Former Peruvian president apologizes following pardon

December 27, 2017

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Former President Alberto Fujimori apologized to Peruvians on Tuesday for the wrongs committed under his government in the 1990s, issuing a vaguely worded statement two days after he received a presidential medical pardon that freed him from prison.

The 79-year-old Fujimori spoke in a videotaped message from a hospital in the capital. He received the pardon after serving less than half of a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses. "I am aware that the results during my government were well received on one side, but I recognize that I have let down other compatriots," he said. "To them, I ask for forgiveness with all my heart."

Fujimori had not previously apologized, asserting even during his sentencing hearing that he was innocent. He led the country in 1990-2000 and was found guilty for the killings of 25 people in a campaign against the leftist Shining Path terrorist group.

"He has to ask forgiveness from his victims, from the families of those who were lost, who can't spend Christmas with their families," Marisa Glave, a member of parliament, said on local television network America.

Fujimori, who has been diagnosed with arrhythmia and tongue cancer, also thanked President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski for pardoning him and sparing him from serving another 14 years in prison. The decision, which was announced on Christmas Eve, sparked large protests across the country on Christmas Day.

The president said Fujimori was being let go for humanitarian reasons, but many believe it was part of a backroom deal struck to protect Kuczynski from impeachment on corruption charges. Human Rights Watch declared it a "vulgar political negotiation."

Abstentions by lawmakers from a party led by Fujimori's son allowed Kuczynski to narrowly avoid being impeached late Thursday over a payment that his consulting firm received from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which has been accused of bribing public officials throughout Latin America.

A U.N. official said Tuesday that Peru's president should not have acted alone in granting the pardon. Amerigo Incalcaterra, the South America representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, noted in a statement that the U.N. told Kuczynski's government in October that the seriousness of Fujimori's crimes warranted involvement of the international community in deciding on any pardon.

Such a pardon "requires a rigorous analysis in each case, considering the gravity of the facts in the framework of a transparent and inclusive process, in the light of international human rights standards," Incalcaterra wrote.

Ukrainian authorities and separatist rebels swap prisoners

December 27, 2017

HORLIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities and Russian-backed separatist rebels on Wednesday conducted the biggest exchange of prisoners since the start of an armed conflict in the country's east and a sign of progress in the implementation of a 2015 peace deal.

Rebels from the self-proclaimed separatist republics in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions handed over 74 captives, while Ukraine's government delivered 233. Some had been held for more than a year. Larisa Sargan, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian prosecutor general's office, said on Facebook that one of the 74 prisoners released by the separatists indicated she would stay in Donetsk.

Carrying their belonging, the prisoners were turned exchanged in the town of Horlivka and the village of Zaitseve, in an area dividing the separatist regions and Ukraine. One held a cat. "I'm out of hell. I have survived," said Yevhen Chudentsov, who served with one of Ukraine's volunteer battalions in the east and was taken prisoner in February 2015.

Chudentsov said he faced threats and beatings while in rebel custody, and his front teeth were knocked out. He was initially sentenced to capital punishment, which was later changed to 30 years in prison. He said after his release in Horlivka that he would join the Ukrainian military again.

The exchange was supervised by observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a trans-Atlantic security and rights group that has deployed monitors to eastern Ukraine. The OSCE welcomed the swap and urged the two sides to build on the momentum from it.

"Allowing such a significant number of people, who have been held on both sides, to return home before the New Year and Orthodox Christmas is a very welcome development," said Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, the OSCE chairman. "Today's exchange is not only a humanitarian act but also a helpful step in confidence-building."

Ukraine was supposed to release 306 people, but dozens chose to stay in Ukraine or had been freed earlier, said Viktor Medvedchuk, who monitored the exchange on the Ukrainian side. Many of the captives were not combatants. Some were activists and bloggers who were charged with spying or treason.

Anatoly Slobodyanik, one of the prisoners traded by Ukraine, said he didn't want to go to the rebel side and would return to his home town of Odessa. "I'm not guilty of anything and I don't want to go to the other side," he said.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko praised the Ukrainian prisoners held by the rebels for their endurance. "I'm grateful to all those who remained loyal to Ukraine in those unbearable conditions," Poroshenko said while greeting the free captives. "They have shown their adherence to the principles of freedom and independence."

The Ukrainian leader also hailed German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron for helping organize the exchange. Merkel and Macron welcomed the swap, saying in a joint statement that they "encourage the parties to the conflict also to enable the exchange of the remaining prisoners, grant the International Committee of the Red Cross full access and support the ICRC's search for missing people."

The simmering conflict between the separatists and government troops in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014. The 2015 deal brokered by France and Germany and signed in Minsk, the Belarusian capital, envisioned a prisoner exchange, but the two sides argued continuously over lists of captives and only a few dozen had been traded prior to Wednesday. Separatist leaders and a Ukrainian government representative finally agreed to the exchange last week, with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church acting as mediator.

Merkel and Macron emphasized that the exchange and a recommitment to a comprehensive cease-fire "should also serve to build up confidence between the parties to the conflict, also with a view to the full implementation of the Minsk agreements."

Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin, Yuras Karmanau in Minsk, Belarus, and Nataliya Vasilyeva and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.

Ukraine grateful for US weapons, Russia voices outrage

December 23, 2017

MOSCOW (AP) — Ukraine's president on Saturday thanked the U.S. for its decision to provide his nation with lethal weapons, while Russian diplomats and lawmakers expressed dismay, warning that it will only fuel hostilities in eastern Ukraine.

The angry response from Moscow comes a day after President Donald Trump's administration approved a plan to provide weapons to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missiles. Ukraine has long sought the weapons for its fight against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,000 since April 2014 and strongly welcomed the U.S. move.

"I am grateful for the leadership of President Donald Trump, clear position of all our American friends, and for strong bipartisan support of Ukraine," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Facebook in English. "American weapons in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers are not for offensive (purposes), but for stronger rebuff of the aggressor, protection of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, as well as for effective self-defense. It is also a trans-Atlantic vaccination against the Russian virus of aggression."

In Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the U.S. administration's move has "crossed a line." "Washington has sought to cast itself as a 'mediator,'" he said in a statement. "It's not a mediator. It's an accomplice in fueling a war."

Without mentioning the U.S. decision, France and Germany on Saturday urged combatants to fully implement a much-violated cease-fire agreement. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron issued a joint statement urging combatants to observe a 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany. Its provisions include the withdrawal of heavy weapons such as tanks and rocket launchers from the front-line area and an exchange of prisoners.

The two leaders also urged the return of Russian military officers to a joint coordination center that plays a role in monitoring the cease-fire. Merkel and Macron said in their statement that "there is no alternative to an exclusively peaceful solution to the conflict."

The U.S. and its allies say Russia has sent troops and weapons to help the rebels in eastern Ukraine. Moscow has denied the accusations, but acknowledged that Russian citizens joined the separatist forces as volunteers.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov warned that the U.S. move could warrant a Russian response. "The American weapons can lead to more victims in the neighboring country, and we couldn't stay indifferent to that," he said.

Valentina Matviyenko, the speaker of the upper house of Russian parliament, said in remarks carried by Tass that the U.S. move was a "big mistake" that would "pull them into Ukraine's internal conflict."

"With lethal weapons supplies, the U.S. gives a clear signal to Kiev that it will support a military option," Alexei Pushkov, the head of the upper house's information committee, said on Twitter. Tensions in the east have increased in recent weeks, with observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe expressing concern about a recent spike in fighting.

Earlier this week, Russia withdrew its military observers from the joint group monitoring the truce, citing "restrictions and provocations" by Ukrainian authorities that made it hard for Russian officers to perform their duties.

Ukraine and the rebels declared an intention Wednesday to speed up efforts to exchange prisoners. They also agreed to maintain a cease-fire for the Christmas and New Year's season starting Saturday, but immediately blamed each other for violating the deal.

David McHugh reported from Frankfurt, Germany.

Poland approved for possible F-16 support package

Washington (UPI)
Dec 28, 2017

A purchase by Poland of follow-on support from the United States for F-16 fighter aircraft has won approval by the U.S. State Department.

The approval of the foreign military sale was conveyed to Congress earlier this week by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which manages the FMS program.

"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally," DSCA said in a press release. "This potential sale will continue the sustainment of Poland's F-16 capability."

Specifically, Poland has asked for support and sustainment services to include aircraft maintenance, system and overhauls and upgrades, engine support, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, and U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistical support.

The estimated value of the contract is $200 million.

"Contracts will be awarded when necessary to provide the defense articles ordered if items ordered are not available from U.S. stock or are to be purchased further in the future," DSCA said.

Potential prime contractors under the deal would be Harris Corporation, Boeing, UTC Aerospace Systems, ISR Systems, Lockheed Martin, Cubic Defense Applications, L-3 Communications, Exelis Electronic, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Honeywell, Booz Allen Hamilton and BAE Systems.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Poland_approved_for_possible_F-16_support_package_999.html.

Italian leader hopes 2018 campaign will avoid fear-mongering

December 28, 2017

MILAN (AP) — With Italy's parliament nearing the end of its term, Premier Paolo Gentiloni said Thursday that it would be in the country's best interests "to limit as much as possible the diffusion of fear" during the campaign to elect a new national legislature.

Gentiloni said during his year-end news conference that while the world is full of risks "the more we have an election campaign that veers from the easy sale of fear, the better it will be for the country."

Gentiloni was meeting later Thursday with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who sometime afterward will dissolve the current parliament in a formal step toward a 2018 general election. Italy's Democratic Party-led government has survived its full five-year term, but under the leadership of three premiers. Enrico Letta was ousted in a political maneuver by Matteo Renzi, who in turn resigned after a failed referendum, ceding the government last year to Gentiloni.

Gentiloni cited the achievements of his year as head of government, including passage of a law recognizing same-sex unions and another on living wills. He also acknowledged the defeat of legislation that would have accelerated the process of obtaining citizenship for immigrant children born and raised in Italy.

Even before it officially begins, the campaign shows signs of being a bruiser. The Democratic Party has splintered and been weakened following Renzi's fall from power, while former Premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia is locked in a struggle with Matteo Salvini's anti-migrant, anti-euro League for dominance of the center-right.

The vulnerability of the traditional political powers is giving further impetus to populists such as the Five-Star Movement. It remains Italy's most popular single party, but has refused to join a national coalition with any force.

Political analyst Wolfango Piccoli said the likely outcome of the next election is a hung parliament. Long negotiations resulting in "at best a patched-up deal involving several parties" would follow under that scenario, Piccoli said, making "the outlook for reform negative."

Pressed several times on whether he would consider continuing on as premier in the new government, Gentiloni deferred, saying he hoped his party would come out on top.

Merkel sees Germany split over pace of social change

December 31, 2017

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

Germany has been in political limbo since elections in September, which saw heavy losses for the centrist 'grand coalition' that's run the country since 2013. Merkel's attempt to forge a new government with two smaller parties failed, forcing her to reach out to her erstwhile partners, the Social Democrats, again.

Merkel acknowledged the concerns some in Germany have about the pace of social change, including the influx of asylum-seekers that saw many conservatives question her leadership. But she noted that others in Europe's biggest economy, which has seen rapid growth and a continued fall in unemployment, are optimistic about the future.

"Some are even talking about a split that goes through our society," she said of the differing views she's heard over the past year. Merkel said she took seriously the voters' mandate "especially when it comes to working on swiftly forming a stable government for Germany in the new year," citing among her priorities the need to safeguard prosperity, improve education and the use of digital technology, strengthen families and elderly care, even out regional imbalances and ensure security.

She also reiterated the need for European countries to work together more closely and defend the continent's external borders, pledging to work with France to "make Europe fit for the future." Addressing the increasingly tense debate in Germany that's seen some political opponents describe her as a "traitor," Merkel urged her countrymen to focus more on what they have in common, and to "respect each other more again."

France's Macron enjoys popularity rise, faces new challenges

December 29, 2017

PARIS (AP) — As French President Emmanuel Macron looks ahead to 2018, he finds himself back up in the polls and poised to face major challenges at home and in Europe. Macron is wrapping up a remarkable year. In the seven months since he won a long-shot presidential bid, he has emerged as a key world leader at the forefront of the battles against terrorism and climate change.

Now the hard part seems to lie ahead: transforming France, where critics have branded him arrogant and authoritarian, with some saying he evokes a long-lost monarch. After a rocky start on the domestic front, things are looking much better for the French president, the country's youngest leader since Napoleon, who turned 40 on Dec. 21.

A string of French polls show a clear surge in popularity in December, after last summer Macron's popularity fell to a near record low for a newly elected president. Surveys by Ifop, BVA and Odoxa institutes showed a clear jump, with 52 percent of the French saying they are "satisfied" or have a "good opinion," of Macron, up some ten points from November and around 40 in September.

Macron, who himself admits he "came out of nowhere" to win over far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, has since been on a parade of trips abroad while welcoming international visitors at home. From his tense, white-knuckle handshake with President Donald Trump, to a major climate summit in Paris earlier this month, Macron has seized on the U.S. administration's focus on domestic issues to earn a prominent place on the international scene.

After Trump declared he would withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, Macron launched his "Make the Planet Great Again" initiative and called on U.S. researchers to come to France. After the Brexit vote, he invited London-based international companies to move to Paris and toured many EU member states to promote his pro-European ideas.

He emerged as the most influential European leader this autumn, when German Chancellor Angela Merkel was bogged down with months with coalition talks following an election. He maintained France's military involvement in the battle against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria and over 4,000 troops fighting extremism in Africa's Sahel region. More recently, he offered to be a mediator in Lebanon and Gulf crisis.

An in an unprecedented move from a French president, Macron tweets and speaks in English when addressing an international audience. At home however, criticism is brewing. During summer, he passed labor measures that have prompted demonstrations because they are perceived by many as weakening France's hard-won worker protection rights, driving his initial sharp drop in popularity.

He also passed a counterterrorism law despite critics who said it infringes on individual freedoms. Now, Macron faces other challenges. In Europe, divisions between EU member states and Germany could reduce the scope of reforms he has supported, including proposals on migration.

At home, his labor measures, notably aiming at easing hiring and firing, are expected to start producing effects next year, when he will launch another sensitive reform of unemployment benefits. The unemployment rate remains high in the country, at 9.7 percent.

He will also push for an immigration bill that would allow the government to send more illegal migrants back to their home countries —measures already denounced by human right groups. Macron's main weakness might lie in his style, perceived by critics as arrogant and tyrannical. Some opposition members have labelled him 'president of the rich'.

A birthday celebration at the spectacular Chateau of Chambord in the Loire valley with his family in December has fuelled countless comments on social media about Macron's taste for royal symbols. He has repeatedly prompted a public outcry with comments perceived as out of touch with the public. He once suggested employees of a struggling company should look for a job instead of protesting. In a speech to entrepreneurs this summer, he mentioned "people who succeed and people who are nobody."

Macron also carefully controls his communication, keeping as much distance as possible from journalists and only making a few, carefully chosen interviews, choices perceived by some as a lack of transparency. A carefully choreographed interview on state-owned France 2 television prompted some criticism on social media for its deferential tone.

Yet the public mood seems to be improving under Macron's watch. Gael Sliman, president of Odoxa poll institute, sees a direct link between Macron's recent rise in popularity and a stronger confidence of the French in the improvement of the economic situation.

State statistics agency Insee has raised its growth forecast for 2017 to 1.9 percent, the highest level in ten years. Macron promised to cut taxes paid by businesses and employees by 10 billion euros ($11.9 billion) next year —while at the same time raising taxes on gasoline and cigarettes.

It's still early to judge the impact of Macron's changes — but with four years left as president, much remains to be seen.

Parking garage fire destroys roughly 1,400 of cars in UK

January 01, 2018

LONDON (AP) — An estimated 1,400 cars were destroyed in a huge fire that raged through a multi-story parking garage in the northern English city of Liverpool. The fire next to Liverpool's Echo Arena also threatened horses that were stabled in the garage for performances at the Liverpool International Horse Show.

The horses were moved to safety inside the arena. The popular horse show was canceled because of the fire, which was brought under control early Monday morning. The charred remains of ruined vehicles were visible in the seven stories of the parking garage.

There were no reported injuries in the blaze. Officials set up an emergency shelter to help the many people who could not get home because their cars had been burned. Fire officials said two dogs were rescued from vehicles parked in the structure. They are believed to have been the only animals inside cars at the time.

The Echo Arena said all people and horses were safe. Witnesses said cars seemed to explode every couple of seconds when the fire was at its peak. They said the fire appeared to start in the engine of an older Land Rover and quickly spread.

Police said initial reports indicate that an "accidental fire within a vehicle caused other cars to ignite." The blaze started Sunday afternoon. Witness Sue Wright, who helped move some of the horses, said flames were shooting out of the Land Rover engine.

"It looked like a ball of fire on the front of the car and it was producing a lot of smoke," she said. She said the fire was "ferocious and spreading." Nearby apartments were evacuated because of the heavy smoke.

Trump 'not welcomed' to UK: Mayor of London

December 28, 2017

Describing London as the city of “tolerance, acceptance and diversity”, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, however, on Wednesday said President Donald Trump is “not welcomed”, Anadolu reports.

Khan’s written statement came after the London Assembly asked him how the city’s government would prepare for an official state visit from Trump.

“As Mayor, I will always speak up to protect the interests and security of Londoners. I have previously called on Theresa May to cancel her ill-judged offer of a state visit to President Trump,” Khan said.

“After the latest incident, where President Trump used Twitter to promote a vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country, it is clear that any official visit here would not be welcomed,” he added.

Despite an online row with Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump is expected to pay an official visit to Britain and to hold talks with the British prime minister in February.

Trump’s retweeting last month of three anti-Muslim videos taken from the Twitter feed of a member of the far-right Britain First group caused outrage in the UK and led to senior politicians speaking out against any visit.

May described Trump’s re-tweets as “wrong”, which led to Trump telling her to “focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism” in Britain.

She refused to cancel the trip despite widespread condemnation, including Khan, who said Trump had promoted a “vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country.”

Khan stated that the British people including himself, love both America and Americans but Trump’s recent comments contradict with Britain’s stance on racism and hatred.

Trump is also expected to attend the opening of the new US embassy in Battersea, southwest London, but no date has been set.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171228-trump-not-welcomed-to-uk-mayor-of-london/.

Congo forces kill at least 7 in anti-government protests

December 31, 2017

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congolese security forces killed at least seven people and at least one policeman died amid violence as more than a thousand people demonstrated in the capital against President Kabila's refusal to step down from power, the United Nations mission in Congo and police said Sunday.

U.N. Congo mission spokeswoman Florence Marchal said at least 82 people have been arrested across the country in connection with Sunday's protests. She condemned the use of force against peaceful demonstrators and suppression of rights.

Human Rights Watch Central Africa director Ida Sawyer said Congolese security forces shot dead two men outside St. Alphonse church in the Matete district. Congo police spokesman Col. Pierrot Mwanamputu, however, said the two were killed after an altercation with police. He said a police officer also died.

Leonie Kandolo, spokeswoman for one of the groups that organized the demonstrations, said more than 10 people were killed and several injured. She also said that dozens, including some priests, have been detained.

Catholic churches and activists had called for peaceful demonstrations after Sunday mass, one year after the Catholic Church oversaw the signing of an accord that set a new election date to ease tensions in the mineral-rich country.

Kabila, whose mandate ended December 2016, had agreed to set an election by the end of 2017. Congo's election commission says the vote cannot be held until December 2018. Critics accuse Kabila of postponing elections to maintain his grip on power, causing tensions to increase and provoking violence and deadly street demonstrations across the country since the end of 2016.

The government refused permits for the demonstrations Sunday, and shut down internet and SMS services countrywide ahead of the planned anti-government protests for what it called security reasons. More than 160 churches participated in the call. Police responded with tear gas in some areas of Kinshasa.

Protests had calmed by midday, though barricades remained erected ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations. Congo's election commission has set new presidential and legislative elections for Dec. 23, 2018, though the opposition has said it would only agree to delay the vote until June 2018.

Kabila can remain in power until the next election is held, although he is barred by the Constitution from seeking another term in office.

Petesch reported from Dakar, Senegal.

Liberia president-elect calls for foreign investments

December 30, 2017

MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — George Weah gave his first public address as Liberia's president-elect Saturday, telling potential investors that the nation is "open and ready for business" and calling on Liberians who live abroad to come home.

The former international soccer star spoke at Coalition for Democratic Change party headquarters, where he vowed to tackle corruption and asked members of his party to applaud the Liberians who elected him.

Weah won Tuesday's runoff with 61.5 percent of the vote over Vice President Joseph Boakai, who got 38.5 percent, according to final results. Liberia, a nation founded by freed American slaves, is seeing its first democratic transfer of power in more than 70 years as Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf steps aside. Sirleaf, Africa's first female president, led the country's recovery after back-to-back civil wars and saw it through a deadly Ebola outbreak.

"Two days ago the world saw me cry, not because I won, but for the lives of partisans who lost their lives in the struggle for change," Weah said after being introduced by his running mate, vice-president-elect Jewel Howard-Taylor.

Weah honored Sirleaf, calling her "the Iron Lady of Africa," and promising to "build upon the institutional gains" her administration has made. Weah also paid tribute to Boakai, calling him "a statesman and neighbor."

He called on Liberians living abroad to "come home; this is a new dispensation." He also called for foreign investments as the flow of aid to Liberia is in decline. "To investors, we say Liberia is open and ready for business," he said.

He vowed to fight the types of scandals that have plagued the West African nation, saying "Those looking to cheat the Liberian people through corruption will have no place." Benyan Kota, who listened to Weah's speech on the radio, said he appreciated the statements about tackling corruption and about inclusion.

"Whenever the world inclusion is mentioned it brings to us the feeling that a government wants to bring about protection for the underprivileged and underdeveloped," said Kota, president of the Christian Association of the Blind.

Voter turnout for the runoff was low, but Weah drew overwhelming support from the younger generation, which makes up a majority of Liberia's population of 4.6 million. Weah's rags-to-riches story has been an inspiration to many supporters who call him "King George."

Though hundreds sang his praises and chanted his name at the end of his speech, Weah did not mention how he intends to tackle the country's economic woes, nor did he announce specific program to address unemployment.

Expectations will be high for Weah to lift the nation from poverty and create jobs. In addition to corruption, Liberia faces problems with electricity and a health care system decimated by the Ebola outbreak. Weah's critics have said his brief experience in politics will be a challenge for the nation.

Weah had run in the country's last two elections, winning the first round of the 2005 vote that eventually went to Sirleaf. He ran as the vice presidential candidate with diplomat Winston Tubman in 2011; they boycotted the runoff that granted Sirleaf her second term.

As Liberia grappled with the Ebola outbreak in 2014, Weah was elected as a senator, defeating Sirleaf's son Robert for the seat. Weah is expected to take office in January.

Israel's Likud party members call for annexing settlements

January 01, 2018

JERUSALEM (AP) — The ruling Likud Party's central committee has unanimously endorsed a resolution calling for the annexation of West Bank settlements, sending a tough message to the Palestinians in the wake of President Donald Trump's recognition of Israel's capital.

The decision Sunday night marked the latest step by Likud to distance itself from the internationally backed idea of establishing an independent Palestinian state as part of a future peace deal. The Palestinians condemned the decision and accused Trump of emboldening the Likud party.

The central committee is only an advisory body, and Sunday's vote did not reflect an official policy change. But its decisions reflect the prevailing opinions in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party.

Several leading politicians, including senior members of Netanyahu's cabinet, joined the vote to "impose Israeli law on all liberated areas of settlement in Judea and Samaria." Among them were Intelligence Minister Israel Katz, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, Environmental Protection Minister Zeev Elkin, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.

Netanyahu, however, skipped the vote, and his office declined to comment. Erdan said the Likud party was responsible for annexing Jerusalem and the Golan Heights in the 1980s, and it would do so with West Bank settlements as well. "Our right to the land of Israel begins with Judea and Samaria," he said.

"Two states for two peoples is a concept that has disappeared from the world," Science Minister Ofir Akunis was quoted as saying by the Haaretz daily. "And to my joy, U.S. President Trump is sitting in the White House and does not accept this mistaken concept."

Trump has said he hopes to broker what he calls the "ultimate deal" between Israel and the Palestinians, and he has appointed a high-level team, headed by his son in law and adviser Jared Kushner, to come up with a peace plan. But after nearly a year on the job, they still have not floated a proposal.

In a departure from his predecessors, Trump last month said he was upending decades of U.S. policy and recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. While Trump said his decision was not meant to prejudge negotiations on the city's final borders, it infuriated the Palestinians, who accused him of siding with Israel. The Palestinians seek Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, home to key holy sites, as their capital, and the international community has long said that the city's fate should be decided through negotiations.

Trump also has softened his predecessors' support for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, saying instead that he would support a two-state solution only if both sides agree to it. Netanyahu's coalition is dominated by opponents to Palestinian statehood, and since Trump's election, Netanyahu has stopped talking about a two-state solution.

Most of the international community considers Israel's West Bank settlements, built on land captured in the 1967 Mideast war and claimed by the Palestinians for their future state, illegal. The Palestinians called the Likud vote "an outrageous violation" of international resolutions and "could not be taken without the full support of the U.S. administration."

Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog called the Likud decision "irresponsible, impractical and unnecessary." Netanyahu's nationalist coalition allies hailed the move, with Education Minister Naftali Bennett praising the Likud party for "adopting" his Jewish Home party's plan to extend Israeli sovereignty over Jewish settlements.

Israel pushes NBA to delete 'Occupied Palestine' from website

December 30, 2017

America’s National Basketball Association has removed reference to the “Occupied Palestinian Territories” from its new website following complaints from Israeli ministers, it was reported on Friday. The name appeared on a list of countries which enables fans to vote for their favorite players for the 2018 All-Star Game.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said that politics should not be mixed with sport. She claimed that referring to land “connected with the Jewish nation for thousands of years” as “occupied” is a mistake.

Her cabinet colleague, Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev, sent a letter to the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver calling on him to remove “Occupied Palestinian Territories” from the list. “I was surprised to discover that on the official website of the NBA… the state of ‘Palestine — Occupied Territory’ was listed as one of the many countries to which basketball fans belong,” she wrote. “Palestine is a country everyone knows doesn’t exist. I view the inclusion of ‘Occupied Palestine’ … as legitimizing the division of the State of Israel and as gross and blatant interference, in contrast to the official position of the American administration.”

Silver explained that the NBA does not produce the country listings for the NBA.com website. “As soon as we became aware of it, the site was updated. We apologize for this oversight, and have corrected it.”

Commentators have pointed out that the site was not incorrect in the first place. The State of Palestine is recognized by the UN, and its territories are designated as occupied in international law, including East Jerusalem. “This is yet another example of Israeli officials twisting reality to justify their brutal military occupation,” said MEMO’s senior editor Ibrahim Hewitt. “Their arrogance is breathtaking.”

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171230-israel-pushes-nba-to-delete-occupied-palestine-from-website/.

63 teenagers refuse to join Israel army over human rights violations

December 28, 2017

Some 63 Israeli teenagers from across the country are refusing to be enlisted into the army due to the perpetual human rights violations committed by Israeli forces, Yedioth Ahronoth reported yesterday.

In a letter addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Israeli army Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, the twelfth grade students wrote that their decision was motivated by “a commitment to the values of peace”.

The students also criticized the Separation Wall, the blockade on the Gaza Strip and illegal settlements in occupied territories, which they claimed “sever the Palestinians from each other in enclaves and strive to prevent territorial continuity”.

“Therefore we have decided not to take part in the occupation and oppression of the Palestinian nation, which has divided human beings into two antagonistic camps. This ‘temporary’ situation has gone on for 50 long years now, and we won’t contribute to it.”

The high schoolers also highlighted the way in which the Israeli army prevented the truth about arrests from being heard: “The freedom to report and disseminate the information about what goes on is also denied, by journalist detentions and censorship.”

The teenagers also call on other high school students to join them in their boycott and refusal to join the army until the occupation of the West Bank is ended. They plan to take to the streets to further their call and gain more support.

Twenty-year-old Matan Helman, who is among the signatories, is currently serving jail time after his refusal to be drafted into the army.

Earlier this month, the Israeli army and the education ministry announced that they were working on a plan to boost enrollment, after enlistment rates fell and the number of dropouts increased.

The subject of conscription is a controversial one in Israel, with no allowance being made for conscientious objectors. In October, Israel jailed Noa Gur Golan for the fourth time, at the end of which she will have served 104 days, for refusing to take part in the occupation.

This year also witnessed ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews protesting a new law that would see them serve in the army despite their religious beliefs previously excusing them from service.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171228-63-teenagers-refuse-to-join-israel-army-over-human-rights-violations/.

1 body recovered, 36 feared dead in Philippine mall fire

December 24, 2017

DAVAO, Philippines (AP) — Philippine firefighters recovered one body from a burning shopping mall Sunday and there was "zero" chances of survival for 36 other trapped people inside the four-story building in southern Davao city, an official said.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said firefighters told distraught relatives of the 36 trapped employees of a business outsourcing company at the top floor of the NCCC Mall that nobody could survive the extreme heat and thick black smoke.

"They were told that the chances of survival are zero," she said, adding that one of those trapped may be a Chinese or a South Korean, based on the name. It is unclear when firefighters can break into most areas of the mall, where the blaze was put under control Sunday morning although smoke continued to billow from the building. The firefighters won't stop until all those reported missing are found, Duterte-Carpio said.

Investigators will determine the cause of the fire and the prospects of criminal lawsuits against the mall owners and officials would depend on the outcome of the investigation, said the mayor, who is the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte, the mayor and Roman Catholic Church officials went to the site and met with relatives of the trapped office employees late Saturday and asked them to pray. The president was photographed wiping his eyes with a handkerchief, his head bowed, at an emotional moment with the relatives.

The mall's marketing manager, Janna Abdullah Mutalib, said the fire started Saturday morning at the third floor where clothes, appliances and furniture are sold, after a storm hit Davao and flooded parts of the city. Except for a grocery at the ground floor and the business outsourcing company at the top floor, the shopping areas were still closed to the public when the fire started mid-morning, preventing a bigger tragedy amid the peak Christmas shopping season.

Duterte served as Davao mayor for many years before being elected to the presidency last year. It's been a difficult year for the tough-talking, 72-year-old leader, who faced his most serious crisis when hundreds of pro-Islamic State group extremists laid siege on Marawi city, also in the southern third of the Philippines. He declared martial law in the south to deal with the insurrection, which troops crushed in October.

The storm that blew out of the southern Philippines Sunday reportedly left more than 120 people dead with 160 others still missing.

Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines contributed to this report.

Russian experts looking into nation's recent space failures

December 28, 2017

MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin says authorities are looking into recent failures in Russia's space industry. In the most embarrassing incident in recent months, a satellite launched from Russia's new Launchpad was lost due to a programming error.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Wednesday that the Meteor-M weather satellite, which was launched Nov. 28 from the new Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia's Far East, was lost because it was programmed with the bearings for takeoff from Baikonur, Russia's main launch pad that it leases in Kazakhstan.

The loss of the satellite and the corruption scandals around the construction of Vostochny have put pressure on Rogozin, who oversees the space industry. Asked about a possible overhaul of Russia's space industry, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that officials are looking into the situation.

Iran protests have violent night; at least 13 dead overall

January 02, 2018

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Protests across Iran saw their most violent night as "armed protesters" tried to overrun military bases and police stations before security forces repelled them, killing 10 people, Iranian state television said Monday.

The demonstrations, the largest to strike Iran since its disputed 2009 presidential election, have seen five days of unrest across the country and a death toll of at least 13 with the slaying of a police officer announced late Monday.

The protests began Thursday in Mashhad over Iran's weak economy and a jump in food prices and have expanded to several cities, with some protesters chanting against the government and the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hundreds of people have been arrested.

Iranian state television aired footage of a ransacked private bank, broken windows, overturned cars and a firetruck that appeared to have been set ablaze. It said 10 people were killed by security forces during clashes Sunday night.

"Some armed protesters tried to take over some police stations and military bases but faced serious resistance from security forces," state TV said. In a later report, state TV said killed six people were killed in the western town of Tuyserkan, 295 kilometers (185 miles) southwest of Tehran, and three in the town of Shahinshahr, 315 kilometers (195 miles) south of Tehran. It did not say where the 10th person was killed.

Earlier Monday, the semi-official ILNA news agency quoted Hedayatollah Khademi, a representative for the town of Izeh, as saying two people died there Sunday night. He said the cause of death wasn't immediately known, though authorities later described one of the deaths as the result of a personal dispute.

Late Monday, Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency said an assailant using a hunting rifle killed a policeman and wounded three other officers during a demonstration in the central city of Najafabad, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) south of Tehran. The slaying marked the first security force member to be killed in the unrest.

Two protesters also were killed during clashes late Saturday in Doroud, some 325 kilometers (200 miles) southwest of Tehran in Lorestan province, authorities have said. On Sunday, Iran blocked access to Instagram and the popular messaging app Telegram used by activists to organize.

President Hassan Rouhani acknowledged the public's anger over the Islamic Republic's flagging economy, though he and others warned that the government wouldn't hesitate to crack down on those it considers lawbreakers.

That was echoed Monday by judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, who urged authorities to confront rioters, state TV reported. "I demand all prosecutors across the country to get involved and the approach should be strong," he said.

Rouhani also stressed Monday that Iran "has seen many similar events and passed them easily." U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been tweeting in support of the protesters, continued into the New Year, describing Iran as "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," he wrote. "They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!" While some have shared Trump's tweets, many in Iran distrust him because he has refused to re-certify the nuclear deal and his travel bans have blocked Iranians from getting U.S. visas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling the protesters "brave" and "heroic," said in a video posted to YouTube on Monday that the protesters sought freedom, justice and "the basic liberties that have been denied to them for decades."

He criticized the Iranian regime's response to the protests and also chided European governments for watching "in silence" as the protests turn violent. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson issued a statement late Monday saying "there should be meaningful debate about the legitimate and important issues the protesters are raising and we look to the Iranian authorities to permit this."

"We regret the loss of life that has occurred in the protests in Iran, and call on all concerned to refrain from violence and for international obligations on human rights to be observed," he said. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel also said in a statement that "after the confrontation of the past days it is all the more important for all sides to refrain from violent action." Both countries were part of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran's economy has improved since the nuclear deal, which saw Iran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the end of some international sanctions. Tehran now sells its oil on the global market and has signed deals to purchase tens of billions of dollars' worth of Western aircraft.

That improvement has not reached the average Iranian, however. Unemployment remains high, and official inflation has crept up to 10 percent again. A recent increase in egg and poultry prices by as much as 40 percent, which the government has blamed on a cull over avian flu fears, appears to have been the spark for the economic protests.

While the protests have sparked clashes, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and its affiliates have not intervened as they have in other unauthorized demonstrations since the 2009 election. It wasn't immediately clear if the Guard would change its posture given the reported attacks on police stations and military bases. In Tehran on Monday, streets were calm, though a heavy police presence was noticeable.

Brig. Gen. Massoud Jazayeri , the Guard commander and deputy chief of staff for Iran's military, said Monday that Trump's support of the protesters "indicates planning by the U.S. for launching a new sedition in Iran."

Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi reported this story in Tehran and AP writer Jon Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Iran arrests anti-inflation demonstrators

December 30, 2017

The Iranian authorities arrested 52 demonstrators on Thursday in the city of Mashhad and other areas, an official revealed yesterday. Those arrested were taking part in protests against inflationary price rises in the country.

Hundreds of people took to the streets in Mashhad, an important religious center, chanting slogans against the government of President Hassan Rouhani. They accused Rouhani of failing to deal with the economic crisis.

According to AFP, the head of the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad, Hussein Haidari, said that the authorities arrested the demonstrators for chanting “abusive slogans”. Demonstrations are the people’s right, he explained, but the authorities have to consider other people’s feelings.

Apart from chanting “Death to Rouhani”, the protesters also called for Iran’s issues to be prioritized over Gaza and Lebanon. Analysts say that this is an indication of the Iranians’ anger with their country’s concerns about regional issues instead of concentrating on improving the situation inside the country.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171230-iran-arrests-anti-inflation-demonstrators/.

Iran: Protests over soaring cost of living

December 29, 2017

Hundreds of Iranians protested in the north of the country against rising living costs, unemployment and poverty, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported.

The “no to high prices” demonstration raised “death to the dictator” slogans, referring to the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Protesters also waved banners denouncing Iran’s interference in the Arab region, chanting “forget about Syria, think about us”.

Violent clashes between the protesters and security forces took place during the rally with police attacking demonstrators and firing tear gas at them.

IRNA quoted the governor of the northeastern city of Mashhad, Mohammad Rahim Norouzian, as saying the gathering was illegal. “Police gave them the necessary notifications and confronted them with great tolerance,” he said.

A number of protesters had been arrested for “trying to damage public property”, he added.

IRNA pointed out that other protests also took place in the cities of Neyshabur, Shahroud and Yazd.

The promise of rebuilding the economy — shattered by years of sanctions and maladministration — has been the central plank of Rouhani’s government since he first won power in 2013.

He has succeeded in bringing inflation down to ten per cent, however, the economy is still struggling from lack of investment, with unemployment officially at 12 per cent, likely much higher in real terms, according to analysts.

Out of a total Iranian population of 80 million, some 3.2 million are jobless, according to official data.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171229-iran-protest-over-soaring-cost-of-living/.

Iran says no more arrests for breaking dress code

December 29, 2017

Police in Iran’s capital said Thursday they will no longer detain women who violate the Islamic dress code, local media reported.

Tehran police chief Gen. Hossein Rahimi said “those who do not observe the Islamic dress code will no longer be arrested, nor will judicial cases be filed against them”, according to a report by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

It said violators will be ordered to take police-instructed classes on Islamic values instead, although repeat offenders could still be subject to legal action.

The current Islamic dress code has been imposed in Iran since the 1979 revolution.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171229-iran-says-no-more-arrests-for-breaking-dress-code/.

Fireworks, crystal ball help usher in 2018 around the world

January 01, 2018

From spectacular fireworks in Hong Kong and Australia to a huge LED lightshow at the world's tallest building in Dubai, a look at how revelers around the world are ringing in 2018: LAS VEGAS Las Vegas police officers surrounded hundreds of thousands of tourists gathered to welcome the new year on the Strip, where just three months earlier 58 people died in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Police cruisers, dump trucks and other large vehicles blocked key intersections to try to prevent anyone from plowing into crowds filled with people wearing glittery hats, tiaras and other 2018-themed paraphernalia.

The Nevada National Guard activated about 350 soldiers and airmen, while federal authorities also deployed additional personnel. A roughly eight-minute fireworks display at the top of seven of the city's world-famous casino-hotels started ten seconds before midnight Monday. Sprays of gold, red and green lightened the sky on time for 2018.

Tourism officials expected 330,000 people to come to Sin City for the festivities on the Las Vegas Strip and downtown's Fremont Street. Rosy-cheeked visitors took selfies and livestreamed the celebration amid temperatures in the mid-40s (4 Celsius), much warmer than most of the U.S.

NEW YORK

With a burst of confetti and fireworks, throngs of revelers ushered in 2018 in a frigid Times Square as the glittering crystal ball dropped.

It was the second-coldest on record, with the temperature only 10 degrees (minus 12 degrees Celsius) in New York at midnight.

Partygoers bundled up in extra layers, wearing warm hats and face masks, dancing and jogging in place to ward off the cold.

There was also tighter security than ever after two terrorist attacks and a rampaging SUV driver who plowed into a crowd on the very spot where the party takes place. The party went off with no major problems.

"Auld Lang Syne" and "New York, New York" played as the crowds cheered.

The coldest ball drop celebration was in 1917, when it was only 1 degree (minus 17 Celsius).

BRAZIL

Rio de Janeiro's main party was celebrated with fireworks erupting on Copacabana beach after the clock struck midnight to usher in the new year.

After 17 minutes of a multicolored show in the skies, singer Anitta led the party on stage with her single "Vai Malandra," a song that scored 84 million views on YouTube in two weeks. Some of the city's most traditional Carnival samba schools performed later.

New Mayor Marcelo Crivella said he believed the celebrations would bring 3 million people to the iconic beach, which would mean nearly half of Rio's population. But locals said Brazil's economic crisis is still impacting one of the city's biggest parties. In 2017, 2 million people showed up at Copacabana beach, a number that hasn't changed much over the years.

Almost 2,000 policemen patrolled the Copacabana region after yet another violent year on the streets. Rio's hotel association said occupation is nearly total, but mostly by Brazilian tourists.

GERMANY

Germans rang in 2018 under tight security from police mindful of widespread sexual abuse of women in Cologne two years ago and of a terrorist attack on a Christmas market about a year ago.

Police in Berlin added 1,600 officers on duty and said that large bags and knapsacks would not be allowed on the Party Mile leading from Brandenburg Gate, where thousands of people celebrated at midnight. Police in Frankfurt imposed similar restrictions in the celebration area along the Main River in the country's financial capital.

Two years ago, New Year's in Cologne was marred by groping and theft committed against hundreds of women, in most cases by migrants. On Dec. 19, 2016, Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri drove a stolen truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, has again served as the focal point of New Year's Eve celebrations — though this year authorities decided against fireworks and chose a massive LED lightshow on it.

That was in part due to safety in the city-state in the United Arab Emirates, which saw a massive skyscraper fire on New Year's Eve in 2015.

The display, running down the east side of the 828-meter-tall (2,716-foot-tall) tower, showed Arabic calligraphy, geometric designs and a portrait of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE's first president.

But a display of neighboring nations' flags didn't show Qatar's flag. The UAE joined Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in boycotting the tiny energy-rich nation in June over allegations Doha supports extremists and has too close ties to Iran. Qatar, which will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, denies supporting extremists and shares a massive offshore natural gas field with Tehran.

VATICAN

Bidding 2017 farewell, Pope Francis has decried wars, injustices and environmental decay which he says have "ruined" the year.

Francis on Sunday presided at a New Year's Eve prayer service in St. Peter's Basilica, a traditional occasion to say thanks in each year's last hours.

He says God gave to us a 2017 "whole and sound," but that "we humans in many ways ruined and hurt it with works of death, lies and injustices."

But, he added, "gratitude prevails" thanks to those "cooperating silently for the common good."

In keeping with past practice, the pope on New Year's Day will celebrate Mass dedicated to the theme of world peace.

AUSTRALIA

Fireworks lit up the sky above Sydney Harbor, highlighting the city's New Year's celebrations.

The massive fireworks display included a rainbow waterfall cascade of lights and color flowing off the harbor's bridge to celebrate recently passed legislation legalizing gay marriage in Australia.

More than 1 million people were expected to gather to watch the festivities. Security was tight, but officials said there was no particular alert.

Sydney officials said the event would generate about $170 million for the city and "priceless publicity." Nearly half the revelers were tourists.

NEW ZEALAND

Tens of thousands of New Zealanders took to streets and beaches, becoming among the first in the world to usher in 2018.

As the new year dawned in this southern hemisphere nation, fireworks boomed and crackled above city centers and harbors, and party-goers sang, hugged, danced and kissed.

In Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, tens of thousands gathered around Sky Tower as five minutes of nonstop pyrotechnics exploded from the top of the structure.

But on nearby Waiheke Island, 30 kilometers (20 miles) away, authorities canceled the planned fireworks display because of drought conditions and low water supplies for firefighters.

UGANDA

Thousands of Ugandans gathered at churches across the country to mark the end of 2017.

The raucous events, during which some preachers are known to make dubious predictions, have become such a staple of New Year's Eve festivities that the country's longtime president, Yoweri Museveni, sometimes makes time to make an appearance at a church.

Still, many in this East African country prefer to celebrate at crowded beaches on the shores of Lake Victoria or in darkened halls listening to the music of pop stars who take turns offering crowd pleasers until midnight.

Police warned revelers not to burn car tires in celebration, citing safety reasons, to discourage a favorite activity of those, especially in the countryside, who cannot afford fireworks.

RUSSIA

As Russians counted down the last moments before 2018 ticked over into each of the country's 11 time zones, President Vladimir Putin called on them to be considerate and conciliatory with each other in the new year.

"Say the most cherished words to each other, forgive mistakes and resentment, admit love, warm up with care and attention," Putin said in a televised message broadcast on Sunday just before midnight.

Moscow had fireworks and outdoor gatherings despite weather that was less than festive. Usually festooned with snow at New Year's Eve, the Russian capital slogged through a long spell of intermittent rain and constant gray skies.

JAPAN

Many Japanese celebrated the arrival of the Year of the Dog in the traditional way of praying for peace and good fortune at neighborhood Shinto shrines and eating New Year's food such as noodles, shrimp and sweet black beans.

Barbecued beef and octopus dumpling stalls were out at Tokyo's Zojoji Temple, where people took turns striking the giant bell 108 times at midnight, an annual practice repeated at other Buddhist temples throughout Japan.

North Korea's nuclear and missile programs cast a shadow over Japan's hopes for peace, said cab driver Masaru Eguchi, who was ready to be busy all night shuttling shrine visitors.

"The world situation has grown so complex," Eguchi said, adding that he also worried about possible terrorism targeting Japan. "I feel this very abstracted sense of uncertainty, although I really have no idea what might happen."

INDIA

Security was tight in the southern Indian city of Bangalore to prevent a repeat of incidents of groping and molestation of several women during New Year's Eve celebrations a year ago.

Police Commissioner Sunil Kumar said at least 15,000 police officers were on duty and were being aided by drones and closed-circuit television cameras.

A year ago, police first denied that any sexual harassment had taken place during the celebrations in Bangalore, India's information technology hub. But later, police detained at least six men after several video clips of women being attacked by groups of men spread on social media.

PHILIPPINES

Scores of people were injured by celebratory firecrackers in the Philippines, which has some of the most raucous New Year's celebrations in Asia.

Although the number of injuries has tapered off in recent years, largely due to hard economic times and government scare campaigns, the figures remain alarming. President Rodrigo Duterte signed an order confining the use of firecrackers to community-designated areas, such as near shopping malls and parks.

Many Filipinos, largely influenced by Chinese tradition, believe that noisy New Year's celebrations drive away evil and misfortune. But they have carried that superstition to extremes, exploding dangerously large firecrackers and firing guns to welcome the new year despite threats of arrest.

TURKEY

Security measures were ramped up across Turkey, which a year ago was hit by a New Year's attack that killed dozens of people.

In Istanbul, 37,000 officers were on duty, with multiple streets closed to traffic and large vehicles barred from entering certain districts. Several New Year's Eve street parties were canceled for security reasons.

Early on Jan. 1, 2017, an assailant shot his way into Istanbul's Reina nightclub, where hundreds of people were celebrating New Year's. Thirty-nine people, mostly foreigners, were killed, and 79 were wounded. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility.

On Sunday, about 100 people gathered outside the nightclub to remember the victims of the attack.

CALIFORNIA

The Golden State will go green when the calendar turns to 2018.

Starting at midnight, California will join the growing list of states to legalize recreational marijuana. The moment is a significant but small step that will not be met with a non-stop pot party.

California has allowed medical marijuana for more than a decade, and the state is generally tolerant of the drug, so major changes are not expected as the laws are further eased. At least not on New Year's Day.

More than 70 outlets received licenses to sell in time for Jan. 1. None of those outlets is holding a midnight opening, but some in San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area will be open for business starting at 6 a.m. Monday.

Some cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, will have to wait at least until later in the week before licensed outlets start selling there.

LAS VEGAS

Tens of thousands of revelers will ring in the new year in Las Vegas under the close eye of law enforcement just three months after the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Tourism officials expect about 330,000 people to visit Las Vegas for the festivities, which are anchored by a roughly eight-minute fireworks display at the top of seven casino-hotels.

Acts including Bruno Mars, Britney Spears, Celine Dion and the Foo Fighters will keep partiers entertained before and after midnight at properties across Sin City.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department had every officer working Sunday, while the Nevada National Guard activated about 350 soldiers and airmen.

The federal government sent dozens of personnel to assist with intelligence and other efforts.