Istanbul Reina nightclub attack 'leaves 35 dead'

At least 40 people were injured in the attack (Reuters)

At least 35 people have lost their lives in an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, the city's governor has said.

Among the dead is one police officer, Vasip Sahin stated, adding that it was a terror attack.

At least another 40 were injured in the attack which took place in the Reina nightclub, in the Ortakoy area, at about 01:30 local time (22:30 GMT).

One attacker was involved, the governor said, while CNN Turk reported he was dressed in a Santa Claus costume.

"A terrorist with a long-range weapon ... brutally and savagely carried out this incident by firing bullets on innocent people who were there solely to celebrate the New Year and have fun," Mr Sahin told reporters at the scene of the upmarket Reina nightclub, which sits on the banks of Bosphorus in the city's European side.

There were reportedly as many as 700 people in the nightclub at the time of the attack, some of whom are believed to have jumped into the river to escape.

Dogan news agency reported that some witnesses claimed the attackers were "speaking Arabic" while Turkish television channel NTV said special force police officers were searching the nightclub.

Istanbul was already on high alert with some 17,000 police officers on duty in the city, following a string of terror attacks in recent months.

Ambulances queue up outside the nightclub (AP)

Many were carried out by so-called Islamic State (IS) or Kurdish militants.

Less than a fortnight ago, the Russian ambassador, Andrei Karlov, was shot dead by off-duty Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas as he gave a speech in the capital Ankara in December.

After the shooting, the killer shouted the murder was in revenge for Russian involvement in the conflict in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

BBC contributed to this reports

Trump tweets: Happy new year to my enemies who ‘lost so badly’

President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday tweeted out a taunting New Year’s greeting to those who opposed him.

“Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don't know what to do. Love!” Trump wrote hours before the end of 2016.

Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don't know what to do. Love!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2016

Trump has frequently used Twitter to mark holidays with taunting messages to his opponents — a tradition that dates back before his entry into politics.

In 2013, he wrote: “Happy Thanksgiving to all--even the haters and losers!”

The same year, he even wrote a similar message on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, tweeting: “I would like to extend my best wishes to all, even the haters and losers, on this special date, September 11th.”

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Leicester 1-0 West Ham Premier League Match Results and Highlights .

⚽ Slimani header helps Leicester see off West Ham

Islam Slimani has scored 15 of his 33 league goals since the start of 2015-16 from headers

Leicester City pulled six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone as Islam Slimani's header ended West Ham United's three-match winning run.

Slimani had already headed against the post when he nodded home Marc Albrighton's excellent cross.

Home keeper Kasper Schmeichel twice denied Dimitri Payet with fine saves, while Michail Antonio hammered a shot against the Leicester bar.

Schmeichel also did well to keep out Aaron Creswell's deflected free-kick as champions Leicester ended a momentous 2016 with a first clean sheet in 12 league games.

The win lifts the Foxes one place to 15th, while West Ham's first league defeat since 3 December means they drop from 11th to 13th.

EPL Table As It Stands

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Match Highlights

Will the real Leicester please stand up?

Leicester chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha rewarded the club's older fans with a free beer before the game.

It was not to drown their sorrows despite a poor first half to the season, but to reward them for their backing during a historic year in which the 5,000-1 outsiders won the title.

And many of the ingredients that contributed to the Foxes being crowned champions were back on display in their final game of 2016.

Leicester have been accused of looking ragged and lacking in ideas lately. Against West Ham, they were hungry, determined and energetic as they tore into their opponents in the first half and gave fans hope they will not spend 2017 embroiled in a relegation fight.

Stats and Lineups

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Yazidi woman escapes Islamic State in Mosul as Iraqi forces advance

Yazidis flee their homeland in the Sinjar region of Iraq following a takeover by ISIS forces in August 2014. (Reuters)

A Yazidi woman held captive by Islamic State militants for more than two years managed to escape when Iraqi forces pushed into Mosul and provided information that helped them retake a neighbourhood of the city, Iraqi commanders said.

The 42-year old woman, who asked to remain unnamed, was kidnapped by the militants from her hometown of Sinjar in the summer of 2014 when they overran northern Iraq and purged its Yazidi minority.

Hundreds of Yazidis were killed and more than 6,000 taken captive by the hardline Sunni Muslim militants, who regard the Yazidis' faith as devil-worship.

Since then, some have escaped or have been bought back from the militants, but as many as 3,500 remain in Islamic State captivity, according to a recent estimate provided by the office that handles kidnappings in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

Iraqi forces are now fighting to retake Mosul, the militants' last major stronghold in Iraq, where many Yazidis were held.

The woman, speaking to reporters on Friday, said she had been moved from one neighbourhood of Mosul to another until her captor fled the city, leaving her with his parents in the Quds neighborhood, which she was finally able to flee.

"I escaped with some families at night, around 3 am," she said in a faint voice, her face completely covered by a black veil covering her face and her hands clasped on her lap.

It was not immediately clear when she escaped captivity but Iraqi forces entered the Quds district on Thursday.

Major General Maan Saadi of the elite Counter Terrorism Service (CTS), which is spearheading the campaign to retake Mosul, said the woman had provided information that helped the operation in the area.

"We took her in with open arms and were able to get some information from her about the neighbourhood, which proved useful during our attack and advance on the Quds neighbourhood," Saadi said.

Since the offensive began 10 weeks ago, U.S.-backed forces have retaken a quarter of Mosul in the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Iraqi forces launched a second phase of the offensive this week, pushing from three directions into eastern districts where the battle has been deadlocked for nearly a month.

Reuters contributed to this report

Man United 2-1 Middlesbrough Premier League Match Results and Highlights

⚽ Man Utd need late comeback to defeat Boro

Paul Pogba scored his sixth goal of the season for Manchester United

Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba scored late goals as Manchester United deservedly beat Middlesbrough in the Premier League.

The home side had fallen behind when Grant Leadbitter gave Boro a shock lead, drilling home a low finish from Alvaro Negredo's knock down.

Up until then, United had bossed a match in which Pogba struck the post with an overhead kick and Martial hit the same upright with a long-range strike.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic also had a goal harshly ruled out for a high boot on ex-United goalkeeper Victor Valdes, while the Spaniard twice blocked the United striker's shots from close range in the second half.

With time running out, Frenchman Martial poked in on 85 minutes and fellow countryman Pogba headed into the top corner a minute later.

EPL Table As It Stands

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Match Highlights

Mourinho's men show their mettle

Having been frustrated following wave after wave of attacks, it looked like United were going to be left without a point when they fell behind at home to Boro.

Jose Mourinho's men had forced Valdes into 10 saves - which highlighted their dominance - and it looked like being a clean sheet for the keeper on his return to Old Trafford.

But United's 65% possession was worthwhile in the end as Martial and Pogba scored within one minute and 20 seconds of each other to spark jubilant scenes from both the home players and supporters at the final whistle.

The world's most expensive player Pogba danced in the middle of the pitch, while boss Mourinho hugged counterpart Aitor Karanka in consolation.

The Red Devils are now unbeaten in their last 10 league games - winning all five in December - and are just one point adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal.

Stats and Lineups

Iraq: 28 dead as twin bombs rip through market in Baghdad

The blasts hit during the Saturday morning rush in a busy market area (AFP)

At least 28 people have been killed and 40 people wounded in a double bombing at a busy market in the centre of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, officials say.

The explosions happened near shops selling spare parts for cars in the al-Sinak market, More than 50 people were injured, according to police quoted by Reuters news agency.

Baghdad has seen frequent attacks, often targeting Shia districts.

IS released a statement saying two of its militants had carried out the bombings wearing suicide vests.

The jihadist group is under pressure from an Iraqi army offensive further north in Mosul, the last major IS stronghold in the country.

Many of the victims in Saturday's attacks worked in spare parts shops in the largely Shia area, witnesses said.

"They were gathered near a cart selling breakfast when the explosions went off," local shopkeeper Ibrahim Mohammed Ali told the AFP news agency.

BBC contributed to this report

Rangers 1-2 Celtic Saturday's Premiership Match Results and Highlights

⚽ Celtic beat Rangers to move 19 points clear

Scott Sinclair scored the winner on derby day

Celtic came from behind to beat Old Firm rivals Rangers and move 19 points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Kenny Miller slid in to convert James Tavernier's cross and put the home side ahead early on.

Moussa Dembele's powerful shot from a Scott Sinclair corner flashed high into the net to bring Celtic level, and Dembele later fired against the bar.

The visitors dominated the second half, and Sinclair touched home Stuart Armstrong's low cross for the winner.

Rangers hit the front

Mark Warburton's hosts showed from the outset their intention was to press their opponents in wide areas, and it paid dividends when Josh Windass released Tavernier to set up Miller's close-range finish.

Celtic continued to concede too much space in the full-back areas, and further deliveries troubled goalkeeper Craig Gordon and his defence.

However, Dembele's leveller put Celtic into the ascendancy and Rangers then struggled to get Barrie McKay and Tavernier on the ball, though McKay did draw a save from Gordon after the break.

Having struggled to get a telling delivery at set-pieces, Rangers may have gone ahead just before Celtic's second as Danny Wilson met Tavernier's corner, Gordon making the save.

SPL Table As It Stands

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Celtic duo to the fore again

Summer signings Dembele and Sinclair had run the Rangers defence ragged in September's 5-1 win at Celtic Park, and the duo's link-up play was again the catalyst as the visitors recovered from their early setback.

Sinclair's set-piece was controlled and rattled into the top-right corner by Celtic's top scorer Dembele - a fifth goal against Rangers for the Frenchman this season.

And he should have taken that tally to six after Mikael Lustig squared the ball to the striker early in the second period, a miskick allowing Wes Foderingham to save.

Foderingham came to Rangers' rescue when James Forrest was played in on goal by Stuart Armstrong but Sinclair would ensure a happy end to 2016 for his team, applying the finish to Armstrong's piercing ball across the face of goal.

Armstrong, Sinclair and substitute Nir Bitton forced further saves from Foderingham as Rangers continued to struggle in defence.

Woodwork plays its part

In a match of so many chances, it was a surprise there were only three goals.

Sinclair fired against the right-hand post as Celtic trailed, and Dembele's downward volley bounced up on to the crossbar at 1-1, with Sinclair firing the rebound wide.

And, after Sinclair had netted, Rangers were also left frustrated by the goal frame as Miller's shot came back off the same post Sinclair had hit in the opening half.

BBC contributed to this match report.

Islamist terror is 'greatest threat' to Germany - Merkel

Mrs Merkel said 2016 had been a year of "severe tests" (EPA)

Islamist terrorism is the biggest challenge facing Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said in her New Year message.

Referring to the deadly truck attack in Berlin by a Tunisian asylum seeker, she said it was "sickening" when acts of terror were carried out by people who had sought protection.

She said 2016 had been a year of "severe tests".

But she also said she was confident Germany could overcome them.

"As we go about our lives and our work, we are saying to the terrorists: 'You are hate-filled murderers, but you do not determine how we live and want to live. We are free, considerate and open'," Mrs Merkel said.

Twelve people were killed when Anis Amri drove a truck at crowds at a Berlin Christmas market two weeks ago.

Earlier in the year, a teenage Afghan refugee wounded five people in an axe attack on a train in Wuerzburg and a Syrian whose asylum application had been refused blew himself up outside a bar in Ansbach, wounding 15 other people.

The attacks have led to some criticism of Mrs Merkel's policy of admitting more than a million refugees and migrants in 2015.

Christmas tree remains caught in the front of the lorry that struck a busy Christmas market in Berlin (AFP)

But in her New Year message the chancellor said images of the devastation in the Syrian city of Aleppo, where Syrian government forces have forced out rebels after months of fighting, showed how "important and right" it was for Germany to take in those fleeing the conflict.

"All this is reflected in our democracy, rule of law and values. They are the opposite of the hate-filled world of terrorism and will prove stronger than it. Together we are stronger. Our state is stronger," she said.

Mrs Merkel also denounced "distortions" that were leading people to believe that the EU and even parliamentary democracy were no longer working.

The EU was "slow and difficult", had suffered a blow with the United Kingdom's vote to leave and should focus on the things it "really can do better than the nation state", she said.

"But no - we Germans should never be deceived into thinking that a happy future could ever lie in going it alone nationally," she added.

Mrs Merkel is seeking a fourth term as chancellor in an election expected in September and has already said that she expects her toughest campaign yet.

BBC contributed to this report

UFC 207: Ronda Rousey beaten by Amanda Nunes in 48 seconds including all the Results Full Fight Highlight

Ronda Rousey was once again pummeled by a striker and lost her second consecutive bout.

The former women’s bantamweight champion was completely outclassed in the striking game by Amanda Nunes, who stopped Rousey at 48 seconds of the first round to retain her women’s bantamweight championship in the main event of UFC 207 at T-Mobile Arena.

Nunes landed a big right just seconds into the fight that clearly hurt Rousey, who was fighting for the first time since a stunning defeat at the hands of Holly Holm on Nov. 14, 2015.

Rousey tried to throw punches with Nunes, but she had nothing to offer. Nunes was blistering her with combinations, hitting her with virtually everything she threw.

“This is amazing,” Nunes said in exultation.

Nunes landed 23 of 35 strikes she threw, all of which were powerful shots. She backed Rousey up from the very first seconds of the bout and simply overwhelmed her.

THAT WINNING FEELING! @Amanda_Leoa @ufc #UFC207 https://t.co/kh70bUhomo pic.twitter.com/ODd2gxBnPr

— GIPHY (@giphy) December 31, 2016

The loss leaves Rousey’s future in serious question. Her return attracted a standing-room-only crowd of more than 19,000 and pay-per-view sales are expected to exceed 1 million.

She was guaranteed $3 million to show, and will make millions more than that.

But Rousey, who had a media blackout and didn’t speak much at all in the fight’s buildup, may no longer fight. She had frequently said that she would judge when to quit by the damage she has taken.

Her judo made her the sport’s biggest sensation and one of the top stars, as she was able to win her first 12 fights primarily with a seemingly unstoppable arm bar.

Rousey hit hard, but her striking defense was never great and so she had problems when facing elite strikers like Nunes and Holm.

If the loss prompts Rousey to retire, as expected, it will be the end of an incredible run. UFC president Dana White had famously said he would never allow women to fight in the UFC, but after seeing Rousey, he changed his mind.

She sold out arenas all over the world and sold pay-per-views at an astonishingly high rate.

She won her first six UFC fights and it looked like no one could compete with her.

But Holm, a former world boxing champion, showed the blueprint last year at UFC 193. Holm moved smartly and countered Rousey before ending the fight with a kick to the head.

On Friday, it wasn’t so subtle. Nunes was eager to trade with Rousey, whose head never moved off the center line as she was getting blasted by hard shots.

Nunes was in the middle of a multi-punch combination when referee Herb Dean stepped in to save Rousey from further punishment.

BOOM. 48 seconds. #UFC207 pic.twitter.com/rDLP8vnI1y

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) December 31, 2016

UFC 207 Quick Results

• UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship: Amanda Nunes def. Ronda Rousey by KO at 0:48 of the first round
• UFC Men's Bantamweight Championship: Cody Garbrandt def. Dominick Cruz by unanimous decision (48-46, 48-47, 48-46)
• T.J. Dillashaw def. John Lineker by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
• Dong Hyun Kim def. Tarec Saffiedine by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
• Ray Borg def. Louis Smolka by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
• Neil Magny def. Johny Hendricks (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Antonio Carlos Junior def. Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision (29-28,-29-28, 29-28)
• Alex Garcia def. Mike Pyle by KO at 3:34 of the first round
• Niko Price def. Brandon Thatch via submission (arm-triangle) at 4:30 of the first round
• Alex Oliveira vs. Tim Means is declared a no contest

ONCE AGAIN PUTIN MAKES OBAMA LOOK IRRESPONSIBLE AND WEAK

President Barack Obama participates in a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia at the Esperanza Resort in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico, June 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In a sharp departure from Russia's previous strategy of responding to U.S. sanctions in kind, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he would not kick out American diplomats -- one day after President Barack Obama moved to expel 35 Russian intelligence operatives.

Putin said he would not pursue "irresponsible diplomacy" and would instead attempt to rebuild relations with Washington after the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.

However, Putin said that Russia reserved the right to respond to the new US sanctions, which included the expulsion of 35 diplomats from the US. The Obama administration said the measures were in response to allegations that Russia had meddled in the 2016 US presidential election.

"Further steps towards the restoration of Russian-American relations will be built on the basis of the policies carried out by the administration of President Trump," a Kremlin statement said.

Trump Factor

Trump, who is due to take office in only three weeks' time, has signaled a desire for warmer relations with Russia.

While the US intelligence community has publicly stated Russia was behind hacks of political organizations and persons in the United States in the run-up to November's election, Trump has largely rejected the notion.

A top aide to Trump, Kellyanne Conway, speculated Thursday that the Obama administration's sanctions could have been intended to "box in" his successor over Russia.

A senior Obama administration official acknowledged Thursday that Trump could reverse the sanctions by executive order, but added, "I don't think it'd make a lot of sense."

Senior Republicans in Congress have backed the measures against Russia, even while criticizing Obama's handling of foreign policy -- signaling a potential split with Trump on the issue.

Putin's Reaction "An Enormous Insult" To Obama

In what was expected to be Obama last effort to show some strength and toughness at least for once against Putin, he ends up receiving a big insult. Putin effectively snubbing Obama in the light that he is on his way out. This obviously was not the reaction Obama expected. He would have loved an escalation knowing fully well that any one will bring the spotlight on Trump in a brave attempt to delegitimize the President-Elect.

Nigel Farage calls it a mature response from Putin.

Pleased to see a mature response from Putin. A @realDonaldTrump presidency can't come soon enough.

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) December 30, 2016

"Putin's "extraordinary" move essentially sidelines the Obama administration while it is still in office," said CNN's former Moscow bureau chief and Russia analyst Jill Dougherty.

By declining to match the move made by Washington with tit-for-tat measures, as a Russian president normally would do, Putin is really issuing "an enormous insult" to Obama, she said.

Putin's move also represents a huge challenge to Trump, Dougherty said, because he will come into office "having Vladimir Putin essentially reach across the divide and say 'let's do this together, let's just ignore all of this and go forward'."

Getty Image

Dougherty added, "It's an amazing move and it's classic Putin, I would have to say -- he's a master of doing things that are unexpected, and this is truly unexpected."

But it's not only the Obama administration that the Russians are mocking: the American media, specifically CNN, are getting smacked by the Russians. After CNN reported that, according to a US official, "Russian authorities ordered the closure of the Anglo-American School of Moscow," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova took to Facebook to call out the fake news.

"American officials have 'anonymously briefed' their mass media about the fact that as a retaliatory measure Russia has closed the American School in Moscow. This is a lie," she wrote. "Clearly, the White House has completely lost its senses and begun to invent sanctions against its own children."

Russia is a deceptive, cruel and corrupt country that must be held in check by a strong America. Unfortunately, as Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan put it, the Obama administration's too little, too late actions only serve "as a prime example of this administration's ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world."

Putin's "high road" and dismissive response is clearly intended to humiliate his American counterpart, a move consistent with the response of the Russian government, which has taken to social media to poke fun at the "lame duck" president.

By Elijah Okon

Chief Political Editor, DBliss Media

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Chelsea 4-2 Stoke Premier League Match Results and Highlights

⚽ Chelsea beat Stoke for 13th consecutive victory

Chelsea's Gary Cahill celebrates after scoring the opener for the leaders

Premier League leaders Chelsea equalled the top flight record of 13 consecutive wins in a single season after overcoming valiant Stoke in a thriller at Stamford Bridge.

An exceptionally entertaining second half witnessed five goals as the Blues were twice made to retake the lead by a Potters side who gave them one of their toughest tests this season.

Gary Cahill gave Chelsea the lead when he headed in shortly before half-time, but Stoke defender Bruno Martins Indi levelled only a minute after the break when he poked in from close range.

Willian handed the Blues the advantage again only for Peter Crouch to level with a sidefoot effort high past Thibaut Courtois.

Stoke barely had time to celebrate, as moments after the restart Chelsea drove towards goal with Willian applying a fierce angled finish.

With five minutes remaining, the Blues all but sealed the three points when Diego Costa - who was magnificent as a target-man - shrugged off the attentions of Martins Indi to fire in the fourth.

EPL Table As It Stands

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Match Highlights

Chelsea up for the fight

This was a brutal test for Antonio Conte's men.

Stoke were organised and disciplined at the back and threatened at the other end. In fact, until Cahill's goal they were the better team and looked more likely to score first.

Their spirit was not broken even after Cahill's opener, and seconds after the interval Martins Indi converted his first for the club from Crouch's nod down.

Chelsea's potent attack compensated for their failings at the back, and 11 minutes later Moses and Hazard combined before Willian poked in.

But yet again Stoke, who had not won a league game at Stamford Bridge since 1974, fought back. This time it was Crouch who got on the scoresheet in the league for the first time since May 2015 when he tucked home under pressure.

However, Conte's Chelsea have shown great resolve this season. Just a minute after the second equaliser, Fabregas found Willian in the area and he rifled in from a tight angle.

And with five minutes remaining, Costa finally got his reward for an outstanding display with a close-range strike past the reach of goalkeeper Lee Grant.

Stoke threw everything at them and came away with nothing - but they will take some solace that they were playing the best in the league.

Stats and Lineups