be the formula that you and the President will continue. TILLERSON: I'm going to let you characterize that way. I'm not going to necessarily show all of our cards. LABOTT: Let's go to Iran. You've said that you want to support "elements in the country that will lead to a peaceful transition of government." That sounds like regime change. TILLERSON: Well, I think the Iranian have suffered under this regime, the regime that is -- it is a revolutionary government. They've described themselves as a revolutionary government, and the Iranian people have suffered under this regime. Very little good has happened for the Iranian people. Ever since this regime has taken power, they have suffered under economic sanctions because of this regime's destabilizing activities in the region. At some point, people will decide this is not how they want to live any longer, but we always support a peaceful transition of power. We do not support violent transitions of power, but we do support peaceful transitions of power, and we've seen those expressions in years past with the large demonstrations at the elections in 2009, the demonstrations that we see in the streets today. We are supportive of the Iranian people achieving their aspirations for a better quality of life, for greater freedom. We believe they deserve that, but it will be up to the Iranian people to manage that peaceful transition. We support that. LABOTT: How do you help them facilitate that? TILLERSON: I think by amplifying their voices. When they go to the street, we listen to why they are there, what are their concerns. And where there are legitimate concerns, and we agree that their concerns are legitimate, we should support the expression of those. And that's what the President has done, the White House, the Vice President, myself here at the State Department, through statements we've made is to give their voice amplification. We know the regime listens to the world, and that's why we've been working diligently with others in the world, including our European partners, to also amplify these voices within the country to say to the regime "you must address these concerns of these people, and you should address it by beginning a process of reform. LABOTT: How does that factor into your decision on sanctions? Do you support waiving sanctions at this next certification? TILLERSON: Well, we've been very clear on our policy in Iran. The prior administration focused all of the Iranian policy around the nuclear deal, the JCPOA. Our policy is much broader. LABOTT: Right. TILLERSON: We look at the totality of Iran's actions and behaviors. So the decisions around waiving sanctions relative to the nuclear agreement and decisions to take in terms of imposing additional sanctions on Iran that are unrelated to the nuclear agreement are -- there's a broad array when you talk about sanctions, and I think -- LABOTT: So non-nuclear sanctions, you're talking about? TILLERSON: Well, I think some people get confused sometimes and it's understandable. But Iran's support for the Houthis in Yemen, their support for destabilization efforts in Syria, the funding of militias, the sending of foreign fighters, arming terrorist organizations in the region, Lebanese, Hezbollah, that has to be dealt with. And our sanctions are targeted at Iran's destabilizing activities within the region, while still maintaining all our efforts to ensure Iran never acquires nuclear weapons. So there are sanctions regimes built around both of those efforts, and what the President has done with his policies, is he's now looked at Iran in its totality and said Iran has to be held to account in both of these areas. LABOTT: So it sounds like maybe, even if you certify on the nuclear assure, more sanctions -- more non-nuclear sanctions could be coming. TILLERSON: They will be coming, there were non-nuclear sanctions announced yesterday by the Treasury Department in response to Iran's missile -- ballistic missile development programs, which are in violation of earlier agreements. LABOTT: And more to come? TILLERSON: In all likelihood, unless Iran alters its behavior. And again, this is the objective of the sanctions is to -- is to put enough pressure on these governments that they decide the price -- the cost of what they're doing is too high. LABOTT: Well, and also, the revolutionary guard's grip on the economy, right? That's really what you're trying to... TILLERSON: That's a lot of what the demonstrations in the streets were about, is young people and others saying, you know, there's too much of our economy and the wealth of our country going to support these destabilizing activities of the IRGC, as well as the IRGC's involvement in our economy. We're not seeing enough of the benefit, the elites are seeing the benefit. LABOTT: Let's talk about Russia. You came in, the President wanted a better relationship. It's been a tough year. What do you see as the flashpoints next year? TILLERSON: Well, it has been a difficult year with Russia. We clearly -- and I've said clearly, the President stated clearly -- our two nations should have a more productive relationship. Today it's very strained for all reasons that I think the American people well understand. Having said that, we have maintained a constant engagement with Russia, very active engagement. The President has had two face to face meetings with President Putin and he's had phone calls with him as well. I have a very active line of communication as does DOD with Russian counterparts. LABOTT: But I hear when you're with Foreign Minister Lavrov, you're -- yo
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222 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/05/us/five-things-january-5-trnd/index.html">5 things for January 5: Trump book, cybersecurity, marijuana, North Korea</a>
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225 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
226 <span>Jan 5, 2018</span>
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229 Thinking about taking a big trip this year but stuck on where to go? How about, oh, you know, SPACE. We have your guide to commercial space travel in 2018, plus everything else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.) 1. Trump book The fire and fury over "Fire and Fury," the book that allegedly contains bombshell information about Team Trump, is growing. After excerpts exposed some distressing claims from insiders, the President's lawyers fired off cease and desist letters to ex-aide Steve Bannon, who is widely quoted, and to author Michael Wolff's publisher. The publisher responded by moving up the book release date to today. In response, Trump tweeted his complaints, saying the author had no White House access, calling the book "full of lies" and coining a degrading nickname for Bannon: "Sloppy Steve." As for what's actually in the book? CNN obtained a copy, and among the serious claims is one about that 2016 campaign meeting in Trump Tower involving a Russian lawyer. Wolff says Trump insisted the meeting was about adoption policy -- after knowledge of the confab became public -- even though reporters likely already had evidence it was set to obtain dirt on Hillary Clinton. And former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer noted this about Bannon's documented criticisms of Trump and his family: "While he may continue to say he's a supporter of the President and his agenda, what we didn't hear is a denial." 2. Cybersecurity Cybersecurity researchers this week revealed two serious processor flaws that could leave billions of devices around the world vulnerable to all kinds of breaches. Now, Apple has confirmed that all its iPhones, iPads and Mac computers are affected by the flaws, which are called Spectre and Meltdown. So, what should Apple users do? For starters, make sure your iPhone, iPads, computers and all apps you use are kept up to date to help protect against hackers exploiting the flaws. In fact, no matter what sort of device you have, experts say you should update your software -- like, NOW -- and brace yourself for slower device speeds for a while. 3. Marijuana The industry of green is seeing red after Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded a trio of memos from the Obama administration that had adopted a policy of non-interference with marijuana-friendly state laws. This means federal prosecutors can now have a serious hand in how possession and distribution is regulated in states where marijuana is legal. The news sent marijuana-related stocks tumbling and had some wondering what might happen to an industry that took in $8 billion in sales last year and is expected to grow to $23 billion nationally by 2020 and create more than 280,000 jobs. 4. North Korea It looks like there is a bit of optimism on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has accepted South Korea's proposal for official talks in what will be the first high-level contact between the two countries in more than two years. The person-to-person talks will be held Tuesday at the Peace House in the Demilitarized Zone between the two nations, a South Korean spokesperson said. High among the immediate priorities is North Korea's involvement in the upcoming Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Both nations have seemed enthusiastic about this prospect. Other nations, however, are not as enthusiastic about the apparent thaw in diplomatic relations. Leaders from Japan and the US have expressed serious concern over the escalation of North Korea's nuclear program and have cast a wary eye at this latest detente. 5. Retail woes It is a dark era for some former retail giants. Sears Holdings announced it is closing 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores. While the rise of online shopping has spelled a precipitous decline for those brands, even stronger-looking stores are feeling the pinch. Macy's and JCPenney both saw growth at the end of the year, but the time ahead is expected to be bleak. Macy's has also said it plans to close 11 more stores in early 2018. It's even worse for L Brands, the owner of Victoria's Secret, Pink and Bath & Body Works, which slashed its fourth quarter profit outlook and saw share values plunge 15%. NUMBER OF THE DAY 36 The number of states facing widespread flu activity. Experts say it's not too late to get a shot. Plus, good news for people with egg allergies: New guidelines say the shots are safe for you, too. BREAKFAST BROWSE People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. Met Museum of Art in NYC will start charging $25 to out-of-staters THIS IS AN ARTRAGE! FDA issues new food safety guidance after criticism of slow recall responses But enjoy that breakfast sandwich, though. It's probably fine ... Here's how parents tackle bedtime around the world In a word? Carefully. World's longest glass bridge opens in China, and it's a narrow suspension bridge over a 715-foot gorge Haha, no, thank you! Absolutely not. QUIZ TIME What ceremony kicks off the entertainment awards season this weekend? 1. The SAG Awards 2. The Grammys 3. The Golden Globes 4. The Oscars Find out the answer in Total Recall, CNN's weekly news quiz! AND FINALLY ... Have you ever seen a robot dog slip on a banana peel? It's OK to laugh ... for now, at least. Eventually, the robots will know we are laughing, and they will silence us forever. (Click here to view.)
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245 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/05/africa/preserving-heritage-african-sites-3-d/index.html">Meet the scientists immortalizing African heritage in virtual reality</a>
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249 <span>Jan 5, 2018</span>
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252 The archaeological wonders of the world offer a rich window into the past. But many are crumbling, weed-laden and victim to vandalism and conflict. UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as those in Libya and Mali, have been caught in the crossfire of regional disputes. Concerned with the decay of African heritage sites, The Zamani Project, based at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, is seeking to immortalize historic spots in three-dimensional, virtual reality-ready models. Professor Heinz Ruther steers the project. He ventures up and down the continent -- visiting Ghana, Tanzania, Mali, Ethiopia, Kenya and elsewhere -- recording in remarkable detail the structure and condition of tombs, churches and other buildings. "I've seen how sites are deteriorating visibly," Ruther told CNN. The project's aim is to build a database of complex, lifelike 3-D models. Presently, they've mapped around 16 sites including Lalibela in Ethiopia, Timbuktu in Mali and Kilwa in Tanzania. Digital landscapes The project's been running for 10 years and the team have digitally archived locations in all corners of the continent. Its mission is a worthy one: to preserve sites for future generations. Each site can take the team months to document. They travel to unsafe, hostile regions with high-tech laser scanners and drones. "(People) are suspicious as they think it is for military use," Ruther says. To record the archaeological structures, they position the scanner at various angles around the building, sending a laser which records around 10,000 points per second. "We use GPS measurements and try to cover every single aspect of the sites, that is every single corner. We go to areas which are not very attractive -- we cover everything," Ruther explains. Back at the university they collate all the spatial data to create the finished product, which can be experienced in virtual reality. "If you put Oculus glasses on you can walk through the sites we generate," Ruther says. He claims The Zamani Project is the only African-based organization 3-D mapping cultural heritage sites. 3-D preservation of history World heritage sites have not only been mapped in 3-D, but also built using 3-D printers. Palmyra's Triumphal Arch, which was destroyed by ISIS in Syria to global condemnation, was reconstructed using 3-D printing technology based on images previously captured of the structure. The project was undertaken by Oxford's Institute of Digital Archaeology, created to express solidarity with Syrians and the effort to preserve archaeological sites under threat. The future of the past There is a perennial threat to heritage sites from human activity and nature. "A slow deterioration (can happen) as vegetation grows over the side (of buildings). People also use the stones of the buildings to build their houses. It's a wide range of things, including terrorism," Ruther tells CNN. As of 2017, Africa has 138 UNESCO World Heritage Sites -- a small number given the amount of important historical and cultural landmarks on the continent. While efforts increase to bring recognition to African heritage, safeguarding this past could depend on high-tech methods used by Ruther and his team.
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268 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/05/us/san-francisco-terror-suspect-indicted/index.html">Suspect indicted in thwarted San Francisco terror attack</a>
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270 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
271 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
272 <span>Jan 5, 2018</span>
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275 A former US Marine suspected of plotting a Christmas holiday terror attack on a popular San Francisco tourist destination was indicted Thursday by a grand jury. Everitt Aaron Jameson said he wanted to use pipe bombs to "funnel people into an area in order to shoot them," at Pier 39, according to the federal indictment. Jameson, 26 of Modesto, California, was indicted on one count each of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and distribution of information relating to destructive devices, according to court papers. He was arrested on December 22. In a statement to CNN on Thursday, Jameson's federally appointed public defender Charles Lee said his office "will investigate the possibility of an entrapment defense, as well as the government's inability to prove beyond a reasonable doubt any attempted criminal act given Mr. Jameson told the FBI undercover employee 'I also don't think I can do this after all. I've reconsidered.' " In court papers, Lee said Jameson is mentally ill and didn't have the means to carry out the attack, The Fresno Bee reported Thursday. The FBI had started watching Jameson in September after becoming aware of social media activity in which he "liked" or "loved" posts about terror attacks and ISIS, according to a federal affidavit written by an FBI agent. Undercover FBI agents posed as ISIS supporters and contacted Jameson. He met with an undercover FBI employee on December 16 and told them he wanted to conduct the attack using weapons and explosives, the complaint said. Jameson asked the agent for remote timing devices for the pipe bombs and described how to use the devices in the attack, the indictment said. According to the affidavit, Jameson said Christmas Day "was the perfect day to commit the attack," which would be styled after the October 31 attack in New York City in which a man killed eight people when he drove a truck down a bike lane, the affidavit said. Jameson had said he'd just started working as a tow truck driver, which could help in the attack, according to the affidavit. He expressed loyalty to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and offered to donate money and contribute his firearms skills, the affidavit said. Jameson asked the undercover agents to get him an assault rifle and explosives and sent them photos of what appeared to be Pier 39, the affidavit said. Jameson had served in the US Marines in 2009 and attained a sharpshooter rifle qualification. He was later discharged for fraudulent enlistment because he failed to disclose a latent asthma history, the affidavit said. After several communications on December 18, Jameson appeared to back out, telling an undercover agent, "I also don't think I can do this after all. I've reconsidered," the affidavit said. Authorities searched his Modesto home on December 20 and found firearms, empty magazines, ammunition and fireworks, the complaint said. They also found a will and a handwritten letter, which said "you've allowed Donald Trump to give Al Quds away to the Jews," in an apparent reference to the President's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, according to the complaint. "We have penetrated and infiltrated your disgusting country," the letter said, according to the complaint. Lee argued authorities didn't find any bomb-making materials in the home. He also said the guns authorities did find belonged to a relative who legally owned them and had locked them in a gun case Jameson couldn't access, The Fresno Bee reported. Jameson is being held in the Fresno County Jail without bail pending his trial and is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court on Friday, CNN affiliate KPIX reported.
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291 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/04/politics/us-europe-divided-over-iran-protests/index.html">Iran protests spur tensions between Trump admin and Europe</a>
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295 <span>Jan 5, 2018</span>
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298 Tension is brewing between the US and Europe over how the international community should address the deadly protests in Iran, several diplomats and Trump administration officials told CNN. While the US and its European partners -- including the United Kingdom, France and Germany -- all fundamentally support the right of Iranian demonstrators to peacefully protest, they disagree in their analysis of where the situation on the ground is headed and over the strategic value of ramping up the rhetoric publicly, sources said. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has gone all in with its very vocal support of the demonstrators and harsh condemnation of the Iranian government. The differences may manifest themselves in public Friday afternoon, when the United Nations Security Council holds a meeting on the Iran protests. "The United States has spoken clearly and unequivocally," Vice President Mike Pence wrote in a Washington Post op-ed Wednesday. "Unfortunately, many of our European partners, as well as the United Nations, have thus far failed to forcefully speak out on the growing crisis in Iran. It's time for them to stand up." Senior administration officials told CNN that, on principle, the US thinks that supporting the protesters is morally the right thing to do because when people risk their lives for expanded freedoms they should never wonder where America stands. But officials also said it serves American interests because they are undermining a regime identified as a state sponsor of terrorism. "The protests are weakening the regime and we see more fissures in the foundation," one senior official told CNN. While the White House has not definitely said whether it supports regime change in Iran, some European allies have interpreted the administration's aggressive public response as calling for just that. European nations see US expectations as unrealistic, diplomats told CNN. "It is healthy for the West that the Iranian people are openly criticizing the regime policies we don't like ... but the Trump policy and tone seems very ideological," a Western diplomat said. "This is not regime collapse, so their hopes that they are are not grounded in reality." While they may not be "revolutionary," the protests are a "genuine problem for the (Iranian) government. People are protesting the economy, and the regime is not well placed to fix the economy," the Western diplomat said, adding that the situation "gives US and European policymakers something to work with." But uncertainty over how long the protests will continue has prompted European countries to collectively take a much more cautious approach to what it says publicly than the US. "The Europeans are trying to be much more measured and just defend the principles of freedom of assembly and emphasize the Iranians' right to demonstrate," the Western diplomat told CNN. "We don't want to be naive or get overexcited." While all sides seem to agree on what they would ultimately like to see happen in Iran, European diplomats have told CNN that there is a gap over how to accomplish those goals and what to say publicly. European diplomats have said US rhetoric is feeding the Iranian regime's narrative and that falling in line with the Trump administration's messaging would only compound the problem. "The worst thing is for everyone to be siding with Trump cheering them on," the Western diplomat told CNN, noting that the Iranian regime is already manipulating US and European comments to discredit the protests and claim they are the result of foreign interference. "The US can help keep social media open, help track spending of the regime. But the most useful thing we can do is shut up," the diplomat said. Getting Europe to talk France, Germany, the UK and the US State Department had planned on putting out a strongly worded condemnation of the Iranian government on Tuesday but that fell apart mainly because of some not wanting to be connected with US policy, diplomats told CNN. "On this issue, like on all the issues regarding democracy and human rights, France, who has expressed itself on a national basis, favors the EU framework for its statements," a French diplomat said when asked why his country did not want to sign a joint statement with the US. Senior administration officials said US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson early on saw a need for a statement supporting the protesters and tried to get a number of European countries to sign on. While no party disagreed on the substance of the statement, the Europeans preferred to have the European Union issue a statement for a variety of reasons, the administration officials said. The US says Europeans were pushing Italian politician Federica Mogherini -- the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy at the EU -- for days to make a statement -- and in the end tried to leverage US efforts to force her hand into finally issuing the statement. "Mogherini failed to see that violence against peaceful protesters required a clear statement of support. She was silent for six days while people died. We were frustrated, European governments were frustrated and we all were disappointed," one senior administration official told CNN. Tuesday, the EU said it was "closely following the ongoing demonstrations in Iran, the increase of violence and the unacceptable loss of human lives."
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314 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/04/politics/us-suspends-security-assistance-to-pakistan/index.html">US suspends security assistance to Pakistan</a>
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316 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
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318 <span>Jan 5, 2018</span>
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321 The United States is suspending security assistance to Pakistan over what it sees as a failure by the Pakistani government to adequately clamp down on terror groups within its borders, the State Department announced Thursday. "We will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters. The assistance being suspended is expected to top $1 billion. One administration official said the suspension includes around $1 billion in security assistance including foreign military financing (FMF) from prior years as well as $255 FMF financing from the 2016 fiscal year, which had not yet been disbursed and which the administration previously announced it would be withholding, as well as coalition support funds. Historically, the United States has provided Pakistan over $1 billion in security assistance annually. The Trump and Obama administrations had previously withheld $350 million in FY2016 coalition support funds due to similar concerns about Pakistan's failure to go after Taliban and Haqqani fighters. Cmdr. Patrick Evans, a spokesman for the Pentagon, told CNN the announced freeze also applied to coalition support funds for fiscal year 2017, which amount to $900 million. "Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not canceled, as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorist and militant groups that we seek," Evans told CNN. The US does not plan to suspend any civilian assistance to Pakistan, the State official said, and will make exemptions for some security funding "on a case-by-case basis." All of that money could be provided to the Pakistani government in the future if it takes certain "specific and concrete steps" relayed to it by the administration, the official noted, telling reporters the administration wants Pakistan to see the decision "as an incentive, not a punishment." "The United States stands ready to work with Pakistan in combating all terrorists without distinction," Nauert said at the agency's news briefing, "and we hope to be able to renew and deepen our bilateral security relationship when Pakistan demonstrates its willingness to aggressively confront the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network and other terrorist and militant groups that operate from within its country." The move should not come as a surprise to Pakistani leaders, Nauert said, adding that the assistance could be made available to Pakistan in the future if it takes certain steps to deny terrorists a haven and more aggressively confront groups "who threaten US interests." In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta questioned the decision, saying it risks pushing Pakistan toward a closer relationship with China and Russia -- US adversaries that have been strengthening their economic ties with the Pakistani government in recent years. The announcement is the latest in a string of actions and sharp statements by US officials targeting Pakistan. President Donald Trump rang in the new year on Monday morning with a pointed tweet, accusing the government of "lies & deceit." The next day, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley addressed reporters and accused Pakistan of playing "a double game for years" in its counterterrorism cooperation with the United States. "They work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan," Haley said. "That game is not acceptable to this administration." In August, the Trump administration unveiled its South Asia strategy, aimed at turning the tide in Afghanistan, where the US has been engaged in a protracted 17-year war. Speaking at the time, Trump accused Pakistan of giving "safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror," and said the time had come "for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilization, order, and to peace." "It's been more than four months since the President's speech," Nauert said at the State Department Tuesday. "And despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilize Afghanistan, and also attack US and allied personnel." Earlier Tuesday, the State Department announced that it had placed Pakistan on a special watch list "for severe violations of religious freedom," as part of its obligations under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 -- action that was unrelated to the decision on security assistance. This article has been updated.
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337 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/04/opinions/trump-pakistan-danger-opinion-jawaid/index.html">Trump's unfair attack on Pakistan</a>
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340 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
341 <span>Jan 4, 2018</span>
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344 President Donald Trump's first tweet of 2018 has renewed tension between the United States and Pakistan. It read, "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Aside from the fact that Trump's tweet is factually incorrect -- Pakistan has received less aid than stated -- his words also isolated a critical ally in the war on terror. Without Pakistan by its side, the United States will struggle to find a clear endgame in Afghanistan and a viable partner in South Asia. That said, Trump's tweets are just the latest installment in a series of diplomatic setbacks since last summer, when the White House unveiled its Afghanistan policy, which singled out Pakistan for providing "safe havens for terrorist organizations" and asked it to do more to target militants and demonstrate its commitment to peace and security. What followed were a series of canceled diplomatic visits, demands from the US secretary of defense that Pakistan "redouble" its efforts against Islamist militants, and, most recently, the Trump administration's first national security strategy, in which the President reminded Pakistan that it is obliged to help the United States because it receives "massive payments." In response to Trump's latest tweet, Pakistan Minister for Defense Khurram Dastgir Khan tweeted from his official account: "Pak as anti-terror ally has given free to US: land & air communication, military bases & intel cooperation that decimated Al Qaeda over last 16yrs, but they have given us nothing but invective & mistrust. They overlook cross-border safe havens of terrorists who murder Pakistanis." And the minister is not wrong. Pakistan has made huge sacrifices on behalf of the United States. Facts matter. As does math. Trump's claim of "33 billion dollars in aid" is based on a number provided by the Congressional Research Service, which documents allocated aid -- but not actual dispersed funds. This figure is a sum of $19 billion in security and economic aid and an additional $14.59 billion from the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), which reimburses US allies for logistical and military support. However, since 2001, according to USAID, the US has only given Pakistan $14.79 billion in civilian and military aid, and funds from the CSF have periodically been revised, delayed or blocked. Not all of the allocated funds have been disbursed, due to concerns regarding Pakistan's efforts to target Islamist militant groups, such as the Haqqani network, aligned with the Afghan Taliban and responsible for launching attacks in Afghanistan. As US officials question Pakistan's commitment, Pakistani officials claim that Pakistan has done more than enough in confronting terrorism within its borders. The Haqqanis, among other militant groups, have been targeted in military operations conducted in the tribal areas for Pakistan's own national security interest. A country susceptible to growing extremism, Pakistan's fight against terrorism has shown illustrative successes. In August 2017, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa stated that due to various military operations, the most recent being Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad -- launched in February 2017 to eliminate residual terrorism and consolidate the gains made from previous operations -- there were no longer "safe havens for terrorists in Pakistan." And in October 2017, Pakistan's foreign minister, Khawaja Asif, invited American authorities to visit Pakistan and said, "If they find any activity [of Haqqanis] in the targeted areas, our troops along with the US would destroy them once and for all." Furthermore, in 2017, the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations, Major Gen. Asif Ghafoor, released figures stating that intelligence agencies had foiled 477 terrorist plots within the country. And the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), which measures the impact of terrorism around the world, also shows a marked decline in terrorism-related violence in Pakistan since 2014, in part attributable to military operations targeting militants in tribal areas. While all terrorism has not been eliminated, Pakistan has made major strides for a country once considered a Taliban safe haven. But it's also worth noting that much of the US aid that has been received ignores the economic and human cost of war on Pakistan. Pakistan's Ministry of Finance estimates that since the country became a frontline ally to the United States, its economy has suffered close to a $123.1 billion loss. This number factors in loss of life, economic opportunity and damaged infrastructure. On civilian casualties alone, a 2015 report issued by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War places the number at 48,504 death between 2003-2015. Speaking with CNN in August 2017, one of Pakistan's most prominent political leaders, Imran Khan, places the number even higher at 70,000 casualties. And it is wrong to assume that Washington would disburse aid to nations of no strategic significance or political value if they don't further American strategic objectives. Any aid to Pakistan has helped fulfill American interests not only in its war in Afghanistan, but in South Asia at large. Pakistan is a key player in combating terrorism and establishing a democratic regime in Afghanistan. After all, it is in Pakistan's interest to have a western neighbor that is economically and politically stable. Which is to say neither Pakistan nor the United States can afford to act solely based on rhetoric. While Twitter makes for great political posturing, international politics is a game that requires realistic analysis of state capacity, calculated risk assessments and diplomatic overtures. In Pakistan, at least for now, it seems that cooler heads will prevail. While attempting to take the high road, on Tuesday, Pakistan's National Security Committee reached the consensus that the state "cannot act in haste" and would remain committed to playing a constructive role in the region. And the country's fiery foreign minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has already publicly offered to hire a US-based audit firm "on our expenses" to verify the $33 billion aid figure and "let the world know who is lying & deceiving." That is not to say that Pakistan's political elite or the general population will remain silent and let the President belittle their nation indefinitely. With 2018 likely to usher in new elections, Pakistanis are deeply united on not tolerating further American pressure or rhetorical attack.
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360 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/03/politics/trump-16-tweets-analysis/index.html">Donald Trump's 16-tweet Tuesday tells the wild story of his entire presidency</a>
361 </h3>
362 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
363 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
364 <span>Jan 3, 2018</span>
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366 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
367 On Tuesday, his first full day back in the White House after a holiday break spent in Florida, President Donald Trump sent 16 tweets. Sixteen! While that wasn't Trump's single day record for tweets, it was more than double the seven he averages per day, according to Twitter Counter. And those 16 tweets -- a mishmash of foreign policy, media grievances, cable TV recommendations and just plain old grievances -- make for a compelling pastiche. In fact, if an alien landed on Earth today -- now more possible than ever! -- you could show him/her/it Trump's Twitter timeline from Tuesday as a way to explain the entirety of the Trump phenomenon. Given that, I thought it might make sense to detail each of Trump's tweet on Tuesday -- in the order he tweeted them -- with an occasional bit of commentary and/or context. 1. "The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their "pockets." The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!" (7:09 a.m.) This was a continuation of a series of Trump tweets over the weekend in which he sided with the Iranian protesters and against the Iran government. He also throws in a shot at former President Barack Obama, a very Trumpian way of making clear he is not to blame for the past mistakes of the US leadership in the region. 2. "Crooked Hillary Clinton's top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others." (7:48 a.m.) I wrote about this tweet -- specifically how abnormal it was -- on Tuesday. 3. "Thank you to Brandon Judd of the National Border Patrol Council for your kind words on how well we are doing at the Border. We will be bringing in more & more of your great folks and will build the desperately needed WALL! @foxandfriends" (8:44 a.m.) Trump live-tweets TV -- especially "Fox & Friends." It's kind of his thing. 4. "Companies are giving big bonuses to their workers because of the Tax Cut Bill. Really great!" (8:49 a.m.) He's right about this. Southwest Airlines and American became the latest companies to do so on Tuesday night. Also, Trump is patting himself on the back here -- in case you somehow missed that. 5. "Sanctions and 'other' pressures are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not - we will see!" (9:08 a.m.) This tweet -- if nothing else had come after it -- would look prescient given that North Korea opened a communications channel with South Korea for the first time in almost two years overnight. Of course, 11 tweets came after this one. 6. "Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!" (9:13 a.m.) The oddest of all of Trump's morning tweets. As lots (and lots) of people have noted, there hasn't been a fatality on a commercial US carrier since 2009. 7. "The Failing New York Times has a new publisher, A.G. Sulzberger. Congratulations! Here is a last chance for the Times to fulfill the vision of its Founder, Adolph Ochs, 'to give the news impartially, without fear or FAVOR, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved.' Get..." (9:39 am) No big surprise here. Trump is obsessed with the media and its coverage of him. And he cares deeply about how The New York Times, which he views as his hometown paper, covers him. Yes, it's a little shocking to go from North Korea to plane travel to The New York Times in the space of less than a half hour, but this is Trump being Trump. 8. "....impartial journalists of a much higher standard, lose all of your phony and non-existent 'sources,' and treat the President of the United States FAIRLY, so that the next time I (and the people) win, you won't have to write an apology to your readers for a job poorly done! GL" (9:53 a.m.) Halfway there! Remember this: Trump defines "fair" coverage as coverage that is favorable to him. Which is not what "fair" means. Sidebar: What is the "GL" at the end of this tweet? "Good Luck" to Sulzberger? 9. "Democrats are doing nothing for DACA - just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start 'falling in love' with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS." (10:16 a.m.) Trump is the one who got rid of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program put in place by Obama. While anything is possible, that fact makes it unlikely that DACA recipients will be "falling in love" with Trump anytime soon. 10. "We will not rest until all of America's GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time. Keep up the great work @SecShulkin @DeptVetAffairs! https://instagram.com/p/BddOPJfAngh/" (1:11 p.m.) The most "normal" and "presidential" tweet of the day for Trump. The video linked here touts all that Trump has done for veterans. 11. "Congratulations to Senator Orrin Hatch on an absolutely incredible career. He has been a tremendous supporter, and I will never forget the (beyond kind) statements he has made about me as President. He is my friend and he will be greatly missed in the U.S. Senate!" (5:23 p.m.) A tweet in response to the news that Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch was retiring. Worth noting: Trump had all-but-begged Hatch to run for an eighth term so as to keep Mitt Romney from coming to the Senate. 12. "It's not only Pakistan that we pay billions of dollars to for nothing, but also many other countries, and others. As an example, we pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They don't even want to negotiate a long overdue..." (5:37 p.m.) Threatening the Palestinians via Twitter? Why not! 13." ...peace treaty with Israel. We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more. But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?" (5:37 p.m.) Twitter diplomacy at its finest. 14. "North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the "Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times." Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" (7:49 p.m.) His nuclear button is way bigger than yours. 15. "I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 o'clock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!" (8:05 p.m.) From a nuclear measuring contest with North Korea to awards for bad media -- all in the space of 16 minutes! 16. "'President Trump has something now he didn't have a year ago, that is a set of accomplishments that nobody can deny. The accomplishments are there, look at his record, he has had a very significant first year.' @LouDobbs Show,David Asman & Ed Rollins" (11:03 p.m.) We (he?) did it! And, because we all go back to what we know, Trump ends the day live-tweeting more television -- and more flattering comments about himself. What a day! Who's ready for the rest of the week?!
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375 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/03/politics/us-airstrike-january-somalia/index.html">
376 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/111202020025-pentagon-aerial-story-body.jpg">
377 </a>
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382 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
383 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/03/politics/us-airstrike-january-somalia/index.html">US says 2 terrorists killed in Somalia airstrike</a>
384 </h3>
385 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
386 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
387 <span>Jan 3, 2018</span>
388 </div>
389 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
390 US forces conducted an airstrike on Tuesday targeting Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia, US Africa Command said, the latest military action against the terror group in the country. The strike killed two terrorists and destroyed "one vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, preventing it from being used against the people in Mogadishu," the statement said. The early morning strike occurred approximately 50 kilometers west of Mogadishu, the Somalian capital. US Africa Command assesses that no civilians were killed in the strike. "US forces will continue to use all authorized and appropriate measures to protect the United States, its partners and interests, and deny safe haven to terrorist groups," the statement continued. There have been over 30 strikes in Somalia since President Donald Trump took office. A Christmas Eve airstrike against Al-Shabaab killed 13 terrorists, US Africa Command said. In December, a State Department official told CNN the US is cutting some military aid to Somalia due to allegations of misuse, a move that comes even though the US has become more involved in Somalia, fighting Al-Shabaab and ISIS with airstrikes and having some 500 US troops in the country to advise local forces.
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398 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/politics/donald-trump-iran-deal-deadlines/index.html">
399 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180102113215-01-iran-protest-0101-story-body.jpg">
400 </a>
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405 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
406 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/politics/donald-trump-iran-deal-deadlines/index.html">Iran deal deadlines loom as Trump weighs sanctions</a>
407 </h3>
408 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
409 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
410 <span>Jan 3, 2018</span>
411 </div>
412 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
413 President Donald Trump has used Iranian anti-government protests as an opportunity to slam the Iran nuclear deal ahead of key legal deadlines looming this month, actions that may foreshadow how he plans to proceed. In mid-January, Trump will once again have to decide whether to certify Iran's compliance with the deal -- a process that must occur every 90 days according to the terms of the agreement. The President also faces what is perhaps an even more significant deadline beginning on January 12, over whether to renew temporary waivers for US sanctions against Iran. The renewal of those waivers -- which provide relief for US sanctions not set to expire for several years -- must occur every 120 days to keep the US a party to the deal and thus not violate the accord. Trump waived the sanctions at the last deadline but has since decertified Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement, raising questions about whether the US will continue to extend sanctions relief stemming from the deal with Iran. Precedent suggests that Trump will renew the waivers this month, but nothing is certain, according to Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior Iran analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who noted that failing to do so could "send a message that the US is not keeping its terms of the deal." White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday that Trump has not yet made a decision on whether to sign a sanctions waiver later this month, but that the administration is keeping "our options open" as far as sanctions against Iran are concerned. "We certainly keep our options open in terms of sanctions. In terms of signing a waiver later in January, the President hasn't made a final decision on that," Sanders said. "He's going to keep every option on the table." A decision not to renew the waivers could be viewed by Iran and European allies of the US as a violation of the agreement and further derail any hopes of salvaging the deal. Will Trump decertify Iran's compliance again? Trump did not kill the nuclear deal in 2017, but he did choose to decertify Iran's compliance with the agreement in October -- declaring that the Obama-era pact was not in US interests as he unveiled a tough new policy toward the Islamic Republic. He accused Iran of committing "multiple violations of the agreement," despite the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency, America's European allies and even his own government said Tehran is complying with the 2015 deal. At the time, Trump warned that he would unilaterally kill the deal if Congress and US allies failed to take steps toward strengthening it: "In the event we are not able to reach a solution working with Congress and our allies, then the agreement will be terminated. It is under continuous review and our participation can be canceled by me as President at any time." The administration has also said it is seeking new legislation through Congress to end the perpetual certification process every 90 days, but nothing has yet to come out of Capitol Hill on that front. When Trump decided to decertify Iran's compliance he warned that the deal was plagued by "insufficient enforcement" and near total silence on the missile program. "As I have said many times, the Iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into," Trump said in a major speech at the White House last year. The Obama administration deliberately excluded other deep disagreements with Iran from the deal, reasoning that its threat would be much worse if it were able to race to a nuclear weapon in a matter of months. Capitol Hill's role Lawmakers continue to discuss measures to address the concerns Trump outlined in October, according to a statement from the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Republican Sen. Bob Corker. "Senator Corker remains engaged in productive discussions with the White House and a number of his colleagues in the Senate about the appropriate path forward, and our allies continue to be updated on relevant developments," Micah Johnson, a Corker spokesman, told CNN on Tuesday. But Congress has failed to produce a solution despite ongoing discussions for nearly three months -- a factor that is raising questions about whether Trump might be inclined to follow through on his threat to scrap the deal as tensions continue to escalate between the US and Iran ahead of the two major deadlines related to the agreement. Given Trump's decision on certification in October, Taleblu said he expects the President to once again decertify Iran's compliance with the agreement this month. The recent protests in Iran have further complicated matters for Trump and his top advisers as the administration weighs options for increasing pressure on the regime. "Even before protests, waiving and certifying were complex policy issues, but they have been compounded by events on the ground in Iran," Taleblu told CNN, adding that the administration will likely begin to incorporate such events as part of its equation on how to deal with the nuclear deal.
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421 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/us/new-york-security-barriers/index.html">
422 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171031172517-16-manhattan-incident-1031-story-body.jpg">
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429 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/us/new-york-security-barriers/index.html">1,500 more security barriers are going up in busy parts of New York City</a>
430 </h3>
431 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
432 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
433 <span>Jan 3, 2018</span>
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436 New York City plans to install more than 1,500 protective barriers in high-profile locations to guard against vehicle attacks and other terror-related incidents. The effort, unveiled Tuesday by Mayor Bill de Blasio, is part of a $50 million investment in security infrastructure after vehicles were used to mow down pedestrians in 2017. Known as bollards, the cylindrical metal posts will replace concrete barriers that went up on sidewalks after vehicle-related attacks in Times Square and Lower Manhattan. "In 2017, New Yorkers witnessed the horrible capacity of people willing to do us harm, whether it was in our subways, on our bike paths or in Times Square," de Blasio said. "But we will not be cowed, and our expanded investment today in barriers and bollards in our public spaces underscores our resolve in keeping New York City safe from future attacks." The increased security measures come as the trend of cars as lethal weapons grows ever more common. On December 21, the driver of an SUV plowed into Christmas shoppers in Melbourne, Australia, injuring 18. In New York, eight people were killed and almost a dozen injured in October when a man drove a rented pickup truck down a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center. Five months earlier, a man drove his car through crowded sidewalks in Times Square, leaving one person dead and 20 injured. In between those incidents, a motorist in Barcelona killed 13 people in August as he drove a van down Las Ramblas, a popular tourist walkway. "We have witnessed an increase in pedestrian injuries and fatalities as vehicles are increasingly being used as weapons to carry out attacks," Rep. Adriano Espaillat said in a statement. "Safety bollards saves lives and help in our efforts to strengthen safety measures along sidewalks, popular tourist destinations, and high pedestrian traffic areas." Bollards already dot pedestrian plazas around Times Square thanks to a $50 million capital project completed in late 2016. The latest injection of funds will add more bollards to the iconic New Years Eve destination and expand their presence throughout the city. The City conducted a review of locations, including business corridors, tourist attractions and iconic sites, to identify and prioritize locations for the protective barriers. Starting this month, the temporary concrete barriers will be replaced by what the city described as "more attractive temporary blocks" before installation of the permanent metal bollards begins in March. The installation is expected to last over the next few years.
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444 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/politics/trump-2018-first-tweets-back-in-washington/index.html">
445 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171030110400-george-papadopoulos-story-body.jpg">
446 </a>
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451 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
452 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/politics/trump-2018-first-tweets-back-in-washington/index.html">Here's what Trump has been tweeting about on his first work day of 2018</a>
453 </h3>
454 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
455 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
456 <span>Jan 2, 2018</span>
457 </div>
458 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
459 President Donald Trump spent much of his first morning back at the White House Tuesday sending out a flurry of tweets that took aim at Democrats, Iran, Huma Abedin and the new publisher of The New York Times. Taken together, Trump's tweets set the stage for 2018 and resume the combativeness that helped define his presidency in 2017. Foreign policy Trump first tweeted his continuing support for anti-government demonstrations in Iran, saying that "the people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime." "All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their 'pockets,'" the tweet continued, appearing to reference the Iran nuclear deal. "The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!" Trump also zeroed in on North Korea. "Sanctions and 'other' pressures are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea," Trump tweeted. "Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not - we will see!" Huma Abedin and the Justice Department Trump's latest barb targeting the Justice Department came in a tweet suggesting that Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, should face jail time for reportedly including confidential government information in nongovernment personal emails. "Crooked Hillary Clinton's top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents," Trump tweeted, apparently referencing a Daily Caller report. "Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others," the tweet continued. Some of Abedin's emails released Friday by the State Department were marked "confidential" and were heavily redacted by the State Department. One email Abedin forwarded to her personal email account from her State Department account included passwords for a two-step laptop login process, though that email was not marked classified as Trump claimed. Asked about Trump's tweet, the Justice Department declined to confirm or deny the existence of an ongoing investigation. The President's criticism is the latest he has lobbed against the department that oversees the top federal law enforcement agencies, following verbal attacks in recent months against key Justice Department officials and the FBI, whose reputation he alleged last month is in "tatters." Immigration and border security On Twitter, Trump also thanked National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd for praising him on "Fox & Friends" for his immigration efforts. In another tweet, the President said Democrats "are doing nothing" for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and predicted that Hispanic voters would lean toward Republicans over the issue. "DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start 'falling in love' with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS," the tweet continued. The New York Times Trump congratulated the new publisher of the "Failing New York Times," A.G. Sulzberger, in a series of tweets. "Get ... impartial journalists of a much higher standard, lose all of your phony and non-existent 'sources,' and treat the President of the United States FAIRLY, so that the next time I (and the people) win, you won't have to write an apology to your readers for a job poorly done," Trump tweeted. Taxes The President also celebrated the passage of the GOP tax bill saying that companies are now "giving big bonuses to their workers." AT&T and Boeing are among the companies that have announced tax bill-related employee bonuses. Commercial aviation Trump also appeared to claim credit to recent reports saying that 2017 was the safest year in global commercial air travel's recorded history, suggesting it was a result of being "very strict" with the industry. "Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation," Trump tweeted. "Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!" It's been nearly a decade, however, since there was a fatal US commercial passenger airline crash in the United States, long predating Trump's presidency. White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah said in a statement that Trump "has raised the bar for our nation's aviation safety and security." "Last year, the President announced his initiative to modernize Air Traffic Control and under his leadership, the Department of Homeland Security released enhanced security measures to ensure safer commercial air travel," he continued.
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467 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/asia/pakistan-trump/index.html">
468 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171229130634-donald-trump-12-15-2017-story-body.jpg">
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475 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/asia/pakistan-trump/index.html">Rhetoric rises as US vows to withhold aid to Pakistan</a>
476 </h3>
477 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
478 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
479 <span>Jan 2, 2018</span>
480 </div>
481 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
482 In a sign of escalating tensions between the United States and Pakistan, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused Pakistan of playing "a double game for years" and confirmed the administration will withhold $255 million in aid to the country. "They work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan," Haley said Tuesday at a news conference. "That game is not acceptable to this administration." Her remarks came a day after President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of lying to and deceiving the US despite receiving billions in foreign aid. The Pakistani government said earlier Tuesday that recent comments from US leaders were "completely incomprehensible" and could damage the trust between the countries. Haley said the White House expects far more cooperation from the Pakistani government in the fight against terrorism. Trump is willing "to go to great lengths to stop all funding from Pakistan as they continue to harbor and support terrorism," Haley said. Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations responded to Haley's comments by saying Pakistan had made the biggest contribution to fighting international terrorism, and that it had been unfairly blamed for US failures. "US spokespersons should not shift the blame for their own mistakes and failures onto others," said Maleeha Lodhi. "We can review our cooperation if it is not appreciated. Pakistan's cooperation is not based on any consideration of aid but on our national interests and principles." Earlier Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi chaired a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, attended by the country's Foreign, Interior and Defense Ministers, along with chiefs of staff of the army, navy and air force. In a statement following the meeting, the NSC expressed "deep disappointment" at recent US leadership comments, which it said were "completely incomprehensible as they contradicted facts manifestly, struck with great insensitivity at the trust between two nations built over generations, and negated the decades of sacrifices made by the Pakistani nation." It said there had been close interaction with the US following Trump's initial policy statements regarding South Asia, and that recent visits to Pakistan by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis were "robust and forward-looking." The NSC claimed that Pakistan's counterterrorism campaign had, at great financial cost, "served as a bulwark against the possible expansion of scores of terrorist organizations currently present in Afghanistan -- a fact acknowledged by US authorities at the highest levels." "Even more importantly the huge sacrifices made by Pakistan, including the loss of tens of thousands of lives of Pakistani civilians and security personnel, and the pain of their families, could not be trivialized so heartlessly by pushing all of it behind a monetary value -- and that too an imagined one," the statement said. Opinion: For Trump, backing Pakistan tweet could get results Claiming the roots of terrorism in Afghanistan were due to corruption, drug production and ungoverned terrorist havens, "the Committee observed that Pakistan cannot be held responsible for the collective failure in Afghanistan and that blaming allies certainly does not serve the shared objective of achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan and the region," the NSC statement said. The statement said that "despite all unwarranted allegations, Pakistan cannot act in haste and will remain committed to playing a constructive role towards an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, not just for the sake of its own people, but also for the peace and security of the region and international community". Following the NSC meeting, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif offered to pay for Trump to carry out an audit on his claim that Pakistan had received $33 billion in US aid over the past 15 years. "He can hire a US based Audit firm on our expense to verify this figure & let the world know who is lying & deceiving," Asif wrote in a tweet. A separate tweet from the Government of Pakistan contained a graph showing a drastic decline number of its civilians killed by Islamist militants. It claimed the number of Pakistanis killed in terror attacks had dropped significantly over the past five years, and that the number of people killed in the country since 2003 had cost the state $123 billion. Meanwhile, around 200 members of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, a coalition of Islamist parties, demonstrated against the US in Karachi, holding "Dump Trump" placards and burning the American flag. A similar protest was held in Lahore, according to AFP. On Monday, US Ambassador David Hale was summoned to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry ministry to meet with senior officials, a US Embassy spokesman confirmed. The White House said that it would continue to withhold $255 million in military aid to Pakistan out of frustration over what it has characterized as Islamabad's obstinacy in confronting terrorist networks.
483 </div>
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490 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/politics/donald-trump-iran-tweet/index.html">
491 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180101084001-cnnee-iran-protestas-story-body.jpg">
492 </a>
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498 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/politics/donald-trump-iran-tweet/index.html">Trump tweets criticism of 'brutal and corrupt' Iran regime</a>
499 </h3>
500 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
501 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
502 <span>Jan 2, 2018</span>
503 </div>
504 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
505 President Donald Trump said Tuesday the US is watching the "brutal and corrupt Iranian regime" amid deadly protests in the country, continuing his public support for anti-government demonstrations. "The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime," Trump tweeted. "All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their 'pockets.' The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!" Trump was apparently referring to the Obama administration's unfreezing of certain Iranian assets and payment of a cash settlement related to a legal claim on those assets that was negotiated in the wake of the Iran nuclear deal. The money was Iranian money that had been frozen by the US following the revolution. While there's no evidence to suggest Iran used that money directly to fund terrorism, the US State Department lists Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism. There is no evidence the money was used to enrich government officials. Trump has voiced criticism of the Iranian regime since protests broke out in the country several days ago, earning a rebuke from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who said Monday the US President has no right to sympathize with Iran because he has called the Iranian people "terrorists," according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency. On Sunday, state television broadcast Rouhani saying that Trump is "constantly creating problems" for Iranians, including with regard to visas and financial issues. And on Tuesday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed Iran's "enemies" for stirring up unrest in the country, though he didn't mention Trump by name. The leaders' tit-for-tat follows a weekend of escalating rhetoric in response to the protests and violence in Iran, with Trump warning Sunday that the United States is watching Tehran's treatment of protesters for human rights violations after anti-government protests turned deadly. Iran's government on Saturday warned its citizens against holding "illegal" public gatherings, following rare anti-government protests that spread to a number of cities. The protests -- described as the largest public display of discontent since the 2009 Green Movement in Iran -- have emerged against a backdrop of rising food and gasoline prices.
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515 </a>
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521 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/middleeast/iran-protests/index.html">Iran's Supreme Leader blames 'enemies' for protests, death toll hits 21</a>
522 </h3>
523 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
524 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
525 <span>Jan 2, 2018</span>
526 </div>
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528 Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday blamed Iran's "enemies" for stirring up unrest in the country, as the death toll from days of anti-government protests climbed to 21. In his first remarks since the demonstrations erupted last Thursday, Khamenei accused the nation's enemies of "joining forces" and blamed them for the protests that have turned violent. "The enemy is waiting for an opportunity, for a flaw, through which they can enter. Look at these events over the last few days. All those who are against the Islamic Republic -- those who have money, those who have the politics, those who have the weapons, those who have the intelligence -- they have all joined forces in order to create problems for the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Revolution," he said, without naming any particular country. The US ambassador to the United Nations said any assertions that the protests are designed by Iran's enemies are "complete nonsense," and that the US would ask Security Council members for an emergency session in New York and the Human Rights Council in Geneva to discuss the protests "in the days ahead." "The people of Iran are crying out for freedom. All freedom-loving people must stand with their cause," Ambassador Nikki Haley said. Key developments Protesters took to the streets for the sixth straight day.
529Nine people were killed on Monday, including seven protesters, state media reports, taking the toll to 21.
530450 people have been arrested in the past three days.
531President Hassan Rouhani slammed US President Donald Trump for tweeting his support for protesters.
532Trump called the Iranian government "brutal and corrupt" in a second tweet Tuesday.
533Foreign Minister Javad Zarif says "infiltrators" won't be allowed to sabotage protests.
534An Iranian reformist group led by ex-President Mohammad Khatami accused the US of encouraging violence. Days of violence The protests have become the biggest challenge to the Iranian government's authority since mass demonstrations in 2009. About 450 people have been arrested over the past three days, according to state media. The rallies began Thursday over the country's stagnant economy and rising living costs, but they developed into a broader outcry against the government and intensified over the weekend. Many of the protesters are young Iranians tired of the lack of economic opportunity in the country. MORE: The economic forces driving protests in Iran Protesters hit the streets for a sixth straight day Tuesday. Small protests -- not as large as previous days -- appeared in pockets of the capital, Tehran, a CNN producer there reported. Video on social media appeared to show police officers and demonstrators clashing Tuesday evening in the south-central city of Shiraz. In the video, people scatter through streets amid the sounds of yelling and honking car horns. CNN couldn't immediately independently verify the video's authenticity. Of the nine people killed Monday, seven were protesters. Six of them died in the central city of Qahdarijan when demonstrators stormed a police station and attempted to take guns from authorities, state media reported. The seventh protester was killed in nearby Khomaini Shahr. A police officer died in Najafabad after a protester shot at officers with a hunting rifle, according to state media. Three other officers were wounded. A member of the Basij, a pro-government militia, was also killed, in south Tehran. Video images shared on social media from the central city of Tuyserkan on Sunday showed protesters throwing chairs, tables and other objects at riot police, forcing the outnumbered officers to retreat. Six protesters were shot dead in the unrest there, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. A man and his young son also died on Sunday when a fire truck hijacked by protesters ran them down on a street in western Iran's Dorud, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. Twelve people were killed over the weekend. Social media crackdown Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday tried to downplay the significance of the protests, which have spread beyond the capital of Tehran to at least 18 cities, claiming that "This is nothing" compared to other outbreaks of unrest. But authorities have nonetheless responded with mass arrests and by restricting the use of the social media apps Instagram and Telegram, used to organize the rallies. The US State Department said it is encouraging tech companies to try to keep such sites accessible in Iran. "The message: We want to encourage the protesters to continue to fight for what's right and to open up Iran," Undersecretary of Public Diplomacy Steve Goldstein said. There also are now concerns that some protesters could face the death penalty. Musa Ghazanfarabadi, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Court, said that some protest ringleaders could be charged with "muharabeh" -- taking up arms against the state -- and accused them of being connected with foreign intelligence agencies, the semi-official Tasnim news reports. The crime carries a maximum sentence of death. US accused of encouraging violence The Association of Combatant Clerics -- an Iranian reformist group led b Khatami -- acknowledged that Iranians face "livelihood, economic, political, and social problems and difficulties" and said they have the right "to express and even shout their demands legally and through civil protests." It also called on the government "to listen to the voice of the nation and pave the way for resolving the problems and meeting their rightful demands." But it also accused the United States of encouraging the violence. "The grudge-holding and sworn enemies of the nation of Iran, with the US at the top... came to support the rioters and their violent actions," a statement by the group read. "The bitter events of recent days showed that opportunistic and trouble making elements pursue the dirty agenda of the enemies, by abusing the quiet gatherings and protests of the people, creating riots and insecurity, damaging public property, insulting religious and national values, and even killing innocent people." The association, with Khatami at the helm, led protests in Iran after disputed election results in 2009. Foreign Minister Zarif tweeted that Iran would not allow "infiltrators" to sabotage protests. "Iran's security and stability depend on its own people, who -- unlike the peoples of of Trumps regional 'bffs' -- have the right to vote and to protest," Zarif tweeted. "These hard-earned rights will be protected, and infiltrators will not be allowed to sabotage them through violence and destruction." Rouhani discussed the protests and terrorism in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron. In a statement on the President's website, Rouhani told Macron that a terrorist group based in Paris is "provoking and persuading people to take violent actions in Iran." "We expect the French government to take its legal responsibility to combat terrorism and violence," the website statement said. Trump: 'Time for change!' Trump has repeatedly tweeted his support for the protesters in the past week, criticizing the Iranian government as repressive, "brutal and corrupt." "The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their 'pockets.' The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The US is watching!" he wrote. Rouhani slammed Trump for a similar tweet Monday in which the US leader said the Iranian people were "repressed" and that it was "TIME FOR CHANGE!" Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani accused the US, UK and Saudi Arabia of using hashtags and social media campaigns inside Iran to incite riots. "Based on our analyses, around 27% of the new hashtags against Iran are generated by the Saudi government," Shamkhani said, according to state-run Press TV. The UK has called on Iran to engage in a "meaningful debate" on the issues raised by protesters, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said. Trump has not yet made a decision on whether to sign an Iran sanctions waiver, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. But she said the administration is keeping "our options open" as far as sanctions against Iran are concerned. Trump faces a mid-January deadline when he must decide about renewing temporary waivers for US sanctions against Iran.
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550 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/us/five-things-january-2-trnd/index.html">5 things for January 2: The Koreas, Iran protests, cold weather</a>
551 </h3>
552 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
553 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
554 <span>Jan 2, 2018</span>
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557 If you're already planning that first getaway of the new year, check out the 18 best places to visit in 2018. Now here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.) 1. North and South Korea The new year has brought new hope for better relations on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea proposes high-level talks with North Korea as early as January 9 to let the North participate in the Winter Olympics next month in Pyeongchang, South Korea. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has long lobbied for closer relations with the North, also sees the talks as a chance to ease tensions between the two nations. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un brought up the idea of the North going to the Olympics during his (unusually civil) New Year's Day address, where he also declared his hope "for (a) peaceful resolution with our southern border." 2. Iran protests More than 20 people have been killed in protests raging across Iran. The demonstrations, the largest in the country since 2009's so-called Green Movement, started with concerns over a stagnant economy and the rising cost of living, but they have morphed into an outcry against the regime. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani downplayed the protests, saying, "This is nothing." Some social media sites, which have been used to galvanize the protests, were restricted, but otherwise Iran officials haven't launched a big crackdown -- yet. 3. Sexual harassment The national reckoning over sexual harassment and assault has mostly focused on the entertainment, media and political worlds. But women in all fields are battling against sex harassment in the workplace. Now big names in the entertainment world are teaming up to do something about it. Shonda Rhimes, Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Meryl Streep are just some of the donors behind Time's Up, a comprehensive plan to fight sex harassment in all industries. Time's Up has already put together a $13 million legal defense fund. The group also encourages women to wear black at Sunday's Golden Globe Awards as a sign of solidarity. 4. Weather Baby, it's cold outside, and it'll stay that way for a good portion of the country all week. The National Weather Service says parts of the United States will be in a "prolonged period" of below average temperatures through the weekend. More than 100 million people from Montana to Maine will be under wind-chill advisories or warnings today. Temperatures will barely be in the teens in the Northeast and near zero in the Great Lakes by the end of the week. And don't even think about heading down South for relief. Freeze warnings stretch from Texas to Florida, and temps in the Southeast will stay 10 to 15 degrees below average. 5. Travel Holiday travelers headed home hit a serious speed bump on New Year's Day. An outage of the Customs and Border Protection's computer systems caused huge lines at airports across the country Monday night for passengers trying to get through passport control. Customs and Border Protection said that "there is no indication the service disruption was malicious in nature," and the systems were back online after a couple of hours. At least flying in 2017 was safer than ever. There were no crashes of commercial passenger jets last year, according to a report from the Aviation Safety Network. The 44 people killed in crashes last year died in either cargo planes or small commercial aircraft. Airliner accidents have been on a steady decline for about 25 years, mainly because of advances in technology and changes to pilot training. BREAKFAST BROWSE People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. SEC still rules College football's national championship will look a lot like an old-fashioned Southern brawl when Alabama and Georgia meet up next week. Moonstruck
558The first day of 2018 ended beautifully, with a supermoon nicknamed the "wolf moon." But just when did the moon get so many names? Who gets the dog?
559A new year means a slew of new laws go into effect, such as one in Illinois where pets will be treated more like children than property in divorce cases. Hot stuff Mariah Carey not only redeemed herself with her New Year's Eve Times Square performance, she also created the year's first meme, just by asking for tea. NUMBERS OF THE DAY $255 million That's the amount of military aid the Trump administration is withholding from Pakistan. The President doesn't think Pakistan is doing enough in the fight against terrorism. $783 million
560That's the combined jackpots this week for Powerball and Mega Millions. AND FINALLY ... World class
561Wondered what Guinness World Records were set last year? Of course you did. Well wonder no more. (Click to view)
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577 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/01/politics/white-house-pakistan-military-aid-cuts/index.html">Trump administration to continue to withhold military aid to Pakistan</a>
578 </h3>
579 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
580 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
581 <span>Jan 1, 2018</span>
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584 The White House said Monday that it will continue to withhold $255 million in military aid to Pakistan out of frustration over what it has characterized as Islamabad's obstinance in confronting terrorist networks. "The United States does not plan to spend the $255 million in FY 2016 foreign military financing for Pakistan at this time," a National Security Council spokesman said. "The President has made clear that the United States expects Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorists and militants on its soil, and that Pakistan's actions in support of the South Asia strategy will ultimately determine the trajectory of our relationship, including future security assistance." The administration first said in August it was temporarily withholding the $255 million, which was part of a $1.1 billion aid package authorized in 2016 by Congress. The money was put on hold until Pakistan agreed to do more to combat terrorist networks. The National Security Council official said the administration would continue to review Pakistan's level of cooperation in security areas. President Donald Trump signaled Monday that he was prepared to cut off aid to Pakistan if the country failed to cooperate with the US. "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools," he wrote. "They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Trump announced his administration's plans for the continuing US military engagement in Afghanistan in August, which specifically called on Pakistan to do more to fight terrorism.
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600 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/01/politics/donald-trump-2018-pakistan/index.html">Trump's first 2018 tweet: Pakistan has 'given us nothing but lies & deceit'</a>
601 </h3>
602 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
603 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
604 <span>Jan 1, 2018</span>
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607 In his first tweet of the new year President Donald Trump slammed Pakistan, saying the country has given the US nothing but "lies and deceit." "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools," Trump tweeted Monday morning. "They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking to CNN affiliate Geo TV Monday, said his country was "ready to publicly provide every detail of the US aid that it has received." "We have already told the US that we will not do more, so Trump's 'no more' does not hold any importance," added Asif. The Pakistan government has yet to issue a formal response, though on Monday, US Ambassador David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to meet with senior foreign office officials, a US Embassy spokesman confirmed. The New York Times reported last week that the US might withhold $255 million in aid to Pakistan because of Trump's frustration over its handling of terrorists in the country. White House officials met to decide whether to cancel the aid, the Times reported. The commander of the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan, US Army Gen. John Nicholson, said in November that Pakistan had not changed its behavior since Trump announced his new policy for Afghanistan and the wider region, which specifically calls on Pakistan to do more. "No, I haven't seen any change yet in their behavior," Nicholson told reporters after a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels when asked whether Pakistan was cooperating more in eliminating Taliban sanctuaries. "You've heard the public statements from President Trump, from (Defense Secretary James) Mattis, from (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford) from (Secretary of State Rex) Tillerson, so we are engaging at the very highest levels with the Pakistanis to work together with them against these terrorists that are undermining the stability of the entire region," Nicholson added. "Pakistan has fought hard and suffered heavily against those terrorists focused on its government, and now we are asking them to focus on the terrorists that are attacking Afghanistan and attacking the coalition," he continued. "The United States has been very clear about the direction we want to go, and we hope to see some change in the coming weeks and months." In contrast to his tweet Monday, Trump in October was talking about how much Pakistan now respected the US. After American Caitlan Coleman and her Canadian husband, Joshua Boyle, were freed as Taliban prisoners, the President praised Pakistan's cooperation with the US. "This is a very positive moment for our country's relationship with Pakistan," Trump said, adding that the Pakistani government's cooperation "is a sign that is honoring America wishes for it to do more to provide security in the region." Trump said Pakistan is "starting to respect the United States again." Later that month US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited Pakistan and urged its leaders to step up efforts "to eradicate militants and terrorists operating within the country."
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623 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2018/01/01/politics/trump-obama-iran-protests/index.html">Two US presidents on two Iranian crackdowns</a>
624 </h3>
625 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
626 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
627 <span>Jan 1, 2018</span>
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630 When protests erupted in Iran in 2009, then-President Barack Obama reacted cautiously, concerned that a forceful intervention could make America -- reviled as the "Great Satan" by Iranian revolutionaries -- a rallying cause for the clerical regime. Eight years on, with demonstrations and violence breaking out again in Iranian cities, the US position is reversed, with President Donald Trump and his team almost gleefully leaping at the chance to line up alongside Iranian protesters. In one of his first tweets of the new year, Trump was openly rooting for regime change. "Iran is failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama Administration. The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years. They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!" The sharp change of tack reflects the gulf in the intellectual and temperamental approach of the last two presidents and illuminates a dispute between rival schools of foreign policy thought about how the US should act and wield power in the world. It is consistent with the hard line Trump has taken toward Iran, muscling up alongside US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia to try to check the country's regional influence while continually casting doubt on the Obama-era nuclear deal with Tehran. Trump's position also represents a return to an elusive hope that has often characterized Washington's approach to Tehran since the revolution in 1979 -- that a political awakening will sweep the revolutionary regime away -- combined with a belief that tough US talk can be a catalyst for change. And it is in tune with Trump's habit of repudiating the approaches of his predecessor. Republicans now argue that latest repression exposes Obama's deal to freeze and reverse Iran's nuclear program as a failure, even though its proponents insist it was always meant to deal with only the most dangerous aspect of the toxic US-Iran relationship: the concern over the possibility the country could develop nuclear weapons. Still, four days into the Iranian protests, there is no sign yet that Trump will do much more than cheer the protests from the sidelines. There is also no indication that the demonstrators would actually welcome a US role, raising doubts over the influence Washington actually has in shaping an uprising being driven by internal political dynamics in Iran, especially economic discontent. The death toll in the protests had climbed to 12 by Monday, according to reports in the state-run Iran newspaper, which cited the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting network, and in the Islamic Students News Agency, citing the governor of Dorud, Mashallah Nemati. Trump has been closely watching the protests build, tweeting on Friday that Iranians were showing they were "fed up with regime's corruption & its squandering of the nation's wealth to fund terrorism abroad." The next day he tweeted out highlights of his UN General Assembly speech in which he warned that "oppressive" regimes like the one in Iran could not last. "The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!" he tweeted on Sunday, before accusing the government of cutting off the Internet to stop word of protests spreading -- an apparent reference to Tehran's efforts to limit access to social media. Trump's approach is rooted in the belief of many Republicans that Obama's strategy did not do enough to fan protests against an enemy government and allowed Iran to invest the proceeds of sanctions relief under the nuclear deal to bolster its influence throughout the Middle East. But it assumes the protests in Iran represent a direct uprising against the government and the radical clerical regime, a reading of the situation countered by many analysts, who see domestic and economic, rather than ideological motivations, driving the demonstrations. And the President's concern for human rights seems selective, since he made no such demands of autocratic leaders he has cozied up to, including Xi Jinping of China, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines. Still, the instinctive, forceful and less-nuanced approach of Trump contrasts with the more circumspect strategy pursued by Obama after Green Revolution protests broke out in response to a disputed election win by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Obama's response reflected his tendency to plot how splashy presidential gestures would play out several moves in advance — and how they would be received elsewhere in the world, outside Washington's political echo chamber. Critics say Obama's method led to hesitancy and underestimated US influence. But it contrasted with Trump's visceral reactions, which his detractors see as a symptom of rashness and a lack of depth but his supporters view as a refreshing willingness to wield American power more forcefully. When protests took place in Iran in 2009, Obama did raise concerns about violence and called for the right of protesters to be respected, but he also argued that by getting involved in the situation, the United States, given the historical baggage of its past interference in Iranian politics, would only make matters worse. "It is up to Iranians to make decisions about who Iran's leaders will be. ..." Obama told reporters in June 2009. "We respect Iranian sovereignty and want to avoid the United States being the issue inside of Iran, which sometimes the United States can be a handy political football." A couple of days later, Obama said Washington could not be "seen as meddling" in Iran, given its tortured history with the country, in what aides said was an attempt to avoid being seen as calling for regime change in a way that could give Ahmadinejad an excuse for a crackdown. At the time, Obama's caution was seen as a sign of foreign policy realism following the Bush administration's idealist approach to the Middle East, which sparked chaos after the toppling of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Dennis Ross, who was a National Security Council official under Obama and veteran Middle East peace negotiator, told CNN on Monday that, in retrospect, the initial caution shown by the last White House was a "mistake," even though it was based on requests from Green Revolution leaders to "keep it cool" in order to deprive Tehran of the opportunity to claim the protests were foreign-inspired. "I think we should have made it clear that, in fact, the world was watching," Ross said, adding that Trump was striking the "right tone." Among critics of Obama at the time was Mike Pence, then a Republican congressman and now the vice president, who said he appreciated that Obama was troubled by the violence but called for a much tougher line. "I respectfully disagree with the administration's decision to essentially draw the line at not meddling and not interfering," Pence told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room" in June 2009. A few days later, Obama did adopt a harsher stance, after heartbreaking video of the shooting death of a 26-year-old Iranian woman named Neda Agha-Soltan, went viral. He said he was "appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings and imprisonments of the past few days." But Obama's new tone came too late to defuse a new Republican critique that lingers to this day: that he stayed quiet in the face of tyranny just to appease Iranian leaders. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney took up the cry in the 2012 campaign. "When millions of Iranians took to the streets in June of 2009, when they demanded freedom from a cruel regime that threatens the world, when they cried out, 'Are you with us, or are you with them?' the American president was silent," Romney said. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, made a similar argument Sunday. "If I were Trump, I'd do the exact opposite of Obama," Graham said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "Obama said, 'I don't want to get involved, I don't want to mess up the chance of getting that deal with Iran.'" Such Republican assessments not only ignore Obama's progression toward a tougher line on the protests, but also fail to take into account that less than two months after they erupted, he led the leaders of France and Britain in exposing a secret Iranian nuclear fuel plant when they met at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh. The Obama administration subsequently worked to impose the most punitive global sanctions ever imposed on Iran, a step his supporters say so damaged the Iranian economy that its leaders were forced back to the negotiating table. In many ways, the different approaches of the two administrations reflect contrasting conclusions about what the protests in Iran actually mean and how US policy can best be shaped to weaken the potency of a longtime enemy. Reza Marashi served in the Office of Iranian Affairs at the State Department in 2009 and says the Obama administration concluded after a wide-ranging assessment that the protests did not threaten the regime. "There are a variety of factors that would have to align in order for protests to become a revolutionary type situation instead of a continuation of the longstanding civil rights movement in Iran," he said. Factors the Obama team took into account included the legitimacy and efficiency of the government, the unity of elites and the regime's lopsided ability to use force to end the protests. It also looked at the capacity of protesters to unite behind common leaders and ideology at a time of mass disconnect with the government. And despite Trump's tough tone, the picture inside Iran appears little changed now, meaning that despite the new American approach, Washington's capacity to influence how the protests play out remains limited. "When I look at the situation as it exists right now, there are a variety of factors on both sides that currently are not there in order to facilitate a revolutionary situation," Marashi said.
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646 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/31/world/new-years-eve-celebrations/index.html">Revelers around the globe ring in 2018 amid heightened security</a>
647 </h3>
648 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
649 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
650 <span>Jan 1, 2018</span>
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653 Throngs of revelers packed cities around the globe to usher in 2018 with public celebrations and fireworks, despite fears of terrorism and frigid weather in some places. In New York, hundreds of thousands of people packed Times Square in the 9-degree Fahrenheit weather, with a wind chill of 4 degrees below zero, to watch the 2018 ball drop and confetti rain down on the street. The frigid temperature made it the second coldest New Year's Eve ball drop on record in New York. The coldest ball drop still holds at 1-degree Fahrenheit in 1917. Law enforcement agencies had added additional security measures, including extra checkpoints, police dogs, street closures and undercover officers. "You will see a stronger police presence out there than we've seen, even than what we've seen in recent years. And that's prudent, given the terror events we have seen and studied around the world as well as the three incidents here in New York over the past 15 months," said NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill before the East Coast clock struck midnight. And in Las Vegas, where a gunman killed 58 people at a music festival in October, officials installed extra security -- including National Guard officers and snipers on rooftops -- along the famed Las Vegas Strip. Fireworks lit the sky in a synchronized spectacle over the city as the new year began. In San Francisco, fireworks burst over the waterfront amid a heavier-than-usual police presence. Security was intensified after a man had been arrested in December for allegedly seeking to attack a popular San Francisco tourist site on Christmas Day. Around the world, cities celebrated the New Year with spectacles of fireworks. More than a million people lined the harbor in Sydney, Australia, to watch a 12-minute fireworks show over the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Across Asia, people crowded into waterside viewing areas to see fireworks burst over Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong and other cities. In Moscow, revelers filled special New Year's subway trains decorated with winter scenes. And Pope Francis led his annual Te Deum prayer at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. After a year marred by mass shootings and deadly terror attacks, many celebrations unfolded amid heightened security. In London, officials deployed armed officers as part of a security plan they "developed and reviewed following the tragic incidents that have occurred throughout the year," Metropolitan Police Superintendent Nick Aldworth said. After a spate of sexual assaults marred New Year's Eve events in several German cities in 2015, officials in Berlin this year set up a special "safe zone" for women who feel harassed. Berlin, Cologne and other German cities also added hundreds of extra police. In Paris, 1,850 police officers were assigned to the Champs-Elysées amid a "double perimeter of security," Interior Minister Gérard Collomb told BFMTV. And almost a year after a gunman opened fire on 2017 New Year's revelers in an Istanbul nightclub, Turkish police raided a suspected ISIS cell last week to help thwart potential attacks during the holidays. Across North America, New Year's celebrators grappled with record low temperatures, as the holiday was expected to be 20 to 40 degrees colder than usual in many places. Of the lower 48 US states, only 10 aren't under a wind-chill alert.
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669 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/30/world/iran-protests-issues/index.html">Here's why the Iran protests are significant</a>
670 </h3>
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672 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
673 <span>Dec 31, 2017</span>
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676 The largest public display of discontent in Iran since the 2009 Green Movement has resulted in 21 deaths and 450 arrests, restricted access to social media apps and brought pushback from the Iranian government. Such scenes might have been unfathomable a decade ago -- but these new protests, challenging the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, represent discontent rarely seen in Iran. CNN spoke with experts about the ongoing unrest in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Why is this happening? The protests, which began Thursday night, are a reaction to Iran's sputtering economy, rampant corruption and rising fuel and food prices. But something larger seems to be at play. Iranians are angry, experts say, because they expected life to get better when severe sanctions were lifted after the deal in 2015 between the P5+1 and Iran over its nuclear program. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- the United States, the UK, Russia, China and France -- and Germany make up the P5+1. While restrictions on financial, energy and transportation sectors were removed, hundreds of Iranian entities were not taken off the blacklists. And the United States has moved to create new sanctions over other violations, including a rocket launch this past summer. Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, and other experts say endemic economic mismanagement and corruption have left Iranians disenchanted. Government policies have brought about higher unemployment and inflation. And there's a lack of sturdy international investment, Parsi added. "The nuclear deal is overwhelmingly supported by the Iranian public, but there was an expectation that much more economic development would come out of it," Parsi said. Related: Iran deal deadlines loom as Trump weighs sanctions Is this just about bread and gas prices? No. Years of political, economic and social grievances have driven some Iranians into the streets in the largest protests since 2009, said Reza Marashi, research director for the National Iranian American Council. "Economic sanctions have exacerbated all of those Iranian-origin economic problems," he said. "I don't think you can separate the economic from the political," he told CNN. "The government has an opportunity and a responsibility to address legitimate grievances that are being expressed." Alireza Nader, a senior international analyst and Iran researcher at the Rand Corp. in Washington, said people have also lost trust in Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. "The government is viewed as highly corrupt, increasing inequality is seen by the population as really a form of injustice," he said, adding "this was supposed to be a system that delivered justice to the people after the revolution of 1979 and it has failed." Karim Sadjadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said there's also a push to secure equal rights for women. Nader said women in Iran have been fighting for decades for equal rights, but especially in the last few years, such efforts have become stronger. "Women in Iran are highly educated. They are involved in the workforce, arguably more so than any other country in the Middle East, and they are continually suppressed. This is part of their fight to gain their freedom and their rights," he said. An Iranian vice president said Saturday the government would work harder to resolve economic hardships. Are these protests similar to those in 2009? The new protests are intense, but so far they are nowhere as big as those in the Green Movement in which millions took part after accusations of widespread election fraud in 2009. The National Iranian American Council's Marashi said today's demonstrations may be more of a civil rights movement than a revolutionary one. There are other important distinctions. While the earlier protests primarily were in Tehran, had specific goals and an organized hierarchy of leadership, the current ones seem to challenge the rule of the Supreme Leader directly and have been seen across the country. The exact origins of the protests are hard to pinpoint, but religious hardliners opposed to what they see as Rouhani's moderation are thought to have started them in Qom and Mashhad. They quickly spread to a wider section of the population focused on airing their economic grievances -- and more notably -- their dissatisfaction against Khamenei's rule. "This is something that didn't happen in 2009. This is a huge thing to happen in Iran," said Nic Robertson, CNN's international diplomatic editor. "People don't say that publicly on the streets." One resident told CNN of witnessing a protester tearing down a poster of Khamenei near Tehran University. In his first remarks since the protests began, Khamenei on Tuesday accused Iran's enemies of "joining forces" and blamed them for inciting the protests. Who are the protesters? Many of the demonstrators are young Iranians fed up with the lack of economic opportunity. Iran's unemployment rate among those 15 to 29 is well over 24%, according to official statistics -- and even higher among urban youth and women. The International Monetary Fund has called Iranian women an "untapped source of growth and productivity." The protestors likely include some disillusioned Rouhani supporters, but they probably don't make up the bulk of the demonstrators, according to Parsi. Seven months ago, Rouhani won re-election with 57% of the vote (and 70% voter participation). It's likely these protesters are people that typically stay away from traditional politics. Uncompromisingly anti-regime slogans suggest these demonstrators may belong to those who tend not to vote, don't believe the system can be reformed and either never subscribed to or have lost hope in gradual change, Parsi adds. Other protesters are thought to include those who feel sidelined by economic desperation and humiliation. How have global leaders responded? President Donald Trump has been fiercely critical of the Iranian regime, prompting a tit for tat between him and Iranian leaders. On Friday, Trump first tweeted, "The world is watching!" and that "oppressive regimes cannot endure forever." Trump said that Iran's leadership is squandering wealth to fund terrorism elsewhere. On Monday, Rouhani said Trump has no right to sympathize with Iran because he has called the Iranian people "terrorists," according to Iran's semiofficial Tasnim News Agency. And on Sunday, state television broadcast Rouhani saying that Trump is "constantly creating problems" for Iranians, including with regard to visas and financial issues. On Tuesday, the US leader continued his support for anti-government protests while lambasting deals negotiated in the wake of the Iran nuclear agreement under President Barack Obama. Khamenei blamed Iran's "enemies" for stirring up unrest in the country, though he didn't mention Trump by name, while the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, accused the United States, UK and Saudi Arabia of using hashtags and social media campaigns inside Iran to incite riots. British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said Tuesday that the UK has called on Iran to engage in a "meaningful debate" on the issues the demonstrators have raised. So what's the most helpful reaction? Iranian-American analyst Holly Dagres said the best thing for the rest of the world to do is wait and see what happens next in Iran, where protesters have been heard on videos on social media chanting "Death to Rouhani." "The fact that we are actually making statements that we think are in favor of the Iranian people, they are hurting them more than anything," she said. Experts say that Trump's tweets are not helpful and that the world should show solidarity with the Iranian people by supporting freedom of expression. Marashi said the protest movement "is of an Iranian origin and it will be of an Iranian ending." Parsi said the protests are not a US issue. "This is not about Trump, and Trump stepping into this is not necessarily helpful, because he doesn't carry any credibility in Iran." Comments against the Iranian regime may not only be unhelpful -- they may bring about a pretext for crackdowns, said Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said the Iranian people gave no credence to "opportunistic" remarks by Trump or his administration. How is the story getting out? As was the case in 2009, images and messages from citizen journalists are coming out via social media. Iranian authorities have restricted Instagram and Telegram, but users are accessing them with virtual private networks, or VPNs. The government controls the media and does not allow freedom of speech. Without press access, the world is seeing what may be a skewed version of what's happening. "Independent verification of facts (is) hard to come by," CNN's Robertson said. But images often are powerful. In 2009, a video showing the last moments of protester Neda Agha-Soltan catapulted her into a symbol of the burgeoning reform movement in Iran. "That had a chilling impact on the protests in Iran, and it had a chilling impact around the world," Robertson said. What's coming next? The Green Movement lasted for months; this round of protests is less than a week old. It's unclear just how much dissent the government will allow. Iran's Intelligence Ministry says so-called provocateurs will be targeted if anti-government protesters return to the streets. "In 1979, Iranians experienced a revolution without democracy; today they aspire for democracy without a revolution," Sadjadpour said. He said he believes a young Iranian society is seeking a more liberal, progressive nation but is unlikely to take up arms. Iranians are up against a government they know is willing to use force to keep power, he said. "Despite the fact that many Iranians would have revolutionary ends, I don't think they are willing to pursue revolutionary means en masse the same way, for example, Syrians or Egyptians or others have over the last past five years in the Middle East." But Sadjadpour also said that even if the protests are squashed -- as he expects -- it's not the end of dissatisfaction. "The resentment toward the regime will remain and will eventually resurface in the future."
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692 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/30/politics/donald-trump-iran-protests/index.html">Trump on Iran: 'Time for change!'</a>
693 </h3>
694 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
695 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
696 <span>Dec 30, 2017</span>
697 </div>
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699 President Donald Trump on Monday morning continued his daily tweets on the deadly protests in Iran, calling for change to an autocratic system there that he says is rife with repression and corruption. "Iran is failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama Administration," Trump wrote. "The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years. They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!" Vice President Mike Pence tweeted support for Trump's message later Monday morning. "As long as @RealDonaldTrump is POTUS and I am VP, the United States of America will not repeat the shameful mistake of our past when others stood by and ignored the heroic resistance of the Iranian people as they fought against their brutal regime ... (1/2)" Pence wrote. "(2/2) ... The bold and growing resistance of the Iranian people today gives hope and faith to all who struggle for freedom and against tyranny. We must not and we will not let them down. #IranProtests" Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded Monday, saying Trump has no right to sympathize with Iran because he has called the Iranian people "terrorists," according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency. Rouhani made the comments in a meeting with lawmakers. On Sunday, state television broadcast Rouhani saying that Trump is "constantly creating problems" for Iranians, including with regard to visas and financial issues. The leaders' tit-for-tat follows a weekend of escalating rhetoric in response to the protests and violence in Iran, with Trump warning Sunday that the United States is watching Tehran's treatment of protesters for human rights violations after anti-government protests turned deadly. "Big protests in Iran," Trump tweeted. "The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!" Trump also took to Twitter later Sunday to criticize the Iranian government's efforts to limit access to social media. "Iran, the Number One State of Sponsored Terror with numerous violations of Human Rights occurring on an hourly basis, has now closed down the Internet so that peaceful demonstrators cannot communicate. Not good!" Trump tweeted. The White House press office followed this with a statement saying the administration supports the right of the Iranian people to peaceful expression. "Their voices deserve to be heard," the statement read. "We encourage all parties to protect this fundamental right to peaceful expression and to avoid any actions that contribute to censorship." Earlier in the day, the Iranian government issued a stern warning that protesters will "pay the price" for their actions, with Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli saying that what he categorized as the misuse of social networks by some individuals "are causing violence and fear" and that "such behavior will be smashed," according to IRNA. Iran's official news agency. Iran's government on Saturday warned its citizens against holding "illegal" public gatherings, following two days of rare anti-government protests that spread to a number of cities. The protests -- described as the largest public display of discontent since the 2009 Green Movement in Iran -- have emerged against a backdrop of rising food and gasoline prices. The unrest has prompted verbal sparring between Iran and the United States, with the White House and Trump on Friday urging Tehran to respect protesters' rights. "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," said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. "The Iranian government should respect their people's rights, including their right to express themselves. The world is watching." Trump subsequently tweeted the same message. In a pair of tweets on Saturday, Trump again addressed the protests, writing: "The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change, and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran's people are what their leaders fear the most...." Trump continued: "Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching!" In the Saturday tweets, Trump posted videos of a speech he gave to the United Nations in September, in which he said, "The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change." Trump campaigned for president with a hard-line stance on Iran, calling the country the "No. 1 terror state" during a debate with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. As President, he has tried to keep that hard-line stance and announced earlier this year that he plans to decertify the Iran nuclear agreement and push Congress to a new plan to deal with Iran's nuclear program. By weighing in on the protests, though, Trump is wading into a tricky issue that has befuddled presidents ever since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 ended relations between Washington and Tehran. Former President Barack Obama's response to protests in Iran in 2009 was timid initially, but grew more forceful. Although those protests eventually fizzled, Obama looked to deal with Iran by minting the nuclear agreement that Trump has tried to scrap. Obama also looked to rekindle direct talks between Iran and the United States, including in 2013, when he became the first US president to speak with an Iranian president -- Hassan Rouhani in this case -- since 1979. Former President George W. Bush dealt with Iran more forcefully, but to mixed results, labeling the country in 2002 as part of an "axis of evil" that included Iraq and North Korea. Bush's stance was the result of a softer approach taken by former President Bill Clinton, who worked at length to foster relations with former President Mohammad Khatami. The difficult issue that American presidents have had to confront is how to support anti-government protests in Iran without dooming those same demonstrations by allowing Tehran to paint them as closely aligned with the United States, an allegation seen in Iran as a slight. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, said the protests show that Obama's policies failed the region. "The people are not getting the benefit of sanctions relief," he said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "They are more upset with their oppressors than ever. The money from sanctions relief is going to rebuilding the Iranian military and is destabilizing the Middle East." Graham also said Trump needs to do more to help the region. "It's not enough to watch," Graham said. "President Trump is tweeting very sympathetically to the Iranian people. But you just can't tweet here. You have to lay out a plan." Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney praised the protests in Iran, calling the protesters "heroes" in a tweet Sunday. "Profoundly moving to watch those seeking freedom in Iran," Romney tweeted. "Patriots afar remind us of the patriots who won our own freedom and also those who preserve it. Heroes all." Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in a statement that her hopes and prayers are with "the long-repressed Iranian people," who "are now finding their voice." "The Iranian government is being tested by its own citizens," she said in the statement. "We pray that freedom and human rights will carry the day." Longtime diplomat and Obama National Security Council official Dennis Ross told CNN's Boris Sanchez on Monday that he thinks the Trump approach, speaking out in support of Iranian protesters, strikes the right tone. Ross said the Obama administration initially received messages from those in the Green Movement in Iran to "keep it cool" in order to prevent Tehran from claiming the unrest was foreign-inspired. "And I think in retrospect, we made a mistake," he said. "I think we should have made it clear that, in fact, the world was watching."
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715 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/30/europe/st-petersburg-russia-blast-suspect-detained/index.html">Suspect detained after St. Petersburg supermarket blast</a>
716 </h3>
717 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
718 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
719 <span>Dec 30, 2017</span>
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722 Russian authorities say they have detained a suspect believed to be responsible for this week's supermarket blast in St. Petersburg. The suspect, whose identity has not been released, was detained Saturday, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement. The suspect was under interrogation, the Russian state news agency TASS reported. The explosion took place Wednesday at a Perekrestok supermarket in St. Petersburg. At least 18 people were injured, state-run media reported. Preliminary information suggests an explosive device containing 200 grams (7 ounces) of TNT was inside a locker at the supermarket, state-run media said. Shortly after the explosion, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the incident a terror attack. ISIS claimed responsibility for the blast, saying it was carried out by an ISIS "security detachment." But so far, ISIS has not given any evidence supporting its claim. St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, has been a target for at least one other explosion this year. Fourteen people were killed and dozens more were injured on April 3 when a suicide bomber detonated explosives in the city's metro system. The April explosion, which has been linked to terrorism, occurred on a passenger train traveling through a tunnel in the city's center.
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738 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/30/middleeast/iran-protests-intl/index.html">Iran's Supreme Leader faces rare display of public anger</a>
739 </h3>
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741 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
742 <span>Dec 30, 2017</span>
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745 Several Iranians were shot during protests late Saturday, a source tells CNN, after Iran's government warned citizens against holding "illegal" public gatherings, following two days of rare anti-government protests that spread to a number of cities. One local source told CNN that during protests in Dorud, in the Lorestan province of western Iran, his family witnessed a mob storming the governor's office and setting it on fire. Protesters were fired upon and five people were shot, the source said. The protests -- described as the largest public display of discontent since the 2009 Green Movement in Iran -- have emerged against a backdrop of rising food and gasoline prices. In a rare display of public dissent, some protesters directed their ire at Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, according to some videos on social media. CNN has not independently verified the authenticity of the footage. "We've seen pictures of (Khamenei) ripped from the billboards at the sides of streets. We've heard protesters call for his overthrow," said Nic Robertson, CNN's international diplomatic editor. "This is something different. This is something the regime is going to take very seriously." One resident told CNN of witnessing a protester tearing down a poster of Khamenei near Tehran University on Saturday. Protests in third day The demonstrations began Thursday in the northeastern city of Mashhad before spreading to other cities. They included Tehran, Kermanshah, Arak, Qazvin, Khorramabad, Karaj and Sabzevar, according to First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, cited by official news agency IRNA. Iranian media outlets reported a number of arrests. The unrest has prompted verbal sparring between Iran and the United States, which on Friday urged Tehran to respect protesters' rights and warned that the "world is watching." An Iranian vice president said on Saturday the government would work harder to resolve economic hardships, according to semi-official news agency FARS. First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri made the remarks without acknowledging the protests, adding that some have used economic issues as a "pretext" to hurt the government, FARS reported. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli warned that any groups wishing to congregate must file an official request and be granted permission. "The police and security forces have tried to manage conditions. We have received reports of calls to gather, cyber and social media based, and such calls and any gatherings resulting therefrom, are certainly illegal," he said. Meanwhile, crowds of government supporters joined official demonstrations held across the country, state media reported. Angry chants Protesters have been heard on videos distributed on social media as chanting "Death to Rouhani," a reference to President Hassan Rouhani, who was re-elected earlier this year. CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the footage. In one video circulating on Twitter, throngs of people could be seen gathering close to the university, chanting, "Dishonest! Dishonest!" as a substance that appears to be tear gas is launched through metal gates toward several protesters. Three students were arrested outside Tehran University on Saturday, an official with the Ministry of Science told semi-official Iran Labor News Agency, ILNA. Two have since been released, it said. Poorer Iranians have been involved in the new round of protests in a way that wasn't seen in the 2009 Green Movement, an eyewitness in Tehran noted. Iran currently sits 120th on the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index, demonstrating the difficult economic situation in the country. The high youth unemployment rate is of particular concern for Iranians. The pro-government rallies held Saturday were organized in advance to commemorate mass demonstrations held in 2009 to challenge the pro-reform protests. An eyewitness in Tehran said nearly 2,000 people had gathered peacefully for a pro-government rally. State-run Iranian broadcasters showed demonstrators waving the Iranian flag. Meanwhile, coverage of the anti-government protests was very limited on state-run media, which referenced them only in passing. US: 'The world is watching' The White House voiced its support for anti-government protesters in a statement Friday. "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," said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. "The Iranian government should respect their people's rights, including their right to express themselves. The world is watching." President Donald Trump subsequently tweeted the same message. The US State Department urged the international community to support the Iranian people's "demands for basic rights and an end to corruption." "Iran's leaders have turned a wealthy country with a rich history and culture into an economically depleted rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed, and chaos," said spokeswoman Heather Nauert. "As President Trump has said, the longest-suffering victims of Iran's leaders are Iran's own people. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi pushed back against the US comments a day later, saying the Iranian people gave no credence to such "opportunistic" remarks by Trump or his administration. His statement on the Foreign Ministry website also described "Mr Trump's government" as the main source of ill will toward Iran. Trump tweeted about the situation again on Saturday, sharing footage of a speech he gave at the United Nations in September. "Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever," Trump wrote, quoting his speech. "And the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice." "The world is watching!" he added. US Vice President Mike Pence also took to Twitter Saturday evening to reiterate the Trump administration's support for "peaceful protesters in Iran who are speaking out for freedom." Pence added, "... the time has come for the regime in Tehran end terrorist activities, corruption, & their disregard for human rights." In the same tweet, Pence condemned the "arrests of innocents." Relations between Washington and Tehran are tense, with the Trump administration critical of what it sees as Iran's growing regional influence and alleged involvement in conflicts including Yemen and Syria. Rouhani won a landslide re-election in May after campaigning largely on social reform. His campaign touted the merits of the 2015 nuclear deal with the United States, the European Union and other partners which has been rejected by Trump. Foreign intervention claim Iranian officials have pointed to foreign intervention as being behind the anti-government protests. "Unfortunately, most of the people who participate in these gatherings are unsophisticated individuals who are not aware that these calls for protest are made by anti-revolution elements," Mohsen Hamadani, Tehran deputy governor in charge of security affairs, was quoted as saying by the semi-official news agency ILNA. "Most participants are not aware that anti-revolution elements are calling people to demonstrate against social issues such as inflation but chant untrue slogans." Protests stem from 'economic difficulties' The protests "show that frustration in the Iranian society right now is very extensive, particularly when it comes to the economic difficulties they have been facing," according to Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council and author of the book "Losing an Enemy." While the economic situation is due in part to "mismanagement and corruption," Parsi said, it's also a result of the Rouhani government's policies and the process of getting sanctions on the country lifted. "The nuclear deal is overwhelmingly supported by the Iranian public, but there was an expectation that much more economic development would come out of it," Parsi said. Iranians have not seen that turnaround. Ultimately, the protests represent an internal dispute within Iran, but international policy is also playing a role, he said. And Trump's involvement is not necessarily beneficial to anti-government protesters. "This is not about the United States, this is not about Trump," Parsi said. "And Trump stepping into this is not necessarily helpful because he doesn't carry any credibility in Iran." Parsi pointed to several policy positions taken by the Trump administration this year, such as the administration's opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, his travel ban -- which targeted, in part, Iran -- and his "hugging Saudi Arabia." "I think he's unaware of how illegitimate broad parts of the Iranian society view him," Parsi said. While sanctions against Iran were eased under the 2015 deal in exchange for curbs on Tehran's nuclear program, US sanctions imposed over non-nuclear activities continue to have an impact.
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761 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/29/europe/ringo-starr-barry-gibb-new-year-honors-intl/index.html">Ringo Starr and Barry Gibb knighted in Queen's New Year honors list</a>
762 </h3>
763 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
764 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
765 <span>Dec 30, 2017</span>
766 </div>
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768 The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and BeeGees co-founder Barry Gibb have been awarded knighthoods by Britain's Queen Elizabeth in her 2018 New Year honors list. 77-year-old Starr, whose real name is Richard Starkey, is the second Beatle to be knighted, 21 years after Paul McCartney. Gibb, the 70s disco pioneer who co-founded the BeeGees with his late brothers Robin and Maurice, said he was "deeply honored, humbled, and very proud" to be recognized. "This is a moment in life to be treasured and never forgotten. I want to acknowledge how responsible my brothers are for this honor. It is as much theirs as it is mine," Gibb, 71, told the UK's Press Association. Darcey Bussell, the former principal dancer with the Royal Ballet and current judge on hit British television show "Strictly Come Dancing," was awarded a damehood for services to dance. More than 1,100 people were honored this year, including 551 women. The list, which is drawn up by the government and approved by the Queen, recognizes the achievements and service of "extraordinary" people and includes politicians, academics, journalists, authors and athletes. The list includes five categories and is released twice a year -- once at New Year's and the other during the Queen's publicly celebrated birthday in June. A knighthood or damehood is the highest honor. Men recognized as such are given the title "Sir," while women are given the title "Dame." Below that is a CBE, which stands for Commander of the Order of the British Empire; an OBE, or Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; followed by an MBE, or Member of the Order of the British Empire. Starr, McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison were recognized with MBEs in 1965. Actor Hugh Laurie, known for his roles in American shows such as the medical drama "House" and political satire "Veep," was recognized for services to drama, while former British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman was recognized for her contribution to fashion journalism. British author and journalist Jilly Cooper, who penned the racy romantic series "The Ruthshire Chronical," was honored for services to literature and charity. Laurie, Shulman and Cooper were all awarded OBEs. They were previously honored with CBEs. Singer-songwriter Marc Almond from the 80s synthpop duo Soft Cell, best known for their hit cover of "Tainted Love," received an OBE for his services to arts and culture. He told the Press Association he was "totally excited" to be honored, saying, "I can't really be a rebel anymore. I think it's time to leave it to younger people." Grime music artist Wiley, whose real name is Richard Cowie, was recognized with an MBE for services to music. "I'm honored to be receiving an MBE. It feels like the school grade I wanted and didn't get but now I'm finally there," Wiley told the Press Association. Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was honored with a knighthood. The Press Association reported that future honors lists will recognize people involved in anti-terrorism efforts and those who responded to the fire at Grenfell Tower in London earlier this year which killed 71 people. Recipients will be celebrated at a ceremony headed by the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
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784 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/29/opinions/why-doesnt-trump-have-a-pet-kaye/index.html">Why doesn't Trump have a pet?</a>
785 </h3>
786 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
787 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
788 <span>Dec 29, 2017</span>
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791 As a reporter for "Anderson Cooper 360," I live my life on a deadline. Plane to catch. Story to write. Live report to deliver. It's always exciting, but also can be so stressful! But in the scheme of things, my job as a reporter for CNN is a lot less stressful than, say, the job of President. These days, the leader of the free world has a lot to worry about. North Korea. Middle East Peace. Terrorism. The Russia Investigation. I can't imagine the stress of that job! Luckily, after a long and stressful day I have my golden retriever, Gatsby, to come home to. He always greets me with tail wags and wet kisses. Then he curls up at my feet with his head resting on my toes. If I didn't need both hands to type this article, I would surely have one of them on him. Petting him from head to toe is the best stress reliever! Which is why that I think you, Mr. President, would be wise to get a dog and start 2018 off on the right foot (or paw, if you will). You would benefit from owning a dog in so many ways. It's scientifically proven! Studies show that playing with or petting an animal can increase levels of the stress-reducing hormone oxytocin and decrease production of the stress hormone cortisol. Don't you want more of those feel-good chemicals in your brain? All those nights you reportedly spend alone, pacing around the White House in that bathrobe would be in the past. A loyal companion would be at your side, and with just a few pats on the head your stress from the day would slip away. And no need to worry, a dog can't wear a wire or be subpoenaed to testify (or bark, in this case) at special prosecutor Robert Mueller. No matter what decisions you made by the end of a hard day or how some might've criticized them, your dog won't judge you. If only, Mr. President, you had a dog to turn to before one of your Twitter tirades. It could make all the difference. Dogs don't sleep through the night, so perhaps you could even try reading some of your more questionable tweets to your dog before posting them for real. Maybe that would be enough to get it out of your system? Or as psychologist Chris Blazina, who has written three books about men and their relationship with dogs, suggests, try petting your dog before posting. Chances are that anger will go away and so will your tweeting. And if you're hungry late at night and craving one of those Big Macs or KFC meals you love so much, a dog makes a great kitchen companion. But remember, no human food for your pup unless you want a late-night clean-up in the Lincoln Bedroom! Oh, and don't worry about germs from all this interaction with your dog. Experts say a dog's germs can actually strengthen your immune system. Bonus! Now, before I go any further, you may be wondering why I'm suggesting you get a dog over another kind of pet. Yes, I know that President John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator, and President William Howard Taft had a pet cow. Abraham Lincoln had a pig and Theodore Roosevelt had a bear. Fascinating, all of it. But for you Mr. Trump, I've settled on a dog. Any dog. Cats aren't your style, they're typically more withdrawn. You need the steadiness of a dog. As Brian Hare, the director of the Canine Cognition Center at Duke University warned, "I just envision the cat hiding under a bed somewhere in the White House for four years." Maybe you should rescue a golden retriever -- America's favorite breed -- like my Gatsby to match your golden locks? Trust me, if you asked a golden retriever to take a loyalty pledge, he'd do it. Or maybe you prefer a smaller dog, like a Chihuahua? Just make sure his papers (or documents?) are in order. And despite the fact that you reportedly thought it was "low class" for your VP to move his family pets to DC, including their two cats, snake and rabbit, that menagerie may be just what Mike Pence needs after a long day. Mr. Trump, did you know a dog may actually help you become a better leader? Dogs are direct and transparent. They bite their enemies and love their friends. And experts say they never flip-flop on loyalty. Also, dogs bring people together. They don't see color or party. I think we all agree that's a good thing. People love dogs, which means dogs have great approval ratings. Every little bit counts! "Kind of unwittingly ... a softer side ...starts to come out when you pet your dog and other people see you do that, and some of the pretense ... starts to melt away," says psychologist Blazina. "People see ... a more vulnerable, but certainly a more authentic part, kind of coming through that's warm and caring. So I think if you're a PR person you should be looking for a dog for Trump right now." Look, bottom line is we all know how much you thrived on the adoring attention of your fans and supporters during the campaign, so why not get a dog to fill that void? In a dog's eyes, you're the most important person to them. The only thing that matters. Isn't it time to trade your Twitter feed for some tail wags?
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807 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/29/africa/egypt-church-attack/index.html">9 dead after gunmen open fire at Coptic church near Cairo</a>
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810 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
811 <span>Dec 29, 2017</span>
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814 Nine people were killed Friday after gunmen opened fire at a church near Cairo, officials said, the latest in a string of attacks on minority Coptic Christians in the country this year. The Ministry of the Interior said on its Facebook page that the suspected attacker was 33-year-old Ibrahim Ismail Ismail Moustafa, and he was known to have participated in five different attacks between 2016 and 2017. The ministry's statement called the suspect "a well-known terrorist who participated before in attacks on police men and civilians." ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack late Friday in a statement from the ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq. The group and its affiliates have previously claimed responsibility in several attacks on the minority Christians in other parts of the country. Witnesses told CNN that people were gunned down outside the church on their way out after a service. A CNN reporter at the scene saw bullet holes and broken glass in the church's facade, and pools of blood on the ground. The assault was carried out at the St. Mina Coptic Church in Helwan, a district on the southern outskirts of the Egyptian capital. A witness told CNN that he saw two attackers, but officials have given conflicting accounts of how many people were involved. Father Aghathon Riad told CNN that about 10 minutes after Mass ended, the sound of shots rang out. "I went downstairs to check what was happening," he said. "I instructed the people in the ground floor to go upstairs. I took some of them to my office." One of the church's servants, Riad said, managed to close the door of the church before the attacker entered. "This saved a lot of lives," he said, though it didn't stop the attacker from shooting at the church's doors. Police guards exchanged fire with the attackers, delaying their approach to the door, he said. Bullets shattered glass, but no one inside the church was hurt, Riad said. One suspected assailant was arrested with a machine gun, ammunition and a bomb that he had planned to use in the church, the Interior Ministry told state media. Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said that a second attacker was shot dead by Egyptian security forces. Among the nine killed were eight Christians and a police officer, who was Muslim. Five others were wounded, including two in critical condition, the Health Ministry said. Father Ebram Mikhail, the archbishop of the Helwan district, told CNN that worshipers still inside the church could hear the machine gun firing rounds for about 15 minutes. Badr Mohamed Badr, a fruit seller, witnessed the attack from his stall and said he saw a shooter on a motorcycle fire a gun at a police officer. He said he saw two attackers, one watching the road and the other firing a machine gun. A security cordon was put up at the scene and officials were inspecting the site. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi gave his condolences to the relatives of victims in a statement released by his office. "The Presidency of the Republic reiterates that these desperate terrorist attempts will not undermine the resolve and the entrenched national unity of the Egyptian people, but will only increase their determination to continue on the path to eliminate terrorism and extremism from their country," the statement read. Friday evening, crowds of Coptic Christians packed the Helwan district's archbishopric to attend a funeral service for victims of the attack. According to state-run media outlet Ahram Online, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II, expressed his sympathy to the victims. "All condolences to their families and to the police, the church and to Egypt, which will still be strong and capable of defeating insensitive and dark and violence forces which have no conscience," Tawadros said. Coptic Christians make up the majority of Egypt's roughly 9 million Christians and are the largest Christian community in the Middle East. In May, gunmen killed at least 28 Coptic Christians aboard a bus traveling along a desert road on the way to a monastery. On Palm Sunday, 49 people were killed in bombings at two churches in Tanta and Alexandria. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, though it offered no proof of its connections to it.
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824 </a>
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830 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/28/opinions/trump-politifact-lie-of-year-obeidallah-opinion/index.html">Trump finally gets the honor he deserves</a>
831 </h3>
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833 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
834 <span>Dec 28, 2017</span>
835 </div>
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837 Donald Trump is right -- he doesn't always get the credit he deserves. And Trump isn't bashful about making that point. In November while on Fox News -- his seemingly go-to network for daily "intelligence briefings" -- he complained to host Laura Ingraham that despite leading "one of the greatest" economic revivals in "the history of our country," he was "not getting enough credit for it." And Trump made that very point yet again a few days ago with his tweet: "... So many things accomplished by the Trump Administration, perhaps more than any other President in first year. Sadly, will never be reported correctly by the Fake News. Media!" Finally, it looks like things are changing. The non-partisan PolitiFact.com -- the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking media outlet -- recently announced its signature annual award. After reviewing scores of statements made by politicians this year, it has declared that the big winner of "Lie of the Year" for 2017 goes to one told by (cue the drum roll and prepare the confetti) Donald J. Trump! That has to bring some joy for Trump as he spends time this week at his exclusive, for-profit country club Mar-a-Largo -- or as he has nicknamed it the "Winter White House." You might be asking which Trump lie did PolitiFact choose, considering Trump has served up more "whoppers" than Burger King. Well, it goes back to May 2017 when Trump told NBC's Lester Holt that, "This Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story." As PolitiFact notes, Trump told different versions of that lie several times in 2017, such as in September when he tweeted, "The Russia hoax continues." But it was his comment in May that earned Trump this "honor." Although there hasn't been any evidence that points to direct collusion between Trump and Russians, there is no denying that the Russians interfered in the presidential election. Still, the President continues to do just that -- despite evidence of Russian meddling. As PolitiFact pointed out, "Trump could acknowledge the interference happened while still standing by the legitimacy of his election and his presidency -- but he declines to do so. Sometimes he'll state firmly there was "no collusion" between his campaign and Russia, an implicit admission that Russia did act in some capacity. Then he reverts back to denying the interference even happened." I wish Trump would give a speech accepting this award. I could see him thanking himself for being one the greatest fabricators ever. Trump would then slam the "haters and losers" and of course those in the "fake news" who doubted he would ever win such an honor. But simply recognizing Trump for this one lie is unfair to all the others he told in 2017. So let's take a quick stroll down Trump "Pants on Fire" lane, courtesy of PolitiFact, to look back at some of the other tall tales he gave us. There were Trump's lies about policy. For example, in September while stumping to build support for tax cuts, Trump declared that ending the estate tax would "protect millions of small businesses and the American farmer." In reality, this tax at the time only applied to estates worth over $5.49 million for individuals or $10.98 million dollars if a married couple. Add to that, this tax was paid by a total of 5,460 estates in 2017. Thus, Trump's claim that millions of small businesses and farmers would benefit was a big, fat lie. Trump also lied when attacking his political opponents. In July, Trump took to Twitter to go after Amazon because its founder, Jeff Bezos, is also the owner of The Washington Post which has dared to criticize the President. In a possible effort to spark a congressional inquiry into the company, Trump tweeted, "Is Fake News Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep Politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly?" In reality, Amazon is neither a monopoly nor a company that doesn't pay taxes. Amazon actually paid $412 million in taxes in 2016, according to regulatory findings. Who knows what Trump paid? The American people don't, because Trump has refused to release his tax returns. Trump even lied while attacking people who were standing up to white supremacy. In August, Trump stated that white nationalist protesters in Charlottesville "had a permit. The other group didn't have a permit." This was the same press conference where Trump infamously stated that there were "very fine people on both sides." In reality, those protesting the vile white supremacists actually had a permit despite Trump's attempt to smear them. And there were just so many other "Pants on Fire" lies by Trump in 2017 from his February statement that terrorism attacks in Europe are so frequent it has "gotten to a point where it's not even being reported," to his lie last week that the federal government's diversity visa program gives us "the worst of the worst" of people from other countries. Although Trump's "Lie of the Year" award may be a bit tarnished in his eyes because he isn't the first president to receive it -- one of his arch-nemeses, President Barack Obama, beat him to it when he received this honor back in 2013 -- at the rate Trump is going, I bet he will win this award many, many more times before he finally leaves the White House.
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853 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/28/us/five-things-december-28-trnd/index.html">5 things for December 28: Afghanistan attack, weather, Vladimir Putin</a>
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857 <span>Dec 28, 2017</span>
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860 Fancy yourself a fixer-upper type? There's a half-built skyscraper with your name on it. (It'll only set you back $85 million.) Now, here's what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.) 1. Afghanistan attack Once again, a terror attack has rocked Kabul. This time, it was a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives in the meeting room of a Shiite cultural center. The blast killed at least 40 people. Attacks such as these are becoming depressingly regular in the Afghan capital. Terrorists have attacked mosques, military bases, even sport stadiums. They've targeted civilians, police and the military in equal measure. 2. Weather If you live in the Midwest or Northeast, the end of 2017 is going to straight up chill you to the bone. The blast of Arctic air that's frozen the Midwest spreads to the Northeast, just in time for New Year's Eve. So, when you're out and about celebrating the holiday, keep your skin covered as much as possible to protect from frostbite. International Falls, Minnesota -- a place that knows a little something about cold temps -- had a record-breaking low temperature of -36 degrees F yesterday. And Erie, Pennsylvania, sits under 65 inches (!!!) of snow. 3. Sexual harassment Women combat sexual harassment and assault at work and on the streets. They're fighting the same battles in the air, too: unwanted groping and worse on planes. Airlines say they have zero tolerance for this type of misbehavior, but often flight attendants come across like they don't really know how to handle such situations. And it's difficult to determine just how widespread the problem is because the federal government doesn't track numbers. 4. Taxes The GOP tax plan has been the law of the land for less than a week but already it's spurred a change -- people paying their property taxes early. Residents in high-tax states like California and New York are rushing to pay up because the new tax plan limits the amount of money you can deduct for state income, sales and property taxes to $10,000. Right now those deductions are unlimited. 5. Vladimir Putin If there were any doubts that Vladimir Putin excercises nearly total control in Russia, the past couple of days should erase them. The Russian President is officially running for re-election for a fourth term, in a race that he'll most certainly win. It helps that his only serious opponent, Alexey Navalny, has been conveniently barred from running. Putin has also pretty much given his security forces a license to kill, saying they should "terminate" criminals if they feel their lives are in danger: "Act decisively, take no hostages and terminate the bandits on the spot." BREAKFAST BROWSE Take the Trump train Israel's naming a high-speed rail station in Jerusalem after President Trump, as the whole country experiences a Trump-naming frenzy. Twitter trim Twitter is too much for even the Library of Congress now. No longer will it save every single public tweet. Alas, your rants are now lost to history. They have so much in common For over 60 years these friends were bros for life. Then a DNA test revealed they were bros for real. Time's (almost) up If you know something about the 1990 art heist at Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, you better speak up. The $10 million reward ends soon. Not all fun and games Play video games -- a lot? Next year, the World Health Organization will list it as a mental disorder. WHAT'S FOR LUNCH But wait, there's Moore! Alabama is supposed to certify Doug Jones' Senate election win today. But Roy Moore isn't going down easy. The Republican, who lost by more than 20,000 votes, has filed a complaint claiming voter fraud and wants a new special election. NUMBER OF THE DAY 16 The number of years in a row that Hillary Clinton has been named America's most-admired woman in an annual Gallup poll. Among men, Barack Obama is the most admired, followed by President Trump. AND FINALLY ... 'What's up dude?' It's 70 people from 70 countries doing their best imitations of American accents. Note to the rest of the world: we don't all sound like California valley girls. (Click to view)
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869 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170516154032-recep-tayyip-erdogan-white-house-trump-05-16-2017-story-body.jpg">
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876 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/28/middleeast/assad-erdogan-terrorist-intl/index.html">Syria hits back after Turkey's Erdogan calls Assad a 'terrorist'</a>
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879 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
880 <span>Dec 28, 2017</span>
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883 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reignited a war of words with the president of neighboring Syria, calling him a "terrorist" who has no place in negotiations over the country's future. The insults directed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad came as aid workers evacuated the first of 29 people who had been trapped in the besieged Syrian region of Eastern Ghouta. Previously, Erdogan had said that around 500 people -- including 170 women and children -- required "urgent humanitarian aid," according to Turkey's TRT and Russia's Sputnik news agencies. Assad had repeatedly refused aid into the enclave and evacuations out of Eastern Ghouta. It's one of Syria's last rebel strongholds, but it has been under siege by regime forces for more than four years. On Wednesday, Erdogan said it was "absolutely impossible" to move ahead on Syrian peace talks while Assad remains in power, according to Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu. Erdogan made the comments after a closed-door meeting with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi in Tunis where he's on an official visit. Trading barbs Erdogan called Assad, who has grimly clung to power during the protracted conflict that has wracked his nation for the past seven years, "a terrorist involved in state terrorism." He asked how anyone could "embrace the future with the president of a Syria who killed close to one million of its citizens." Syria's Foreign Ministry shot back at the remarks, accusing Erdogan of being "responsible" for spilling the blood of the Syrian people, according to a statement released by Syrian state-run news agency SANA. "The entry of the Turkish forces to the Syrian territory reveals one image of the Turkey's support to takfiri terrorism," SANA said. The statement slammed what it characterized as Erdogan's "paranoia and illusions of the past," which "made him forget that his old empire has vanished and that the free people of the world have the choice to make their national decisions and defend their sovereignty and they will not allow Erdogan to interfere in their affairs." The US has also said a peaceful solution in Syria is not possible while Assad remains in power. In an opinion piece for the New York Times, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, while the US was "on guard against Russian aggression," the US was willing to work with Russia where "mutual interests intersect." "Nowhere is that more evident than in Syria," he said. "Now that President Vladimir Putin has committed to the United Nations-backed Geneva political process for providing a new future for Syria, we expect Russia to follow through. We are confident that the fulfillment of these talks will produce a Syria that is free of Bashar al-Assad and his family," he said. Uncertain future Russia, Iran and Turkey have been working to bring together warring factions in Syria and end hostilities that have dragged on for seven years. At the end of January, Moscow will host talks involving "all segments of Syrian society" -- including Kurdish representatives, which Turkey opposes -- at an international meeting at the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Assad for the first since 2015 in the same Russian city to discuss the future of Syria. At the time, Putin said Assad had expressed his commitment to finding a peaceful solution and new elections. Putin and his government have been one of the chief supporters of the Assad regime, both militarily and in helping to negotiate ceasefires in the country's long-running civil war. Opinion: 10 questions that could keep you up at night in 2018 Evacuations from Eastern Ghouta On Wednesday, aid agencies began evacuating the first patients who've been trapped in Eastern Ghouta, part of four de-escalation zones negotiated by the Russian, Iranian and Turkish governments in May. Assad's government has accused rebel groups there of using civilians as human shields, and has refused to allow access to the embattled suburb. Earlier this week, Erdogan was quoted by Turkish and Russian state media as Turkish and Russian chiefs of staff would work together to carry out the evacuation of hundreds of people who in need of urgent aid, TRT reported. Since the war began in 2011, an estimated 400,000 Syrians have been killed, according to the United Nations. Assad has ruled Syria as President since July 2000. The ongoing violence against civilians has been condemned by the Arab League, the European Union, the United States and other countries. As of March 2017, more than 5 million Syrians have fled the country and 6.3 million people are displaced internally.
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899 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/28/asia/kabul-attack-intl/index.html">ISIS suicide bombing in Kabul kills dozens</a>
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903 <span>Dec 28, 2017</span>
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906 ISIS has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on a Shia cultural center in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, that left 41 people dead and dozens injured. Two children were among the dead and 84 people were injured in the blast, according to a Health Ministry spokesman. The attack rocked the center in the basement of a building in the west of the city at around 10:30 a.m. (12.30 a.m ET) Thursday morning. It also hit the Afghan News Agency, which has an office on the floor above, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said. Two more blasts followed at the same building, but caused no injuries. The ISIS-affiliated Amaq News Agency said the terror group carried out the attack. A crowd of just under 100 people were meeting at the cultural center to mark the anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan when a bomber infiltrated the crowd and detonated the device, according to journalist Ehsanullah Amiri, who was at the scene. Ambulances and police vehicles ferried the dead and wounded to nearby hospitals, Amiri said, as security forces cordoned off the site and blocked the main road approaching the scene. Authorities also warned onlookers to stay away from the site of the explosion, where there is also a Shia mosque. Both the Afghan capital and the wider country are beset with attacks on its military, police and civilian populations. ISIS and the Taliban have both carried out several attacks in the country this year, and they have also been fighting each other over territory, particularly in the east of the country. The Taliban earlier denied responsibility for the blasts. Earlier this week at least 10 people were killed after a suicide attacker detonated a bomb in an attack claimed by ISIS. That attack targeted an office of the National Directorate of Security, Rahimi said, near the US Embassy and other diplomatic missions. Deadly attacks Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack, saying that the government was determined to eliminate terrorist groups. "Terrorists always hide their defeat against our security forces by attacking mosques, religious places, and educational institutions, and killing our people, including women and children," Ghani wrote on Facebook. "Terrorist groups and their supporters should understand that by doing such crimes they cannot gain success. Day by day, our peoples' hate increases as everyone recognizes them." US Ambassador to Afghanistan John R. Bass said: "The United States continues to stand with all Afghans in their pursuit of peace, security, and prosperity." "This incident once again demonstrates the depravity of those who seek to undermine peace and stability in Afghanistan," he said. "We remain confident the Afghan government and people, supported by their friends and partners, will defeat those behind these terrible acts." The United States has supported the Afghan government in its fight against ISIS, but has dramatically decreased the number of its troops this year. Human rights organization Amnesty International said the attack underscored the dangers faced by Afghan civilians and blasted European leaders for forcibly returning Afghan asylum-seekers to the country. "With the Afghan capital hit once again, no one can credibly claim that Kabul safe. The European governments who insist on this dangerous fiction by forcibly returning Afghans are putting their lives in danger," Amnesty International South Asia Director Biraj Patnaik said. Patnaik added that it was one of the deadliest years on record in the country. Attacks rock Kabul A number of other attacks have targeted the city in recent months: October 20: Dozens of Afghans were killed in two mosque attacks, claimed by ISIS. October 21: A suicide bombing near a military academy took another 15 lives, claimed by the Taliban. October 17: At least 41 soldiers were killed in an attack on their base in eastern Afghanistan, claimed by the Taliban. September 13: A suicide bomber killed three people in a blast outside a cricket stadium in Kabul. August 25: 20 people killed in an attack on a Shiite mosque, for which ISIS claims responsibility.
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922 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/europe/st-petersburg-russia-blast/index.html">St. Petersburg explosion: Putin says blast was terror attack</a>
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926 <span>Dec 27, 2017</span>
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929 More than a dozen people were injured in an explosion at a St. Petersburg supermarket Wednesday, according to Russian state media. President Vladimir Putin called the blast a "terror attack" during an address to military officers Thursday in Moscow, calling for a full investigation. Preliminary data shows that an explosive device found at the scene contained 200 grams (7 ounces) of TNT, state-run RIA news agency reported. The device was inside a locker at a chain supermarket called Perekrestok, located in an entertainment complex. Tass reported that the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal investigation into the explosion, citing Svetlana Petrenko, an official representative for the committee. The city has been a target for at least one other explosion this year. Fourteen people were killed and dozens more were injured on April 3 when a suicide bomber detonated explosives in the city's metro system. The April explosion, which has been linked to terrorism, occurred on a passenger train traveling through a tunnel in the center of the city.
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937 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/asia/militant-group-leader-killed-kashmir/index.html">
938 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/160930213147-kashmir-soldier-story-body.jpg">
939 </a>
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944 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
945 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/asia/militant-group-leader-killed-kashmir/index.html">Indian security forces kill senior militant in India-controlled Kashmir</a>
946 </h3>
947 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
948 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
949 <span>Dec 27, 2017</span>
950 </div>
951 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
952 Thousands of people turned out Tuesday for the funeral of a militant separatist leader killed in a shoot-out with security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir. Noor Mohammad Tantray, a commander in the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) group, was shot dead by Indian security forces during a fierce gunfight in Pulwama district, located 14.2 miles (23 kms) from the Himalayan state's summer capital of Srinagar, on Monday night. Tantray, 47, was the operational chief of the Pakistan-based group for south Kashmir, according to Mohammad Zahid, the Pulwama district police superintendent. Tantray was arrested in Delhi on charges in 2003 of conspiracy to carry out terrorist attacks and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He was released on parole in 2015, according to CNN affiliate CNN News 18. "Noor went underground and soon became the key man of JeM in coordinating and organizing attacks at different places ... He was wanted in (relation to) a number of terror offenses in south and central Kashmir," police spokesman Manoj Pundita told CNN. Tantray was also believed to have been the mastermind behind an attack on a Border Security Force camp near Srinagar airport that left one soldier dead in October. At just 4 feet 3 inches (1.29m) Tantray was an instantly recognizable figure, something that police say could have attributed to his eventual death. "He could easily get mixed up in a crowd without being noticed because of his shorter height. But at the same time, since his profile was very well known to the security agencies, his less than average height was also a disadvantage as he was easily identifiable," said a senior police officer who wished to remain anonymous in Tantray's hometown of Tral. Who are Jaish-e-Mohammad Jaish-e-Mohammed, which translates to the Army of the Prophet Mohammed, is a Pakistan-based militant separatist organization that operates on both sides of the border of the disputed state. The group, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the US State Department since 2001, seeks to unite the Indian controlled area of Kashmir with Pakistan. Along with a series of attacks in Kashmir, the group was blamed for a 2001 attack on the central parliament building in New Delhi, which left 13 people dead. Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, the terror group behind the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 164 people, was also blamed for the attack. In July 2004, Pakistani authorities arrested a JeM member wanted in connection with the 2002 abduction and murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl. The death of Tantray is regarded as a major success for Indian security forces in their ongoing battle with Kashmir's multiple separatist groups. Violence in Kashmir has continued to flare up throughout 2017, following the death of Burhan Wani, a young militant leader in 2016. Wani, a member of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group, was known for using social media to reach out to Kashmiri youth. His death sparked a new wave of unrest that claimed more than 90 civilian lives and left thousands wounded. Scores were also partially or fully blinded by pellet guns, a controversial move adopted by Indian security forces to quell protests.
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960 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/26/opinions/trumps-foreign-policy-successes-opinion-bergen/index.html">
961 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171218143640-donald-trump-december-18-2017-01-story-body.jpg">
962 </a>
963
964
965 </div><!--
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967 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
968 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/26/opinions/trumps-foreign-policy-successes-opinion-bergen/index.html">Trump has scored some successes in foreign policy</a>
969 </h3>
970 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
971 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
972 <span>Dec 26, 2017</span>
973 </div>
974 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
975 Some of the most ferocious critics of President Trump's foreign policy are leading Republican thinkers and writers such as military historians Max Boot and Eliot Cohen, along with Michael Gerson, who was President George W. Bush's chief speechwriter. In venues such as Foreign Policy, The Atlantic and The Washington Post they have described Trump as "utterly incompetent" (Boot) and as running a foreign policy defined by "blunder, inattention, miscomprehension or willfulness" (Cohen). They've also pointed to his "fundamental unfitness for high office" (Gerson). And those are reviews of Trump's foreign policy record by some of his fellow Republicans. But what the critics don't acknowledge is that Trump and his national security team have actually scored some real foreign policy wins in the past year that have been sometimes obscured by Trump's penchant for bloviation, bluster and belligerence. (And I don't mean self-described Trump wins, such as the "travel ban" whose effects on containing terrorism in the States will likely be negligible, as lethal terrorist attacks on American soil since 9/11 have invariably been the work of self-radicalized US citizens and legal residents.) Red line The first win is that Trump enforced a real "red line" against the use of nerve gas in Syria by the regime of Bashar al-Assad, something that Obama had failed to do. On April 4, 2017, the Syrian regime used sarin, a nerve gas, against civilian targets in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, killing more than 80 people. Trump called the attack an "affront to humanity" and said that it "crossed a lot of lines for me. When you kill innocent children, innocent babies ... that crosses many, many lines -- beyond a red line." Two days after the sarin attack, American warships launched 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield, the first direct military action that the United States has taken against Assad's regime. Assad hasn't used chemical weapons against his own people since Trump ordered those cruise missile strikes in April. The enforcement of the important international prohibition against the use of nerve gas is certainly an achievement for the Trump administration. A flurry of cruise missile strikes, of course, doesn't make a Syria strategy, and the precise contours of Trump's game plan for Syria going forward are not clear — at least not publicly. What is clear is that ISIS is almost completely defeated in Syria and is largely eliminated from all of its havens in Iraq. The defeat of ISIS has been a long time coming, and most of the anti-ISIS campaign took place under the Obama administration. But the Trump national security team helped to hasten the defeat of ISIS in two ways. First, Trump decided to equip the anti-ISIS Syrian Democratic Forces -- a largely Kurdish militia -- with mortars, anti-tank weapons, armored cars and machine guns. Those forces captured ISIS's de facto Syrian capital, Raqqa, in October. Second, Trump allowed American ground commanders greater latitude to carry out operations in war zones such as Iraq and Syria without consulting higher up the chain of command. Pentagon brass had long chafed at what they considered to be the micromanagement of military operations by the Obama White House. Greater stability in Iraq and Afghanistan As a result of ISIS's defeat in Iraq, the country is more stable than it has been for more than three years. I traveled to Iraq earlier this month and the Iraqis I spoke with were cautiously optimistic that the recent gains against ISIS might help to produce some kind of lasting peace. In late August Trump announced a plan to bring some modicum of stability to Afghanistan, where the Taliban have asserted more control in the past year or so. In addition to sending a mini-surge of several thousand more troops to the country, Trump made it clear that the US commitment to Afghanistan is long term and "conditions-based." Trump did not impose any timetable for withdrawing US forces from the country, which was the counterproductive approach that the Obama administration had taken. The Afghan government has welcomed this long-term American commitment to Afghanistan. The big bet As important as they are, these successes don't amount to a vindication of Trump's overall foreign policy and there are still a great many open questions about his approach to the world. In the Middle East, Trump has placed a big bet on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the 32-year-old future king of Saudi Arabia, whom the Trump administration has eagerly embraced. MBS, as he is widely known, has launched "Vision 2030," a wildly ambitious plan to wean the Saudi economy from its total dependence on oil and end the quasi-socialist Saudi state in which most Saudis work for the government and pay no taxes while getting free health care and education as well as subsidies for electricity and gas. MBS is also liberalizing Saudi society. He has curbed the powers of the feared religious police, and has plans to allow women to drive and to open up once-banned movie theaters. At the same time MBS has abandoned Saudi Arabia's traditionally conservative foreign policy by launching a war in Yemen, which has turned into a fiasco, and blockading neighboring Qatar, which has devolved into a standoff with no end in sight. MBS also deposed the previous Crown Prince, Mohamed bin Nayef, and has arrested hundreds of businessmen and royal family members who represent alternative power centers to his increasingly dictatorial rule, charging them with corruption. It's not clear how Trump's big bet on MBS will ultimately play out, but the fact is that Trump embraced the young prince early in his administration. And over the past year MBS has amassed enormous amounts of power in a country that is a key American ally. Similarities with Obama Trump often underlines his many differences with Obama but in the realm of national security there are, in fact, some important continuities between the two administrations. The Trump administration has continued the Obama doctrine of avoiding big, conventional wars in the Middle East. Instead, the Trump team has kept in place much of the counter-terrorism architecture that Obama developed, including his overall approach to the war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria and his reliance on Special Operations Forces and drones rather than on large-scale conventional forces to achieve American military goals. In Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, Trump continues the drone campaigns that were a signature of Obama's administration. Despite Trump's sometimes-inflammatory rhetoric about NATO, Trump's team has remained strong supporters of the alliance, which continues to play an important role in Afghanistan. The Trump team has also called for NATO members to spend more on defense — the goal is 2% of each country's GDP -- which is exactly what the Obama administration also called for, albeit somewhat more diplomatically. Trump himself may make nice with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but his national security team takes many of the same positions on Russia that Obama did. Trump's National Security Strategy, published on December 18, states that Russia is "using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies" and criticizes Russian aggression against its neighbors by saying, "With its invasions of Georgia and Ukraine, Russia demonstrated its willingness to violate the sovereignty of states in the region." And this strategy document reflects real policies. On Friday the Trump administration announced its plans to arm the government of Ukraine with anti-tank weapons to help it fight Russian-backed separatists. North Korea, China and terrorism Despite Trump's bellicose rhetoric, the North Koreans are continuing their nuclear weapons program. The Trump administration, like the Obama administration, hopes that China will influence Kim Jong Un to behave responsibly while simultaneously ratcheting up sanctions on his regime. Also, as the Obama administration before it, Trump's National Security Strategy worries that China "is building the most capable and well-funded military in the world, after our own," and warns that Chinese "land reclamation projects and militarization of the South China Seas flouts international law, threatens the free flow of trade, and undermines stability. China has mounted a rapid military modernization campaign designed to limit U.S. access to the region." Obama's response to Chinese expansionism in Asia was the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade pact between a dozen nations that excluded China. Despite his national security team's concerns about Chinese ambitions, Trump withdrew from the TPP, seeming to misunderstand it as simply a trade deal rather than also an effort to contain China. Trump, like Obama, has not sent any additional prisoners to Guantanamo, instead relying on federal courts to try terrorists. Like Obama, he also has not pushed for coercive interrogations to resume. The hyper-nationalists who once ran the show at the Trump White House -- including Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka -- are largely gone. As a result, the White House is no longer pushing the cartoonish view that Islam is the cause of terrorism. Wins and losses To be sure, the Trump administration has scored some self-inflicted foreign policy losses such as the withdrawal from the TPP and, most recently, the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel instead of Tel Aviv. The Trump administration didn't secure any kind of concession from the Israelis, such as obtaining a commitment to freeze the building of settlements in Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem, in exchange for this gift. The Jerusalem decision has also ensured that any efforts by the Trump administration to revive the moribund peace process will likely be ignored by the Palestinians going forward. But the fact remains that the Trump administration has helped to speed the demise of ISIS, bringing a measure of stability to Iraq and also reducing the scope of the terrorist threat that the group poses. At the same time, Trump has initiated a plan in Afghanistan that reduces the possibility that the country could slip back into an anarchic state conducive to groups such as ISIS securing a large presence in the country. And Trump's national security team largely continues many of the policies they inherited from Obama, whether on Russia, the "war on terror" or North Korea. Correction: An earlier version gave the wrong date for the chemical weapons attack against a rebel-held town in Syria.
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981 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
982 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
983 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/25/europe/queen-speech-manchester-grenfell-intl/index.html">
984 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171225102650-01-queen-elizabeth-christmas-1225-story-body.jpg">
985 </a>
986
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990 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
991 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/25/europe/queen-speech-manchester-grenfell-intl/index.html">Queen pays tribute to terror and fire victims in Christmas speech</a>
992 </h3>
993 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
994 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
995 <span>Dec 25, 2017</span>
996 </div>
997 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
998 Queen Elizabeth II paid tribute to the victims of the Manchester terror attack and the Grenfell Tower fire in London during her annual Christmas Day message Monday. Speaking from Buckingham Palace in a recorded address, she told of the "privilege" of meeting those injured in the Manchester attack that killed 22 people attending an Ariana Grande concert. She also commended the country's emergency services, which have endured a difficult year with a series of terror attacks in London. The Queen also spoke about those who lost family members in the Grenfell Tower fire in which 71 people perished. "For many, the idea of 'home' reaches beyond a physical building -- to a hometown or city," she said in her televised address. "This Christmas, I think of London and Manchester, whose powerful identities shone through over the past 12 months in the face of appalling attacks. In Manchester, those targeted included children who had gone to see their favorite singer. A few days after the bombing, I had the privilege of meeting some of the young survivors and their parents. "I describe that hospital visit as a privilege because the patients I met were an example to us all, showing extraordinary bravery and resilience. Indeed, many of those who survived the attack came together just days later for a benefit concert. It was a powerful reclaiming of the ground, and of the city those young people call home." Difficult year The UK has been hit by a number of terror attacks over the past year with three of those targeting London. In March, a terrorist plowed his vehicle into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge, killing four people, before stabbing a police officer to death outside Parliament. In June, a vehicle and knife attack left eight people dead in the London Bridge area of the capital. Later that month, one man died and nine people were hospitalized after a terrorist attack targeting London's Muslim community. In Manchester, 22 were killed and 60 injured during May's suicide bomb attack on the city's concert hall. The Queen also spoke of her pain of the tragedy of Grenfell Tower, as well as those who lost their homes and loved ones in Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Read: After the horror, anger flares in west London "We expect our homes to be a place of safety -- sanctuary even -- which makes it all the more shocking when the comfort they provide is shattered," she said. "A few weeks ago, the Prince of Wales visited the Caribbean in the aftermath of hurricanes that destroyed entire communities. And here in London, who can forget the sheer awfulness of the Grenfell Tower fire? "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who died and those who lost so much; and we are indebted to members of the emergency services who risked their own lives, this past year, saving others. Many of them, of course, will not be at home today because they are working, to protect us." 70th anniversary The Queen also took the opportunity to speak of her 70 years of marriage to Prince Philip, and his decision to retire from public engagements. She said that events of the past year made her "grateful for the blessings of home and family, and in particular for 70 years of marriage." And she hinted at the arrival of new family members, with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry planning to marry in May, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge expecting their third child in April. "I don't know that anyone had invented the term 'platinum' for a 70th wedding anniversary when I was born," she said. "You weren't expected to be around that long. Even Prince Philip has decided it's time to slow down a little -- having, as he economically put it, 'done his bit.' "But I know his support and unique sense of humor will remain as strong as ever, as we enjoy spending time this Christmas with our family and look forward to welcoming new members into it next year."
999 </div>
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1006 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/25/asia/suicide-explosion-kabul/index.html">
1007 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171225085339-01-kabul-attack-1225-story-body.jpg">
1008 </a>
1009
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1013 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1014 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/25/asia/suicide-explosion-kabul/index.html">Suicide blast in Kabul kills at least 10</a>
1015 </h3>
1016 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1017 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1018 <span>Dec 25, 2017</span>
1019 </div>
1020 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1021 At least 10 people are dead after a suicide attacker detonated a bomb Monday in the Afghan capital of Kabul, officials told CNN. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack took place near an office of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) close to Abdulhaq Square, said Nasrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry. He said the attacker was targeting the NDS office. The NDS office is near the US Embassy, along with several other diplomatic missions. At least five people were injured, according to Saleem Rasooli, director of Kabul hospitals. Attacks on both official and unofficial targets are commonplace in Kabul and throughout Afghanistan. Last month, gunmen stormed a television station in the capital, killing a security guard and injuring five others, including four firefighters. The siege ended after a three-hour standoff with police that left all the attackers dead, Kabul police said. In October, dozens of Afghans were killed in two mosque attacks, claimed by ISIS, only to be followed the next day by a suicide bombing near a military academy which took another 15 lives. Also in October, at least 41 soldiers were killed in an attack on their base in eastern Afghanistan. In September, a suicide bomber killed three people in a blast outside a cricket stadium in Kabul, and the month before ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital, which left 20 people dead.
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1027 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
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1029 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/24/us/ahmad-rahimi-hunger-strike/index.html">
1030 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171003124826-01-ahmad-khan-rahami-mug-story-body.jpg">
1031 </a>
1032
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1037 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/24/us/ahmad-rahimi-hunger-strike/index.html">Chelsea bomber tried to radicalize inmates, prosecutors say</a>
1038 </h3>
1039 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1040 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1041 <span>Dec 24, 2017</span>
1042 </div>
1043 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1044 The man convicted in the 2016 bombing in New York's Chelsea neighborhood that injured 30 people has been trying to radicalize other inmates, federal prosecutors say. Ahmad Khan Rahimi also told a judge he is on a hunger strike. Rahimi provided inmates with copies of terrorist propaganda and jihadist materials, including speeches by Osama Bin Laden and the late militant cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, bomb making instructions, books on jihad and issues of the al Qaeda-backed magazine Inspire, prosecutors said. Rahimi "has been attempting to radicalize fellow inmates in the Metropolitan Correction Center by, among other things, distributing propaganda and publications issued by terrorist organizations," according to a letter from Acting US Attorney Joon H. Kim to US District Judge Richard Berman. Rahimi let other inmates view the items on his laptop and gave them electronic copies, Kim's letter said. Discs of the materials were found in two inmates' possession. Defense attorneys for Rahimi have yet to respond to the allegations. Prosecutors said Rahimi began distributing these materials in October if not earlier. Rahimi was convicted October 16 on eight federal charges in connection with the Chelsea bombing. Among the inmates Rahimi gave the materials to, prosecutors say, is Sajmir Alimehmeti, who is scheduled to go on trial next month on terrorism-related charges. Alimehmeti is represented by attorney Sabrina Shroff, who is also on Rahimi's defense team. Kim wrote to Berman asking for a hearing to make sure Rahimi "has knowingly waived the potential conflict of interest that exists between [Rahimi] and his attorneys." Hunger strike Rahimi also says he's on a hunger strike. In an undated handwritten letter to Berman, Rahimi states that he began a hunger strike on December 8 out of protest because he says his wife and children have not been able to visit him since the end of his trial. "I am on a short time because my sentencing date is on January 18, 2018. Because of this short time and the frustration I have decided to go on a hunger strike," Rahimi wrote. Berman received the letter December 21 and has ordered attorneys for both the government and defense to respond, according to court documents. Rahimi was arrested and charged after a pressure cooker bomb went off in New York's Chelsea neighborhood on September 17, 2016. A second pressure cooker bomb was found a few blocks away, on 27th Street, but didn't detonate. Earlier the same day, a bomb went off near the start of a Marine Corps charity run in Seaside Park, New Jersey. After a two-week trial and roughly four hours of jury deliberation, Rahimi was convicted of charges including the use and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, bombing a public place, destroying property by means of fire or explosives, and using a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence. During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence -- including DNA and fingerprints -- linking Rahimi to the bombs that were placed in New Jersey and New York. Rahimi faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison, according to an earlier statement from Kim. Rahimi faces separate charges in other jurisdictions in connection with the bomb that went off in Seaside Park, a backpack containing improvised explosive devices found the following day at a transit station in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and a shootout he had with police before being taken into custody.
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1052 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/24/us/pennsylvania-police-shootings/index.html">
1053 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171224024327-ahmed-aminamin-el-mofty-story-body.jpg">
1054 </a>
1055
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1059 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1060 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/24/us/pennsylvania-police-shootings/index.html">Pennsylvania police shootings were 'terror attack,' DHS says</a>
1061 </h3>
1062 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1063 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1064 <span>Dec 24, 2017</span>
1065 </div>
1066 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1067 The Department of Homeland Security is calling a series of shootings targeting law enforcement in Pennsylvania a "terror attack." Authorities said Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty, 51, was shot and killed by police Friday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, after he fired several times at law enforcement officers throughout the city. The string of shootings began just steps from the state's Capitol building when El-Mofty fired several times at a Capitol Police officer and then, shot and injured at a state trooper. Later, he used two handguns to open fire at several officers who then returned fire and killed him, according to a statement from the Dauphin County district attorney's office. Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said there was "no doubt that he was directly targeting police officers," CNN affiliate WGAL reported. Tyler Houlton, acting DHS press secretary, referred to the incident as a terror attack in a statement released Saturday. He said the incident highlights the "Trump administration's concerns with extended family chain migration." El-Mofty was a naturalized US citizen who came to the country on a "family-based immigrant visa," Houlton said. "Both chain migration and the diversity visa lottery program have been exploited by terrorists to attack our country," Houlton said, adding that "the programs make it more difficult to keep dangerous people out of the United States and to protect the safety of every American." Local authorities have not confirmed whether they consider the incident as a terror attack. Earlier on Saturday, Republican Rep. Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania, a member of the House homeland security committee, said only that he was going to monitor the incident "for potential links to terrorism." District Attorney Marsico's office issued a statement saying authorities were seeking any information on El-Mofty, who, according to the statement , "has spent time in both Dauphin and Cumberland counties and recently was in the Middle East."
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1073 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1074 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1075 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/23/politics/pete-hoekstra-apology/index.html">
1076 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171222131036-peter-hoekstra-story-body.jpg">
1077 </a>
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1082 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1083 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/23/politics/pete-hoekstra-apology/index.html">US ambassador apologizes for 2015 remarks he had called 'fake news'</a>
1084 </h3>
1085 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1086 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1087 <span>Dec 23, 2017</span>
1088 </div>
1089 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1090 The new US Ambassador to the Netherlands is apologizing for "certain remarks" he made in 2015 suggesting that the Netherlands was in chaos because of Muslims. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra lied twice to a Dutch news crew about his 2015 comments, calling it "fake news." But on Saturday, he admitted that he "made certain remarks in 2015 and regret the exchange during the Nieuwsuur interview," and apologized. "For the last 17 years I've been passionate about confronting the global threat of terrorism," Hoekstra said in a statement on Twitter. "This has been a long struggle. We still have much to learn." The apology comes after Hoekstra denied comments he made at the David Horowitz Freedom Center's 2015 Restoration Weekend, blaming what he broadly described as the "Islamist movement" for the chaos, referencing a "stealth jihad." "Chaos in the Netherlands. There are cars being burned. There are politicians that are being burned ... and yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands," Hoekstra said then. When Wouter Zwart of CNN affiliate and Dutch broadcaster NOS asked about those comments in an interview in the US Capitol, Ambassador Hoekstra said he never said them. "That is actually an incorrect statement; we would call it fake news," the Ambassador responded. "I never said that." Zwart's report on NOS' Nieuwsuur program then plays the specific portion of Ambassador Hoekstra's 2015 comments. Zwart told CNN he did not play video of the remarks for Hoekstra, saying he "can't imagine he did not know of its existence," because it was widely available online. "People including Intercept have written about it," Zwart said. "Can't imagine he did not know of its existence." Zwart told CNN the Ambassador said, "he had always meant the [no go-zones] comments in a broader context of European problems with 'those areas,'" and that "he reiterated to me that he's never associated that with what's going on in the Netherlands." After an additional discussion on terrorism with the Ambassador, Zwart says he discussed the comments again. His report picks back up with the exchange, with Zwart saying, "You call it fake news. Obviously." "I didn't call that fake news," the Ambassador interjects. "I didn't use the words today. I didn't think I did." In the video, Zwart then looks back at the camera, and says he's surprised and confused by those remarks, he confirmed to CNN. The State Department told CNN they had no comment to make on whether Ambassador Hoekstra stands by his 2015 comments in addition to the exchange with Zwart.
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1098 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/23/opinions/christmas-easter-meaning-christianity-jay-parini-opinion/index.html">
1099 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/151224183251-bethlehem-nativity-scene-00000000-story-body.png">
1100 </a>
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1103 </div><!--
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1105 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1106 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/23/opinions/christmas-easter-meaning-christianity-jay-parini-opinion/index.html">Christmas is about finding what's holy in all of us</a>
1107 </h3>
1108 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1109 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1110 <span>Dec 23, 2017</span>
1111 </div>
1112 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1113 Billions of people around the world are heading into Christmas, a key celebration for Christianity in all its many variations. But what does this holiday really mean? For a great many Americans, it means commercial excess and big flashy gifts. Donald J. Trump, for instance, has said he has just given the country "a big, beautiful present" in the form of a tax cut, which -- as nearly every analyst suggests -- will deliver a hefty gift to the wealthy. But he's not alone in missing the point of Christmas. It's true that not many of us can say we're having a 350-pound gingerbread replica of our house on display this year, but lots of us run ourselves ragged (or have done so already) doing last-minute shopping, racing around to office parties, or trying to achieve that perfect level of holiday sparkle for our kids. Needless to say, Christmas is not simply about giving presents. It's not about miles of twinkling lights and gigantic cakes or lavish displays of worldly goods. Indeed, the imagery and songs that adorn Christmas in our secular age -- these days, starting even before Halloween -- are sadly a distraction from this holiday's deep meaning. In the secular world, this season is about family, for sure, and valuing the things we love. But for Christians, it's far more interesting and important than this. Lately, in fact, I've begun to think that Christmas rivals, even surpasses, Easter as the major event on the Christian calendar. Let me explain why that's so important. Christians look to Christmas as a time to remember the coming into this world of the Messiah, which in Greek is translated as "the Christ." The season itself is called Advent, which goes back to another Greek word, parousia, which means "miraculous appearance" or "manifestation." Christ was not the last name of Jesus of Nazareth. It was his identity as the voice of God in the human world. Christians believe that Jesus offered that voice to the world, becoming the human face of God. In doing so, he could show humans what God wished for us, how he wanted us to talk, to behave, to live -- as well as to die. Christmas is not just about a sweet child being born in a manger in Bethlehem under difficult circumstances. It's about Incarnation itself. Incarnation is everything in the Christian life. The word means "putting into flesh." God, the spiritual presence, entered the human world in the person of Jesus, Christians believe. Richard Rohr, the great Franciscan priest and theologian, puts it well: "For Franciscans, Christmas is more significant than Easter. Christmas is already Easter!" Jesus was a child born under suspicion (because his parents were not yet married). And it's meaningful that he arrived as a small, insignificant child, one born not from a wealthy or powerful family but, indeed, a refugee family. With the Christmas story as it is presented in Matthew's gospel, the mere existence of Jesus threatened the authority of King Herod, who ruled over ancient Judea. To eradicate this threat, he had all children under the age of two slain, and to escape this act of state terrorism, Jesus and his family fled to Egypt, where they hid until it was safe for the family to return to their home. And so Jesus speaks to everyone who is on the run, to all refugees, to the poor, for those who are excluded because there is "no room at the inn." (And it's not for nothing that he devoted his ministry to those without money or influence, warning the wealthy that it was easier for "a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.") Which brings us back to my argument that Christmas is as important as Easter, the holiday considered the most crucial in the Christian calendar because it commemorates the resurrection of the crucified Jesus. Think about it this way: Christmas is about revealing the divinity in each of us. We have a piece of God in us, and Jesus reveals how to access that holy part of ourselves. Jesus was not God's Plan B. He was Plan A. As Rohr explains, and I've gradually come to believe: "Jesus did not come to change the mind of God about humanity." Rather, Jesus came into this world "to change the mind of humanity about God." Wow. Let's take on Christmas as God intended: as a sacred time to celebrate that instant when the timelessness of God intersected with human time.
1114 </div>
1115 </div>
1116
1117 </div>
1118
1119 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1120 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1121 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/23/asia/melbourne-car-attack-suspect-charged/index.html">
1122 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171221084335-01-melbourne-incident-1221-story-body.jpg">
1123 </a>
1124
1125
1126 </div><!--
1127 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1128 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1129 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/23/asia/melbourne-car-attack-suspect-charged/index.html">Melbourne car attack suspect charged with 18 counts of attempted murder</a>
1130 </h3>
1131 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1132 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1133 <span>Dec 23, 2017</span>
1134 </div>
1135 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1136 A driver who plowed into pedestrians on a busy street in Melbourne this week was charged with 18 counts of attempted murder and one count of endangering life, Australian police said Saturday. The crash injured 18 people, including one young child, outside Melbourne's Flinders Street station during rush hour Thursday evening. While the crash was deliberate, there was no evidence of a terror link, said Shane Patton, chief commissioner of Victoria Police. The suspect, a 32-year-old Australian citizen of Afghan descent, was known to police for minor offenses, and had a history of drug use and mental health issues, authorities said. He appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Saturday. What happened The streets outside Flinders Street Station were busy with commuters and holiday shoppers when the SUV rammed into pedestrians. Witnesses told CNN affiliate Seven Network the car was barreling down the road at about 60 miles per hour (100 kph). "We heard this noise and we looked up, then we just heard, 'bang, bang, bang,' and people flying everywhere," said Jim Stoupas, who owns a doughnut shop nearby. "We had a lot of customers in our shop and they were traumatized." The man was taken into custody by an off-duty police officer after resisting arrest, Patton said. Both the man and the police officer were injured in the scuffle. Another man detained Police detained a 24-year-old man who was filming the incident on his phone, and found three knives in his bag. "We don't yet have any relationship established between the 24-year-old man and the driver. In fact, there may be no relationship between them," Patton said. Flinders Street is one of Melbourne's busiest pedestrian roads, running between a major train station and the bustling city center. This week, it's crowded with commuters and shoppers making last-minute holiday purchases. Police said several of those injured were in critical condition, and a pre-school age child who was hospitalized with a head injury is in serious condition, Ambulance Victoria said. Concrete barriers Australian authorities set up concrete bollards along some Melbourne city roads in June after a series of vehicle-related terror attacks worldwide. The streets and landmarks around Melbourne's Flinders Street station have been the target of multiple attempted terrorist plots, all foiled by police within the past year. Less than a month ago, a man was charged with terrorism offenses over a plan to shoot "as many people as he could" on New Year's Eve at a large public space beside the station. In December last year, Australian police foiled a plot to blow up improvised explosive devices around Melbourne's city center on Christmas Day, including Flinders Street Station. Australian authorities described it as "one of the most substantial terrorist plots disrupted" in several years.
1137 </div>
1138 </div>
1139
1140 </div>
1141
1142 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1143 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1144 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/us/san-francisco-alleged-terror-attack-thwarted/index.html">
1145 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171222182433-01-everitt-aaron-jameson-story-body.jpg">
1146 </a>
1147
1148
1149 </div><!--
1150 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1151 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1152 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/us/san-francisco-alleged-terror-attack-thwarted/index.html">Terror attack at San Francisco's Pier 39 thwarted, federal authorities say</a>
1153 </h3>
1154 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1155 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1156 <span>Dec 23, 2017</span>
1157 </div>
1158 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1159 A former US Marine talked with an undercover FBI employee about carrying out a terror attack over the holidays at Pier 39, a busy shopping and tourist area in San Francisco, according to an affidavit filed in US District Court in California on Friday. Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, of Modesto, California, was arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, the Justice Department said in a news release. Though there are no additional known threats to the city, San Francisco police will be increasing their presence in light of the alleged terror plot, acting Mayor London Breed said in a statement. The spokesperson for the local FBI office said there are no known credible threats in the Bay Area. CNN has not been able to contact Jameson's lawyer for comment. According to the Modesto Bee, his federal public defender, Eric Kersten, said his client denied the allegation in the affidavit. The FBI started watching Jameson in September after becoming aware of social media activity in which he "liked" or "loved" posts about terror attacks and ISIS, the affidavit said. Undercover employees of the FBI posed as supporters of ISIS and contacted Jameson, the affidavit said. Jameson met with an undercover employee on December 16 and told them he wanted to conduct a terror attack using weapons and explosives at Pier 39, the affidavit said. Jameson, saying he was familiar with the layout of the site, wanted to use explosives to "funnel" people into a location where he could inflict casualties, the affidavit said. "Jameson also stated that Christmas was the perfect day to commit the attack," the affidavit said. The attack would be styled after the October 31 attack in New York City in which a man drove a truck down a bike lane, killing eight people, the affidavit said. Jameson said he'd just started working as a tow truck driver, which could help in the attack, the affidavit said. He expressed loyalty to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and offered to donate money and contribute his firearms skills, the affidavit said. Jameson had served in the US Marines in 2009 and attained a sharpshooter rifle qualification. He was later discharged for fraudulent enlistment because he failed to disclose a latent asthma history, the affidavit said. He asked the undercover agents to provide an assault rifle and explosives and sent them photos of what appeared to be Pier 39, the affidavit said. Jameson told the agent that he would be willing to write "a statement to the brothers," the affidavit by an FBI agent said. After several communications on December 18, Jameson appeared to back out, telling an undercover agent, "I also don't think I can do this after all. I've reconsidered," the affidavit said. On December 20, authorities searched his home in Modesto and found firearms, empty magazines, ammunition and fireworks, the complaint said. They found a will and a handwritten letter that said "you've allowed Donald Trump to give Al Quds away to the Jews," apparently a reference to the President's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The letter writer, identified as Abdallah Abu Everitt Ibn Gordon Al-Amriki, goes on to say, "We have penetrated and infiltrated your disgusting country." During the search, Jameson talked about supporting ISIS and terrorism and said he would be happy if the attack were carried out. Jameson remains in custody. He appeared in court on Friday for a first appearance and is scheduled for a detention hearing December 28 and a preliminary hearing January 5. If convicted, Jameson could be sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined $250,000, the Justice Department said.
1160 </div>
1161 </div>
1162
1163 </div>
1164
1165 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1166 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1167 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/us/pulse-massacre-shooters-wife-statements/index.html">
1168 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170628132837-pulse-orlando-terror-at-the-nightclub-ron-2-00000225-story-body.jpg">
1169 </a>
1170
1171
1172 </div><!--
1173 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1174 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1175 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/us/pulse-massacre-shooters-wife-statements/index.html">Pulse massacre: Judge to rule on statements made by killer's widow</a>
1176 </h3>
1177 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1178 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1179 <span>Dec 23, 2017</span>
1180 </div>
1181 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1182 The widow of the Pulse nightclub shooter is arguing the statements she gave to investigators after the attack shouldn't be allowed at her upcoming trial. Noor Salman is charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and obstruction of justice. She has pleaded not guilty. In a court hearing Friday, Salman's attorneys tried to convince a judge that the statements she made to investigators on June 12, 2016, were obtained unlawfully. A federal judge is deciding whether to allow those statements after hearing testimony and arguments on Thursday and Friday. According to CNN affiliate WESH, defense lawyers argued that Salman felt like she was in custody during the 12 hours to spoke to police and the FBI, and should have been advised of her Miranda rights. Prosecutors argued Salman gave her statements voluntarily, CNN affiliates reported. On Thursday, an FBI agent testified that Salman said two days before the attack that she walked in on her husband while he was looking at the website for the Pulse club in Orlando, where he would kill 49 people and wound more than 50 others. Her husband told Salman, "This is my target," the agent said, according to CNN affiliate WFTV's report. He said she told him she knew an attack was "close." Statements that appear to be initialed by Salman and entered into evidence reveal that her husband, Omar Mateen, had been planning a jihadist attack for two years and the couple had driven around Pulse during the week before the massacre. Salman wrote: "Omar was driving around slowly, looking around and at one point stated 'how upset are people going to be when it gets attacked.' " Salman didn't testify at the hearing, held in the Middle District of Florida. Neither set of lawyers spoke to the media after court Friday due to an order not to comment publicly about the case. Mateen, used a semiautomatic rifle in an ISIS-inspired attack at the Pulse club during the early morning hours. It was one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern US history. Mateen, who talked with police negotiators during the attack about his motivations, was killed by law enforcement officers several hours after the shootings began. One of Salman's attorneys said in January that she didn't know of her husband's plan. "Noor Salman had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night," said family attorney Linda Moreno of Tampa, Florida, in a statement. "Noor has told her story of abuse at his hands. We believe it is misguided and wrong to prosecute her and that it dishonors the memories of the victims to punish an innocent person." Salman and Mateen married in 2011, settled in Florida, and had a son, who is now 4 years old.
1183 </div>
1184 </div>
1185
1186 </div>
1187
1188 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1189 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1190 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/politics/us-qatar-f-15-fighter-jets-sale/index.html">
1191 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170324102949-f-15-story-body.jpg">
1192 </a>
1193
1194
1195 </div><!--
1196 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1197 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1198 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/politics/us-qatar-f-15-fighter-jets-sale/index.html">US announces sale of F-15 fighter jets to Qatar</a>
1199 </h3>
1200 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1201 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1202 <span>Dec 23, 2017</span>
1203 </div>
1204 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1205 The Pentagon announced Friday that Boeing had been awarded a $6 billion contract to sell 36 F-15 fighter jets to Qatar. The aircraft will be manufactured at a Boeing plant in St. Louis, Missouri and are expected to be delivered to Qatar by the end of 2022. "This contract provides for the foreign military sales requirement to procure 36 new F-15QA aircraft for the Qatar Emiri Air Force," the Pentagon said in a statement. The contract's announcement is likely to be welcomed by the Qatari government and comes amid an ongoing diplomatic row between Qatar and a number of its Gulf neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The countries accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism, a charge Doha denies. President Donald Trump initially appeared to back Saudi Arabia in the dispute, saying in June that "the nation of Qatar unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level." However, Trump appeared to change course just days later, offering to help the parties resolve their differences during a call with the Qatari emir. "If I can help mediate between Qatar and in particular, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so," Trump said in September while appearing alongside the emir of Kuwait. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson traveled to the region in July in an attempt to mediate the dispute between the US allies but was unable to achieve a rapprochement. Speaking about the diplomatic row while in Washington last month, Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said Trump "wants to see an end for this," and praised Qatar's relationship with the US. The US military maintains a significant presence in Qatar, using the Al Udeid Air Base to oversee air operations in the region, including the air campaigns against ISIS and the Taliban.
1206 </div>
1207 </div>
1208
1209 </div>
1210
1211 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1212 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1213 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/politics/us-ambassador-to-netherlands-denies-own-comments/index.html">
1214 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171222131036-peter-hoekstra-story-body.jpg">
1215 </a>
1216
1217
1218 </div><!--
1219 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1220 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1221 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/politics/us-ambassador-to-netherlands-denies-own-comments/index.html">US ambassador denies own comments, then denies denial</a>
1222 </h3>
1223 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1224 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1225 <span>Dec 22, 2017</span>
1226 </div>
1227 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1228 The new US ambassador to the Netherlands lied twice to a Dutch news crew about 2015 comments he made saying the country was in chaos because of Muslims. "Chaos in the Netherlands. There are cars being burned. There are politicians that are being burned ... and yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands," said now-US ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Hoekstra in 2015 at the David Horowitz Freedom Center's 2015 Restoration Weekend. Ambassador Hoekstra was blaming what he broadly described as the "Islamist movement" for the chaos, referencing a "stealth jihad." When Wouter Zwart of CNN affiliate and Dutch broadcaster NOS asked about those comments in an interview in the US Capitol, Ambassador Hoekstra said he never said them. "That is actually an incorrect statement; we would call it fake news," the Ambassador responded. "I never said that." Zwart's report on NOS' Nieuwsuur program then plays the specific portion of Ambassador Hoekstra's 2015 comments. Zwart told CNN he did not play video of the remarks for Hoekstra, saying he "can't imagine he did not know of its existence," because it was widely available online. "People including Intercept have written about it," Zwart says. "Can't imagine he did not know of its existence." Zwart told CNN the Ambassador said, "he had always meant the [no go-zones] comments in a broader context of European problems with 'those areas,'" and that "he reiterated to me that he's never associated that with what's going on in the Netherlands." After an additional discussion on terrorism with the Ambassador, Zwart says he discussed the comments again. His report picks back up with the exchange, with Zwart saying, "You call it fake news. Obviously." "I didn't call that fake news," the Ambassador interjects. "I didn't use the words today. I didn't think I did." Zwart then looks back at the camera, saying he was surprised and confused by those remarks, he tells CNN. The State Department told CNN they had no comment to make on whether Ambassador Hoekstra stands by his 2015 comments in addition to the exchange with Zwart.
1229 </div>
1230 </div>
1231
1232 </div>
1233
1234 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1235 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1236 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/politics/cnn-poll-isis-terrorism-israel-transgender-troops/index.html">
1237 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171211124246-15-new-york-explosion-1211-story-body.jpg">
1238 </a>
1239
1240
1241 </div><!--
1242 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1243 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1244 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/politics/cnn-poll-isis-terrorism-israel-transgender-troops/index.html">More say fight against ISIS going well, but terror concerns linger</a>
1245 </h3>
1246 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1247 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1248 <span>Dec 22, 2017</span>
1249 </div>
1250 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1251 Americans feel more positive about the fight against ISIS than they have since 2014, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, marking a rare public opinion win for Donald Trump's policies, while worries about terrorism, divisions on U.S. policy toward Israel and broad support for allowing transgender people to serve in the military suggest looming challenges for the administration in the coming year. Related: Full poll results ISIS and Terrorism More than 6 in 10 Americans say the US military action against ISIS is going well, the most positive assessment of the campaign since the US began airstrikes against the terrorist group in Syria in fall of 2014, and a sharp improvement since spring of last year, when 45% said things were going well. The shift rests on increasingly positive reviews from independents and Republicans. Among Republicans, 78% say it's going well, up from 28% who said so in spring 2016, when the US efforts were still led by Democratic President Barack Obama. Independents have gone from 43% saying things are going well to 63% now. Among Democrats, opinions have shifted in the opposite direction. While 61% said things were going well in 2016, that stands at 50% now. The poll was conducted shortly after Iraq's prime minister declared victory over ISIS in that country, but as tensions flared between the US and Russia over the conflict with ISIS in Syria. It also followed an attempted terrorist attack in the New York City subway system, and found public concern about terrorist attacks here in the US remains notably high. Seventy percent of Americans say further acts of terrorism in the US in the next several weeks are very or somewhat likely, with the 28% who see such attacks as "very likely" -- the highest level to say so since fall of 2001. In June 2016, following the attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, 71% said they saw further attacks as likely, but the share who reported they were "very likely" stood at 24%. That 71% mark was the highest in CNN polling dating back to 2003. The steadiness of those overall numbers between last spring and now masks partisan shifts beneath the surface, as Americans seem less likely to anticipate terrorist attacks in the US when the president is from their preferred party. In June 2016, 60% of Democrats said further acts of terrorism were likely after the Pulse shooting, but 73% say so now. Among Republicans, 84% expected further terrorism in 2016 while 64% do now. Among independents, the figure is exactly the same now as it was last year: 72% call further attacks likely. President Donald Trump's approval rating for handling terrorism stands at 42%, with 51% saying they disapprove of his handling of the issue. Moving the US embassy in Israel Americans are divided over Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel (44% approve, 45% disapprove) and 49% say the U.S. embassy there should not be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, while fewer, 36%, support the move. Views on both of these questions are divided along party lines. Among Republicans, 79% approve of Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and 66% favor moving the embassy there. Among Democrats, however, 71% take the opposite position on each question. The United Nations voted overwhelmingly to condemn the U.S. decision yesterday, as US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley defended the decision, saying "That is what the American people want us to do and it is the right thing to do," but the poll findings suggest otherwise. Two-thirds of Americans say the US shouldn't take the side of either Israel or Palestine in the Middle East conflict, but those who do favor a side almost all lean toward Israel (24% vs. 2%). That tilt holds across party lines -- Republicans prefer taking Israel's side 48% to 2%, while among Democrats it's a far smaller 12% to 2% margin -- with Democrats much more apt to say the US should be neutral (78% vs. 70% of independents and 44% of Republicans). Most Americans (56%) doubt that a time will come when Israel and the Arab nations will be able to settle their differences and live in peace, while 39% think that will happen. Transgender troops Almost three-quarters of Americans say people who are transgender should be allowed to serve in the US military -- 73% say they should, 22% that they should not. Support for allowing transgender troops to serve is higher among Democrats (90%) than independents (75%) or Republicans (48%), and higher among younger Americans (78% among those under age 45 vs. 70% among those age 45 or older). The Pentagon plans to begin admitting qualified transgender applicants beginning on January 1, in keeping with a court order, despite President Donald Trump's memorandum directing the secretary of defense to bar transgender Americans from military service. The Department of Justice, however, is challenging the order in courts. The CNN Poll was conducted by SSRS December 14-17 among a random national sample of 1,001 adults reached on landlines or cellphones by a live interviewer. Results for the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points, it is larger for subgroups.
1252 </div>
1253 </div>
1254
1255 </div>
1256
1257 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1258 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1259 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/asia/melbourne-flinders-street-suspect-intl/index.html">
1260 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171221084335-01-melbourne-incident-1221-story-body.jpg">
1261 </a>
1262
1263
1264 </div><!--
1265 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1266 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1267 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/asia/melbourne-flinders-street-suspect-intl/index.html">Police search for motive behind Melbourne Flinders Street car attack</a>
1268 </h3>
1269 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1270 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1271 <span>Dec 22, 2017</span>
1272 </div>
1273 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1274 The driver of an SUV that plowed into a crowd of pedestrians in Melbourne has been released from hospital into police custody as officers investigate the motive for the attack. The 32-year-old suspect was arrested Thursday after slamming a white SUV into a crowd of people on Flinders Street just before 5 p.m. local time, sending people flying into the air. Nine of the 18 people injured were foreign nationals from South Korea, China, Italy, India, Venezuela, Ireland and New Zealand, Victoria Police said Friday. The youngest victim was a four-year-old South Korean boy who is now in a stable condition after suffering head injuries. Three of the injured remain in a critical condition. Victoria Police said Thursday the incident was a "deliberate act" but said they hadn't established any link to terrorism. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday called it a "despicable and cowardly act" and a "deeply shocking crime." The suspect was an Australian citizen of Afghan descent, who had a history of mental illness and drug use. Turnbull said he arrived in Australia through a refugee program. "He came to Australia as a refugee. He did not come with a people smuggler, he came through the appropriate refugee, the normal refugee, programs." The Prime Minister also stressed that no link had been found between the suspect and any terror organization. "I want to emphasize because investigations are continuing, apart from that statement, there are no known links to any political issues or any, certainly any links to extremist groups," he said. Mental health issues Victoria Police Shane Patton told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Friday the man had been receiving treatment for a mental illness. Patton said the man hadn't undergone psychiatric assessment or been formally interviewed, however officers had been able to speak to him informally in the hours after the attack. "During those discussions he made some utterances in respect to a number of matters. He spoke of dreams and voices but also attributed some of his activities as well to the mistreatment of Muslims," Patton said. "The significant flavor of what we're dealing with appears to be mental health, but nonetheless, given what he has said, we continue to explore, fully, all avenues," Patton said. Police investigation A Victoria Police spokeswoman told CNN police seized electronic equipment during two raids in connection with the incident. The raids were carried out at addresses in the Melbourne suburbs of Heidelberg East and Oak Park and they found nothing to suggest any terror links. "There was no evidence found of extremism," Victoria Police spokeswoman Alex Day said. "They may still be going through everything but there is currently no evidence that anything to do with extremism has been found." A second man who was arrested at the scene has since been released. The 24-year-old man was seen filming the aftermath of the crash but had no connection to the incident, police said. Thursday's incident comes almost one year after six people were killed when a car plowed into pedestrians along Melbourne's Bourke Street Mall in January, just a few streets north of Flinders Street station. Police said that incident was not terror-related.
1275 </div>
1276 </div>
1277
1278 </div>
1279
1280 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1281 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1282 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/21/politics/mattis-guantanamo-visit/index.html">
1283 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171020162559-01-mattis-hill-10-20-2017-story-body.jpg">
1284 </a>
1285
1286
1287 </div><!--
1288 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1289 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1290 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/21/politics/mattis-guantanamo-visit/index.html">Mattis visits troops at Guantanamo Bay base for holidays</a>
1291 </h3>
1292 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1293 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1294 <span>Dec 21, 2017</span>
1295 </div>
1296 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1297 Defense Secretary James Mattis is visiting troops at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station for the holiday, the Pentagon said Thursday. "Secretary Mattis is currently visiting with troops at Guantanamo Bay for the holidays to thank them for their service," Pentagon spokesman COL Rob Manning told CNN. The Associated Press accompanied Mattis and was first to report on his trip. Defense Department Spokesperson Sue Gough also confirmed the secretary's travel to CNN on Thursday. Multiple officials told CNN that Mattis was there only to visit troops and not to discuss detainee policy or inspect detention facilities. Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, or "Gitmo," has been the center of political controversy for several years. Former President Barack Obama announced intentions to close the detention center when he was first elected, however, it still remains open and President Donald Trump has endorsed the continued, and perhaps expanded, use of the facility. In November, Trump suggested sending the suspect of a deadly terror attack in New York City there to be held. "Send him to Gitmo. I would certainly consider that," Trump said at a Cabinet meeting at the time. "We need quick justice and we need strong justice -- much quicker and much stronger than we have right now. Because what we have right now is a joke, and it's a laughingstock." Following the attack in New York, Attorney General Jeff Sessions also raised the possibility. "Terrorists should know: This administration will use all lawful tools at our disposal, including prosecution in Article III courts and at Guantanamo Bay," Sessions' prepared speech said. "If anyone has any doubt about that, they can ask the more than 500 criminals whom the Department of Justice has convicted of terrorism-related offenses since 9/11. And they can ask the dozens of enemy combatants in Guantanamo Bay." Mattis is not the first Trump administration official to visit Gitmo, Sessions visited the site in July 2017, along with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.
1298 </div>
1299 </div>
1300
1301 </div>
1302
1303 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1304 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1305 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/21/opinions/2017-the-year-of-shifting-power-robertson-opinion/index.html">
1306 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171220102743-divided-world-nic-r-card-story-body.jpg">
1307 </a>
1308
1309
1310 </div><!--
1311 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1312 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1313 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/21/opinions/2017-the-year-of-shifting-power-robertson-opinion/index.html">2017: the year we all moved a little further apart</a>
1314 </h3>
1315 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1316 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1317 <span>Dec 21, 2017</span>
1318 </div>
1319 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1320 The world might be getting smaller, but is the distance between us getting wider? The year 2017 has felt like a drift toward a less familiar world. Division, at many levels, it seems, is on the rise. Democrats versus Republicans; Sunnis versus Shias; militant Islamists versus everyone; Catalans versus the Spanish; Brexiteers versus Remainers; nationalists versus liberals. It feels like we are being asked to pick a side at every turn. We didn't arrive here by accident. Political winds -- now aided by an increase in autocratic-style leaders -- have been shifting and shaping discourse all over the planet. Amplified by the megaphone of social media, we have long been on this trajectory. But in 2017, the wind really got behind its sails. No single thing is to blame. We are living in an age where there are more enablers than ever before. It's not a perfect storm, but an ugly rough patch that we will either sail through or capsize. That outcome may come down to us to spot the warning signs and act. If not, the world's growing number of strongman leaders will focus on their own agendas, ignoring the dangerous divisions they are creating. Each one of these leaders uses chameleon-like methods: cloaking themselves in the garb of the alienated, offering a saccharine alternative and surfing popular trends. There is perhaps nothing new in this: indeed, some would say it is merely politics as usual. Yet this year has felt different. New on the scene were US President Donald Trump and Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's next-in-line to the throne. When Trump landed to a red carpet royal welcome in Riyadh earlier this year, few could have predicted the speed with which the pair have shaken up the already polarized region. Within months of the visit, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies had picked a fight with Qatar. The dispute over support for terrorism and Qatar's alleged funding of Islamist parties has been simmering for several years. Yet a symbiosis of shared interests with the US -- namely containing Iran -- sparked division way beyond the region. Saudi and its ally the United Arab Emirates demanded that countries outside the region pick a side. US support for Saudi Arabia in response to Iran's perceived growing influence in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon has significantly upped the stakes of the Sunni-Shia conflict. It's embroiled Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who flew to Saudi Arabia to resign, then later went back to Lebanon to reverse his decision. It is a telling sign of bin Salman's growing power that seems sanctioned by Trump. Add to that Trump's recent recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Divisions that had arguably been left on the back burner for too long were brought to an ugly simmer. The only way to stop this all boiling over would be a peace plan that Trump has yet to unveil, but is widely believed to have been created with bin Salman. Iran, meanwhile, is silently sidling through the region, shoring up its influence and control in Syria and Iraq, adding to bin Salman's visceral fears of an expansionist theocracy that not only throws shade on the regional role he wants for himself, but highlights another of his fears that some of the greatest threats to his own power are getting too close for comfort. Such a brew of toxic fears -- now with the added zest of Trump's national US focus -- are corrosive and divisive in the extreme. It is not the only region where Trump's desire for populism at home is perhaps unintentionally enabling growing division overseas. But he is far from the only one responsible for the growing space between us. Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, has become more confrontational as he speeds to his goal of nuclear-tipped ICBM missiles capable of delivering nuclear mayhem to mainland USA. In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan transferred most of Turkey's levers of powers to himself this year -- and is asserting himself more forcefully at home and regionally. His prospective membership in the EU is all but toast -- not just by calling for the return of the death penalty (which is outlawed by the EU) -- but over specific European objections, parachuting ministers into the Netherlands, Germany and France for divisive rallies. China's leader Xi Jinping has seen his powers and influence grow, orchestrated and authorized through his Communist Party. By flexing China's fledgling overseas military muscle beyond its borders, he is stoking tension and fear in Asia. All signals suggest a more assertive China is to come. And then there is Russia's Vladimir Putin. He has been at it longer than the rest and no longer needs to hide his agenda, having successfully paired it with Russia's national interest. His control of much of the country's media shapes the image to fit his needs. His alleged role in Russia's US election meddling is a burning ember heating much division in the US. Even a year after the election, Trump appears yet to accept what many of his experts take as fact. Divisions of this magnitude inside the White House are extremely rare. Dissent and division are not part of Putin's script at home, but his engagement in Syria -- which is far from done -- has the power to leverage nationalist sentiment in Europe. The exodus of so many Syrian refugees seeking better lives in Europe has been a big driver in the resurgence of populist nationalism from Austria to Hungary, from Paris to Berlin, and was a big feature of the Brexit campaign in Britain. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron triumphed over nationalist candidates, but their victories have rung a little hollow since. Not only because nationalists are on the rise, but because these two economic powerhouses of Europe are divided over its future. Had nationalism not raised its divisive head, they may have more political room for maneuver. The trends that got us here were apparent before 2017. But the ills they portend have begun to metastasize this year. Take Brexit, championed for years by populists such as Nigel Farage, whose handiwork galvanized a mostly slumbering electorate out of its political apathy. But his work over a number of years not only triggered angry political debate, but awoke tensions across family dining tables and around the televisions of Britain. Farage's charismatic populism that in 2016 stoked division in the UK has continued. This year, Brexit and the negotiations around it have further divided the United Kingdom. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and even London have different visions of what the country's relationship with the EU should look like. This division threatens the very Union that Theresa May spoke most passionately about when she took office last year. While she does not fit the chameleon model -- indeed quite the reverse, a somber, solid, dependable pastor's daughter -- she has been pushing Brexit through and despite her best efforts, exposing the UK's divide with Europe. Most major EU nations knew the UK was never a wholehearted EU player. Until Brexit is delivered, divisions around dining tables and between nations risk being raw. The planet is not getting any bigger and we are filling it faster and faster every day. Finite resources will ultimately mean finite prosperity. The Paris Climate accord, from which Trump so spectacularly withdrew this year, was intended as the first significant global reality check -- an acknowledgment that we need to close down the spaces between us. Find understanding, and commonality, not differences and division. Burying heads in the quicksands of populism, nationalism and division won't stop the inevitable decline in prosperity. If these chameleon leaders and their policies have seemed remote in the past, 2017 has been a wake-up call about where they are taking us. In 2018, if world leaders don't fight back against division, reach out across the aisle, across faith, across colors and orientation, if they don't look beyond nationalism and build bridges instead of burning them, the space between us all will continue to grow.
1321 </div>
1322 </div>
1323
1324 </div>
1325
1326 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1327 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1328 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/21/asia/melbourne-car-pedestrians-crash/index.html">
1329 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171221084335-01-melbourne-incident-1221-story-body.jpg">
1330 </a>
1331
1332
1333 </div><!--
1334 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1335 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1336 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/21/asia/melbourne-car-pedestrians-crash/index.html">Melbourne attack driver had mental health issues but no terror connection</a>
1337 </h3>
1338 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1339 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1340 <span>Dec 21, 2017</span>
1341 </div>
1342 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1343 The driver of a car which plowed into Christmas shoppers in Melbourne Thursday had a history of drug use and mental health issues, police said. Acting chief commissioner of Victoria Police Shane Patton told reporters that while the crash was considered to be deliberate, there was no evidence of a link to terrorism. Eighteen people were injured, including at least one young child, when the car hit pedestrians outside Melbourne's iconic Flinders Street station just after 4.40 p.m. local time. Latest developments Police said the 32-year-old driver was the sole occupant of the white Suzuki 4WD at the time of the crash.
1344He's an Australian citizen of Afghan descent who was known to police but only for minor offenses.
1345A second man arrested at the scene is not believed to be connected to the incident, police said.
1346There's been no change in the state's threat levels. What happened The streets outside Melbourne's iconic Flinders Street Station was busy with commuters and shoppers Thursday when witnesses said the SUV plowed into people crossing the street. Witnesses told CNN affiliate Seven Network they saw people flung into the air after being hit by the car, which was barreling down the road at around 60 miles per hour (100 kph). Police arrived on the scene within 15 seconds and the man was taken into custody by an off-duty police officer after attempting to resist arrest, Patton said. Both the man and the police officer were injured in the scuffle. A 24-year-old man was also arrested at the scene, after he was seen filming the incident on his phone. Police found three knives in his bag. The man is being interviewed by police but Patton said at this stage, "we don't yet have any relationship established between the 24-year-old man and the driver... in fact, there may be no relationship between them." The driver was known to Victorian Police due to "historical assault matters" and a history of drug use. "We understand he is on a mental health plan and receiving treatment for a mental illness," Patton said. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews called it a "terrible, evil cowardly act," but said there was no need to change the state's threat level. He urged Victorians to go about their business as usual and enjoy the holiday season. Flinders Street is one of Melbourne's busiest pedestrian roads, running between a major train station and the bustling city center. It would have been crowded with commuters and shoppers making their final purchases in the days before Christmas. Paramedics took 19 people to nearby hospitals, including the driver. Two others were treated at the scene. Victoria Police spokesman Comm. Russell Barrett told reporters several of those injured were in a critical condition. Among them was a pre-school age child who was taken to hospital with a head injury, and is in a serious condition, Ambulance Victoria said. 'It just plowed into the crowds' Jim Stoupas, owner of the Walkers Donut shop on Elizabeth Street, told CNN he saw an SUV going about 60 miles an hour (100 kph) down Flinders Street. "It just plowed into the crowds," he said. "We heard this noise and we looked up then we just heard bang, bang, bang and people flying everywhere. We had a lot of customers in our shop and they were traumatized." Another witness, Cameron Von Borstel, said he assumed a car had crashed into a tram when he heard a loud bang from the direction of Flinders Street. "I went down the street to have a look. I saw about two or three people lying still in the street. People were helping," he told CNN. Concrete bollards were erected along the side of some Melbourne city roads by the government in June, after a number of vehicle-related terror attacks around the world. The streets and landmarks around Melbourne's Flinders Street station have been the target of multiple attempted terrorist plots, all foiled by police within the past year. Less than a month ago, a man was charged with terrorism offenses over a plan to shoot "as many people as he could" on New Years Eve at Federation Square, a large public space beside the station. In December 2016, Australian police announced they had foiled a plot to blow up improvised explosive devices around Melbourne's city center on Christmas Day, including Flinders Street Station. It was described as "one of the most substantial terrorist plots that have been disrupted over the last several years." 'Shocking scenes' Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in a statement his thoughts and prayers were with the victims of the "shocking incident," and pledged federal authorities would work with Victoria's security agencies to investigate. Bill Shorten, leader of the opposition Labor Party, said there were "shocking scenes" coming out of Melbourne. "Credit to first responders who are doing us proud once again," he said. "Thinking of everyone caught up in this atrocity." The incident comes almost one year after six people were killed when a car plowed into pedestrians along Melbourne's Bourke Street Mall in January, just a few streets north of Flinders Street station. Police said that incident was not terror-related. Plans for a public memorial to mark that event were announced this week by Victorian Premier Andrews.
1347 </div>
1348 </div>
1349
1350 </div>
1351
1352 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1353 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1354 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/20/opinions/putin-trump-robertson-opinion/index.html">
1355 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171218170529-lead-clapper-trump-national-security-russia-live-00021618-story-body.jpg">
1356 </a>
1357
1358
1359 </div><!--
1360 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1361 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1362 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/20/opinions/putin-trump-robertson-opinion/index.html">Ignore the noise: Russia still wants good relations with Trump</a>
1363 </h3>
1364 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1365 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1366 <span>Dec 20, 2017</span>
1367 </div>
1368 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1369 The curtain has risen on what may be President Vladimir Putin's last constitutional run at Russia's top job -- and the orchestra is playing a very familiar tune, albeit with a new accompaniment. Even before official campaigning began on Monday, Putin had already made his first move. Late on Sunday night, the Kremlin announced that he had called President Donald Trump to thank him for America's help thwarting a terror plot. This wasn't the first time has Putin used the often real threat of terrorism to draw Russian voters towards him. But never before has he so publicly engaged a US president in the endeavor -- and perhaps never before could he have found such a willing partner. During his National Security speech late Monday, as if on cue, Trump told his audience: "yesterday I received a call from President Putin thanking our country for the intelligence that our CIA was able to provide." Perhaps thousands of lives were saved, he said. "And that's a great thing, and the way it's supposed to work." The following day, Putin's spokesman gushed back: "I once again want to remind that the perfect example of such cooperation is the recent exchange of information between the special services which really helped to save many lives." What he didn't say was why Putin seems so keen on making Trump part of his election campaign. That's sounded alarm bells in Washington, where former US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said "Vladimir Putin knows how to handle an asset and that's what he's doing with the President." Putin first ran for the President in 2000, shortly after Moscow had been shaken by a number of bombs thought to be the work of Chechen separatists. Putin's tough talk of retaliation -- famously saying he would "rub them out in the outhouse" -- helped him ride public fears in to the Kremlin. He later denied allegations that he'd stage-managed the situation by having his henchmen plant the bombs. But his crackdown in Chechnya that followed left no doubt he was in power to protect Russia and Russians. Barring a four-year apparent job swap with Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev between 2008 and 2012, he has held the post ever since. And even during the seat shuffle to get around the constitution's two consecutive term limitation on the presidency, few Russians doubted that he really held all the power. While no one expects him to lose in 2018, turnout and votes will still be a matter of pride. Not just because this may be his final term, but because it could impact his ability to keep his hands on the levers of power once this term runs out in 2024. Putin is off to a grand start. He has walked this stage before, playing the part of being protector of the people for so long he owns it -- and so does the rest of the Kremlin's cast. As Moscow was announcing Putin's call to Trump, Russia's Ambassador to Washington was hosting a concert in DC celebrating 210 years of Russian-American diplomacy. Thousands of miles from Moscow, he was in tune with the opening lines of Putin's new election campaign -- delivering a similar message to an audience of diplomats. "It absolutely important to overcome existing bilateral differences and find ways of integrating mutual interests." Trump's man in Moscow, the recently appointed shrewd Ambassador John Huntsman, might have seen this coming. On Friday, in a post to the 45.1k followers on the US Moscow Embassy Twitter account, he said: "I think we will expect to see further improvements in the US-Russia relationship." Turns out he was right. Come Sunday, we learned that the CIA had successfully helped take down a Russian ISIS terror cell late on Thursday. But while this good will and cooperation seems timely for Trump as he attempts to beat back accusations from Clapper and others that he is being duped, the reality is that there may be gains in it for Putin too. Russia's elections are a performance within a performance. Putin plays the people's savior from terrorism, in an election that has the hallmarks of a charade. He is the only realistic candidate in a field thinned out by government controls. So while Putin wants voters to turn out in force for him come elections on March 18, he has a far more fractious and potentially dangerous constituency on his mind: Russia's oligarchs, who are the real force behind his power. Just last week, the world got a glimpse of how riven they are when a power play spilled out into rare public view. Russia's second most powerful man Igor Sechin -- boss of state owned energy company Rosneft -- clashed with economic development minister Alexei Ulyukayev over a gas deal and in a sting operation worthy of a Mafia boss. Sechin set the minister up for a fall, trapping him a $2 million cash bribe. Ulyukaev denies the charge, claiming that he has been framed. While few in Russia were surprised to hear about government corruption, they were shocked at the severity of the Ulyukayev's sentence: eight years hard labor. Sechin refused to turn up to give evidence in court. The subtext to it all is that real power in Russia comes through money. No amount of electioneering will win over the super-rich powerbrokers. What will make them happy, however, is an end to US sanctions -- or at the very least no additional ones that impact their incomes. So while Putin is dressing his election stage with the usual props ahead of what may be his last round of campaigning, he appears also to be artfully performing two acts in parallel: One at home and one for a US audience. He is having Trump take a walk on part in the Russia performance, backing him, on a theme that is also close to Trump's heart. Meanwhile, what the US audience sees is Putin cast as a worthwhile and willing US ally to combat global terrorism. As Putin's ambassador in Washington told the concertgoers about the two Presidents: "Their contacts confirm that our countries need each other to define a joint program of work on strengthening international security." Come mid-February, when the US decides on a new raft of sanctions against Russia, Putin will no doubt be hoping that his tune will be resonating in the minds of US lawmakers. Because if Putin is to have an encore in power beyond 2024, he'll need Russia's oligarchs to help stage that performance.
1370 </div>
1371 </div>
1372
1373 </div>
1374
1375 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1376 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1377 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/19/opinions/wanna-cry-and-north-korea-collective-defense-opinion-krebs/index.html">
1378 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170607182607-north-korea-cyber-wars-cnntech-00000000-story-body.jpg">
1379 </a>
1380
1381
1382 </div><!--
1383 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1384 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1385 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/19/opinions/wanna-cry-and-north-korea-collective-defense-opinion-krebs/index.html">The response to North Korea's WannaCry attack shows collective defense works</a>
1386 </h3>
1387 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1388 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1389 <span>Dec 20, 2017</span>
1390 </div>
1391 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1392 On May 12, a ransomware campaign infected tens of thousands of systems across 164 countries, including the United States. From the Department of Homeland Security's National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), government and industry experts watched WannaCry spread quickly across a range of industries. As a team, we responded by sharing information and samples of the malware, identifying victims, and helping them contain the impact. This type of shared awareness and response between government and industry reflects the essence of the NCCIC, and the Department's collaborative approach to cybersecurity. The US government's announcement that North Korea was behind last spring's WannaCry attack signals this administration's continued commitment to identifying those who threaten our industries, citizens and way of life, and to holding them accountable. In conjunction with Monday's release of the National Security Strategy, this announcement underscores the need for a renewed commitment for both government and industry to work together in defense of our nation. For WannaCry, protective measures already in place prevented significant damage to the United States. Our networks withstood the onslaught, and our response efforts prevented an unchecked ransomware attack. Private individuals, industry, and government agencies at all levels were protected because they ran modern systems and kept them up to date. But we can't assume we'll be prepared the next time. Maybe a specific sector, industry, or function will be targeted -- or a major company that provides essential services. We repeatedly hear that a single company can't possibly defend itself against a nation state, and that the government must do more to protect the industries that drive the greatest economic engine the world has ever seen. I agree. No company should be left on its own. The government must do more -- but we can't do it alone. We must work together to succeed. This concept of partnering for defense is not new. The US government has long worked closely with allies to address shared threats, and the need for common action has been embraced by industry with the establishment of groups like the Cyber Threat Alliance. This should be our future -- enhanced network protection through cybersecurity collaboration. In 2015, Congress passed the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, which provided DHS authorities to share cyber threat indicators and provide liability protections to organizations that did so. One such sharing capability, the Automated Indicator Sharing (AIS) program, pushes cyber threat indicators (pieces of information like malicious IP addresses or the sender address of a phishing email, though they can be much more complicated) between DHS and the private sector at machine speed, within a strong privacy framework that enables immediate actions to protect networks. As of today, we've signed up close to 200 companies and government agencies and have shared more than 1.3 million unique indicators across the AIS platform. This increases the cost for our adversaries and forces them to develop new tactics, techniques, and procedures. Current levels of information sharing are an important start, but it's not good enough. Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility; we all play a part in keeping the internet safe. To prevent another attack like WannaCry, we are calling on all companies to commit to the collective defense of our nation. We must ensure that indicators and information about cyber threats are shared broadly across the community so that more organizations can be inoculated against those threats. All entities -- particularly those regularly targeted -- benefit when the rest of the population can defend itself. AIS can be a rallying point for that collective defense, where -- with a large enough group participating -- organizations of all sizes, regardless of sophistication or investments, work collaboratively to defend our networks and our country. DHS is also moving to inject a customer-oriented approach to cybersecurity, with a focus on ensuring the Department's services are informed by our stakeholders' requirements and deliver measurable value. This is in line with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Act of 2017 that recently passed the House of Representatives. If enacted, the Department of Homeland Security's National Protection and Programs Directorate would be renamed the "Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency," to more clearly communicate our mission to our stakeholders. I challenge our nation's businesses to commit to join with DHS to defend our nation. DHS is working with all levels of government to enhance cybersecurity and stands ready to be your partner in taking a collaborative stance against our enemies. Together, we can defend against those who would threaten our economy and our American way of life.
1393 </div>
1394 </div>
1395
1396 </div>
1397
1398 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1399 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1400 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/19/politics/trump-and-may-call/index.html">
1401 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170120121058-donald-trump-sworn-in-wide-story-body.jpg">
1402 </a>
1403
1404
1405 </div><!--
1406 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1407 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1408 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/19/politics/trump-and-may-call/index.html">Trump and May speak after an awkward silence</a>
1409 </h3>
1410 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1411 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1412 <span>Dec 19, 2017</span>
1413 </div>
1414 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1415 Britain's leader at last aired her differences with President Donald Trump over his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, nearly two weeks after vowing to confront him over the controversial move. The phone call on Tuesday was the first time Trump and Prime Minister Theresa May have spoken since a pair of disputes forced a wedge between the transatlantic allies. It was their first conversation since a spat erupted over Trump's retweets of anti-Muslim videos from a British ultra-nationalist group, which enraged Britons and prompted a rare public rebuke from May. The retweets didn't arise on the call, according to a person familiar with the leaders' talk. But the Jerusalem issue did. "They discussed the different positions we took on the recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, and agreed on the importance of the US bringing forward new proposals for peace and the international community supporting these efforts," said a Downing Street spokesman. Trump announced at the beginning of December that the US would break with longstanding practice and recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim the city, and the US and other countries have avoided taking a position on the matter. The Prime Minister declared at the time of Trump's announcement that she planned to raise the matter with her American counterpart. But the phone call didn't materialize until 13 days later, even though Trump called a host of foreign leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, to discuss the issue. The White House's description of the phone call did not mention the Jerusalem issue. Instead, it said Trump and May "discussed next steps in forging peace in the Middle East" along with discussions of Yemen and Brexit. Trump and May have carried out an unusually contentious relationship in the months since the British leader rushed to Washington to become the first foreign leader to visit the White House after Trump assumed office. All seemed well back then, when May and Trump were photographed clasping hands as they walked along the Rose Garden toward a joint press conference. But differences in style and temperament -- she a constrained vicar's daughter, he a brash real estate developer -- have intruded at times on the storied special relationship. In July, she was forced to defend London Mayor Sadiq Khan from Trump's Twitter haranguing following a terror attack in central London. And last month, she said Trump was "wrong" to retweet the messages from Britain First, an extreme right-wing group who posted misleading videos depicting Muslims negatively. Instead of letting May's mild rebuke stand, Trump fired back, initially using the wrong handle to identify his British counterpart: "Don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!" The back-and-forth exasperated British government officials, who said privately the story emerged from seemingly nowhere and required May — who had been traveling in Jordan — to respond. "You're looking out on a cloudless clear blue day — and then this comes out of nowhere," said one person close to the Prime Minister's office. "It threw the whole news agenda off. This was a problem that didn't need to be there." May didn't expect to launch a Twitter fight, the person said. But instead she found herself mired in an online tiff with the US President, who later re-sent his message with the correct handle. The dust-up was not expected to cause substantial harm to the US-UK relationship -- "He likes the make-up almost as much as he likes the break-up," the person said -- but it did fuel further calls for Trump's pending visit to London to be canceled. May initially extended the invitation from Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to the White House in January. The trip was expected to occur in the first months of the administration, American and British officials said privately, but scheduling conflicts and May's electoral woes delayed the trip. There was never an official date set for the trip after May's invitation, a move that was heavily criticized in the UK. After Trump's three anti-Muslim retweets, the calls loudened for the trip to be scrapped. If and when Trump does arrive in the British capital, large protests are all but guaranteed — one of the reasons officials say the trip hasn't occurred yet. Officials familiar with the plans say a visit to London could occur around the opening of a new $1 billion US embassy south of the River Thames, perhaps at the end of February. But neither the White House nor Downing Street said a possible trip came up during the leaders' call on Tuesday. Later, the White House said it would announce details of Trump's visit to London "soon." "That invitation has been extended and accepted and we are working with them to finalize the details, which we expect to announce soon," press secretary Sarah Sanders said.
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1421 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1422 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1423 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/politics/white-house-tom-bossert-north-korea-wannacry/index.html">
1424 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170513102130-ransomware-wannacry-attack-explained-00002401-story-body.jpg">
1425 </a>
1426
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1430 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1431 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/politics/white-house-tom-bossert-north-korea-wannacry/index.html">White House officially blames North Korea for massive 'WannaCry' cyberattack</a>
1432 </h3>
1433 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1434 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1435 <span>Dec 19, 2017</span>
1436 </div>
1437 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1438 White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said Monday the United States believes North Korea was behind the "WannaCry" cyberattack earlier this year. "After careful investigation, the US today publicly attributes the massive 'WannaCry' cyberattack to North Korea," Bossert wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. He continued: "The attack was widespread and cost billions, and North Korea is directly responsible." The US has evidence for the claim, and the United Kingdom and Microsoft reached similar conclusions in their analyses of the attack, which plagued computers the world over in May, he wrote. The UK's Foreign Office attributed the attack to "North Korean actors the Lazarus Group." Foreign Office Minister, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, said the "indiscriminate" use of the WannaCry ransomware shows North Korean determination to "circumvent sanctions," adding that the UK is determined to pursue those responsible for the attack "regardless of where it originates." Australia's government released a statement condemning the attack, which it also determined was the work of Pyongyang. "The Australian Government condemns North Korea's use of 'WannaCry' ransomware to attack businesses and public institutions around the world," the statement reads. The governments of Canada, New Zealand and Japan also announced that they believed North Korea was behind the attack. The confirmation of North Korea's involvement comes as tech giants Microsoft and Facebook collaborated with other unnamed members of the security community to take action against Lazarus, also known as ZINC. Money stolen by the Lazarus hackers is likely being spent advancing North Korea's development of nuclear weapons, according to international security experts. The administration is calling on the private sector to do more to prevent such incidents, Bossert said, adding that Microsoft and others had taken action last week to disrupt North Korean hacking efforts. CNN reported in June that UK intelligence believed a group associated with the North Korean government was behind the attack, and The Washington Post reported around the same time that the National Security Agency had reached a similar conclusion. Bossert wrote that North Korea's "malicious behavior" has gone on for years and is growing more egregious. "WannaCry was indiscriminately reckless," he wrote. Pointing to threats outside of North Korea, Bossert said preventing similarly massive cyber incidents would take concentrated effort and that President Donald Trump had taken steps in the right direction, such as ordering the modernization of government information technology to enhance the security of US computer systems and the sharing of software vulnerabilities with developers. Bossert warned of the threat from Russian hackers and touted legal action taken against suspected hackers as well as the Trump administration's decision to ban software from the Russia-based company Kaspersky Lab in government computers. Bossert likewise pointed to the US government's recent charges against Chinese nationals for hacking and for identity and trade secret theft, as well as against Iranians for hacking, and he urged calling out "bad behavior" by other countries, including what he called the "corrupt regime" of Tehran.
1439 </div>
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1444 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1445 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1446 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/politics/5-things-to-know-about-trumps-national-security-strategy/index.html">
1447 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171218143825-donald-trump-december-18-2017-03-story-body.jpg">
1448 </a>
1449
1450
1451 </div><!--
1452 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1453 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1454 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/politics/5-things-to-know-about-trumps-national-security-strategy/index.html">5 things to know about Trump's national security strategy</a>
1455 </h3>
1456 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1457 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1458 <span>Dec 18, 2017</span>
1459 </div>
1460 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1461 President Donald Trump unveiled his administration's national security strategy on Monday, outlining the foundation and priorities that will drive US foreign policy during his time in office. He touted the plan in a campaign-style speech that spared no words in criticizing the policies of his predecessors, even if it didn't get into detail about some of his administration's concerns about Russia. Here are five things you need to know about Trump's national security strategy. Economic security is national security The Trump administration's national security strategy focuses heavily on the US's economic relationships with other countries, arguing that the US's economic security is fundamental to national security. The document makes clear that "America First" is more than just a campaign slogan but now a guiding force in the US's foreign policy making. Trump's strategy draws attention to the US's trade imbalances with other countries and warns of "economic aggression" from other countries like China as key national security concerns. The strategy document -- required by congressional mandate -- reflects Trump's focus on trade since coming into office, and while it does not threaten the use of tariffs as Trump has, it makes clear the US will ensure that trade is "fair and reciprocal." "The United States will no longer turn a blind eye to violations, cheating, or economic aggression," the document says. Trump's speech was an unconventional presentation of his national security strategy, one that he used as an opportunity to tout a booming US economy and his other successes in his first year in office. Calling out China and Russia: 'Rival powers' The document repeatedly draws attention to China and Russia as two countries that "challenge American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity." Trump in his speech referred to both countries as "rival powers." China will remain a key target of the administration's focus on guarding US economic security, and Trump's national security strategy repeatedly calls out abusive Chinese trade practices, such as its theft of US companies' intellectual property. Trump's strategy also goes far further than the President publicly has in calling out destabilizing Russian behavior across the globe, including its violations of Ukrainian and Georgian sovereignty. The document calls attention to Russian attempts to meddle in democracies and makes clear that the US is keeping a wary eye on Russian influence campaigns -- even though Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on the US intelligence community's conclusion that Russia meddled in the 2016 US election. "Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies," the document says. "Russia uses information operations as part of its offensive cyber efforts to influence public opinion across the globe. Its influence campaigns blend covert intelligence operations and false online personas with state-funded media, third-party intermediaries, and paid social media users or 'trolls.' " Top threats: Rogue regimes, terrorism and more At the top of the Trump administration's list of threats to the US are countries Trump has branded as "rogue regimes": namely North Korea and Iran. North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile activities have become the most pressing national security concern of Trump's tenure, and Iran's support of terrorist groups and its attempts to expand its influence in the Middle East are also key concerns, the document says. To confront the threat of jihadist terrorism, the Trump administration's strategy calls for keeping up US military action against terrorist groups like ISIS and combating radicalization in the United States. The national security strategy also emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity and immigration enforcement, and reiterates Trump's call for a wall along the US-Mexico border. Climate change, scrapped The plan breaks with assessments by the Obama administration and the current leadership at the Pentagon that climate change is a threat to US national security. The document references the "importance of environmental stewardship" only in passing in a section focused on "energy dominance," including tapping into the US's domestic energy resources, including fossil fuels like "coal, natural gas, petroleum." The decision not to recognize climate change follows the President's withdrawal earlier this year from the Paris climate accords -- despite international condemnation -- and his repeal of a slew of environmental regulations. A written strategy ... and a speech A key takeaway of the new national security strategy became evident as Trump delivered a speech Monday aimed at presenting the new strategy to the country and the world: that the document may never fully translate to the President's words and actions. While the national security strategy document refers to Russia nearly two dozen times, criticizing its meddling in other countries' affairs and its attempts to undermine the US, Trump referenced Russia only once, alongside China, when he called both "rival powers." Trump then pivoted to his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday to discuss intelligence cooperation that thwarted a terrorist attack in Russia. The President also did not refer to Russia's influence campaigns as referenced in the national security strategy document. He also used the speech as an opportunity to bash his predecessors, slamming "the failures of the past" and lobbing a thinly veiled attack at his most immediate predecessor, President Barack Obama. "They neglected a nuclear menace in North Korea; made a disastrous, weak, and incomprehensibly bad deal with Iran; and allowed terrorists such as ISIS to gain control of vast parts of territory all across the Middle East," Trump said.
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1469 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/politics/trump-tweet-seattle-train/index.html">
1470 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171218142143-trump-12-18-17-story-body.jpg">
1471 </a>
1472
1473
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1476 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1477 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/politics/trump-tweet-seattle-train/index.html">Trump's 1st tweet on the Seattle train crash played politics</a>
1478 </h3>
1479 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1480 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1481 <span>Dec 18, 2017</span>
1482 </div>
1483 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1484 Hours after a train derailed in Washington state, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to sound off on it. "The train accident that just occurred in DuPont, WA shows more than ever why our soon to be submitted infrastructure plan must be approved quickly," tweeted Trump. "Seven trillion dollars spent in the Middle East while our roads, bridges, tunnels, railways (and more) crumble! Not for long!" That is a somewhat remarkable tweet from a president given the fact that emergency crews were still sorting through the rubble, several people had been killed in the accident and 77 people had been taken to a variety of local hospitals. Trump followed that first tweet with a second, more traditionally presidential one 11 minutes later. "My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in the train accident in DuPont, Washington," Trump tweeted. "Thank you to all of our wonderful First Responders who are on the scene. We are currently monitoring here at the White House." What do those two tweets tell us? That Trump's first instinct is always to look for an angle that benefits him or, even more ideally, proves he is right about something controversial he has said in the past. This is hardly the first time this has occurred. On the same day that 49 people were killed in a shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Trump tweeted this: "Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don't want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart!" A day after a terrorist ran down and murdered eight people last month in New York City, Trump tweeted: "The terrorist came into our country through what is called the 'Diversity Visa Lottery Program,' a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based." None of the above is to say that other men who have held Trump's job haven't had politically calculating thoughts in the immediate aftermath of tragedies. Of course they have. They are politicians, after all. It's what they do. But what none before Trump did was jump into the politics right away. They held off a day or even a week until the full details of the tragedy were known and people had a chance to grieve. They sent that second Trump tweet first -- and, in most cases, didn't send the first one at all. Nor is Trump wrong, broadly speaking, about the need to spend more on infrastructure in America -- particularly on many of our long-failing bridges, roads and tunnels. President after president has insisted how important infrastructure spending is to the country's future but has struggled to make it actually happen in any major way. The problem here is that Trump is putting the cart way before the horse. Even while people continue to wonder whether their family members are safe, Trump is tweeting about how this just goes to show we need to spend more money on infrastructure. It's not the wrong message. But it's definitely the wrong time for that message. His past history suggests Trump is willing to play politics almost immediately after tragic events. Maybe that is the new normal given the pace of news cycles and the relentless focus on partisan side-taking. But either way it's definitely new.
1485 </div>
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1490 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
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1492 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/opinions/austria-government-could-hurt-europe-hockenos-opinion/index.html">
1493 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171218120426-04-austria-government-inauguration-1218-story-body.jpg">
1494 </a>
1495
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1499 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1500 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/opinions/austria-government-could-hurt-europe-hockenos-opinion/index.html">Austria's right-wing coalition could be a tipping point for Europe</a>
1501 </h3>
1502 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1503 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1504 <span>Dec 18, 2017</span>
1505 </div>
1506 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1507 Austria's new government -- a coalition of the conservative People's Party (ÖVP) and the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) -- has pledged fealty to the European Union, contradicting the far-right party's longstanding rejection of the EU in its current form and previous threats to hold a referendum on leaving it. The alliance between Austria's conservatives and the far right in the heart of Europe is an ominous turn of events as the beleaguered continent looks at its immediate future. In mid-October, the People's Party won the national election in Austria by taking a hard line on immigration, calling for cutting benefits to refugees in Austria, cracking down on Islamic groups, and halting "illegal" immigration. Its positions on immigration differed little from the Freedom Party's, which built its reputation on such national populist planks. It finished third in the election, with 26 percent of the vote. In the new government, the Freedom Party will hold six ministries, including the red-button foreign, defense and interior portfolios, ensuring that it will be a powerful partner to the People's Party in the administration. Another complication: Austria will hold the EU's rotating presidency in the second half of next year when the Union is expected to pass seminal reforms. Modern European conservatism, like that of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), constitutes an essential bulwark against national extremists across Europe -- when they steadfastly refuse to bend to the far right's demagoguery or to rule in tandem with them. Today Europe's fate lies disproportionately in the hands of its conservative parties -- and their decision on whether to collaborate with or exclude nationalist extremists. Enlightened conservatism, such as that across most of western Europe, offers traditionally minded, often religious, better-off burghers a viable political home in liberal democracies. Western Europe's conservative parties, whether in Sweden or Spain, are patriotic and proud of their country, but their understanding of the nation is open-minded, not based on genealogy -- or closed to non-Christians. They believe firmly in an integrated EU and on cultural issues -- such as women's rights, gay rights and ethnic diversity -- have come a long way since the Cold War years. Germany's CDU is a classic modern Christian democratic party, which has categorically ruled out a coalition with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) -- Germany's far-right Islamophobic party. It rejects even teaming up with the rightists to pass certain legislation. In the summer election campaign, Angela Merkel refused to borrow from the racist vocabulary of the AfD -- which had seen its popularity grow across Germany over the past four years -- before it entered the Bundestag this year with 12.6 percent of the vote. Obviously, there's a strain of German voter that responds to the racist, anti-immigrant tropes of the AfD, which blames foreign nationals and refugees for crime, terrorism and abusing social welfare. But Merkel -- though she has cut down the numbers of refugees entering the country since the 2015-16 crisis -- has stuck to her guns that Germany will continue to take in refugees and respect the right to political asylum. By pledging not to enter coalitions with the AfD, the CDU -- along with with every other mainstream German party -- has signaled that the likes of the AfD do not belong in the liberal democracy that Germany has forged since the war ended. In stark contrast to Merkel, the People's Party and Sebastian Kurz mimicked the far right's bigotry in the election campaign and will now run a government with the Freedom Party. As prime minister, Kurz's deputy will be Heinz-Christian Strache, the head of the Freedom Party. Strache, who was involved in a neo-Nazi movement as a young man, now disavows radicalism, and has suspended party members for extremism -- including for making the straight-arm Nazi salute in public. According to the parties' coalition contract, plans to toughen migration-related policies will be put into motion at once. Austrian authorities will dispossess asylum seekers of their cell phones and all of their cash upon arrival in Austria, the former in order to read all saved data in the name of state security, the latter in order to pay for the upkeep of refugees waiting to have their asylum cases heard. Kurz's short-sighted opportunism lends the far right and its illiberal ideas a stamp of legitimacy, signaling to Austrians and the rest of Europe that a party like the Freedom Party has a rightful place in our modern democracies. Obviously, Austria is not the only country who sees it this way: in contrast to the storm of protest unleashed during Austria's first conservative-far right government in 2000 -- which included EU sanctions against Austria -- there has so far been a critical but relatively muted response. In other words: This is the new European reality. Gerald Knaus, director of the Berlin-based think tank European Stability Initiative, argues that Kurz and Merkel personify the stakes for European conservatives. "Merkel, when faced with the migration crisis in 2015, told Germans 'we can manage this,' and designed policies to do exactly that." "But Kurz communicated it as a fundamental threat to Western culture and Europe's social welfare states. And now he entered into a coalition with a party that mobilized a poisonous Islamophobia in a country that hasn't even had an Islamist terrorist attack." The way Kurz approaches migration, says Knaus, echoes the way Hungary's autocratic leader Victor Orban has done, not fellow Christian Democrat Merkel. Austria's shift to the right comes at a highly inopportune moment when the crisis-ridden EU is under siege from national populists across the continent and fighting for its very survival. It sends exactly the wrong message to Austria's post-communist neighbors in Central Europe, such as Hungary and Poland, where illiberal regimes already hold power and bid to reshape the EU. In fact, it plays right into their hands, underscoring that their visions of an ethnically homogenous Europe of nations could become the rule rather than the exception in the EU. France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen understood Austria's new leadership exactly this way: "It is excellent news for Europe."
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1513 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
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1515 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/opinions/trump-national-security-strategy-russia-china-peter-bergen-opinion/index.html">
1516 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171111093428-01-trump-putin-111117-story-body.jpg">
1517 </a>
1518
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1522 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1523 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/opinions/trump-national-security-strategy-russia-china-peter-bergen-opinion/index.html">Trump's new strategy: Russia is an actual threat</a>
1524 </h3>
1525 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1526 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1527 <span>Dec 18, 2017</span>
1528 </div>
1529 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1530 On Monday President Donald Trump rolled out his national security strategy, a key planning document that every president since Ronald Reagan has published to warn about threats to American national security and how best to respond to them. Trump's plan is, unsurprisingly, an unabashedly "America First" strategy that, at 55 dense pages, is full of insights into how Trump's national security advisers see the world. While usual suspects such as Iran and North Korea are described as threats, and campaign promises about the need for a border wall with Mexico are acknowledged, what is most newsworthy about the document is the extent to which it portrays Russia and China, America's traditional major state antagonists, as threatening. The document asserts that Russia and China "want to shape a world antithetical to U.S. values and interests," which seems quite at odds with the President's own enthusiastic embrace of Russia. Overall, the new Trump strategy calls for a policy of "peace through strength" that emphasizes deterring these enemies by preparing US conventional forces for "major war" while also modernizing the country's aging nuclear forces. This new approach is necessary because the strategy document states that, "after being dismissed as a phenomenon of an earlier century, great power competition returned. China and Russia began to reassert their influence regionally and globally." Russia is "using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies...The American public and private sectors must recognize the threat and work together to defend our way of life," according to the strategy document. The document also describes Russian aggression against its neighbors: "With its invasions of Georgia and Ukraine, Russia demonstrated its willingness to violate the sovereignty of states in the region." The document goes on to link Russia's "information operations" to a broader campaign to influence public opinion across the globe. Its influence campaigns blend covert intelligence operations and false online personas with state-funded media, third-party intermediaries and paid social media users, or "trolls." This, of course, is similar to the US intelligence community's conclusions that Russia meddled in the 2016 American presidential election. The emphasis on Russian perfidy may, in part, be a reflection of the "lead pen" of the document, Nadia Schadlow, the senior director for strategy at the National Security Council who in the mid-1990s was the desk officer for Ukraine at the Pentagon. The strategy also calls out China in a number of areas. It accuses the Chinese of stealing US intellectual property every year valued at "hundreds of billions of dollars" and calls for tightening of visa procedures to "reduce economic theft by non-traditional intelligence collectors," which presumably could include the more than 300,000 Chinese students who attend US universities every year. China "is building the most capable and well-funded military in the world, after our own," including a "diversifying" nuclear arsenal, according to the document, which goes on to warn that Chinese "land reclamation projects and militarization of the South China Seas flouts international law, threatens the free flow of trade, and undermines stability. China has mounted a rapid military modernization campaign designed to limit U.S. access to the region." What's missing: Climate change and 'Islamic terrorism' Where President Barack Obama's 2015 national security strategy document had a significant emphasis on the problematic effects of climate change, the Trump strategy doesn't have much to say about the topic other than to note that bringing down pollution should be a goal of the United States thorough "innovation" rather than "onerous regulation." Also missing from the new Trump strategy document is any discussion of "radical Islamic terrorism," which is a great preoccupation of the Breitbartian wing of the Republican Party. The document eschews this description of the threat, which critics say conflates Islam and terrorism, settling instead for the uncontroversial and accurate phase "jihadist terrorists" to describe groups such as ISIS and al Qaeda. This omission will likely provoke fulminations on Fox News by analysts such as Sebastian Gorka, who was forced out of his advisory role at the White House in August and who has made use of the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism" a touchstone for the only proper way to describe the threat. When President Trump delivered a speech Monday about the strategy at the Reagan Building in Washington DC he did invoke the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism" despite the fact that the phrase doesn't appear anywhere in the lengthy strategy document. He did not, however, echo any of the document's criticism of Russia in his remarks. Regarding terrorism, the strategy has some quite harsh words for Pakistan, "since no partnership can survive a country's support for militants and terrorists that targets a partner's own service members and officials," a reference to Pakistan's support for elements of the Taliban that attack American targets in Afghanistan. NATO continues to play an important role in Afghanistan and, despite Trump's sometimes inflammatory rhetoric about the alliance, the strategy document describes NATO as "one of our great advantages over our competitors." It also calls for European allies in NATO "to increase defense spending to two percent of gross domestic product by 2024," which was also a goal of the Obama administration. (Disclosure: I was one of the outside experts consulted by the Trump National Security Council as they formulated the strategy.) What's promising (sort of): Technology and policy The Trump strategy document includes considerable and welcome discussion of the intertwined roles of technology and policy. The strategy is clear about the threat to the United States posed by cyber intrusions — many of which emanate from the Russians and Chinese. The strategy calls for a defensible, modernized, federal information structure and also a "secure 5G Internet capability nationwide." The 2016 hack of the obscure US Office of Personnel Management underlined the necessity of radical change in the way that the federal government does business. In that hack, personal information such as the Social Security numbers of more than 20 million current and former US government employees and their families were stolen. The document calls for further American investments in "data science, encryption, autonomous technologies, gene editing, new materials, nanotechnology, advanced computing technologies, and artificial intelligence" in order to grow the economy of tomorrow. At the same time, it advocates for increased US government understanding of worldwide science and technology trends and their impact on American strategies. This, of course, is an excellent idea, but as CBS News reported last month, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is barely staffed and "has disintegrated into a shell of what it once was under President Obama." Bolstering the State Department, but how? The strategy document calls for an enhanced State Department in no uncertain terms: "We must upgrade our diplomatic capabilities to compete in the current environment and to embrace a competitive mindset. Effective diplomacy requires the efficient use of limited resources, a professional diplomatic corps, modern and safe facilities, and secure methods to communicate and engage with local populations." And yet, this strategy comes at a time when the State Department is largely rudderless under the leadership of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who has failed to fill many of the key positions in his department and who has embraced a proposed cut of a third of State's budget at the same time that the Pentagon is getting a 10% budget boost. Ultimately, the strategy document is the responsibility of the National Security Advisor, Lt. Gen H.R. McMaster, who early in his Army career published "Dereliction of Duty," a blistering account of how the Pentagon brass during the Vietnam War only told President Lyndon Johnson: "What he wanted to hear...Bearers of bad news or those that expressed views counter to his priorities would hold little sway." It would be surprising if McMaster were to make the same mistake with this key document that lays out the national security strategy of the United States. That is why the strategy document is unequivocal about the threat to democracies posed by Russian influence operations, even if that is not a message that President Trump always wants to hear. Editor's note: This article has been updated to include further content from Trump's Monday speech.
1531 </div>
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1535
1536 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1537 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1538 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/europe/mesale-tolu-intl/index.html">
1539 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171218134701-01-mesale-tolu-file-restricted-story-body.jpg">
1540 </a>
1541
1542
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1545 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1546 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/europe/mesale-tolu-intl/index.html">Turkish court orders release of German journalist</a>
1547 </h3>
1548 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1549 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1550 <span>Dec 18, 2017</span>
1551 </div>
1552 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1553 A Turkish court has ordered the release of German journalist and translator Mesale Tolu, according to Germany's Foreign Ministry. Tolu, who was detained seven months ago, will be released under judicial control, ministry spokeswoman Maria Adebahr said Monday. "Although Tolu is not allowed to leave Turkey, (this) is a tremendous relief," she said. Tolu was accused of being a member of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party -- labeled in her indictment as an "armed terror organization" -- and with spreading "terrorist propaganda." Human-rights organizations have described the charges as unfounded and part of a crackdown on free speech. Tolu was facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a statement: "This is not only good news, but also a tremendous relief. I believe that all of us in Germany, including me, are pleased with the Mesale Tolu decision. This is not the end of the process, but a big first step has been taken." 'Worst jailer' of journalists Turkey was named the "world's worst jailer" of journalists for the second year running in a recent report by the Committee to Protect Journalists. Seventy-three journalists are behind bars in the country, compared to 81 in 2016. Following the release of Tolu, one German journalist -- Deniz Yücel -- remains in jail in Turkey on political charges. "We are following closely the proceedings against all Germans who are detained or charged for political reasons in Turkey," said Gabriel on Monday. "More Germans, such as Deniz Yücel, remain in Turkish custody. We continue to offer our support." Yücel, a Turkish-German journalist for German newspaper "Die Welt," was arrested in February and held in solitary confinement for at least five months. He is accused of spreading propaganda for the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, a Kurdish separatist group that the Turkish government has branded a terrorist organization. Soon after the arrest, German-Turkish relations began to deteriorate rapidly, with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan likening the German government to that of Adolf Hitler and calling for Turks in Germany to reject the country's biggest parties in September's federal election. German Chancellor Merkel responded to Turkey's stance with a call to pause negotiations for Turkey's accession to the European Union. Relations have since begun to thaw, aided in October by the release on bail of human-rights trainer Peter Steudtner, who was arrested in Turkey in July.
1554 </div>
1555 </div>
1556
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1558
1559 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1560 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1561 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/politics/trump-security-strategy/index.html">
1562 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171216162301-trump-12-16-2017-story-body.jpg">
1563 </a>
1564
1565
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1568 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1569 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/politics/trump-security-strategy/index.html">New security strategy to call China 'strategic competitor,' lay out strategic aims</a>
1570 </h3>
1571 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1572 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1573 <span>Dec 18, 2017</span>
1574 </div>
1575 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1576 President Trump will unveil his administration's National Security Strategy on Monday, laying out its objectives and how it views various threats. According to officials who briefed reporters Sunday, the strategy -- a congressionally mandated document -- identifies four national interests: protecting the homeland, advancing American prosperity, preserving peace through strength and pushing American influence by new approaches to development. The President will discuss the strategy during a speech Monday afternoon in Washington. Repeating the emphasis Trump laid out on the campaign trail of "America First," the officials described a similar aim for this strategy, in which America's economic prosperity is the key objective. One emphasis in the document is on China, a country in which the United States is juggling various interests. While the Trump administration has complained about the trade imbalance with China, the White House also has been putting pressure on Beijing to limit its trade with North Korea. "The strategy refers to China as a strategic competitor ... China is effectively across the political, economic, military and informational domain in ways probably not duplicated by our other competitors," one official said. "We know that we need China, to work with them, and to continue to work with them on the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or North Korea) problem. It's not mutually exclusive. We're working together to cooperate at the same time acknowledging that competition exists as well." Senior administration officials said "revisionist powers" that are trying to create a world that is in conflict with American values is one of the big threats, citing China's action in the South China Sea and very briefly mentioning Russia's involvement in Ukraine and Georgia. Asked to define what they mean about revisionist powers and how central Russia was to this policy vision, one official said, "The nature of competition doesn't mean that you don't also cooperate, and we're clear throughout this document -- revisionist basically means, how is it seeking to change the status quo? So most people would argue that Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Georgia -- those activities sought to change the status quo in Europe -- in generally not a positive reaction or a peaceful direction." The officials were also asked whether the document makes reference to election security. The question was not directly answered but an official said, "We talk about how our adversaries have always -- especially for the past few years -- used information warfare, political warfare: China, Russia, jihadist terrorists have used the web to great effect. These are trends that have only been increasing and getting more troublesome and we talk about the need for Americans to be engaged and to ensure the resilience of our democracy." On how the new strategy might affect cooperation with Russia, the officials cited Sunday's phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump as well as efforts to combat ISIS. "You will see a lot of areas where our interests either just don't align or directly conflict. I think we're certainly better off right now than we were several months ago when both the Secretary of State and the president remarked that the relationship seemed to be at a low point," an official said. Regarding climate change, it is "not identified as a national security threat, but climate and the importance of the environment and environmental stewardship are discussed," one official said. There are mentions, the officials said of trade throughout the strategy document with an aim of what they said was free and fair trade -- as the administration has pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement and is renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada.
1577 </div>
1578 </div>
1579
1580 </div>
1581
1582 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1583 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1584 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/17/politics/trump-putin-call-st-petersburg-attack/index.html">
1585 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171111093428-01-trump-putin-111117-story-body.jpg">
1586 </a>
1587
1588
1589 </div><!--
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1591 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1592 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/17/politics/trump-putin-call-st-petersburg-attack/index.html">Putin thanks Trump for CIA's help in stopping terror attacks</a>
1593 </h3>
1594 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1595 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1596 <span>Dec 17, 2017</span>
1597 </div>
1598 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1599 President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Sunday after ISIS-inspired terror attacks against the city of St. Petersburg were thwarted by Russia's Federal Security Service using intelligence provided by the CIA. According to a statement from the Kremlin, Putin thanked Trump for the CIA's information on the attacks, which were to take place on Saturday at the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg and other areas of the Russian city. The Federal Security Service said Friday that seven members of a terror cell had been detained for their involvement in the plot, and that "a significant amount of explosives," weapons and "extremist literature" were confiscated. "Information obtained from the CIA was sufficient to search for and arrest of criminals," the Kremlin statement said. Trump was also asked to forward Putin's appreciation to CIA Director Mike Pompeo and the intelligence officials who obtained the information. "Vladimir Putin assured Donald Trump that the Russian intelligence services upon receipt of information relating to terrorist threats against the US and its citizens, will immediately transmit to its American colleagues in partner channels," the statement added. Russian state-run media outlet TASS reported that Moscow initiated the call. In a readout of the call released Sunday afternoon, the White House said Trump "appreciated the call" and "stressed the importance of intelligence cooperation to defeat terrorists wherever they may be." "Both leaders agreed that this serves as an example of the positive things that can occur when our countries work together," the readout said. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed in a tweet Sunday that the leaders had spoken and said the White House was preparing to release a readout of the call. Sunday's call was the second between Trump and Putin in three days. They last spoke by telephone on Thursday, when they discussed US-Russian ties and the increasing tensions surrounding North Korea. The leaders' relationship is complicated by ongoing investigations into the Trump campaign's ties to Moscow. US intelligence agencies have previously concluded that Russia tried to meddle in the 2016 presidential election in an effort to help Trump get elected. Putin has denied the accusation.
1600 </div>
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1605 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
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1607 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/17/asia/pakistan-quetta-church/index.html">
1608 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/160403224857-pakistan-life-as-a-christian-story-body.jpg">
1609 </a>
1610
1611
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1614 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1615 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/17/asia/pakistan-quetta-church/index.html">Suicide bomber kills 7 at church in Pakistan</a>
1616 </h3>
1617 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1618 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1619 <span>Dec 17, 2017</span>
1620 </div>
1621 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1622 A suicide bomber attacked a church packed with worshippers Sunday in Pakistan, leaving seven people dead and more than 20 others injured, authorities say. Two attackers targeted a Methodist church in Quetta, but only one managed to detonate his vest, said Sarfaraz Bugti, the interior minister of Balochistan province. The second attacker was shot by a church security guard before he detonated his explosives, Bugti said. The civilians were killed during the blast and the intense firefight that followed, according to Moazzam Jah Ansari, the provincial police chief. More than 400 people were in the church at the time of the attack, he said. Bugti tweeted that law enforcement agencies took 16 minutes to complete their operation. More than two dozen others were wounded, said Wasim Baig, a spokesman for Quetta Civil Hospital, where victims were transported. The ISIS affilliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan said it was behind the attack. In a text message to CNN, a commander of the affiliate, known as ISIS Khorasan, said that details on the attack and a formal claim of responsibility will be released by the Amaq news agency, the media wing of the terror group. Pakistan's Foreign Office condemned the attack, tweeting that the nation's "resolve against terrorism cannot be deterred by these cowardly acts." The defense minister echoed the same sentiment, tweeting that the nation's commitment to protecting minorities and abolishing terrorism will not change. Quetta is the largest city and provincial capital of Balochistan province. Christians make up 2% of Pakistan's population, and face persecution from hardline Islamists, who want to see a strict interpretation of Islamic law take precedence in the legal system. Previous attacks on Christians include a suicide attack in Lahore that killed at least 14 people in March 2015, and suicide attacks on a church in Peshawar in 2013 that killed more than 80 people. Attacks by terror groups in the nation are not limited to Christians. This month, 18 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a Sufi shrine in southwestern Balochistan. At least 75 people were killed in a suicide attack last February at a packed shrine in the southern city of Sehwan in Sindh province.
1623 </div>
1624 </div>
1625
1626 </div>
1627
1628 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1629 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1630 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/15/opinions/it-wasnt-trump-but-this-generals-elite-soldiers-who-defeated-isis-bergen/index.html">
1631 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171215104649-01-abdul-wahab-al-saadi-file-story-body.jpg">
1632 </a>
1633
1634
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1637 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1638 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/15/opinions/it-wasnt-trump-but-this-generals-elite-soldiers-who-defeated-isis-bergen/index.html">Bergen: It wasn't Trump but this general's elite soldiers who defeated ISIS</a>
1639 </h3>
1640 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1641 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1642 <span>Dec 16, 2017</span>
1643 </div>
1644 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1645 Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi is virtually unknown outside Iraq, but he is a hero in his own country. When the three-star general walks into the lobby of a guesthouse in Baghdad he is quickly surrounded by well-wishers who want to take selfies with him. Iraqis know that the taciturn general was key to the long, grinding campaign that defeated ISIS. Last week the Iraqi military released a statement saying Iraq was "fully liberated" from ISIS' reign of terror. Three years earlier, ISIS had controlled 40% of the country, according to Iraqi officials. It was the storied "Golden Division" of Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service, the Iraqi version of US Special Operations Forces, that did much of the fighting and dying to defeat ISIS. Saadi leads the Golden Division. A tall, thin man with deep, dark circles under his eyes that are a testament to his fight against ISIS for the past three years, Saadi, 54, was dressed in a black leather jacket, black shirt and black trousers when he sat down to discuss the campaign against ISIS over a cup of tea in Baghdad. Saadi asserted that all that remains of ISIS in Iraq are "some sleeper cells." Surviving ISIS cells have gone to ground in western Iraq, Syria and Turkey, he said. Two months ago President Donald Trump was quick to take credit for the looming defeat of ISIS when Raqqa, ISIS' de facto capital in Syria, fell to US-backed forces. Trump asserted that ISIS hadn't been defeated earlier because "you didn't have Trump as your president." Saadi seemed genuinely puzzled when asked if he had noticed any changes in American support during the more than two years that he had been leading the Iraqi fight against ISIS. Saadi said, "There was no difference between the support given by Obama and Trump." Why is it that the US-trained Golden Division and Counter-Terrorism Service played such a key role in the defeat of ISIS while the Iraqi army ignominiously fled from the ISIS militants that seized much of Iraq in 2014? Saadi explained, "We have zero tolerance for sectarianism," which has been the bane of Iraqi security services. Iraq's minority Sunni population have long viewed the Iraqi security services as armed Shia groups with a deeply sectarian agenda. The Counter-Terrorism Service, consisting of about 10,000 soldiers, also demands continuous training for its soldiers, unlike the Iraqi army, which only requires basic training. The prestige of the Counter-Terrorism Service can be gauged by the fact that when the Iraqi government launched a recruitment drive in May, 300,000 men applied to be part of the force. An American military trainer said that only around 1,000 of those will likely end up being trained at a joint US-Iraqi training facility, according to a report in the Washington Post. Saadi said American logistical and intelligence support and US airpower accounted for "50% of the success of the battle" against ISIS. American bombs inflicted heavy casualties on ISIS and were a morale booster for Saadi's troops. Saadi led the Golden Division into battle in key phases of the war against ISIS, liberating first Iraq's key oil refineries in Baiji in June 2015, and then significant Iraqi cities such as Fallujah, Ramadi and Tikrit. When he was fighting to liberate Tikrit the general tore off the three stars on his epaulettes denoting his high rank, he told me, saying to himself, "I don't deserve this rank if I don't free my fellow citizens from the grasp of ISIS." The general leads from the front. "I have to be in the front line. Number one it is for the morale of my soldiers, and second I want to make sure no one mistreats civilians," Saadi said. As a result, the general has narrowly escaped death repeatedly, showing this reporter a scar on his chin where he says a sniper's bullet grazed him during the battle of Baiji. It was above all his role in the fight for Iraq's second city, Mosul, that cemented Saadi's reputation among Iraqis. The fight for Mosul was never going to be easy. A city of 2 million people, the old section of the city in western Mosul is a warren of narrow medieval-era streets and buildings. The battle for Mosul lasted nine months -- in part, Saadi said, because Iraqi forces didn't want to level the city: "We were very careful to preserve the infrastructure and also the lives of innocents remaining in the city." The fight was also complicated in Mosul because ISIS deployed more than 1,000 "VBIEDs" --vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices -- cars and trucks driven by suicide bombers. These VBIEDs were greatly feared by the Golden Division troops. Also many of ISIS' most competent fighters, numbering around 10,000, decided to make their last stand in Mosul where ISIS' self-styled caliphate was first proclaimed in 2014 by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the elusive leader of ISIS. Mosul finally fell to Iraqi forces in July. Reflecting on the anti-ISIS campaign, Ben Connable, a political scientist at the RAND think tank, who served in Iraq for three tours as a Marine Corps officer said, "I have never been more optimistic about Iraq than I am today. They finally feel like they own their security." The battle against ISIS in Iraq is over. The next challenge for the Iraqi government is to win the peace. To do that, it must now ensure that Iraq's Sunni minority feels that they have some real stake in Iraqi politics so that they don't actively or passively support groups like ISIS that claim -- no matter how self-servingly -- to stand up for the rights of the Sunni.
1646 </div>
1647 </div>
1648
1649 </div>
1650
1651 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1652 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1653 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/15/politics/tillerson-un-north-korea/index.html">
1654 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171215124934-01-rex-tillerson-un-1215-screengrab-story-body.jpg">
1655 </a>
1656
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1660 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1661 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/15/politics/tillerson-un-north-korea/index.html">Tillerson confronts North Korea at UN</a>
1662 </h3>
1663 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1664 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1665 <span>Dec 15, 2017</span>
1666 </div>
1667 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1668 Secretary of State Rex Tillerson directly rebutted North Korea's representative to the United Nations on Friday, rejecting his claim that the US is to blame for tensions on the Korean peninsula and declaring that he and the White House are in lockstep on policy. He stated that there is "no daylight between the President's policy and the pursuit of that policy" on North Korea, addressing questions about a possible rift between the White House and State Department on starting talks with Pyongyang. Tuesday, Tillerson had said he was willing to start talks with North Korea without preconditions. The comment during a Q&A took White House staffers off-guard, they said. During Friday's specially convened UN Security Council meeting to discuss North Korea's nuclear program, Tillerson clarified that "a sustained cessation of North Korea's threatening behavior must occur before talks can begin. North Korea must earn its way back to the table." In the meantime, the US will continue a campaign to pressure North Korea diplomatically and financially, he said, as North Korea's ambassador to the UN looked on. TIllerson added, "militarily we are going to be prepared should something go wrong." After North Korea's ambassador Ja Song Nam addressed the council and described his country's nuclear program as an "inevitable self-defense measure" against the US, which was "terrified by the incredible might of our republic" and its "nuclear force," Tillerson asked for another chance to speak and hit back. "There is but one party that has carried out illegal detonation of illegal devices, there is but one party that launches intercontinental ballistic missiles ... that is the Kim regime in North Korea," Tillerson said. North Koreans "alone are responsible for these tensions, they alone must take responsibility for these tensions, and they alone can solve these tensions," Tillerson said. Tillerson said the acts of North Korea are a "clear violation" of international law that "cannot be ignored," and added that the regime "must be held accountable." Later, in remarks to the press, Tillerson was asked directly to explain where the US stood on preconditions. He flipped the question, rejecting proposals from Russia and China for a "freeze for a freeze," in which the US would halt military exercises and North Korea would stop nuclear development. "We are not going to accept preconditions," Tillerson said. "Our communication channels remain open," he added. "North Korea knows they're open, they know where the door is, they know where to walk through the door when they want to." He did not say a line that had appeared in his prepared comments, distributed by the State Department on embargo earlier in the day. Tillerson had been set to say that, "apart from that step, there are no preconditions for talks, nor will we accept pre-conditions from North Korea or others." Asked about the omission, the State Department's undersecretary of public affairs, Steve Goldstein, said that "nobody took that out for him. The Secretary doesn't speak word for word from prepared remarks and works to deliver the words that will be the most impactful to the audience he is addressing." Tillerson did double down on the administration's tough talk, even as other countries warned that US rhetoric and actions are part of the problem. "We have been clear that all options remain on the table in the defense of our nation, but we do not seek, nor do we want, war with North Korea," Tillerson said. "The United States will use all necessary measures to defend itself against North Korean aggression, but our hope remains that diplomacy will produce a resolution." But Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said, "it should be clear to everybody that the DPRK is hardly going to refrain from its nuclear missile program while it feels a direct threat to its security." Referring to joint military drills the US conducts with South Korea, Nebenzya said, "indeed this is how Pyongyang evaluates the regular wide-scale maneuvers and exercises by the United States and its allies in the region." "In the conditions of such tension, one ill thought out or misinterpreted step could lead to lamentable consequences," the Russian said, warning of a "policy of mutual pressure and intimidation." He challenged Tillerson, questioning the US commitment to finding a peaceful resolution. He noted that after about two months of quiet on North Korea's part, the US held massive military drills with South Korea and then announced it was placing Pyongyang on a list of state sponsors of terrorism. "All of these steps force us to wonder about the sincerity of statements that suggest that there is a preference for a peaceful approach to resolving the crisis in DPRK," Nebenzya said. China's ambassador echoed Russia's rebukes. "The current situation on the peninsula is not caused by any one party alone and it's unfair to impose on any one partner the responsibility" for resolving it, said China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amb. Wu Haitao. He called for dialogue, an end to US military exercises, and an end to "mutual blaming." Tillerson rejected the argument that the US bore any blame and made clear that there would be no let-up in his campaign to squeeze North Korea and steadily choke off its diplomatic channels and means of financial support. That campaign, he said, must be given time to succeed. "North Korea's growing capabilities reflect a direct threat to our security and the security of the entire world," Tillerson said. "We do not regard this claim as an empty threat. In the face of such a threat, inaction is unacceptable for any nation." The US is even more determined to continue its peaceful pressure campaign, Tillerson said, with the goal of "setting the conditions for North Korea to engage in serious negotiations toward the complete, verifiable, and irreversible abandonment of its nuclear weapons programs." The top US diplomat, who met Thursday with Trump and Defense Secretary James Mattis, urged countries in the room to do more than just meet the letter of UN Security Council resolutions sanctioning North Korea -- and called out Moscow and Beijing in particular. "Continuing to allow North Korean laborers to toil in slave-like conditions inside Russia in exchange for wages used to fund nuclear weapons programs calls into question Russia's dedication as a partner for peace," Tillerson said. "Similarly, as Chinese crude oil flows to North Korean refineries, the United States questions China's commitment to solving an issue that has serious implications for the security of its own citizens," he added. Tillerson extended that challenge to other countries that have been slow to fully implement existing resolutions on North Korea, saying that it calls "into question whether your vote is a commitment to words only, but not actions." Rising tensions between the US and North Korea, which conducted its largest nuclear test in September and fired off a powerful ICBM in late November, have raised deep concern worldwide. It is "the most tense and dangerous security situation in the world today," UN Security General Antonio Guterres told the UN as the meeting opened. Guterres said he was concerned about "unintended escalation or miscalculation," which he said was being increased by "misplaced confidence, dangerous narratives and the lack of communications channels."
1669 </div>
1670 </div>
1671
1672 </div>
1673
1674 <div class="cnn-search__result cnn-search__result--article">
1675 <div class="cnn-search__result-thumbnail">
1676 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/us/new-york-subway-explosion/index.html">
1677 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171211112829-port-authority-1-story-body.jpg">
1678 </a>
1679
1680
1681 </div><!--
1682 --><div class="cnn-search__result-contents">
1683 <h3 class="cnn-search__result-headline">
1684 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/us/new-york-subway-explosion/index.html">Holidays in New York: How safe is the subway?</a>
1685 </h3>
1686 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1687 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1688 <span>Dec 15, 2017</span>
1689 </div>
1690 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1691 Days after a man set off a homemade explosive in the heart of the nation's largest subway system, Mark Murphy sat reading on a New York A train and -- like others around him -- displaying no obvious worry. "I'm not really concerned," he said, looking up from a hardcover as the train embarked on a journey of more than 31 miles from upper Manhattan to Far Rockaway in Queens. "There's only so much you can do." Monday's rush-hour bombing beneath the streets of New York exposed the many vulnerabilities of the sprawling, round-the-clock subway system, a labyrinth of 472 stations -- most with multiple entrances -- and hundreds of miles of track that would stretch to Chicago if laid end to end. It carries about 5.7 million riders each day, the most since 1948. The blast came at a time -- between Thanksgiving and New Year's -- when the city attracts more than five million visitors. Many take the subway to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the famed store window displays on Fifth Avenue and the Winter Village at Bryant Park. On New Year's Eve, more than 1 million people pack Times Square for the annual celebration. "You'll see additional officers out in force," Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted after Monday's attack. "The NYPD will secure all transit hubs and major sites in this city." The mayor and Police Commissioner James O'Neill sought to reassure the riding public soon after the blast sent shivers across a city that has seen two recent terrorist attacks. In late October, a truck assault killed eight people near the World Trade Center. In September 2016, a bomb left in a heavy steel dumpster wounded 29 people in the Chelsea neighborhood. "We have almost 3,000 transit cops that work in the subway system every day," O'Neill told reporters less than two hours after the explosion. "All parts of this system are patrolled." Still, few threats have concerned the people who run and protect the subway as much as a lone-wolf attacker walking into a busy transit hub and blowing himself up. "In the early days after 9/11, it was one of the scenarios -- a suicide bomber or a series of them in the subway system -- that was at the top of the list of what we were concerned about," said David Kelly, a former NYPD assistant commissioner for counterterrorism who is now an associate managing director at K2 Intelligence. "Precisely because it would be easy to do and because it could have such a tremendous impact on the city." Difficult, if not impossible, threat to detect On Monday, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi man named Akayed Ullah allegedly detonated a "low-tech" device that he attached to himself with Velcro and zip ties. It was made of a battery, wires, metal screws and a Christmas tree lightbulb. Marlyn Yu Sherlock was at a store on the main floor of the Port Authority Bus Terminal when panicked commuters began flooding out of the smoke-choked subway station. Christmas carols blared amid the mayhem, she said. The explosion occurred about 7:20 a.m. in an underground walkway connecting two subway lines beneath the bus terminal near Times Square, which accommodates 220,000 passenger trips a day. "What we're seeing is simpler attacks, individual attackers either inspired or possibly directed and turning commonplace items into weapons," said Henry Willis, associate director of the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center at the RAND Corporation. "This particular threat is one that is very difficult, if not impossible, to detect before the attack, and the targets too numerous to secure." Ullah, who told investigators he built and detonated the bomb, said he was inspired by ISIS. Five people were treated for minor injuries. The suspect was said to be seriously injured. "When you hear about a bomb in the subway station, which is in many ways one of our worst nightmares, the reality turns out better than the initial expectation and fear," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. A pro-ISIS group last month released a propaganda poster depicting a Christmas attack on the Vatican, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. The terrorist group is well known for high-profile holiday attacks in Europe. In New York, authorities said they have been on high alert since before Monday's attack, especially at transit hubs. "Our lives revolve around the subway," de Blasio said. "The choice of New York is always for a reason, because we are a beacon to the world. And we actually show that a society of many faiths and many backgrounds can work. ... The terrorists want to undermine that. They yearn to attack New York City." The NYPD told CNN in a statement on Saturday that extra precautions were being taken during the holiday season. "The NYPD normally increases the security presence in the areas of Times Square and Rockefeller Center, as well as other locations where there is an increase of activity, during the holiday season," the police department said. "In light of the recent terror incident in Times Square there will be additional high-visibility patrol coverage in the area. Other enhanced security measures will be implemented as well." First subway bombing in 23 years This week's blast was the first bombing on the subway since a man in 1994 set off a pair of homemade gasoline devices on Manhattan trains. Since terrorists downed the twin towers on September 11, 2001, a small army of NYPD officers on the trains have been aided by a network of hundreds of security cameras on stations and platforms. In addition, heavily armed counterterrorism teams and officers with bomb-sniffing dogs and portable radiation detectors are routinely deployed underground. Random bag searches are conducted at stations. "We should not underestimate the vulnerability of transit systems, because people expect them to be open," said Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, a professor at the UCLA department of urban planning. "Thankfully, these are exceptional instances when you think about the millions of trips that people are doing every day." Mike O'Neil, a former commanding officer of the police department's counterterrorism division, said the sheer size and openness of the transit system pose serious security challenges. "You need to engage the public and not scare them but empower them with information about the threat and make them partners in this," said O'Neil, who's now the chief executive of MSA Security. Since 9/11, part of the city's strategy against terrorism in the transit system has involved suspicious package alerts and the "If you see something, say something" campaign, which urges riders to report suspicious behavior underground. "We can't say it enough times: When you see something, say something," Mayor Bill de Blasio said this week. "This is the difference maker. We've seen it time and again. When an everyday New Yorker sees something that doesn't make sense, hears something, sees a package, gets a feeling that something's wrong. Don't hold it yourself, tell a police officer." Other terrorist plots thwarted On Monday, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joe Lhota told reporters the agency held a "tabletop exercise" with the NYPD last month "to coordinate our efforts" in the event of a subway bombing. "The result of that was ... in less than two hours we are back totally up to speed and getting our passengers around," he said. O'Neil said keeping the trains moving and reassuring the public is important. "You don't want to disrupt the way of life," he said. "If you shut the whole transportation system in New York City you're creating more of a potential target." Transit systems have been targeted by terrorists across the world, including in London, Madrid, Brussels, Belgium, and Wurzburg, Germany. Attempts to attack the New York subway have been prevented mostly through intelligence gathering and investigation, officials said. In 2012, for instance, a Bosnian immigrant accused of plotting to bomb New York's subway system as an "al Qaeda terrorist" was found guilty of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to commit murder, supporting a foreign terrorist organization and other charges. Prosecutors said Adis Medunjanin traveled to Pakistan's tribal region with two high school friends, Pakistani-born Najibullah Zazi and Zarein Ahmedzay, an immigrant from Afghanistan. His friends pleaded guilty to planning the attack with Medunjanin and testified against him. John Miller, NYPD deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, said local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have thwarted more than two dozen terrorist plots in New York since 9/11. "We have prevented ... a significant number of attacks," he said. "But this is a fact of life. Whether you're in New York or London or Paris. The question is, Can it happen here? And the answer is, it can happen anywhere."
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1707 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/politics/kfile-frank-wuco-on-the-radio/index.html">Homeland Security senior adviser promoted birtherism, said Obama knew 'nothing about the black American experience'</a>
1708 </h3>
1709 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1710 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1711 <span>Dec 15, 2017</span>
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1714 A White House senior adviser at the Department of Homeland Security previously promoted conspiracy theories about former President Barack Obama's birthplace, lamented the "Zimbabwe-fication of America," and mocked the LGBT community. Frank Wuco has served as the White House adviser to DHS since January and now leads a team tasked with helping to enforce President Donald Trump's executive orders, including the administration's travel ban. Before that, he hosted a conservative talk radio show in Florida for several years and appeared as a guest on other talk radio shows. CNN's KFile reviewed more than 40 hours of audio of Wuco's show and his other appearances. Wuco, a retired naval intelligence officer, has previously come under media scrutiny for his hardline views on Islam. Wuco has said that violent extremism is in line with the teachings of mainstream Islam and has dressed up as a jihadist character named Fuad Wasul in videos to teach others about the dangers of Islam. KFile's examination found that Wuco's controversial commentary went beyond discussion of Islamic terror. On the radio, Wuco said Obama knew nothing of the "black American experience," defended the initial speculation in the media that Muslim extremists were responsible for the mass killing in Norway, and said that gay people had hijacked the word "gay" from happy people. Tyler Houlton, the acting press secretary at DHS, told CNN in a statement, "Mr. Wuco works every day to keep the American people safe by helping to implement the President's security-focused agenda, including raising the global bar for vetting and screening of potential terrorists. Years-old comments cherry picked from thousands of hours on the air have no bearing on his ability to perform his job for the American people." Promoted birtherism Wuco also used his platform as a radio host to promote the debunked conspiracy theory that Obama was not born in the US. In August 2011, Wuco hosted Jerome Corsi, author of "Where's The Birth Certificate: The Case That Barack Obama Is Not Eligible to Be President." On his website, Wuco promoted the discussion by calling Obama's then-recently released long-form birth certificate "a questionable document." Wuco said Corsi's book "laid it out in very significant detail, not just why it's important that (Obama) present better credentials on his status as a natural born citizen, but a lot of the things that surrounded it and where it is important as to the constitutionality of just being able to get your name on the ballot." Later, Wuco asked Corsi why people were disengaged with the birth certificate issue, saying Corsi made "a good case" for, and asked why Americans didn't seem to care about "the significance of this." Wuco's criticism of Obama extended beyond his birthplace to how Obama presented himself as a black man. He said in one radio episode that Obama knew "nothing about the black American experience." "This person, not only does he, with the exception of the color of his skin, not only does he sort of lay a very false claim on his identification with the black American experience, he has no idea what it is. But people don't care," Wuco said in December 2012, supposedly quoting a friend in Chicago. "And I find that disturbing that he has really gotten away with presenting himself as this representative of the black American community, when he grew up during his formative years in one of the best neighborhoods in Honolulu, Hawaii, in a mixed race neighborhood that consisted of whites, affluent Asian, and children of high-ranking military officers," Wuco continued. "This is the neighborhood he grew up in. He knows nothing about the black American experience." In October 2011, Wuco criticized Obama for sounding "super ethnic" when he speaks to black audiences. "One thing that I noticed with Barack Obama is that whenever he addresses, whether it's the Congressional Black Caucus or now it's the Martin Luther King Memorial, he all of a sudden sounds like he's playing the part of an African-American preacher in a movie," Wuco said. "He all of a sudden becomes, you know, super ethnic, super, you know -- he doesn't talk like that. This guy's from Honolulu, Hawaii. I've been there a bunch of times. I was in the Navy. There's nobody in Honolulu who walks around speaking like a revival preacher. Something that Barack manages to do." Lamented the "Zimbabwe-fication" of America Racial tensions between blacks and whites also came up on Wuco's radio program. In one December 2012 episode, he criticized a "Saturday Night Live" monologue by Jamie Foxx, the star of the film "Django Unchained," in which Foxx plays an escaped slave who seeks to free his wife and take vengeance on her owner. "I kind of call this the Zimbabwe-fication of America, where it is now, we're now being encouraged to find glamour and humor in race-baiting violence against certain people, if you are a celebrated person in this country," Wuco said, referencing violence against the white population in Zimbabwe. "I'm talking about Jamie Foxx who, I'm just going to come right out and say it, the guy's a racist, plain and simple. He's a racist. There's no excuse for it. There's no, I don't care if people say, 'Well, he's a comedian,' and his dull-witted and just absolutely indifferent response on a morning talk show this week, 'Yeah yeah well I'm a comedian. So you know you shouldn't take me too--' Listen, it's repetitive with him now." Wuco continued, "I mean on, I'm talking about the 'Saturday Night Live' skit last week where he was talking about 'How black is that?' You know, 'We have Barack Obama as president. How black is that?'' And this 'How black is that' monologue went on until he talked about his movie Django. And he says, in the end of it, he gets to kill all the white people and then he says 'How great is that?' And that's disturbing to me. It's not great. It's not cool." In January 2013, Wuco attacked Colin Powell for his condemnation of racism in the Republican Party. "Let's just stop right here and figuratively just slap this guy in the face for the stupid things he's saying," Wuco said of Powell. "Who the hell does this guy think he is? He is basically, he's accusing anybody who has ever pointed out that perhaps somebody is exhibiting lazy habits, or laze, or a lackadaisical attitude on a certain aspect of their discipline, their work discipline, or their intellectual discipline, or something, that if that person is black you cannot use the word lazy because it necessarily means that you're a racist." Wuco also mocked Powell for saying the phrase "shucking and jiving" is racist. "You cannot use terms like shuck and jiving, in which I've used before," Wuco said. "I did not know that it was a racist term from the South. In my ignorance, am I a racist without knowing it?" Comments about LGBT rights Wuco frequently discussed his opposition to efforts to expand LGBT rights on his show, in particular his opposition to the Obama administration's decision to end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy employed by the US military. In July 2011, Wuco said that the repeal would put a burden on straight members of the military to handle the situation maturely. "There is no fairness in this issue," Wuco said, "In fairness—to me—you know, the burden now falls on the straight member of the military to be, you know, stable, steady, mature enough to handle the very likely possibility that that he is going to be the object of another man or a woman's desire while he is, you know, sharing you know, shower facilities." On episodes where Wuco discussed gay rights, he frequently made jokes and double entendres. "Bringing it up from the rear so to speak, we will cover the the gays in the military issue," Wuco would say, and "we're going to bring it up the rear, so to speak, with the gays and the Navy issue." In another episode, Wuco made fun of Admiral Mike Mullen, Obama's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who supported the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, saying he "bent over and took it" from Obama. "With the Hollywood-friendly Admiral Mullen at the helm of our great military ship, it's no mystery that our top flag officer bent over and took it like a man from the President and check-writers in Congress," he said. "Another reason Mullen will probably be one of the most forgettable and weak figures in Joint Chiefs history." Wuco also criticized gay-straight alliances in high schools in another episode, saying there was nothing straight about them. "This has been a very, very intelligently executed campaign by gay advocacy groups to get gay education into our schools," Wuco said in December 2011. Wuco also said in July 2012 that gay people hijacked the word "gay" from happy people and that he was going to reclaim the word. "There's some very slick sort of, you know, publicity things that the homosexual community has done, like hijacking the word gay, which used to mean sort of footloose, fancy free, happy. It used to mean happy, happy and carefree, doesn't anymore. I want to recapture the word." In a June 2012 episode, Wuco repeatedly joked about openly gay congressman Barney Frank's marriage and made gay jokes about Frank and his partner. "Barney Frank weds his longtime boyfriend Jim Ready. I guess Jim, was ready for Barney's Frank and they got married in Boston," Wuco said. "Awe, isn't that sweet. You know what. You know what's just gross about that. I mean really gross. I mean it's not that the two guys got married -- I'll talk about that in a different category. But what's gross is that Barney Frank is 72 years old and this other guy Jim Ready. Jim who is ready for Barney's Frank -- is 42 years old. 30 years Barney Frank's Junior. And I always I have these bold Hollywood predictions and they are normally true. They normally come true, I'm fairly accurate on my bold Hollywood predictions, in this case it is a bold Washington D.C. prediction," he said, "and that is that Jim Ready will leave Barney Frank. I give them about two or three years on the outside and I'll take it even a step further -- and this is not to condescend over the the romantic appeal of a guy like Barney Frank to somebody like Jim Ready -- but something tells me that that Jim Ready may leave Barney for a real woman, not Barney Frank." Frank and Ready are still married. Defended initial speculation Norway attack was Islamic terror In July 2011, Wuco defended the initial speculation that Muslim extremists were responsible for the mass killing of 77 people in Norway, which was actually perpetrated by a right-wing extremist. Wuco criticized the head of the Islamic Society of North America, Safaa Zarzour, for lamenting in a Los Angeles Times article that the speculation of Islamic terror was confirmation that Muslims are guilty until proven innocent. "I don't think that what is sad about this event, Mr. Zarzour, is that p
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1722 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/health/un-tramadol-trafficking-intl/index.html">
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1730 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/health/un-tramadol-trafficking-intl/index.html">Opioid tramadol destabilizes, fuels terror in parts of Africa, UN warns</a>
1731 </h3>
1732 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1733 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1734 <span>Dec 14, 2017</span>
1735 </div>
1736 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1737 The illegal trade and growing abuse of tramadol, a synthetic opioid, are destabilizing parts of West Africa, especially in the Sahel region, where it is fueling terror groups and providing revenue for them to carry out attacks, UN officials and security experts say. The nonmedical use of tramadol has become such a health crisis in areas like northern Mali and Niger that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, or UNODC, issued a warning this week to the international community. The problem "is serious, worrying, and needs to be addressed as soon as possible," Pierre Lapaque, UNODC's regional representative in West and Central Africa, said in a statement. "We cannot let the situation get any further out of control." 'Think Al Capone and the liquor gangsters' Less stigmatized than heroin or other illegal drugs, tramadol as a prescription medication can be accessed and transported more easily, said Adam Winstock, a consultant psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist in London and director of the Global Drug Survey. And it can be used as a money generator, he said. "Synthetic opioid trafficking is a huge new revenue target for ISIS affiliates -- think Al Capone and the liquor gangsters," said Rebecca Grant, a national security and military analyst and president of the defense consulting firm IRIS Independent Research. "ISIS is desperate to make money off synthetic opioid trafficking to stay in the terror business." West Africa is becoming a desired market for such terror groups, Grant said. If the US military and coalition forces don't work to break up this illicit trade, she said, they will face flourishing ISIS-linked groups in the Sahel, which includes parts of Mali and Niger as well as Sudan, Senegal, Chad, Mauritania, Nigeria and Burkina Faso. "It's a tragedy for the local communities -- Americans are seeing firsthand what these bad opioids can do," Grant said. Growing security and health concerns Tramadol can produce similar effects as other opioid medications, such as morphine and oxycodone, resulting in a "high," said Dr. Gilberto Gerra, chief of UNODC's Drug Prevention and Health Branch. It also can give users a sense of detachment from reality and delusional symptoms, he said. Tramadol can work as a physical and emotional pain reliever and is attractive to people experiencing loss or trauma, Winstock said. The drug originates primarily from South Asia before organized crime networks smuggle it to parts of the Sahel under militant groups' control, according to UNODC. As a result, it's affecting security in the Sahel as well as other regions such as the Middle East, it said. "Tramadol is regularly found in the pockets of suspects arrested for terrorism in the Sahel, or who have committed suicidal attacks," UNODC's Lapaque said in a statement. "This raises the question of who provides the tablets to fighters from Boko Haram and al Qaeda, including young boys and girls, preparing to commit suicide bombings." The dosage used is often four or five times higher than the recommended dose, posing strong health risks and producing serious dependency problems, according to UNODC. More than 3 tons of the drug were seized yearly in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNODC's latest World Drug Report, up from 300 kilograms four years ago. UNODC said customs officials in Cameroon found more than 600,000 tramadol tablets intended for Boko Haram in August. And 3 million-plus tramadol tablets were impounded in September in Nigeria from a truck carrying boxes with a UN logo as it headed to northern Mali, it said. Law enforcement officials have witnessed the drug's effects firsthand in recent terror attacks in Mali's capital of Bamako, said Jeffrey Bawa, program officer for UNODC's Sahel Programme, which aims to support judicial systems and law enforcement to combat terrorism and the illegal drug trade in the region. "One of (the officials) stated that he saw the 'suspected' terrorist advancing toward them with his guts hanging outside of him, with little but no fear in his eyes," Bawa told CNN, saying pills of tramadol were later found on the suspect. Militants and terror groups keep up their attacks despite efforts by government forces in the Sahel. "The alarm that we are raising to the international community is extremely important," Bawa said. "The problem has in my opinion reached beyond the type fentanyl-type epidemic we are witnessing in North America -- the difference being that this is affecting the most vulnerable countries of the world."
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1753 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/europe/britain-first-arrest-intl/index.html">Britain First: Leader of far-right group arrested</a>
1754 </h3>
1755 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1756 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1757 <span>Dec 14, 2017</span>
1758 </div>
1759 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1760 The leader of the far-right UK political group Britain First was arrested Thursday in Northern Ireland as he accompanied the group's deputy leader to a court appearance on hate charges, the group said. Britain First was at the center of international controversy last month when US President Donald Trump retweeted anti-Muslim content posted by deputy leader Jayda Fransen. In a video posted to social media on Thursday, Fransen said Britain First leader Paul Golding had been arrested as he supported her at the Belfast court, where she faces charges of behavior intended or likely to stir up hatred in connection with a speech she gave in Belfast on August 6. Fransen said she faced "some nonsense charge" and that she believed Golding had been arrested over the "same trumped-up" claims. "Basically, I criticized Islam and now they want to send me to prison for two years," she said. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said detectives investigating speeches made at the Northern Ireland Against Terrorism Rally on August 6 had arrested a 35-year-old man in the Belfast area. After her court appearance, Fransen herself was then rearrested in connection with a video she filmed in Belfast a day earlier by a peace wall -- a barrier separating predominantly Protestant and Catholic communities in certain areas where sectarian tensions can run high. The PSNI confirmed that detectives "investigating an incident at a peace wall in Belfast" on Wednesday had arrested a 31-year-old woman in the Belfast area on Thursday and had taken her to a police station for interview. Trump's decision to retweet three anti-Muslim messages by Fransen sparked criticism from Britain's highest officials, including Prime Minister Theresa May. The White House defended Trump's actions, saying they were an attempt by the President to get a conversation started on security and immigration.
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1776 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/politics/presidential-speeches-in-front-of-christmas-decorations/index.html">Presidents giving serious speeches in front of Christmas decorations</a>
1777 </h3>
1778 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1779 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1780 <span>Dec 14, 2017</span>
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1782 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1783 President Donald Trump delivered a very important speech on tax reform in front one of the White House's 50+ Christmas trees on Wednesday. He tied it into the speech, promising Americans a tax cut for Christmas. The holiday is an important one for him and he came into office promising Americans they'd be saying "Merry Christmas" again. His speech Wednesday was one of the more festive-looking presidential speeches to be given in recent history, with the tree directly behind him and the lights blurred. And that was just the head-on shot. Take a look at the shot from the side of the room. I count nine Christmas trees. They kind of blend together after five. Use it as a Rorschach test of your Christmas spirit. "We want to give you, the American people, a giant tax cut for Christmas," he said during the speech. Trump's most Christmas-y speech setting was without a doubt the day he recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Flanked by two Christmas trees and Vice President Mike Pence, Trump broke with decades of US foreign policy. He made an announcement about a very sensitive religious region in front of two Christmas trees. A selection from that speech: "Jerusalem is not just the heart of three great religions, but it is now also the heart of one of the most successful democracies in the world. Over the past seven decades, the Israeli people have built a country where Jews, Muslims, and Christians, and people of all faiths are free to live and worship according to their conscience and according to their beliefs." This is not to say previous presidents haven't had their moments. Some very serious business has been delivered to the nation near or in front of Christmas decorations over the past thirty or so years. In 2015, President Barack Obama addressed the nation after the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. To his right, a Christmas tree. While it wasn't front and center, the tree still made its way into still photographs taken by the media during the speech. Reassuring the country after a terror attack is one of the most sobering things a president has to do. Perhaps keeping the Christmas tree out of frame for the television audience was a good call. A selection from that speech: "Well, here's what I want you to know: The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it. We will destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us. Our success won't depend on tough talk, or abandoning our values, or giving into fear. That's what groups like ISIL are hoping for. Instead, we will prevail by being strong and smart, resilient and relentless, and by drawing upon every aspect of American power." In 2006, President George W. Bush signed the The US-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act, which freed up the two countries to share civilian nuclear technology. The idea was to promote economic growth and clean energy. Regardless of intent, anything nuclear is pretty serious. And Bush spoke to his majority Christian country standing beside a Christmas tree. A selection from the speech: "We recognize that energy, clean energy is going to be important to the advancement of our economies. And on my visit to India earlier this year, we concluded an historic agreement that will allow us to share civilian nuclear technology and bring India's civilian nuclear program under the safeguards of the IAEA. This cooperation will help the people of India produce more of their energy from clean, safe nuclear power, and that, in turn, will help their economy grow. And it's in our interest that the Indian economy continue to grow. It helps make America more secure." When President Bill Clinton announced the nomination of William Cohen to be defense secretary in December 1996, he did so in front of an understated wreath. Cohen went on to serve in the role from 1997 to 2001. A selection from that speech: "But the opportunities are even greater -- working toward a Europe that, for the first time, is undivided, democratic and at peace; building a new partnership with a democratic Russia; meeting the challenge of change in Asia with strength and steadiness in a way that advances freedom and prosperity; extending the reach of peace and freedom in the Middle East, in Africa; opening more markets in Latin America; and strengthening the democracy that has taken root there." You know what's the appropriate genre of speech to deliver in front of Christmas decorations? A Christmas address. You know who else knew that? President Ronald Reagan. (No, he was not the only one, but look at that classic combination of red candles, some greenery and what looks to be a poinsettia on the desk behind him. It is the stuff of HGTV dream homes.) Like a true politician, Reagan segued his 1981 Christmas address into a speech about Poland. Days earlier, authorities started cracking down on the Solidarity movement and imposed martial law. A selection from the speech: "In attacking Solidarity its enemies attack an entire people. Ten million of Poland's 36 million citizens are members of Solidarity. Taken together with their families, they account for the overwhelming majority of the Polish nation. By persecuting Solidarity the Polish Government wages war against its own people."
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1791 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/politics/russia-putin-press-conference-trump-intl/index.html">
1792 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171214102152-01-vladimir-putin-1214-story-body.jpg">
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1799 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/politics/russia-putin-press-conference-trump-intl/index.html">Trump can claim 'fairly serious achievements' in first year, Putin says</a>
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1801 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1802 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1803 <span>Dec 14, 2017</span>
1804 </div>
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1806 Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that his US counterpart Donald Trump had made some "fairly serious achievements" since he took office and derided what he called the "espionage mania" surrounding meetings held by Trump associates with Russian officials. The Trump administration has been embroiled for months in investigations into potential collusion between Russian operatives and Trump associates during the 2016 US presidential campaign and transition -- a claim Trump fiercely denies. Asked for his assessment of Trump's first year in office during his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow, Putin said that "objectively we can see a number of fairly serious achievements over the short period he's been working." He cited the strength of the markets as an example, saying this indicated "investor confidence in the American economy, which means that they trust what President Trump is doing in this area." Putin also dismissed the US investigations into potential collusion, saying it was normal practice for governments to meet with officials from other election campaigns as well as governments. He said the issue had been "dreamed up" by Trump's opponents in an effort to discredit him. "It's delirium, it's madness," he said. "This is all dreamed up by people who are in the opposition to Trump so as to make sure that everyone thinks that what he's doing and working at is illegitimate." Putin suggested that those supporting the inquiries were "working against the interests of their own country and against the duly elected President of the country." Putin: US provoking North Korea In terms of Trump's foreign policy, Putin said there had been improvements in relations with Russia, but that it was obvious he was working under some constraints and limitations. US and Russian citizens face common challenges, including terrorism, environmental issues, battling the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the Middle East and tensions on the Korean Peninsula, he said. Putin accused the United States of provoking North Korea and called on both sides to deescalate the situation. "I don't want to offend anybody but far as North Korea is concerned, we believe that what is happening now is counterproductive," Putin said. Russia regularly warns the US against provoking North Korea with its joint military exercises with South Korea, Putin said, adding that it only takes one launch to create "catastrophic consequences." He also said Russia does not accept North Korea as a nuclear state. Nuclear arms treaty Asked whether the New Start nuclear arms treaty with the United States would survive, Putin laid responsibility for its future on Washington. "We did not get out of the basic treaties that were the cornerstone of international security. We did not withdraw from the ABM Treaty, the United States withdrew unilaterally," he said, referring to the now defunct Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, from which the US withdrew in 2002. Putin argued that while the United States was trying to accuse Russia of undermining the New Start treaty, it was itself doing just that with its deployment of anti-missile systems in Europe. The New Start agreement, which went into effect in 2011, aims to cut the number of nuclear weapons that the US and Russia can deploy by about a third. The current version of the treaty is set to expire in 2021 and gives both countries until February 2018 to aim for a maximum of 700 deployed ICBMs, submarines and bombers, and a total of 1,500 warheads. According to a report by Reuters, Trump criticized the New Start treaty in his first phone call with Putin after taking office, saying it favored Moscow. Putin also said he expects military spending next year to reach 2.8 trillion roubles (about $47.7 billion) and added that the United States spends much more on its military than Russia does. Putin to run as independent candidate On the subject of domestic politics, Putin said he was planning to run as an independent in the 2018 presidential election -- his fourth presidential bid -- so that he can gain the support of multiple political parties who "support" his views. He said his aim was for Russia to have a "competitive" and "balanced" political system but that it was not his responsibility to create his own opponents. He said Russia should be as competitive politically as it is economically. "I want this and I will strive for a balanced political system and that is impossible without competition in the political field," he said. Asked why Russia had no effective opposition figures, Putin said that most of current opposition figures were focusing on "making noise" rather than a genuine agenda that can benefit the nation and compete with those in power. Many young Russians don't remember the problems the nation faced in the 1990s and early 2000s, he added. Doping scandal Asked about the doping scandal that has engulfed areas of Russian sport, Putin said it was being exaggerated in the run-up to Russia's 2018 presidential election but acknowledged that "we have been responsible for it to some extent." "We have used doping but other countries have also done it," he said. Despite the "media storm" around Russian doping, there are other "systemic" issues in the sports world that must be looked at, Putin said. He added that Russia had to "help our sportsmen to help themselves." Asked a follow-up question about state-sponsored doping and evidence provided by whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, Putin cast doubt on his credibility and even implied that the FBI, the United States' domestic intelligence and law enforcement agency, was drugging him. "The fact that [Rodchenkov] is under control and protection of the FBI, that is not a plus to us, this is a minus. It means that he works under the control of American intelligence, what are they doing to him there? What substances is he given to say what has to be said? This is just funny." Putin added that he had "great respect" for international sporting organizations and anti-doping bodies and that Russia understood it was "not easy for them" to work under pressure. But, he said, they must base their conclusions "on something objective."
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1814 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/us/kentucky-state-lawmaker-death/index.html">
1815 <img src="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/171213210844-dan-johnson-kentucky-story-body.jpg">
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1822 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/us/kentucky-state-lawmaker-death/index.html">Kentucky lawmaker killed himself after sexual assault allegations</a>
1823 </h3>
1824 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1825 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1826 <span>Dec 14, 2017</span>
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1829 A Kentucky lawmaker accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in 2013 killed himself Wednesday, officials say, a day after he denied the allegations. Republican state Rep. Dan Johnson, 57, was found dead of a single gunshot wound near Mount Washington, Bullitt County Coroner Dave Billings said. Johnson drove onto a bridge in a rural area southeast of Louisville, parked and shot himself in front of his car, Sheriff Donnie Tinnell told CNN affiliate WDRB. Billings ruled Johnson's death a suicide on Thursday after an autopsy, Deputy Coroner Clayton Brunson said. Shortly before his death, Johnson posted a rambling message on social media, denying the sexual assault allegations and urging his family to stay strong for his wife. Relatives became concerned after seeing the post and reached out to law enforcement, who pinged Johnson's phone and later discovered his body, according to Billings. Billings said he was called to the scene around 7:30 p.m. Authorities discovered Johnson's body in front of his truck and a 40-caliber semi-automatic handgun nearby, he said. CNN has reached out to the Bullitt County Sheriff's Office and the Kentucky governor's office but has not heard back. Investigation reopened Just 24 hours before his death, Johnson denied sexual assault allegations detailed in a lengthy investigation by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. His accuser said the alleged sexual assault took place in the early hours of New Year's Day in 2013 when she was 17, according to the center's explosive investigative report published Monday. The accuser, identified as Maranda Richmond, is now 21. CNN's policy is not to name victims of sexual assault or rape unless they make their names public. Richmond said she was staying in a living area of Louisville's Heart of Fire Church, where Johnson was pastor, when he drunkenly kissed and fondled her underneath her clothes, according to the investigative report. She reported the incident to authorities in April 2013, and the Louisville Metro Police Department opened an investigation but closed it without charging Johnson, according to the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. The center got its hands on police documents about the accusations and interviewed Richmond, leading to its story on how Johnson allegedly forced himself on her when she was a teenager. Johnson denied the allegations, a day after the center published its report, saying Richmond was motivated by his political opponents. "This allegation concerning this young girl absolutely has no merit," he said. "As a matter of fact, some of this I heard yesterday for the first time as I read the story." The same day Johnson held a news conference, the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting confirmed that Louisville detectives reopened the investigation. Social media post Johnson posted a message on his Facebook page Wednesday evening, saying the accusations "are false" and "only God knows the truth." The post appears to have been deleted. "GOD and only GOD knows the truth, nothing is the way they make it out to be. AMERICA will not survive this type of judge and jury fake news. Conservatives take a stand," his post read. "I LOVE GOD and I LOVE MY WIFE, who is the best WIFE in the world ... 9-11-2001 NYC/WTC, PTSD 24/7 16 years is a sickness that will take my life, I cannot handle it any longer." Johnson had claimed he helped give the last rites to victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks, according to the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. Officials mourn Johnson The report of the alleged sexual assault was not the first time Johnson made national headlines. He won the 49th District State House race in Kentucky last year despite his Facebook posts that compared then-President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama to monkeys. At the time, he shunned calls for him to drop out of the race -- and ultimately won the election. Fellow lawmakers mourned his death Wednesday night. "Saddened to hear of tonight's death of KY Representative Dan Johnson," Gov. Matt Bevin tweeted Wednesday night. Republican Sen. Rand Paul tweeted he's praying for Johnson's loved ones. "Just terrible news from Kentucky tonight on the passing of Rep. Dan Johnson," he said Wednesday. "I cannot imagine his pain or the heartbreak his family is dealing with tonight." Michael Skoler, president of Louisville Public Media -- which runs the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting -- expressed sadness at his death and said it grieves for his loved ones. "Our aim, as always, is to provide the public with fact-based, unbiased reporting and hold public officials accountable for their actions," he said in a statement. "As part of our process, we reached out to Representative Johnson numerous times over the course of a seven-month investigation. He declined requests to talk about our findings." Johnson's funeral service will be held Monday at the Heart of Fire Church.
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1837 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/13/politics/trump-anti-muslim-rhetoric-counterterrorism/index.html">
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1845 <a href="//www.cnn.com/2017/12/13/politics/trump-anti-muslim-rhetoric-counterterrorism/index.html">Counterterror chief: Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric makes job more difficult</a>
1846 </h3>
1847 <div class="cnn-search__result-publish-date">
1848 <span class="icon icon--timestamp"></span>
1849 <span>Dec 14, 2017</span>
1850 </div>
1851 <div class="cnn-search__result-body">
1852 Recent anti-Muslim rhetoric from President Donald Trump and administration policies such as the travel ban are making counterterrorism "more difficult," according to outgoing National Counterterrorism Center Director Nick Rasmussen. Speaking during an on-the-record interview Wednesday, Rasmussen said, "I don't think it's arguable it's more difficult when the environment is contaminated by mutual suspicion." "If you're increasing the amount of suspicion and distress on these communities, it places more challenges in our way," he said. Asked "does the environment today make your job more difficult?" -- with reference to comments by the President and administration policies such as the travel ban -- Rasmussen answered "yes." Trump's past and recent tweets and statements concerning Muslims and the travel ban played a central role during a federal appeals court hearing last week on the legality of travel ban 3.0. Lawyers and judges discussed whether the tweets should be taken into consideration as the court examines whether the ban on travel to the US by residents of certain nations was illegally motivated by anti-Muslim animus. Special attention was paid to the President's November 29 retweets of three inflammatory videos from a British far right account rife with anti-Muslim content. "What do we do," Judge James A. Wynn asked, when we have "multiple instances" when the President has tweeted about Muslims "before the election, during the election and just a week or so ago?" "Do we just ignore reality?" he asked. The White House has previously defended several of Trump's controversial comments. Last month, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders claimed that Trump's decision to retweet anti-Muslim content from a leader of a far-right British political group served to "elevate the conversation." Trump had sparked criticism from Britain's highest officials when he retweeted the three messages from Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the group, Britain First. Trump's support for the messages, which contained videos depicting purported Muslims assaulting people and smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary, drew condemnation in the UK, including from Prime Minister Theresa May.
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