| U.S. fires tear gas to deter migrants making New Year's run at border Posted: 01 Jan 2019 03:33 PM PST  U.S. border agents launched tear gas into Mexico early Tuesday to deter a group of migrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border at Tijuana, according to a Reuters witness and the U.S. government. Clouds of the noxious gas could be seen wafting up from around the fence at the border, and one migrant picked up a canister and threw it back across the border into U.S. territory. Tijuana has become a flashpoint in the debate over U.S. immigration policy, which has been intensified by the recent deaths of two migrant children in U.S. custody and a partial U.S. government shutdown over President Donald Trump's $5 billion demand to lawmakers for a wall along the border with Mexico.
|
| Terror returns to Manchester, just yards from where 22 where killed at Ariana Grande concert Posted: 01 Jan 2019 12:00 PM PST  In the hours before midnight when the nation would be welcoming in the New Year, terror returned to Manchester. Just before 9pm and yards from the Manchester Arena, where 22 people, many of them children had been murdered in a suicide attack, all hell was about to break loose. Between platforms A and B at Manchester Victoria Metrolink tram station, a man dressed head-to-toe in black mounted a frenzied and sustained attack on a couple in their 50s waiting patiently for a tram. He screamed 'Allahu Akbar' - meaning 'God is great' - while stabbing at them with two knives, one in each hand. "I just heard this most blood-curdling scream and looked down the platform," said Sam Clack, 38, a BBC producer on a New Year's Eve night out, "What it looked like was a guy in his 60s with a woman of similar age and another guy all dressed in black. "It looked like they were having a fight but she was screaming in this blood-curdling way." The screams alerted British Transport Police officers on patrol at Victoria train station, which stands in the same complex as the tram stop and the nearby Manchester Arena. Four officers, unarmed but for standard issue Taser stun gun and a special incapacitating gel, raced to the scene. The suspect, said to be of Somali origin, was carrying two kitchen knives, each about 12-inches long. Two commuters - a man and woman in their 50s - were taken to hospital with knife injuries and a British Transport Police (BTP) officer was stabbed in the shoulder. Credit: Sam Clack/Press Association Mr Clack thought the attacker was coming for him next. "I just had a feeling in the pit of my stomach," said Mr Clack. "Here's a man who's very agitated, angry, skittish. It appears he had already attacked someone. He had police coming towards him and he's coming towards me. "I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good 12-inch blade. It was just fear, pure fear." Mr Clack thought about jumping on to the tram tracks and running for his life. Other passengers already had. But before he needed to flee, the police at breakneck speed had pounced. Video footage shows four British transport Police officers pinning the knifeman to the ground, including one female officer. They had tried to taser him and in the melee one officer - a sergeant in his 30s - was stabbed in the shoulder. The suspect was then dragged away to a police van, shouting 'alahu akbar' while the victims sat on a bench on the station platform being treated for their wounds, tended to by female police officers. A discharged taser, shoe and paramedic equipment on Metrolink platform B at Victoria Station Credit: Joel Goodman/LNP A Muslim woman, wearing a hijab, put her arm around the injured female victim. Nazir Afzal, a former prosecutor, tweeted: "The woman with hijab helping victims is far more reflective of Muslims than the idiot with a knife." Andy Burnham, Manchester's mayor, said last night the "vile attack" could have been "much more serious if not for the outstanding bravery from British Transport Police who were instantly on the scene". He suggested its location had been deliberately picked to cause maximum impact because of its proximity to the Manchester Arena, scene of the barbarous suicide bomb attack in May last year. "This attack has brought back some very painful memories for everyone involved," Mr Burnham told the Telegraph, "Particularly given how close it was to the Manchester Arena, which appears to have been deliberate. But the city is strong, united and resilient and the way the incident was dealt with by the emergency services and others was exemplary." Yesterday, police raided a newly built semi-detached house in a street in Cheetham Hill, a mile north of the city centre. Police said it was the last known address of the 25-year-old suspect. A house in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, was raided as part of the investigation into the suspected terror attack at Manchester Victoria Station Credit: Pat Hurst/Press Association Neighbours said police arrived at the address in the morning. Tactical Aid Unit vans were stationed outside, with a policeman stood guarding the door. Nousha Babaakachel said a Somali family live at the address, a mother and father of five in their forties who came to live in the street around 12 years ago from the Netherlands. Mrs Babaakachel, 40, said two of the four sons are at university, one works at Manchester Airport and the youngest is back in Somalia. They also have a daughter. Well-placed sources said the suspect was believed to have been suffering from serious mental health issues and who had acted alone. By last night, Manchester was coming to realise it had had a narrow escape. The city has the bravery of police officers to thank for that.
|
| Fighting erupts between rival insurgent groups in Syria Posted: 01 Jan 2019 08:56 AM PST ![Fighting erupts between rival insurgent groups in Syria]( "Fighting erupts between rival insurgent groups in Syria") BEIRUT (AP) — Clashes broke out between two powerful insurgent groups in northern Syria on Tuesday, leaving up to seven people dead in the most serious fighting in months in the last major rebel stronghold in the country.
|
| Toddler injured after falling into rhino exhibit at Florida zoo Posted: 02 Jan 2019 04:30 AM PST  The snout of at least one rhinoceros made contact with 2-year-old, zoo officials say.
|
| Not Just Tesla: GM Is Reportedly About to Lose Its EV Tax Credit, Too Posted: 02 Jan 2019 01:46 PM PST  GM has reportedly sold its 200,000th EV, which means the credit is due to disappear.
|
| A Doughnut Truck Caught on Fire and Cops Have Intense Feelings About It Posted: 02 Jan 2019 12:35 PM PST  The NYPD offered to send in reinforcements
|
| Sensible border security justifies government shutdown Posted: 02 Jan 2019 02:52 PM PST  While political parties squabble over funding, our enemies could weaponize illegal migration, writes James Jay Carafano of the Heritage Foundation.
|
| India's flashpoint temple, off limits to women Posted: 01 Jan 2019 04:24 PM PST  Two women in their 40s defied traditionalists on Wednesday to enter the Sabarimala temple, one of Hinduism's holiest sites, sparking violent clashes in southern India. It was the first time that women aged between 10 and 50 entered the site in the southern state of Kerala since India's Supreme Court overturned a ban in September. Here follows some background on the temple and the landmark verdict.
|
| NASA’s asteroid probe just entered orbit around Bennu in a record-breaking maneuver Posted: 01 Jan 2019 03:04 PM PST  NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid probe arrived at its target, a large space rock known as Bennu, in early December. The spacecraft's mission will take several years to complete, but it hit a major milestone to close out 2018 by entering orbit around Bennu. It might not sound like much, but it's actually a major accomplishment for NASA, and it's set a couple of new records in the process. As AP reports, the probe's successful maneuver to enter orbit around Bennu makes it the first spacecraft to orbit a celestial object so small. At only around 1,600 feet in diameter, it's the smallest object ever to be successfully orbited, and OSIRIS-REx's close orbital distance of just over a mile is also record-breaking. The OSIRIS-REx mission was originally launched way back in late 2016. It took a couple of years for the probe to even make it to its asteroid target, but now that it's there it can begin studying Bennu in much greater detail than has ever been possible before. We got our first clear look at the rock's surface last month. The images delivered by the probe reveal a messy collection of debris strewn all over the asteroid's exterior. Ultimately, the mission's biggest challenge will be to collect some of that material and then return it to Earth, but the touch-and-go sample collection process won't begin until 2020. Once the probe snatches some rock from Bennu's exterior it will begin the long trip back to Earth, eventually arriving sometime in 2023 if all goes according to plan. The in-orbit surveys of the asteroid and eventual delivery of asteroid material will help researchers understand what makes up some of the larger asteroids in our Solar System. Determining how they formed and other details about their origins could help astronomers tell a more detailed story about the origins of our system and Earth itself, and perhaps help us prepare and forecast asteroid impacts in the future.
|
| Four injured after German man rams car into crowd; racist motive suspected Posted: 01 Jan 2019 09:24 AM PST ![Four injured after German man rams car into crowd; racist motive suspected]( "Four injured after German man rams car into crowd; racist motive suspected") A 50-year-old German man clearly intended to kill foreigners when he rammed his silver Mercedes into a crowd of people in the northwestern German town of Bottrop in the early hours of New Year's Day, injuring four, a senior government official said. "A German man deliberately drove into crowds of people ... that were largely made up of foreigners. There was a clear intention by this man to kill foreigners," Herbert Reul, interior minister of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Bottrop is located, told reporters on Tuesday.
|
| Now is time to cash in that $1.5B Mega Millions lottery ticket; mystery surrounds winner Posted: 02 Jan 2019 12:02 PM PST  The winning ticket for the Mega Millions drawing Oct. 23 was sold in Simpsonville, South Carolina. The winner has until April 20 to claim the money.
|
| Missouri Teen Returns from Cruise with Mystery Illness That`s Left Her Permanently Blind Posted: 02 Jan 2019 11:43 AM PST  A Missouri teen is fighting a life-changing medical condition after returning from a cruise.
|
| Airline Accidentally Offers $15,000 Discount on Business Class Tickets Posted: 02 Jan 2019 08:09 AM PST  And it's actually honoring the rock bottom prices.
|
| Trump just showed off his 'Game of Thrones' poster in a cabinet meeting. But he missed one key detail. Posted: 02 Jan 2019 10:11 AM PST  Remember that dark as hell Game of Thrones-themed poster Donald Trump tweeted in November to announce his plans to impose sanctions against Iran? On Wednesday morning a large printout of the poster was spotted in the White House, smack dab in the middle of the Cabinet Room's table as Trump and members of his administration held a meeting. When Trump first tweeted the image of himself with the words "SANCTIONS ARE COMING" in the HBO show's go-to font, he received a great deal of backlash from confused Americans, including Game of Thrones stars Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams.
|
| Full-Size Pickup Trucks Ranked from Worst to Best Posted: 02 Jan 2019 07:29 AM PST |
| Animal advocates: Fatal zoo mauling shows need for crackdown Posted: 31 Dec 2018 06:36 PM PST  RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The fatal mauling of a zoo intern by a lion that escaped from a locked pen illustrates the need for North Carolina regulators to crack down on unaccredited exhibitors of dangerous animals, animal welfare advocates said Monday.
|
| Man Accused of Killing Missing Fiancee Charged with 5 Felony Counts Posted: 02 Jan 2019 11:42 AM PST  Patrick Frazee, the man accused of killing his fiancee Kelsey Berreth, was charged with five felony counts on Monday morning by Teller County prosecutors.
|
| Ex-Marine arrested in Moscow for 'spying' is innocent, family says Posted: 01 Jan 2019 04:19 PM PST  An American ex-Marine arrested in Moscow for alleged espionage is innocent, his family said Tuesday. The detention of Paul Whelan marked the latest in a series of espionage cases between Russia and the West. "We have read reports of the arrest in Moscow of Paul Whelan, our son and brother," said a statement posted on Twitter by David Whelan, who said he is the brother of Paul.
|
| GM hit 200,000 U.S. electric vehicles sold in 2018 Posted: 02 Jan 2019 10:45 AM PST  The credit for GM EVs falls to $3,750 in April.
|
| NASA gives the thumbs up for production of Dream Chaser space plane Posted: 01 Jan 2019 07:05 PM PST  Sending supplies and other cargo to the International Space Station is something that has to happen on a regular basis in order for crew to continue living their lives as they carry out missions while orbiting Earth. Exactly how that cargo gets delivered can vary and, as with all things, there's always someone who thinks maybe they can do it better. Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has apparently convinced NASA that it can make cargo delivery to the ISS a bit easier with a high-tech space plane called the Dream Chaser. Now, after jumping through whatever hoops NASA requires, the company has been given the go-ahead to begin full production of the spacecraft. "NASA's acknowledgement that SNC has completed this critical milestone and its approval of full production of the first Dream Chaser spacecraft is a major indication we are on the right path toward increasing vital science return for the industry," SNC's John Curry said in a statement. As Space News reports, a version of the Dream Chaser was originally in the running for consideration of crewed missions to the International Space Station. NASA ultimately awarded contracts to SpaceX and Boeing for new crewed spacecraft, but SNC tweaked its designs and presented a new version of the Dream Chaser for cargo resupply missions. The current iteration of the spacecraft has foldable wings that allows it to be placed inside the payload compartment of a rocket. Once in space, it will dock with the ISS, transfer cargo, then fly back to Earth, jettisoning its cargo module which is incinerated in the atmosphere as the plane itself flies back down for a runway landing. While this is exciting news for SNC and NASA, it'll still be a while before we get to see the Dream Chaser in action. The spacecraft won't make its debut until late 2020 at the very earliest.
|
| The cheapest days to fly in 2019 Posted: 01 Jan 2019 11:00 AM PST ![The cheapest days to fly in 2019]( "The cheapest days to fly in 2019") Here are the cheapest days to fly in 2019, whether you're staying in the U.S. or traveling internationally.
|
| UK's Hunt says confident May will seal deal for Brexit Posted: 02 Jan 2019 06:56 AM PST  SINGAPORE (AP) — British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Wednesday he is confident Prime Minister Theresa May will obtain the concessions needed to convince enough lawmakers to back an unpopular Brexit deal.
|
| Decade-old flaw in Twitter allows hackers to spread ISIS propaganda using old accounts, report claims Posted: 02 Jan 2019 08:33 AM PST  Terrorists are allegedly exploiting a decade-old vulnerability in Twitter's systems to hijack dormant accounts and spread propaganda online. According to TechCrunch, there has been a resurgence in the number of accounts being hacked in recent weeks, many of which had been inactive for years. The hackers are reportedly using the fact that, prior to this summer, those opening an account with Twitter did not need to confirm their email addresses, meaning there are a number of accounts on the platform not linked to real email addresses or expired addresses. This allows hackers to then create the email address, and so gain access to the attached account. Security experts said this issue was "all too well known", but that it was hard for Twitter to manage the problem. "Twitter could expire accounts after a certain period of dormancy, but legacy accounts that were created without real associated emails will be vulnerable to this sort of hijack," said Robert Pritchard, the former cyber-security researcher at GCHQ and founder of The Cyber Security Expert. Alan Woodward, a computer scientist from the University of Surrey, agreed that "there has been some evidence of this before but it's difficult to see how you stop it unless you disable any Twitter account that has been inactive for more than a certain period". "When the accounts are set up with common email services they can be effectively taken over." Monthly active users TechCrunch said it had been alerted to a number of the hijacked accounts by a security researcher known as WauchulaGhost. The site said those accounts had been spreading propaganda, including videos of Islamic State fighters and messages supporting violence, such as one said to have read: "With your cars, let's go pack, you bomb, go with a bomb, you go in any way." Many of the accounts have since been deleted, it added. WauchulaGhost said: "A lot of these older dormant accounts never created the email they have listed on the account. All someone has to do is create it and take over the account. At the moment Islamic State is using this flaw to spread their propaganda." Technology intelligence - newsletter promo - RHS Twitter had signalled it was aware of the issue in June, introducing the requirement for new accounts to be confirmed with either email addresses or phone numbers. "This is an important change to defend against people who try to take advantage of our openness," Twitter had said at the time. Between January and June, it had suspended a total of 205,156 accounts which had violated its policy prohibiting the promotion of terrorism. Following the report on Wednesday, a spokesman for Twitter said: "Reusing email addresses in this manner is not a new issue for Twitter or other online services. For our part, our teams are aware and are working to identify solutions that can help keep Twitter accounts safe and secure."
|
| Police called after man heard shouting death threats... to a spider Posted: 02 Jan 2019 04:42 PM PST  On Wednesday morning in Perth, Western Australia, a bystander heard a man inside a property repeatedly shouting the words "why don't you die," with the sounds of a toddler screaming in the background,. It turns out the man was only trying to kill a spider. Western Australian Police posted a screenshot of the interaction on Twitter, however, the tweet was later deleted as officers aren't meant to screenshot police systems.
|
| Pope bemoans disjointed world, praises unity over diversity Posted: 01 Jan 2019 04:15 AM PST  Pope Francis, in his first message of the new year on Tuesday, bemoaned a lack of unity across the world, and warned against a soulless hunt for profit that benefits only a few. The New Year's address followed a turbulent 2018 for the pope, whose Church was battered by a torrent of sex scandals across the world that Francis has repeatedly failed to contain. The sense of crisis was underscored on Monday when the Vatican spokesman and his deputy abruptly and unexpectedly resigned following disagreements on communications strategy.
|
| In-Depth Photos of Renault's Alpine A110 Posted: 02 Jan 2019 08:03 AM PST |
| Garbage Takes a Toll on National Parks Amid the Government Shutdown Posted: 01 Jan 2019 12:05 AM PST  "We're going to start seeing significant damage," said an official at the National Parks Conservation Association
|
| U.S. Envoy to Russia Visits American Detained on Spy Allegations Posted: 02 Jan 2019 12:16 PM PST  Huntsman visited Paul Whelan, a former Marine who is the director of global security for Michigan-based auto-parts supplier BorgWarner Inc., on Wednesday, according to a State Department official. Whelan hadn't been in touch with his family since his Dec. 28 arrest, his brother David said on Twitter.
|
| The first Instant Pot deals of 2019 are already here Posted: 02 Jan 2019 05:19 AM PST ![The first Instant Pot deals of 2019 are already here]( "The first Instant Pot deals of 2019 are already here") Well that didn't take very long, now did it? It's only the second day of 2019 and we've already got our first sale on insanely popular Instant Pot multi-use cookers. There are two different models covered in this deal and the discounts aren't quite as deep as what we saw during the holiday shopping season, but they're still the best prices you'll find on these models. First we've got the $80 Instant Pot Duo Mini 3 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker on sale for $67.99, and it's the most compact version of Instant Pot's best-selling model. Then you can also snag the smartphone-connected Instant Pot Smart WiFi 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker for under $137 instead of $150. Both of these are limited-time deals, so get in on the action while you still can. ## Instant Pot Duo Mini 3 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker * All the features of the Instant Pot duo, the bestselling electric pressure cooker in North America now available in a 3 Qt compact format * The perfect companion to your existing Instant Pot, use it for side dishes, vegetables or other accompaniments such as rice * Generous capacity, great for smaller families or where space is at a premium. In a dorm, RV or boat? the Instant Pot duo mini Emits no steam, heat or cooking smells * Features fully automatic pressure cook programs, 3 slow cook heat settings, saute, rice cooking, steamer, yogurt making, delay start and auto keep Warm * 700W power to enable it to reach pressure quickly. All Stainless Steel internal components including lid and inner cooking pot. Lid and cooking pot dishwasher safe * Power supply: 120V - 60Hz * Included Components: Electric Pressure Cooker ## Instant Pot Smart WiFi 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker * Smart Wi-Fi multi-use programmable pressure cooker is a revolutionary kitchen appliance with Wi-Fi connectivity, easy to use interfaces to control and monitor cooking progress through graphics. * Healthy, stainless steel (18/8) inner cooking pot made from food grade 304, no chemical coating, 3-ply bottom. * Built with the latest 3rd generation technology, the microprocessor monitors pressure, temperature, keeps time, and adjusts heating intensity and duration to achieve your desired results every time * UL and ulc certified with 10 safety mechanisms to provide you with added Assurance, designed to eliminate many common errors * Accessories include, stainless steel steam rack with handles, rice paddle, soup spoon, measuring cup and condensation collector * 2.4 ghz Wifi
|
| Tesla cuts prices of electric vehicles: Model 3, Model X, Model S will be cheaper Posted: 02 Jan 2019 07:42 AM PST ![Tesla cuts prices of electric vehicles: Model 3, Model X, Model S will be cheaper]( "Tesla cuts prices of electric vehicles: Model 3, Model X, Model S will be cheaper") Tesla is cutting the starting price of its electric vehicles by $2,000 and bolstering other incentives as it continues to expand production.
|
| The Latest: Deaths from Russia apartment collapse grow to 33 Posted: 02 Jan 2019 01:05 PM PST  MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on the building collapse in Russia (all times local):
|
| Best Bites: Garlic parmesan cauliflower steaks Posted: 01 Jan 2019 05:00 AM PST  Welcome to Best Bites, a twice-weekly video series that aims to satisfy your
|
| Netflix censorship risks helping Saudi crackdown: Amnesty Posted: 02 Jan 2019 06:18 AM PST  Netflix's decision to pull an episode of a show critical of Saudi authorities risks facilitating a crackdown on freedom of expression in the kingdom, Amnesty International said Wednesday. "Saudi Arabia's censorship of Netflix... is further proof of a relentless crackdown on freedom of expression in the kingdom," said Samah Hadid, Amnesty's Middle East campaigns director.
|
| Ultima Thule is getting clearer, and it looks like a big bowling pin Posted: 01 Jan 2019 09:51 AM PST  NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has sent back its closest view of the most distant world humanity has ever visited, Ultima Thule, a snapshot taken on December 31. From half a million miles out, Ultima still appears fuzzy, but the irregularly-shaped object is becoming increasingly clear. "Even though it's a pixelated blob still, it's a better pixelated blob," New Horizons project scientist Hal Weaver said Tuesday at mission headquarters, located at Maryland's Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.
|
| Driver killed in foggy New Year's crash in southwest Houston Posted: 01 Jan 2019 04:12 AM PST  Police don't know if the heavy fog in the area was a contributing factor or if the driver may have been drinking.
|
| China's Xi threatens Taiwan with force but also seeks peaceful 'reunification' Posted: 02 Jan 2019 12:51 AM PST  Taiwan is China's most sensitive issue and is claimed by Beijing as its sacred territory. Xi has stepped up pressure on the democratic island since Tsai Ing-wen from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party became president in 2016. Tsai rejected Xi's call and instead urged China to embrace democracy.
|
| Garbage, feces take toll on national parks amid shutdown Posted: 01 Jan 2019 01:30 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — Human feces, overflowing garbage, illegal off-roading and other damaging behavior in fragile areas were beginning to overwhelm some of the West's iconic national parks, as a partial government shutdown left the areas open to visitors but with little staff on duty.
|
| Officials Are Investigating Why 6 People Suddenly Became Ill During a New Year's Day Flight Posted: 02 Jan 2019 05:05 AM PST  Airport water fountains may have been to blame
|
| Elizabeth Warren announces 2020 run against Trump: 'I'm in this fight' Posted: 31 Dec 2018 06:28 PM PST  Senator Elizabeth Warren jumped into the race for president on Monday, announcing she is forming an exploratory committee for 2020. The Massachusetts Democrat, known for her critiques of big banks and corporations, became the first major candidate to declare her intentions with a video posted online on New Year's Eve. "America's middle class is under attack," she said.
|
| You can now make charitable donations through Google Assistant Posted: 01 Jan 2019 12:59 PM PST ![You can now make charitable donations through Google Assistant]( "You can now make charitable donations through Google Assistant") If you forgot to make any New Year's resolutions last night, here an easy one: Donate to charity. You can change lives by donating just a few dollars to a cause or group of your choice, and now, thanks to Google, it's simpler than ever to do so. As reported by 9to5Google this week, Google Assistant recently gained the ability to make a donation with a voice command. This comes just weeks after a donation page was added to the Play Store. In order to start the process, just say "Ok Google, donate to charity" to your Android device or Google Home. Google Assistant will then ask you which organization you'd like to donate to, and suggests donating $10. You then specify how much you would like to donate, in case you want to give more (or less) than $10. If you know who which organization you want to donate to and how much you want to give, you can also just say "Ok Google, donate to Red Cross" (for example) and you will immediately be asked to confirm the donation. If you're on an Android phone or tablet, you'll see a summary of the transaction, along with this fine print: > Nonprofits are not endorsed by Google. Your donation will go to Network for Good (NFG), a US nonprofit donor advised fund, which makes grants to recommended charities. NFG takes exclusive legal control of donations, and will appear on your receipt. In order to donate, you need to have Google Assistant Payments enabled. Head to Assistant settings > Personal info > Payments to add a card, address, and method of payment approval, such as a password or fingerprint. The feature apparently debuted early in December, but Google didn't make an announcement.
|
| Iran bans Instagram - where the president has 2 million followers Posted: 02 Jan 2019 09:03 AM PST  Iran's president Hassan Rouhani is a major presence on Instagram, where his verified account regularly sends out posts to an audience of more than 2 million followers. But Rouhani's account will no longer be officially allowed in the country after authorities in Iran announced plans to ban the photo sharing app, citing national security concerns. Iran's National Cyberspace Council has approved steps to block Instagram, according to local reports, following crackdowns on other social media apps. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Telegram are already banned in the Islamic Republic, with internet providers ordered to block access to the services. The apps have often been used as a way to spread anti-government messages, with Telegram in particular, often cited as a national security concern. View this post on Instagram احیای #دریاچه_ارومیه یکی از قولهای من به مردم آذربایجان غربی در سال ۹۲ بود و اگر تلاش این دولت نبود، با ادامه روال سالهای قبل، امروز یک قطره آب در دریاچه ارومیه وجود نداشت و تمام این دریاچه به یک نمکزار خطرناک تبدیل شده بود که زندگی مردم، کشاورزی و باغها را تهدید میکرد. هنوز به مرحله احیاء دریاچه نرسیدهایم اما وضعیت دریاچه تقریباً تثبیت شده که این خود گام بزرگی است. �� عکسها: مهدی قربانی @Mahdi.Ghorbani77، حجت سپهوند @HojatSepahvand و ابراهیم سیدی؛ در جمع مردم شهرستان #خوی، استان آذربایجان غربی، ١٣٩٧/٨/٢٨. A post shared by Hassan Rouhani • حسن روحانی (@hrouhani) on Nov 19, 2018 at 9:20am PST Many Iranians continue to access the services despite the bans, circumventing the technical blocks by routing traffic through an overseas internet address. Twitter has been blocked in the country since 2009 but Rouhani has official accounts that tweet both in Persian and English. Former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has also fostered a sizeable Twitter fanbase. Had a busy day today . But I always make time for #Twitterpic.twitter.com/YDQ63xy6bk— Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (@Ahmadinejad1956) August 28, 2018 Instagram is the last major social media service officially available in Iran, and Rouhani's official account has posted more than one thousand times, often showing pictures of flag-waving crowds and the president himself on photo-ops, with accompanying messages in Persian. It is unclear when Iran's ban is due to go into effect. The country curbed access to some internet services, including intermittently restricting Instagram, a year ago, a move that Donald Trump criticised at the time. The block comes as Iran has increasingly been blamed for attempts to use social media to disrupt politics in the UK and the US. In August, Facebook, which owns Instagram, deleted hundreds of accounts on both services that were linked to Iranian state media.
|
| Netanyahu says Israel is Arabs' 'ally' against Iran Posted: 31 Dec 2018 08:16 PM PST  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Arab countries viewed Israel as an "indispensable ally" fighting Iran and the Islamic State group. The comments came as Israel has stepped up air strikes on Iranian positions in neighboring Syria, and as Israel digested an abrupt decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw US troops from Syria.
|
| New cruise ships for 2019: Viking Cruises' Viking Jupiter Posted: 02 Jan 2019 04:38 AM PST ![New cruise ships for 2019: Viking Cruises' Viking Jupiter]( "New cruise ships for 2019: Viking Cruises' Viking Jupiter") Viking Cruises in 2019 will unveil its sixth ocean ship, Viking Jupiter.
|
