KIM SAYS NUCLEAR FORCE IS A REALITY
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says the United States should be aware that his country’s nuclear forces are now a reality, not a threat.
Kim was speaking in his annual New Year’s Day address. He said the country had achieved the historic feat of “completing” its nuclear forces and added that the has a “nuclear button” on his desk.
The customary New Year’s address was broadcast Monday morning on North Korean state television.
Witnesses: Residents prevented much worse attack in Egypt.
Witnesses to an attack outside a Coptic Christian church in Egypt that left nine people dead said it was residents and worshippers, not police, who kept the death toll from soaring even higher. One man in particular — a 53year-old resident who pounced on the gunman as he was reloading his automatic rifle — probably saved dozens of lives.
Police initially were praised for their quick response to the attack Friday on the church and a nearby Coptic Christian-owned store, but witnesses told The Associated Press that the deadly assault lasted 20 minutes and it took another 10 minutes before police arrived and shot and wounded the assailant.
Bombing at funeral for Afghan official kills 17.
A bombing targeted the funeral of a local official in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least 17 people, officials said. Noor Ahmad Habibi, deputy spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, said a rickshaw rigged with explosives went off among people gathered in the provincial capital, Jalalabad, to mourn a former district chief. He said around 13 other people were wounded. Habibi said authorities believe it was a remotely detonated explosion. No one immediately claimed the attack.
10 U.S. citizens killed in Costa Rica plane crash.
A plane carrying 10 U.S. citizens and two Costa Rican crew members crashed in a wooded area, killing all aboard Sunday, Costa Rica’s government said.
Authorities said Sunday evening that they had only a list of passengers provided by the airline and were awaiting official confirmation of their identities.
Crash between truck and bus in Kenya kills at least 36.
KENYA» A police NAIROBI, official says a collision between a truck and a bus in western Kenya has killed at least 36 people.
Rift Valley Traffic Commandant Zero Arome said Sunday the accident involved a bus heading to the capital city, Nairobi, from Busia County and a truck heading from Nakuru County to Eldoret town.
Arome says the bus’ brakes are believed to have failed.
“Last Jedi” climbs to top on final day of 2017.
LOS
On the last day of the calendar year, “The Last Jedi” has surpassed “Beauty and the Beast” as the top-grossing film in North America in 2017. It also topped the charts for the weekend for the third time, but just barely — “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” is close on its tail.
According to studio estimates on Sunday, “The Last Jedi” will add $52.4 million over the weekend bringing its domestic total to $517.1 million. “Beauty and the Beast,” also a Disney release, netted out with $504 million for the year.