The White House condemned the “savagery” of at least one gunman in Istanbul who killed at least 35 people and wounded 40 others as they celebrated the New Year, calling the attack “horrific.”
The gunman reportedly dressed as Santa Claus shot dead a policeman and a civilian at the entrance to the Reina nightclub, one of the city’s most exclusive party venues, before going on a shooting rampage inside, according to the authorities.
NTV television said many party-goers threw themselves into the Bosphorus in panic after the attack and efforts were under way to rescue them from the waters.
“The United States condemns in the strongest terms the horrific terrorist attack at a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey, which has left dozens dead and many more wounded,” National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
“That such an atrocity could be perpetrated upon innocent revelers, many of whom were celebrating New Year’s Eve, underscores the savagery of the attackers.”
Price added, “We reaffirm the support of the United States for Turkey, our NATO ally, in our shared determination to confront and defeat all forms of terrorism.
State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said the United States would be “in close touch” with Turkish authorities as they investigate the attack.
“Sadly, this heinous attack is only the latest effort to kill and maim innocent civilians,” he added.
“These attacks only reinforce our strong determination to work with the Government of Turkey to counter the scourge of terrorism.”

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LONDON — Burundi ’s environment minister was shot to death while en route home from a New Year’s celebration early Sunday morning, an act that could exacerbate the country’s nearly two-year-long political crisis.
Emmanuel Niyonkuru, 54, the minister for water, environment and planning, was shot to death around 12:45 a.m. while returning to his home in the Rohero section of Bujumbura, the capital, according to a statement by Pierre Nkurikiye, a spokesman for the national police. He said that a woman who was with him had been detained for questioning.
President Pierre Nkurunziza called the killing an “assassination” and said on Twitter : “Condolences to the family and to all Burundians. This crime will not go unpunished.”
Violent protests broke out after April 2015, when Mr. Nkurunziza decided to run for a third term, even though the constitution limits the president to two five-year terms. (The constitutional court ruled that his first term did not count, since he had been elected by members of Parliament and not directly by voters.) He went on to win a new term , in an election that most of his rivals boycotted and that American and European observers described as neither fair nor free.
Hundreds of people have been killed in the violence, which has displaced an estimated 300,000 people. The United Nations has warned of summary executions and other crimes that might amount to crimes against humanity — an assertion that Mr. Nkurunziza has rejected. In October, Burundi moved to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, the Hague-based tribunal responsible for investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity, the first country to do so.

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Last Updated Dec 31, 2016 5:55 PM EST
The Pennsylvania State Police said in a release that Trooper Landon Weaver, 23, was shot about 6:30 p.m. Friday while responding to a report of a protection-from-abuse violation at the Huntingdon County home.
An overnight manhunt for the suspect ended Saturday morning when police found 32-year-old Jason Robison at an unoccupied mobile home in the area, authorities said. Cpl. Adam Reed, a state police spokesman, said Robison refused orders and threatened officers on the scene, leading police to shoot him. His death was confirmed at about 10:30 a.m.
Earlier on Saturday, state police had said on social media that Robison had died.
HUNTINGDON COUNTY: UPDATE.
** Robison is deceased; more information to follow. **
The Pennsylvania State Police is…
Robison had been arrested more than a dozen times in the county, on charges that included making threats, assault, theft and driving on a revoked license. Robison last appeared in court on Dec. 16, when he was released on theft and driving charges after posting $10,000 bail.
Details of the complaint that Weaver was responding to when he was shot were not immediately available, and Reed did not immediately know who owned the home where Weaver was killed.
Weaver enlisted in the Pennsylvania State Police in December 2015 and was assigned to the Patrol Unit in Troop G in Huntingdon. He’s the 97th member of the Pennsylvania State Police to be killed in the line of duty.
Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement that “Landon will always be remembered for his bravery, his sacrifice, and his willingness to serve.”
“Trooper Weaver’s life and service to our commonwealth ended far too soon – may we never forget his sacrifice,” Wolf said .
Wolf also commended the Pennsylvania State Police and all law enforcement involved for swiftly ending the manhunt and preventing harm to other residents.
“I thank the troopers and their counterparts who worked through the night and put their lives on the line,” he said.

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Gunmen in Bahrain have attacked a prison, killing a policeman and freeing inmates convicted of terror offences, officials say.
A security lockdown has been imposed around Jaw prison, south of the capital Manama, the interior ministry said.
It did not say how many prisoners had escaped.
Sporadic unrest has hit Bahrain since protests in February 2011 demanded an end to discrimination of the Shia majority by the Sunni Muslim rulers.
At the time, demonstrators occupied Manama’s Pearl Roundabout to press for more democracy.
The protesters were driven out by security forces in March 2011, after the king brought in troops from neighbouring Sunni-led Gulf states to restore order and crush dissent.
The unrest left at least 30 civilians and five policemen dead. Almost 3,000 people were also arrested, and scores were handed long prison terms by military courts.
Opposition activists say dozens of people have been killed in ongoing clashes between protesters and security forces, while bomb attacks blamed on Iran-backed militants have left a number of police officers dead.
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