Armed attack at Istanbul nightclub kills at least 35, governor says Armed attack at Istanbul nightclub kills at least 35, governor says

People run away from a nightclub where a gun attack took place during a New Year party in Istanbul, Turkey, January 1, 2017. Ihlas News Agency/Ismail Coskun via Reuters

ISTANBUL (AP) — An assailant believed to have been dressed in a Santa Claus costume opened fire at a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations Saturday, killing at least 35 people and wounding 40 others in what the city's governor described as a terror attack.

Gov. Vasip Sahin said the attacker, armed with a long-barreled weapon, killed a policeman and a civilian outside the club before entering and firing on people partying inside. He did not say who may have carried out what he called a "terror attack."

"Unfortunately (he) rained bullets in a very cruel and merciless way on innocent people who were there to celebrate New Year's and have fun," Sahin told reporters.

Media reports said the assailant entered the popular Reina nightclub, in Istanbul's Ortakoy district, at 1:45 am, dressed in a Santa Claus costume. There were more than 500 people inside the club at the time, private NTV television reported.

Some customers jumped into the waters of the Bosporus to escape the attack, the report said.

 

Ambulances line up on a road leading to a nightclub where a gun attack took place during a New Year party in Istanbul, Turkey, January 1, 2017. Ihlas News Agency/Ismail Coskun via Reuters

NTV television said the assailant may still be inside the nightclub.

Footage from the scene showed at least six ambulances with flashing lights and civilians being escorted out. NTV said police had cordoned off the area and an operation to capture the assailant was ongoing.

An AP photographer said police cordoned off the area about 2 miles (3 kilometers) away from the nightclub and reported multiple ambulances passing by. 

Security measures had been heightened in major Turkish cities, with police barring traffic leading up to key squares in Istanbul and the capital Ankara. In Istanbul, 17,000 police officers were put on duty, some camouflaged as Santa Claus and others as street vendors, state news agency Anadolu reported. 

Ankara and Istanbul have been targeted by several attacks in 2016 carried out by the Islamic State group or Kurdish rebels, killing more than 180 people.

__

Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey contributed.

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Vermont utility targeted by Russian hackers Vermont utility targeted by Russian hackers

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a joint news conference. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Reuters

Russian hackers breached a Vermont electrical utility, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

Investigators found malicious code associated with the hackers during an analysis of Russia's cyberattacks against Democratic Party organizations.

That code was apparently discovered on a laptop at the Burlington Electric Department in Vermont, the Burlington Free Press wrote on Friday.

The code was apparently not used to disrupt operations at the Vermont utility, and officials there said the laptop in question is not associated with the operation of the electrical grid.

"The grid is not in danger," Vermont Public Service Commissioner Christopher Recchia told the Burlington Free Press. "The utility flagged it, saw it, notified appropriate parties and isolated that one laptop with that malware on it."

Officials interviewed by The Post said it is not clear how hackers may have intended to execute the malware, if at all.

One of the biggest threats with breaches of utility sites is the potential to disrupt the US electrical grid en masse. Such an attack could have a devastating effect on emergency services nationwide.

A senior Obama administration official told The Post the malicious code was shared with utilities throughout the country. People at the Vermont utility identified the code within their system, the newspaper said.

Russia is at the center of a US federal investigation into widespread hacking that targeted organizations associated with the Democratic Party during the presidential election.

Russia has denied any involvement. President Barack Obama on Thursday announced new sanctions against the Kremlin as a result — which included the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats from the US.

Ants craft tiny sponges to dip into honey and carry it home

Soaking up a liquid lunch

J. Coelho/CC-BY

By Kata Karáth

Ants may be smarter than we give them credit for. Tool use is seen as something brainy primates and birds do, but even the humble ant can choose the right tool for the job.

István Maák at the University of Szeged in Hungary and his team offered two species of funnel ants liquids containing water and honey along with a range of tools that might help them carry this food to their nests.

The ants experimented with the tools and chose those that were easiest to handle and could soak up plenty of liquid, such as bits of sponge or paper, despite them not being found in the insects’ natural environment.

This suggests that ants can take into account the properties of both the tool and the liquid they are transporting. It also indicates they can learn to use new tools – even without big brains.

Some ant species are known to use tools, such as mud or sand grains, to collect and transport liquid to their nests. But this is the first time they are shown to select the most suitable ones, says team member Patrizia d’Ettorre from the University of Paris-North, France.

Tool up

To investigate this behaviour, the team offered Aphaenogaster subterranea and A. senilis ants various possible tools, both natural, such as twigs, pine needles and soil grains, and artificial.

The ants experimented with the tools and eventually showed preference for certain tools – even unfamiliar ones. The ants would drop the tool into the liquid, pick it up and then carry it to the workers back in the nest to drink from.

Subterranea workers preferred small soil grains to transfer diluted honey, and sponge for pure honey. Most of them even tore the sponge into smaller bits, presumably for better handling.

Senilis started off using all the tools equally, but then focused on pieces of paper and sponge, which could soak up most of the diluted honey they were offered. This indicates that they can learn as they go along.

Factors such as the weight of the tools could also have influenced the ants’ choice, but the researchers believe the tools’ absorbency and ease of handling mattered the most.

Stuck for space

Aphaenogaster ants possibly developed such tool use because, unlike many other ants, they can’t expand their stomach, says d’Ettorre. “They had to find a way to exploit the valuable resource of liquid food.”

This way, when ants come across a fallen fruit or a dead insect in the wild, their fluids can be transferred to the nest for the rest of the colony.

As ants live in a highly competitive environment, natural selection may favour using such tools to help feed the colony, says Valerie S. Banschbach at Roanoke College, Virginia.

And these ants may have been happy to try novel materials because which particular tools are available in their natural habitat varies according to the season.

“Many other accomplishments of these small-brained creatures rival those of humans or even surpass them, such as farming fungi species or using ‘dead reckoning’, a sophisticated navigation to find their way back to the nest,” says Banschbach. “The size of brain needed for specific cognitive tasks is not clear.”

“Tool use in insects is largely genetically controlled and evolved from selection of advantageous genetic mutations,” says Gavin R. Hunt at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. This is unlike most tool use in birds or primates, which begins as novel behaviour and can sometimes be enhanced through genetic changes, he says.

Journal reference: Animal Behaviour, DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.11.005

Read more: Squirrel monkeys teach themselves to eat and drink from a cup

Trump praises Putin for 'great move' not responding to Russia sanctions: 'I always knew he was very smart!' Trump praises Putin for 'great move' not responding to Russia sanctions: 'I always knew he was very smart!'

Donald Trump. Ralph Freso/Getty Images

President-elect Donald Trump praised Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday for his decision not to respond to sanctions levied by US President Barack Obama's administration this week in retaliation for suspected election-related hacking.

"Great move on delay (by V. Putin) — I always knew he was very smart!" Trump tweeted.

The president-elect pinned the tweet to the top of his Twitter page. The message was also retweeted by the Russian Embassy in the US.

Putin had said earlier that the Kremlin would "not resort to irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy" in response to the sanctions and the ejection of 35 Russian diplomats from the US.

"Although we have the right to retaliate," Putin said, Russia would instead "plan our further steps to restore Russian-US relations based on the policies of the Trump administration."

Putin's move to stay silent was characterized by Michael Kofman, a global fellow at the Wilson Center who specializes in Russian and Eurasian affairs, as "the most damaging and embarrassing answer [the US] could receive."

Trump has been reluctant to blame election-related hacking on Russia, despite US intelligence agencies saying the country was behind the cyberattacks.

Instead, the president-elect has repeatedly suggested he would like the US to have a warmer relationship with Russia and work together on issues like combatting terrorism.

Trump on Russia sanctions: Time to move on, but I’ll meet with intelligence agencies anyway Trump on Russia sanctions: Time to move on, but I’ll meet with intelligence agencies anyway

President-elect Donald Trump talks to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016, in Palm Beach, Fla. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

President-elect Donald Trump responded Thursday to President Barack Obama's fresh sanctions against Russia, saying that it's "time to move on," but that he'll meet with intelligence officials to discuss Russian involvement in election hacks anyway.

"It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things," Trump said in a brief evening statement.

The president-elect continued: "Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation."

The statement came hours after Obama announced new sanctions against Russian officials, which included the removal of 35 Russian intelligence officials currently in the US, in addition to sanctions from the Treasury Department against two other Russian individuals.

Obama said in a statement that those actions were "not the sum total of our response" and that his administration would provide a report to Congress in the coming days related to Russia's "efforts to interfere in our election, as well as malicious cyber activity related to our election cycle in previous terms."

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security then released a joint analysis report on Russian hacking shortly after

Russia swiftly responded, assuring that Washington would "receive an answer" if "new hostile steps" were taken.

"This applies to any actions against Russian diplomatic missions in the United States, which will immediately backfire at US diplomats in Russia," Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in a statement. "The Obama administration probably does not care at all about the future of bilateral relations, but history will hardly forgive it for this après-nous-le-deluge attitude."

Recent public revelations showed that US intelligence tied the election-related hacking of Democratic political organizations and operatives such as Clinton campaign chair John Podesta to senior Russian officials. The CIA has concluded that Russia intervened in the US election to try to tip the scales toward Trump, though other agencies haven't gone as far in their assessments.

Both Republicans and Democrats have called for action to be taken against Russia for its role in the hacking. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona have been two of the loudest voices on that front. Graham, McCain, Sens. Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate Majority Leader, and House Speaker Paul Ryan all released statements shortly following Obama's announcement that criticized Russia while calling out Obama for not going harder on the nation's government in previous years.

Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly denied its involvement, and Trump has refused to acknowledge that Russia had involvement in election-related hacks. He said on Wednesday that "we ought to get on with our lives."

"I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly," he told reporters outside his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. "The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on."

Obama issues new sanctions against Russia, ejects 35 Russian diplomats over election-related hacking Obama issues new sanctions against Russia, ejects 35 Russian diplomats over election-related hacking

Barack Obama. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

President Obama issued new sanctions against Russia on Thursday, calling Russia's "malicious cyber-related activities" a "national emergency" aimed at undermining "democratic processes."

He also ordered that 35 Russian diplomats be ejected from the United States and closed Russian compounds in New York and Maryland in response to "Russian harrassment of American diplomats" in Moscow.

The diplomats will be given 72 hours to leave the US, according to Reuters.

"All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions," Obama said in a statement, noting that Russia's "data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government."

Moreover, Obama said, "our diplomats have an unacceptable level of harrassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year. Such activities have consequences."

Obama altered an executive order he issued in April 2015 that would allow the US to retaliate against cyberattacks to include attacks designed to "interfere with or undermine election processes or institutions."

The updated executive order authorized Obama to sanction nine entities and individuals linked to Russia’s largest foreign intelligence agency, GRU, and Russia’s primary security agency, FSB. Four individual, high-ranking officers of the GRU were also sanctioned, as were three companies provided material support to the GRU's cyber operations.

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike linked the hacks on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) back to the GRU earlier this month.

The Treasury sanctioned two more Russian individuals "for using cyber-enabled means to cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information."

Obama also ordered that the Russian compounds, used "for intelligence-related purposes," be closed, and that technical information on Russian civilian and military intelligence cyber activity be declassified to help the US "identify, detect, and disrupt Russia's global campaign of malicious cyber activities."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, speaks with U.S. President Barack Obama in Hangzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang province, Monday, Sept. 5, 2016. Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security released a joint report on the Russian cyber campaign, codenamed "Grizzly Steppe," on Thursday that coincided with Obama's executive order.

The report concluded that Russian civilian and military intelligence Services (RIS) "participated in the intrusion into a US political party" as part of an "ongoing campaign of cyber-enabled operations directed at the US government and its citizens" — including one launched in November, days after the election.

The head of Russia's Federation Council Committee on Foreign Relations, Konstantin Kosachev, told Russia's Interfax news agency after the sanctions were announced that the "harsh and destructive steps" by the Obama administration were "not just an agony of the 'lame ducks' but of the 'political corpses.'"

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement published on Wednesday, as the threat of sanctions loomed, that "we are tired of lies about Russian hackers that continue to be spread in the United States from the very top."

"The truth about the White House-orchestrated provocation is bound to surface sooner or later," Zakharova added. "We can only add that if Washington takes new hostile steps, it will receive an answer."

Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Russia would consider "retaliatory measures," the AP reported.

Russia's hacking campaign

Obama's executive order comes just over  two months after the US intelligence community first accused the Russian government of orchestrating a series of cyberattacks on US citizens and political organizations, stating that "only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities."

"The US Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations," the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a statement at the time.

The CIA, meanwhile, waited until after the election to put forward an independent assessment of Russian meddling, the content of which was leaked to the press earlier this month via high-level officials briefed on the intelligence.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump delivered brief remarks to reporters at the Mar-a-lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. December 28, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

In it, the CIA said the Russians had been working toward a specific goal when they hacked into the inboxes of Democratic National Committee staffers and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta: "to help get Trump elected."

This summer, the leak of internal DNC email correspondences by WikiLeaks, an organization founded by Julian Assange, revealed a bias against Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. The leaks divided the American left and led to the resignation of the DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

The CIA report said the Russians had also breached the Republican National Committee but chose not to release any of the information, lending credence to the idea that the Kremlin made a specific and targeted effort to embarrass Democrats.

Obama ordered the intelligence community to conduct a full review into the Russian hacking campaign, and how it may have affected the presidential election,  soon after the CIA report was leaked.

Harrassment and intimidation of US diplomats

The ejection of 35 Russian diplomats, meanwhile, comes amid reports that Russian officials had been harrassing US diplomats in Moscow for at least a year. 

The Washington Post's Josh Rogin laid out the diplomats' complaints in a June report:

"Some of the intimidation has been routine: following diplomats or their family members, showing up at their social events uninvited or paying reporters to write negative stories about them.

But many of the recent acts of intimidation by Russian security services have crossed the line into apparent criminality. In a series of secret memos sent back to Washington, described to me by several current and former U.S. officials who have written or read them, diplomats reported that Russian intruders had broken into their homes late at night, only to rearrange the furniture or turn on all the lights and televisions, and then leave. One diplomat reported that an intruder had defecated on his living room carpet."

Others reported that their tires had been slashed, that they had been harrassed by traffic officers, and even followed or surveilled by Russian security personnel.

US diplomats assigned to Russia reportedly had to be trained by the US government on how to handle the escalating harrassment, which was the Kremlin's way of retaliating against US sanctions over Russia's annexation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014.

A spokesman for the Russian embassy in Washington denied the harrassment at the time, telling Rogin in a statement that "the Russian side has never acted proactively to negatively affect US diplomats in any way.”

'I think we ought to get on with our lives'

President-elect Trump has downplayed reports that Russia was responsible for the hacks, however, or that the hacks had any impact on the presidential election. On Wednesday, the President-elect told reporters in West Palm Beach that"I think we ought to get on with our lives."

"I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly," he said. "The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on."

House Speaker Paul Ryan said that the sanctions were "overdue" and "appropriate."

House Speaker Paul Ryan during a press conference. AP Photo/Cliff Owen

"Russia does not share American interests," Ryan said in a statement that appeared to put him at odds with Trump, who has expressed a desire to work more closely with Russia during his administration.

"In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability throughout the world. While today's action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia," Ryan continued. "And it serves as a prime example of this administration's ineffective foreign polict that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world."

Ryan was not alone.

"Now is not the 'time to get on with our lives,' but to take an appropriate response in line with the ongoing threat that Russia poses to our democracy and global security interests," Maryland Senator Ben Cardin said in a statement. "I welcome and support the new sanctions announced by the administration today – it is a good start."

Incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement that he "strongly support[s] the steps the administration is taking to fight back against Russia’s interference in our election. We need to punch back against Russia, and punch back hard."

Virginia Senator Mark Warner said Obama's actions were "an important step."

"I will continue to urge the incoming administration to respect the expertise and conclusions reached by our intelligence professionals, and to take actions that treat Russia's interference with the seriousness it deserves," Warner said.

Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain called the sanctions "long overdue," and "a small price for Russia to pay for its brazen attack on American democracy."

Roger Federer feeling refreshed and ready for comeback

Roger Federer will make his comeback in Perth

Roger Federer is confident that his six-month absence from competitive tennis will help prolong his career.

The 35-year-old has been out of action since losing to Milos Raonic at the semi-final stage of Wimbledon.

The 17-time grand slam winner underwent surgery on his left knee in February and missed the French Open because of a back injury.

He then announced in July that he needed extensive rehabilitation and would be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Now, as he prepares to make his comeback at the Hopman Cup on New Year's Day, the former world No 1 is hoping his body is ready once again to challenge for major honours.

Federer's most recent competitive match was against Milos Raonic at Wimbledon in early July

"I do believe that it could be very beneficial for the future of my tennis career," Federer said.

"To have had this six-month layoff, rejuvenated, refreshed, maybe mentally, I needed this rest more than I thought.

"And maybe my body needed a rest more than I thought it would. I tried to look at the big picture, I hope it's going to pay off.

"At least one thing I know now is I have no regrets. I did everything this year to get my body back in shape.

"It didn't feel too gruelling, too long, too hard to go through this process. I have actually enjoyed it."

Federer will team up in Perth with Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic, having not contested the Hopman Cup for 15 years.

Until May of this year, Federer had appeared in 65 successive grand slam tournaments and the last time he was absent from one of the four majors was at the US Open of 1999.

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Petra Kvitova says moving fingers 'best Christmas present' after knife attack

Petra Kvitova __can move her fingers again after knife attack

Petra Kvitova described being able to move the fingers on her left hand again as "the greatest Christmas present I could have wished for."

The 26-year-old was speaking publicly for the first time since being attacked by an intruder at her apartment in the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

Kvitova suffered potentially career-threatening injuries to her dominant hand, which was covered in a substantial bandage as she addressed the media in Prague following her release from hospital.

The two-time Wimbledon champion looked remarkably relaxed, smiling and laughing as she first read out a statement in Czech.

Kvitova was 'overwhelmed' by the support she has received

Switching to English, she said: "I'm happy to tell you I'm feeling well.

"The medical staff, the police, my family and my team have all provided me with amazing support in this difficult situation.

"I want to thank each and every one of them for the important part they have played in the past four days.

Kvitova admits the attack was 'scary', but says she will not be a 'victim'

"I have been overwhelmed by the flood of messages and love I have received from the tennis family, fans and the public - thank you."

Kvitova revealed the encouraging sign that movement had returned to her fingers came at a session with her doctor on Thursday morning.

The world No 11 needed surgery lasting nearly four hours after tendons in all four of her fingers and her thumb were damaged as well as two nerves.

Kvitova will be out of action for six months

The intruder gained access to her apartment in Prostejov by posing as a utilities man before pulling out a knife and putting it to Kvitova's throat. The injuries occurred as she pulled the knife away.

The popular Czech has been told she will not be able to hold a racket for three months, with a return to the court estimated in six months.

Kvitova sent a defiant message, saying: "While what happened to me was very scary, I do not see myself as a victim, I do not feel sorry for myself and I will not look backwards.

The two-time Wimbledon champion's attack is yet to be caught

"I will use all my energy to focus on my recovery and I will do everything I __can to return to the sport I love as soon as possible. Yesterday morning, during a session with the doctor, I was able to move the fingers on my left hand. This to me is the greatest Christmas present I could have asked for.

"I am now looking forward to spending time with my family and I ask for privacy and peace as I start my journey towards a return to the tennis court."

An identikit photo of Kvitova's attacker was released by the police on Thursday. The man remains at large.

Andy Murray taking a different approach ahead of Australian Open in January

Andy Murray will play in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi before the Australian Open

Andy Murray is taking a different approach in his build-up to the season-opening grand slam as he bids to finally better five runner-up finishes at the Australian Open.

The world No 1 is preparing for the tournament at Melbourne Park, which gets underway on January 16, by competing in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi rather than the mixed team round robin format of the Hopman Cup in Perth which he has favoured for the last two years.

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Murray, who plays his first match at the Abu Dhabi event on Friday, said he would be going into the Australian Open with confidence after a strong finish to last season.

"I've played really well there in the past and it hasn't happened for me so I'll need to do something a little bit different this year," Murray said.

"I love the conditions there and I enjoy the tournament a lot, and I'll be going in hopefully playing well and with a lot of confidence because of the way I finished 2016, so I'll give it a good go this year."

Murray usurped Novak Djokovic as world No 1 in 2016

The 29-year-old won nine titles in 2016, including Wimbledon and his second Olympic gold medal in Rio. He also overcame Novak Djokovic, who has beaten him in four Australian Open finals, in the ATP World Tour Finals to take top spot in the rankings.

However, the Scot admitted that the 24-match winning run that helped him land his last five tournaments of the season took its toll.

Murray has lost in four Australian Open finals to Djokovic

"Getting to No 1, it took me basically the whole year, right down to the last tournament, the last match of the year to finish No 1, so that was really, really hard and it took a lot out of me physically and mentally," Murray said.

"I was really, really tired, more tired than I've been at the end of any season that I'd finished before."

Murray has a bye into Friday's semi-finals in the UAE and will face the winner of Thursday's quarter-final between David Goffin and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

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Andy Murray Christmas Quiz: Test your knowledge of his 2016

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a tennis quiz - and this year, we have a very special gift wrapped up by Andy Murray for you.

Test your knowledge of 2016 by taking part in our quiz all about the man of the year and then bask in the glory of knowing you have earned your Christmas Day dinner.

Murray milestones

Andy Murray's greatest moments revisited after winning ATP World Tour Finals

Be prepared to be peppered by a barrage of challenging forehands and backhands from the baseline about Britain's new world No 1.

There are just two main requirements no matter how you fare - enjoy the quiz and make sure you share it with your fellow tennis fanatics.

You __can see all the action from the ATP World Tour and Masters 1000 series in 2017. Don't forget, you __can send us your comments throughout 2017 by tweeting us @SkySportsTennis ... #MastersAtWork.​​​​​​

Sky Sports Tennis can be accessed across TV, online and via mobile and tablet devices with Sky Go.

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Trump gives bizarre, impromptu press conference in Florida Trump gives bizarre, impromptu press conference in Florida

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (L) and boxing promoter Don King speak to reporters outside the Mar-a-lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. December 28, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

President-elect Donald Trump briefly spoke to reporters in Florida on Wednesday.

With boxing promoter Don King by his side in front of the Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump opined on a handful of current events, including US Secretary of State John Kerry's final plea for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Saying Kerry's assessment "speaks for itself," Trump declined to go into specifics, adding cryptically: "different views … we'll see what happens after January 20, right?"

Earlier Wednesday, Trump tweeted, "We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but not anymore."

On the continuing federal investigations into Russian hacking during the US election, Trump said intelligence officials "should do the best they can, figure it all out."

That comment is a departure from the president-elect's claims that the allegations against Russia — made by the US Department of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, the CIA, and affirmed by the FBI — were nothing more than partisan politics.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a former 2016 Republican presidential candidate, accused Russia of attacking his campaign operations also — and said Russian President Vladimir Putin should face "crippling sanctions" for it.

Trump scoffed at Graham's assertion: "I don't know what he's doing. I haven't spoken to Senator Graham … as you know he ran against me."

Trump continued: "I think we ought to get on with our lives. I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on."

The White House is getting ready to announce punishment for Russia's cyberattacks.

Watch footage of Trump's remarks below:

KERRY: 'We could not, in good conscience, stand in the way' of the UN resolution on Israel KERRY: 'We could not, in good conscience, stand in the way' of the UN resolution on Israel

US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks on December 28. Zach Gibson/Getty Images

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that the US "could not, in good conscience, stand in the way" of last week's UN Security Council vote to bar Israel from expanding settlements onto Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

"The two-state solution is the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians," Kerry said in an impassioned speech billed as an outline of the Obama administration's vision for peace in the Middle East.

"My job, above all, is to defend the United States of America," he said. "If we were to stand idly by and know that we were allowing a dangerous dynamic to take hold in a region in which we have vital interests, we would be derelict in our responsibilities."

Kerry added that "the US's friendship with Israel does not mean that we should accept any policy" Israel espouses.

"Friends need to tell each other the hard truths," he said, insisting that the US had acted "in accordance with our values" when it chose not to veto the UN resolution. "And friendships require mutual respect."

The resolution — which passed 14-0 with only the US abstaining — infuriated Israel and prompted President-elect Donald Trump to promise that "things will be different" at the UN after he takes office on January 20.

"We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect," Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning. "They used to have a great friend in the US, but ... not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (UN)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!"

The vote has also  worsened the already chilly relationship between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama, stemming most prominently from the US-led nuclear negotiations with Iran and Obama's longstanding opposition to Israel's settlement policy.

Kerry's speech, which Netanyahu's office immediately criticized as "biased against Israel," came less than a month before Trump's inauguration and is unlikely to change anything on the ground between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

WorldAtlas.com

Deputy Jerusalem Mayor Meir Turgeman, the committee chairman responsible for planning settlement expansions into East Jerusalem, said on Monday that Israel will "remain unfazed by the UN vote, or by any other entity that tries to dictate what we do in Jerusalem."

Turgeman said he plans to  move forward with the construction of nearly 6,000 new homes in the predominantly Palestinian eastern Jerusalem and anticipated that  600 new settlements would b e approved on Wednesday alone.

"I hope the Israeli government and the new US administration will support us," Turgeman said, "so we can make up for the lack [of support] during the eight years of the Obama administration."

Kerry rejected the assertion that the Obama administration had not been supportive of Israel.

"No American administration has done more for Israeli security than Barack Obama's," Kerry said. He insisted, however, that settlement expansion placed a security burden on Israel's defense forces and was an impediment to peace with the rest of the Arab world.

"Trends on the ground, including settlement expansion and the seemingly endless occupation, are increasingly cementing an irreversible one-state reality that most people do not actually want," Kerry said, noting that "the two-state solution is now in serious jeopardy."

"The fundamental reality," he said, "is that if the choice is one state, Israel can either be Jewish or Democratic, but it can't be both."

Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it was "reducing" working ties with 12 of the UN Security Council countries that voted to pass the resolution, and Netanyahu said during a Cabinet meeting Sunday that he had "no doubt" the Obama administration colluded with the Palestinians behind Israel's back.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, speaks to Donald Trump, then the Republican presidential candidate, in September. Reuters

The White House has vehemently denied those allegations, and Kerry condemned the Palestinians' "incitement of violence" against Israelis through rocket, car, and knife attacks. But he said that he didn't think Israelis, or the world, realized "how broad and systematic" the process of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian West Bank had become.

"The settler population in the West Bank alone has increased by about 270,000 since the Oslo Accords were signed," Kerry said, referring to the set of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization signed in 1994 that established Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho. 

"What does that say to the world, and to the US, about Israel's intentions?" Kerry asked.

"There's no point in pretending that these are just enlarging settlement blocs in the middle of what, by any reasonable definition, constitutes the future Palestinian state," he added. "A settlement is not just about the land it is on — it is also about the sense of statehood that is chipped away with each new construction."

Kerry said, moreover, that much of the West Bank is "essentially off-limits" to Palestinian development, and that "the settler agenda is defining the future of Israel."

When that agenda succeeds, he said, "you will have millions of Palestinians living in permanent enclaves" on the West Bank, living "separately but unequally" under Israeli occupation.

Kerry added that the US can't live up to its own democratic ideals and ignore Palestinian calls for self-determination.

"How does Israel reconcile a permanent occupation with its permanent ideals?" he asked. "How does the US continue to defend that and still live up to our own ideals?"

Watch Kerry's remarks here: 

 

Alt-right movement descends into civil war after leading figure is booted from Trump inauguration event Alt-right movement descends into civil war after leading figure is booted from Trump inauguration event

Tim Treadstone aka Baked Alaska. Baked Alaska/Periscope

The so-called alt-right movement descended into civil war on Monday after one of its largest figures was booted from an upcoming inauguration event following a series of tweets he wrote about the media being "run in majority by Jewish people."

Tim Treadstone, an unabashedly alt-right social media personality better known as "Baked Alaska," was disinvited from the "Deploraball" after publishing the tweets about Jewish people.

After being cut from the event, which initially featured him as a top guest, he lashed out on Twitter at fellow alt-right leaders, a sign of divide in the white nationalist, neo-Nazi, populist movement that backed President-elect Donald Trump.

Treadstone zeroed in on Mike Cernovich, a similarly prominent alt-right figure known for such remarks as "date rape does not exist," who was responsible for nixing him from the event.

Treadstone has a history of anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi tweets. Other alt-right figures, like leading neo-Nazi Richard Spencer, were previously booted from the upcoming party.

"Baked Alaska is not a member of the Deploraball committee and will not be attending the event," Cernovich tweeted. "We wish him well."

Soon after the announcement, Cernovich confirmed that Milo Yiannopoulos, a Breitbart tech editor and conservative provocateur, would attend the event instead.

The moves prompted Treadstone to go on a lengthy Twitter rant against Cernovich and Yiannopoulos, capping off with a roughly 45-minute scorched-earth Periscope video in which he called the former "a huge cuck" and "a massive cuck" for side-stepping "the Zionist question."

The term "cuck" is a popular expression used by the alt-right. It's derived from the word "cuckold."

"You can thank Mike Cernovich for banning me from my own event for tweets," Treadstone tweeted. "He seems to really care what the media thinks rather than his own."

"I don't get angry on the internet" -@Cernovich

Lol pic.twitter.com/nnL4OQehBT

— Based Alaska™ (@bakedalaska) December 27, 2016

Treadstone called Yiannopoulos, who was permanently banned from Twitter for mocking "Ghostbusters" star Leslie Jones, a "shallow scumbag" for joining the event only after he was removed.

Other alt-right accounts opted to stand in solidarity with Treadstone. One called the move "'new right' (liberal) censorship."

"Mike won't answer why I'm banned lol what a cuck," Treadstone tweeted.

"The gorilla man banned me oh no!" he added in a separate tweet, taking an apparent shot at Cernovich's book "Gorilla Mindset." "Have fun cucks!"

Cernovich later posted and deleted a Periscope video in which he characterized Treadstone as a "druggie" and "disgruntled employee" who had a "meltdown online." He also retweeted a message that took a jab at "haters who used to hang on Milo's every word ... but now trash him."

Treadstone fired back in his Periscope video, accusing Cernovich of not being a "fan of free speech."

"Mike got upset that I was tweeting some things about Jewish people," he said. "I don't hate Jews, but there are some things that I like to talk about. I'm alt-right. I've always been alt-right. I've never said I'm not alt-right, unlike Mike Cernovich, Paul Joseph Watson, Milo, and these other cucks. I've always been alt-right."

The "Deploraball" is scheduled for January 19, the night before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

Trump confidant Roger Stone and Twitter personality Bill Mitchell are among the featured guests at the party in addition to Cernovich and now Yiannopoulos. The organizers originally listed the venue as a DC-area nightclub, but the nightclub said it had not signed a contract with them and would not host it.

Bitcoin is soaring Bitcoin is soaring

Bitcoin is soaring as traders return to work after the extended Christmas break. The cryptocurrency is trading up 3% to more than $929 and is at its best level in three years.

Markets Insider

Bitcoin has seen a volatile 2016 amid uncertainty surrounding the Brexit vote in June and the US presidential election in November. The cryptocurrency rallied from $432 at the start of the year to more than $750 in the days ahead of the UK's vote to leave the European Union, but it fell back below $500 in August as traders digested the outcome. But bitcoin has gained 92.5% since then, with a good portion of that (~30%) coming since the US election.

The cryptocurrency had tumbled to below $200 in early 2015 following the collapse of Mount Gox and other bitcoin exchanges.

Bitcoin has only briefly traded over $1,000, and that was in late 2013.

'NO WAY!': Trump fires back after Obama says he would've won if he ran 'NO WAY!': Trump fires back after Obama says he would've won if he ran

U.S. President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington November 10, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

After President Barack Obama said in an interview with former senior adviser David Axelrod that he thinks he would have won if he had run this year, President-elect Donald Trump fired back on Twitter with a clear conviction of his own.

"NO WAY!" Trump tweeted.

In Obama's interview, which aired on CNN's "The Axe Files" podcast Monday, the president acknowledged he was acting a bit like a "Monday morning quarterback," analyzing the election after it played out. But Obama said he thought his message of "hope and change" still resonates with voters — and that it could have propelled him to victory over Trump.

"I am confident in this vision because I'm confident that if I — if I had run again and articulated it, I think I could've mobilized a majority of the American people to rally behind it," Obama said. "I know that in conversations that I've had with people around the country, even some people who disagreed with me, they would say the vision, the direction that you point toward is the right one."

Trump responded on Twitter later in the day, strongly disagreeing with the president's assessment and declaring the "world was gloomy before I won — there was no hope."

President Obama said that he thinks he would have won against me. He should say that but I say NO WAY! - jobs leaving, ISIS, OCare, etc.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2016

The world was gloomy before I won - there was no hope. Now the market is up nearly 10% and Christmas spending is over a trillion dollars!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2016

After tanking upon Trump's unexpected victory, the stock market has been on a tear since his election as the 45th president.

Trump's reference to Christmas spending appears to come from the annual Deloitte Holiday Survey, which predicted Holiday sales to exceed $1 trillion this year, though the survey concluded that "overall, gift spending intentions remain similar to 2015."

In his interview with Axelrod, Obama made it clear he wasn't faulting Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for losing, saying he thought "there was a double standard with her" that the press and the public had formed over her decades in the spotlight.

Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon tweeted a response to Obama's claim, agreeing that the president could have won. He added that she could have, too, if FBI Director James Comey hadn't reopened the investigation into her private email server days before the election, a move that Clinton aides have repeatedly blamed for costing her the win.

"I agree Obama would have beaten Trump," Fallon wrote. "I also think Clinton could have, but for Comey. Despite his win, Trump is very weak."

Though Trump secured a large win in the Electoral College, Clinton won almost 3 million more votes nationwide.

US relations with Russia hit rough patch, but there are signs things may soon improve US relations with Russia hit rough patch, but there are signs things may soon improve

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, December 6, 2016. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin

President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin went back and forth making public statement about their countries' nuclear arsenals this week, days after President Barack Obama used his last press conference of 2016 to warn Russia against continued hacking.

And on Wednesday, the Kremlin said almost all communication channels between Moscow and the US were frozen.

While it seemed tensions were high between the two countries, the incoming Trump administration seemed to be looking to soothe relations with the Kremlin. And Putin appeared open to that possibility.

At his year-end press conference on Friday, Putin said he believed that "a substantial part of the American people share similar views with us on the world's organization, what we ought to be doing, and the common threats and challenges we are facing." He noted that shared values could provide a "good foundation" to "build relations between two such powerful countries."

Putin also sent a Christmas letter to Trump earlier this month, which Trump fawned over in a statement issued Friday.

In the letter, Putin extended his "warmest Christmas and New Year greetings" to "his excellency Donald Trump" and offered "sincere wishes to you and your family of sound health, happiness, well being, success, and all the best."

It all seemed to indicate an opening for increased diplomacy between the US and Russia despite recent tensions.

"At Putin's year-end conference today he struck a softer tone on a number of issues — nukes, Ukraine, etc.," Boris Zilberman, a Russia expert at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Business Insider in an email.

"President-elect Trump also signaled a willingness to reassess the relationship between DC and Moscow in his release of Putin's letter," Zilberman added. "What will be important to watch is the way in which both sides approach they very real and very thorny issues in the relationship — which Putin said at his conference currently 'can't be worse.'"

Putin saying that current relations "can't be worse" seems to indicate a hope for improvement.

"Starting at such a low point presents an opportunity — through small verifiable confidence building measures — to explore how these deep conflicts in the relationship might be addressed," Zilberman said. "The warmer tone from the incoming White House and the Kremlin are a play to explore those possibilities."

Nuclear proliferation might end up being a key issue in US-Russia relations going forward.

On Thursday, Putin boasted about the strength of his military, claiming it was more powerful than any potential aggressor. Trump tweeted hours later the US must "expand its nuclear capability" until "the world comes to its senses."

And on Friday, Trump went even further. MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski said that when she asked him if his tweet might spur other countries to increase their nuclear arsenals, he replied, "let it be an arms race."

While most experts agreed that Trump's statements about nuclear proliferation were dangerous, the Kremlin might actually be happy to rise to the challenge.

"I think Mr. Putin will be delighted," James Acton, co-director of the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Business Insider on Friday.

"Putin has for a long time called for strengthening Russia's nuclear deterrent remaining within the limits of arms control. But this is fantastic from his perspective because it legitimizes a lot of the dangerous and destabilizing action he'd like to do with Russia's nuclear arsenal."

A supposed military challenge from America could play well domestically in Russia, Acton said.

"From his own perspective, that's not such a bad thing," Acton said. "The Putin regime in recent years has been founded upon anti-Americanism. A threat from America is a useful thing for him to have domestically."

At the end of the day, Trump "is clearly [Putin's] man in the White House," Acton said.

"Russia’s position for the next few months is going to be to not wind up Trump, to try to get a level relationship with him," Acton said. Still, "a bromance is not a good relationship on which to build US-Russia relations."

Singer George Michael is dead at 53 Singer George Michael is dead at 53

George Michael. Michael Putland/Getty Images

Singer George Michael has died at age 53, his publicist announced on Sunday.

The British performer "passed away peacefully at home" in Goring-on-Thames, England, the publicist said in a statement, although no other details about his death were included. Police denied any suspicious circumstances, the BBC reported.

"It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother, and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period," a statement from the publicist said.

"The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage," the statement continued.

Michael, born in 1963 as Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, gained fame in the early 1980s as one half of the pop group Wham!, before launching a multi-platinum solo career that earned him two Grammy awards.

In his solo work, which veered toward R&B, Michael found his own kind of massive success, including the hits "Faith" and "Freedom '90." He sold more than a hundred million records throughout his career, and became one of Britain's biggest musical superstars of the 1980s and 1990s.

Trump says he'll dissolve controversial foundation to avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest Trump says he'll dissolve controversial foundation to avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest

President-elect Donald Trump speaks to members of the media at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla., Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016. Associated Press/Andrew Harnik

President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday he intends to dissolve his charitable foundation to avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest, though the New York attorney general's office says it can't legally be shuttered until a related investigation has concluded.

"The Foundation has done enormous good works over the years in contributing millions of dollars to countless worthy groups," Trump said in a statement.

"However, to avoid even the appearance of any conflict with my role as President I have decided to continue to pursue my strong interest in philanthropy in other ways."

The Donald J. Trump Foundation was highly scrutinized over the course of Trump's campaign. Media investigations found that Trump had provided no donations to his own foundation since 2008, and suggested he used the foundation's money to settle legal disputes involving his for-profit businesses.

The foundation is currently under investigation by the New York State attorney general's office after a Washington Post report said it fundraised in the state when it wasn't registered to do so.  On Saturday, the attorney general's office confirmed to Business Insider that the investigation is ongoing.

The foundation also said in its 2015 tax filings that it violated a ban on self-dealing by transferring income or assets to a "disqualified person."

The move from Trump comes as he and his family have faced intense scrutiny over how they will avoid conflicts of interest after he becomes president next month. Earlier this week, Trump's son, Eric, suspended his own charitable foundation over concerns about possible conflicts of interest.

The decision to shutter the foundation comes amid intense criticisms of Trump's potential conflicts of interest involving his various business operations. Trump has previously said he'll hand over control of his businesses to his children, despite widespread calls for him to instead place his holdings in a blind trust.

Trump said he would announce his plans to leave his businesses on Dec. 15, but later postponed the date to January.

The UN just put Israel on notice — and the US let it happen The UN just put Israel on notice — and the US let it happen

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power speaks. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

The UN Security Council on Friday passed a resolution demanding that Israel halt building settlements on occupied Palestinian territory, a move that was permitted by the US's abstention.

The resolution, put forward by by New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela, and Senegal, passed with 14 members of the council voting in favor. The US abstained, refusing to use its power as a sitting member of the Security Council to veto. In doing so, the Obama administration defied pressure from US President-elect Donald Trump, along with bipartisan members of Congress.

The resolution says that Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories have "no legal validity" and constitute a "flagrant violation under international law." The settlements are a "major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State (sic) solution," and a, "just, lasting and comprehensive peace," the resolution says. 

Members of the council clapped and cheered as the vote passed. It was the first time in 36 years the UN adopted a resolution on Israeli settlements.

Israel strongly condemned what it called a "shameful anti-Israel" resolution and said it would not abide by its terms. In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office also accused the US of being complicit in the UN effort.

"The Obama administration not only failed to protect Israel against this gang-up at the UN, it colluded with it behind the scenes," the statement read. It said it looked forward to "working with President-elect Trump and with all our friends in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike."

Bipartisan members of Congress had denounced the resolution leading up to its passage. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, called it a "provocative action," that "must be dealt with sternly and forcefully."

Graham said he would work to form a bipartisan coalition to "suspend or significantly reduce United States assistance to the United Nations."

Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas said in a statement that "President Obama is personally responsible for this anti-Israel resolution."

"This resolution hurts the prospects for a secure and just peace by targeting Israel for building homes in Jerusalem, its own capital, while not specifically addressing Palestinian incitement of and financial support for terrorism," he said.

An Israeli soldier takes position during an operation to locate three missing teenagers, in the West Bank city of Hebron June 18, 2014. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN, told the Security Council that the US would not have let the resolution pass if it didn't address "counterproductive" measures by Palestinians to the peace process. 

Power noted that Israel continues to be "treated differently," than other UN member states.

"You cannot separate the venue from the vote," she said.  

The passage of the resolution comes near the end of an often contentious relationship between Obama and Netanyahu.

Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened on Thursday, with both men personally calling on Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to postpone the vote.

Trump also urged the Obama administration to veto the resolution, though a group of temporary Security Council members picked up the resolution on drove it to a vote on Friday. 

Petra Kvitova injured in knife attack at home in Czech Republic

Petra Kvitova has been hurt in a knife attack

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova says she is "lucky to be alive" after being injured by a knife-wielding attacker at her home.

Kvitova suffered a serious injury to her left hand, her tennis-playing hand, and although the injuries are not life threatening, she underwent surgery on damaged ligaments on Tuesday afternoon.

The incident occurred on Tuesday morning in what appears to have been an attempted burglary in the eastern Czech town of Prostejov on Tuesday morning. 

In a statement Kvitova said: "Today I was attacked in my apartment by an individual with a knife. In my attempt to defend myself, I was badly injured on my left hand. I am shaken, but fortunate to be alive.

"The injury is severe and I will need to see specialists, but if you know anything about me I am strong and I will fight this. Thank you all again for your love and support."

Kvitova's injuries are not life-threatening

In a separate statement on the Facebook page of the Czech Republic's Fed Cup team, Kvitova said: "The main thing for me now is that the doctors find out what is the condition of my hand.

"I trust them and believe that everything will end up well. I have the best possible care and I'm in touch with my loved ones. The worst is behind me." 

Her agent Karel Tejkal said it was not a targeted attack.

He told sport.cz: "It is apparently a random criminal act, Petra is now in the care of doctors."

Kvitova withdrew from the Czech Republic team at next month's Hopman Cup because of an earlier foot injury.