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NTV said around 20 to 30 people may have been wounded in the attack, which took place in the Reina nightclub, in the Ortakoy area, at about 01:30 local time (23:30 GMT). The channel says two attackers were involved, while CNN Turk reported they were dressed in Santa costumes. Unconfirmed reports say one attacker may still be inside. Istanbul had been on high alert for any terror attacks, with some 17,000 police officers on duty in the city. There were reportedly several hundred people in the nightclub at the time.

Alcohol will be banned at a popular Sydney beach all summer after a Christmas party resulted in a build-up of 15 tonnes (15,000kg) of rubbish. More than 10,000 people flocked to Coogee beach on Christmas day, leaving bottles, cigarette boxes and general waste behind. The ban has been enforced by Randwick City Council, which called the event "disgraceful". The summer season in Australia usually takes place from December to February. "The poor and inappropriate behaviour of a few on Christmas Day have forced [the] Council to introduce a total alcohol ban for the area," said Mayor of Randwick Noel D'Souza in a statement on Facebook. "It is disappointing we have to take such a strong stance but we need to reassure the community that they can feel safe when visiting." While some argued against the ban, the majority of those on social media seemed to agree with the council's actions. "N

At least 26 people have died and dozens have been left seriously ill after drinking toxic alcohol over Christmas in Punjab in Pakistan, officials say. The dead, 24 Christians and two Muslims, consumed the homemade liquor in the city of Toba Tek Singh. Muslims are forbidden from buying or drinking alcohol in Pakistan - and minorities need a permit to buy liquor. With alcohol sales tightly regulated, cheap homebrewed spirits often contain poisonous methanol. It's the latest case of deadly alcohol poisoning in Pakistan after 11 died in October, also in Punjab province. Police officer Mohammad Nadeem told BBC Urdu that 40 people had been admitted to hospitals in Toba Tek Singh and Faisalabad to have their stomachs pumped. "The men who belong to the Christian community drank liquor on the night of 25 December and went home. Tragedy struck the next morning when many did not rise from their beds, while others got sick," he said. He said two local Muslim men ha

The flight data recorder of the Russian military airliner which crashed in the Black Sea on Sunday has been recovered and brought to Moscow. The Tu-154 jet came down with the loss of all 92 passengers and crew. At least 12 bodies have been recovered so far. It was carrying artistes due to give a concert for Russian troops in Syria, and journalists and military personnel. The cause of the disaster is still being investigated but there is no suggestion of a terror attack. The plane crashed soon after take-off from an airport near the city of Sochi. The victims of the Russian jet crash How a plane crash is investigated Air disasters timeline It disappeared from radar two minutes after taking off from Sochi's Adler airport at 05:25 (02:25 GMT) on Sunday, heading for Latakia in Syria. Coming from Moscow, the plane had landed in Sochi for refuelling. It was carrying 64 members of the famed Alexandrov military music ensemble, as well as one of Russia's best-known

Remember to show people love Dont forget to show someone that you care Even without their beloved Make them feel better than they were.... HAPPY HOLIDAY PEOPLE  FROM KELVIN EZEH

The days of entire teams swarming around a referee to question a decision could be numbered. In an interview with BBC Sport, Marco van Basten revealed FIFA are discussing a rule change that would allow only team captains to speak with referees. “There are a lot of players now who are complaining during a game,” Van Basten, FIFA’s chief technical development officer, said. It’s an unassailable point, really. Seemingly in every match, players are jawing at referees several times during the game. It’s a practice that FIFA are looking to curtail. “I am sure the behavior of the players can be better — we are thinking about putting it back in the right direction.” In the lead-up to this season, English football and the Premier League took steps to crack down on abusive players. Cautions and even red cards could be doled out if players swore at match officials, but the threat alone didn’t seem to be enough. If FIFA were to adopt a rugby-like approach where only ca

The value of the Bitcoin virtual currency has hit a three-year high with each one now worth about $900 (£730). At the start of 2016, single coins were only worth around $435 but their value has climbed steadily all year. The steady upward progress has continued despite regular hack attacks on virtual currency exchanges in which coins have been stolen. Experts said the rise in value was linked to the long-term depreciation of the Chinese Yuan.         Stolen coins The Chinese currency has dropped about 7% in value during 2016, said Reuters. The majority of Bitcoin currency trading takes place in China as it allows people to skirt restrictive local laws that limit how much money Chinese people can swap. Charles Hayter, founder of the Cryptocompare website that watches virtual currencies, said global political uncertainty and Indian moves to control paper currency were also driving people to buy Bitcoins. If those trends continued, he told Reuters, many more people may

Just months after being ousted from England in a stunning fall from grace, Sam Allardyce is rebounding as the manager of Crystal Palace. The struggling Premier League club announced the hire on Friday in a move that offers Allardyce a chance to move past his short-but-embarrassing spell with England. Allardyce, known for his ability to come in and make quick fixes to floundering clubs, takes over for fired coach Alan Pardew with the task of saving 17th-placed Palace from relegation. But it’s a relegation fight that may take on new meaning for Allardyce, who needs to move on from an embarrassing dismissal after just about two months as head of the Three Lions. The 62-year-old manager was filmed by undercover journalists suggesting there were ways to get around rules banning the controversial practice of third-party ownership. He was swiftly fired after 67 days on the job for England, having managed a single game for the team. But Allardyce’s baggage aside,

If there’s one thing that’s never been a question with Mario Balotelli, it’s his entertainment value. The 26-year-old Italian is a mainstay in headlines, for better or worse. Whether he’s scoring beautiful goals or accidentally setting his house on fire with bathroom fireworks, attention follows Balo. Since he’s moved to Nice, things seemed to have settled down. Well, at least by Balotelli standards. As it turns out, Balo is actually putting together a pretty impressive streak with Nice. As @bet365 on Twitter points out, the mercurial striker has either scored, booked or been sent off in every match he’s played with Nice. That’s one hell of an impact, for better or worse. It should be noted, however, that the Oct. 2nd red card was rescinded … but Balotelli still picked up a yellow to keep the streak alive! So, in 14 games with Nice, he’s racked up 10 goals, 8 yellows, 1 red. His red card against Bordeaux on Wednesday means we might not see Balotelli back in a Nice unifor

Donald Trump has called for the US to "greatly strengthen and expand" its nuclear arsenal. The president-elect, who takes office next month, said the US must take such action "until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes". He spoke hours after President Vladimir Putin said Russia needs to bolster its military nuclear potential. The US has 7,100 nuclear weapons and Russia has 7,300, according to the US nonpartisan Arms Control Association. Mr Trump's announcement, which came via Twitter, was published in a string of several tweets on Thursday morning. Mr Trump also wrote to criticise a resolution being considered at the UN and to reiterate his vow to "drain the swamp" - a reference to corruption in Washington DC. His tweet came only hours after President Putin met with his military advisers to recap Russian military activities in 2016 "We need to s

Too much Facebook browsing at Christmas - and seeing all those "perfect" families and holiday photos - is more likely to make you miserable than festive, research suggests. A University of Copenhagen study suggests excessive use of social media can create feelings of envy. It particularly warns about the negative impact of "lurking" on social media without connecting with anyone. The study suggests taking a break from using social media. The study of more than 1,000 participants, mostly women, says that "regular use of social networking such as Facebook can negatively affect your emotional well-being and satisfaction with life". 'Unrealistic social comparisons' Researchers warn of envy and a "deterioration of mood" from spending too long looking at other people's social media stories, induced by "unrealistic social comparisons". If this suggests a picture of long irritable hours over a screen, depressed

Lagos customs chief Haruna Mamudu said the fake rice was intended to be sold in markets during the festive season. He said the rice was very sticky after it was boiled and "only God knows what would have happened" if people ate it. It is not clear where the seized bags came from but rice made of plastic pellets was found in China last year. Rice is the most popular staple food in Nigeria. The BBC's Peter Okwoche says it is the only foodstuff that crosses cultural and ethnic lines across the country. Investigations are under way to establish how much of the contraband has already been sold. The customs official called on "economic saboteurs who see yuletide season as a peak period for their nefarious acts to desist from such illegal" business activity. Mr Mamudu did not explain how the plastic rice was made but said it had been branded as "Best Tomato Rice".

Not only will Barcelona aggressively pursue signing Lionel Messi to a contract extension, the club is also willing to make the superstar the highest-paid player in the world. Messi’s current contract with Barcelona expires in 2018, and rumors have circulated that the 29-year-old will look to return to his boyhood club, Newell’s Old Boys, after he is done with Barcelona. But club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said he expects Messi will extend his contract — and Barcelona will do everything they can to make sure of it. “There are no doubts that sooner or later we will close [Messi’s] renewal,” Bartomeu said at a press conference on Tuesday. “I hope that he ends his sporting career here and after that I’m sure he will remain linked to the club. He is without doubt the best player in the history of the game and we will make a huge effort to renew his contract.” Though Bartomeu declined to get specific on the value of that contract renewal, he suggested Barc

Russia's intelligence services are to develop extra security measures for its embassies following the killing of its ambassador to Turkey. Andrei Karlov was shot dead as he gave a speech on Monday in Ankara. The gunman, Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, an Ankara policeman, was apparently protesting at Russia's involvement in Syria's Aleppo. He was later shot dead. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attack was aimed at hurting ties with Russia. It was not clear whether the gunman, a riot police member, had links to any group.

Even casual fans may notice that Cristiano Ronaldo never wears black boots, whether it’s for Real Madrid or Portugal. But it’s not just about being flashy. According to Max Blau, a vice president at Nike, it’s all about giving Ronaldo a competitive advantage. “Every player has their favorite color, and it’s been scientifically proven that the color of the boots activates chemicals in the player’s mind,” Blau told Goal USA. “When you feel better, you play better. The main reason of the color is to give confidence. “For example, Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t like to wear black boots because he says black looks slow and he wants to feel fast.” That reasoning would sound a little silly except it’s apparently backed by science. “The same individual under the same conditions will have a better performance if he wears a better product,” Blau went on. It’s hard to argue with that, then — we’ll trust the cleat experts on this one. We wonder what science says about Ro

German police are questioning a man they believe ploughed a lorry into a busy Christmas market in the heart of Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48. The driver is an Afghan or Pakistani asylum seeker, according to security sources cited by DPA news agency. He reportedly arrived in Germany in February as a refugee. The daily Tagesspiegel said the man was known to the police for minor crimes, but not terror links. German politicians have avoided branding the bloodshed a suspected terror attack at this stage, but interior minister Thomas de Maiziere told ARD television, "there are many things pointing to one". Berlin Police said investigators were treating the crash as a deliberate act. Berlin witnesses describe devastation The attack as it happened A year of terror in Germany The stricken market is at Breitscheidplatz, close to the Kurfuerstendamm, the main shopping street in Berlin's west. The deadly incident unfolded in the shadow of the Kaise

OTTAWA— BlackBerry Ltd. on Monday announced plans to invest about 100 million Canadian dollars ($76 million) in its push to develop software for the operation of driverless cars, hiring up to 600 engineers, as the company forges into new business lines after its retreat from smartphones. A hub will be established in the Canadian capital of Ottawa to focus on software development under BlackBerry’s QNX platform, the Waterloo, Ontario company said. BlackBerry Chief Executive John Chen unveiled the company’s plans at an event at the company’s offices in suburban Ottawa, in which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also appeared. Mr. Trudeau said BlackBerry’s announcement on autonomous driving indicates the company “is ready to push the limits of innovation once again.” Mr. Chen said the plan is to spend about C$100 million over the next few years at the Ottawa center. Most of the money would be focused on recruiting up to 600 e

Thousands of people, including dozens of orphans, have left Aleppo in one of the besieged Syrian city's biggest evacuations yet. More than 4,500 civilians have left rebel-held parts of eastern Aleppo so far on Monday. Among them is seven-year-old Bana Alabed, who had tweeted about conditions in the city. A linked evacuation of government-held parts of Idlib province being besieged by rebels started early on Monday. While civilians are being moved to safety, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution which requested "UN and other relevant institutions to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring" of the mass evacuations from Aleppo. The unanimous vote happened after the 15-member council had managed to overcome disagreements between Western nations and Russia on the issue. The US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, described the resolution as an "important step", but stressed that "until it's implemented it's a piece of paper".

Leicester City have appealed against the red card shown to striker Jamie Vardy in Saturday's 2-2 Premier League draw at Stoke. Vardy was dismissed in the 28th minute for a two-footed tackle on Mame Diouf. If the decision is upheld, the 29-year-old England international will receive a three-match ban and miss games against Everton, West Ham and Middlesbrough. The champions said they expect to hear the outcome "in the coming days". Vardy jumped and made the tackle with both feet on the Potters' Senegal forward Diouf. He won the ball but made contact with Diouf's shins. However, referee Craig Pawson deemed it reckless enough to issue a red card, Vardy's second of 2016. "He wants to challenge and get the ball, not make a foul," Foxes manager Claudio Ranieri said after the match, in which his side came from 2-0 down to earn a point. "There was a big challenge between Johnson and Vardy. He touched the ball. Maybe it was yellow."

A lorry has ploughed into a Christmas market in central Berlin, killing nine people and injuring many more, police say. Police now say they suspect it was a deliberate attack. Video footage from the scene shows stalls knocked over and people lying injured on the ground. The driver is on the run, German media report. The market is at Breitscheidplatz close to the Kurfuerstendamm, the main shopping street in the city's west. A reporter for the Berliner Morgenpost described a "gruesome scene". The Berliner Zeitung reports that police have set up a meeting point for relatives at the scene. A photographer for the DPA news agency said that armed police were at entrance to the nearby zoo.

A Turkish policeman has shot dead Russia's ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, apparently in protest at Russia's involvement in Aleppo. Several other people were reportedly also injured in the attack, a day after protests in Turkey over Russian support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The killer, who was in civilian clothes, opened fire at point blank range as Mr Karlov made a speech. He is said to have died in a shootout with police soon afterwards. Mr Karlov was rushed to hospital, reports said, but his death was later confirmed by the Russian foreign ministry. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone about the attack, Mr Erdogan's office said. Speaking outside the hospital where Mr Karlov was taken, Ankara's Mayor, Melih Gokcek, said the killing was intended to ruin his country's relations with Russia. The attack was swiftly condemned by other countries: US state department spokesman

An Indonesian air force Hercules C-130 aeroplane has crashed in remote Papua province in the east of the country, killing everyone on board. Three pilots and 10 other military personnel died, officials say. Air force chief of staff Agus Supriatna told MetroTV that bad weather was suspected to have caused the crash. The Hercules was carrying food supplies from Timika to Wamena when it came down in mountainous terrain near to its destination early on Sunday. The wreckage has been located and the bodies of the dead are being brought to Wamena, Ivan Ahmad Riski Titus, operational director of Indonesia's search and rescue agency, told Reuters. The flight had left Timika at 05:35 (20:35 GMT Saturday) and was expected to land in Wamena at 06:13. "The tower in Wamena has spotted the plane, but it was not certain that the plane saw the runway," said deputy air force chief of staff Hadiyan Sumintaatmadja. Personnel from the air force base in Jayapura, the regio

Facebook is taking new measures to curb the spread of fake news on its huge and influential social network, focusing on the "worst of the worst" offenders. The online behemoth is going into partnership with outside fact-checkers to sort honest news reports from made-up stories that play to people's passions and preconceived notions. Fake news stories touch on a broad range of subjects, from unproven cancer cures to celebrity hoaxes and backyard Bigfoot sightings. But fake political stories have drawn attention because of the possibility they influenced public perceptions and could have swayed the US presidential election. There have been other dangerous real-world consequences. Man influenced by fake news enters pizzeria with gun A fake story about a child sex ring at a Washington DC pizza joint prompted a man to fire an assault rifle inside the restaurant, Comet Ping Pong. "We do believe that we have an obligation to combat the spread

Their protest coincided with President Muhammadu Buhari's arrival at the National Assembly to present next year's budget. The African champions then marched to President Buhari's villa, where an aide said they would be paid in two days. They have refused to leave a nearby hotel until they receive win bonuses of $17,150 each (£13,500). At the president's villa Mr Buhari's Chief of Staff Malam Abba Kyari told them the government was aware of their situation and promised it would be resolved within two days. Speaking to the BBC's Naziru Mikailu in Abuja, one of the players said they had decided to go back to their hotel and wait for the government to fulfil its promise. The issue has also been attracting the attention of other Nigerian sport stars. "My feelings are hurt by the treatment of our champions, the Super Falcons. This issue must be resolved for the dignity of our sports people," tweeted former Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo. The Su

ATHLETIC BILBAO v APOEL LEGIA WARSAW v AJAX ANDERLECHT v ZENIT ASTRA GIURGIU v GENK MANCHESTER UNITED v ST ETIENNE VILLARREAL v ROMA LUDOGORETS v COPENHAGEN CELTA VIGO v SHAKHTAR DONETSK OLYMPIAKOS v OSMANLISPOR GENT v TOTTENHAM ROSTOV v SPARTA PRAGUE KRASNODAR v FENERBAHCE BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH v FIORENTINA AZ ALKMAAR v LYON HAPOEL BEER-SHEVA v BESIKTAS PAOK v SCHALKE

Man City v Monaco Real Madrid v Napoli Benfica v Borussia Dortmund Bayern Munich v Arsenal FC Porto v Juventus Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid PSG v Barcelona Sevilla v Leicester Ties to be played 14/15 & 21/22 February and 7/8 & 14/15 March.

The update aims to encourage the few owners who have not yet returned the faulty devices to hand them in. Samsung issued a global recall for the Galaxy Note 7 in September following complaints about exploding batteries. It estimates that in Europe about 10% of Note 7 owners have yet to return their devices. In a statement, Samsung, which plans to begin the changes on 15 December, said the update it issued in September that limited charging capacity to 60% "helped to drive a high rate of return". "This new battery software update is specifically designed to reinforce to the remaining minority of customers to immediately replace their device," it said. Customers can swap their phones via local replacement programmes, it added. Reports suggest Samsung is taking different steps in other regions to encourage people to turn in their phones. In Canada, an update reportedly turns off all the radio communications on a phone, including phone, wi-fi and bluetooth,

The Belgium international was the subject of boos from home fans as he warmed up on the touchlines on Sunday after he conceded a late penalty against Everton last weekend to see the game drawn. Fellaini made another late appearance at Old Trafford on Sunday and his boss attributed the victory to him after getting a hard time from the crowd, who were also subject to praise from Mourinho. "I want to dedicate this victory to Fellaini because he deserves it," he told Sky Sports. "In the last match, it was him that was involved in the loss of two points, and that's why I want to make it clear he is an important player for me.  "The fans can do what they want and they have been phenomenal with us. I just have to thank them for everything they are giving us, especially in the period where we are not giving them too much so I am really happy with them."

A church roof has collapsed in southeastern Nigeria, killing at least 60 people, with local media reporting the death toll to be much higher. The evangelical Reigners Bible Ministry in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom state, was packed with worshippers when the roof collapsed on Saturday. "It is a massive church and the local bishop was being ordained at the service, so there were thousands of people, including top government officials there. Governor Udom Emmanuel was reported to be inside when metal girders crashed onto worshippers and the corrugated iron roof caved in. He did not suffer any injuries in the incident. "We have never had such a shocking incident in the history of our dear state," Emmanuel said on his Facebook page.

Two girls said to be aged seven or eight have been used to bomb a market in north-east Nigeria, killing at least one other person and wounding 18. Police in the town of Maiduguri, Borno state, say the attack happened when the market was crowded with shoppers. The girls detonated their explosives minutes apart, witnesses said. Both were killed. No group has said it was behind the bombings but Boko Haram militants have carried out similar attacks. In the past few months, the Nigerian army has made gains against the group but it still carries out regular bombings. A member of a militia in Maiduguri, Abdulkarim Jabo, told media the girls were aged about seven or eight and had arrived at the market in a rickshaw. "They got out of a rickshaw and walked right in front of me without showing the slightest sign of emotion," he said. "I

The emotional moment was captured on video and has since been shared on Facebook where it has so far touched the hearts of hundreds thousands of people. 'The hospital did the sweetest thing for us and allowed us to bring my brother's dog in to "say goodbye" so she'd know why her human never came home,' his sister, Michelle Jessen, wrote in a Facebook post on December 1. 'If you knew my brother, he really loved his sweet dog.' Tail between her legs and ears pinned down an upset looking Mollie is seen desperately sniffing her dying owner when she is lifted onto his hospital bed. 

The ex-Marine and US Senator had been in hospital in Columbus, Ohio, for more than a week and died surrounded by his children and wife of 73 years. Glenn is best known for circling the earth in 1962 aboard the Friendship 7 space capsule. His achievement marked the moment the US caught up with the Soviet Union in manned space exploration. Glenn is expected to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. After returning to Earth, Glenn was elected in 1974 as a Democrat to the US Senate, where he served for 24 years. He blazed another trial in 1998 - 36 years after his historic flight - when he became the oldest man to travel to space, at age 77. The only son of a plumber and schoolteacher, Glenn was born in 1921 in Cambridge, Ohio. His father would recall how the boy used to run around the yard with arms held wide, pretending to fly a plane. Glenn retained a lifelong love of flight and was piloting his own aircraft as recently as five years ago. He married h

British actor Peter Vaughan, best known for roles in Game of Thrones and Porridge, has died at the age of 93. He played Maester Aemon in the HBO series and Grouty in the TV sitcom. His many other roles included parts in TV shows Citizen Smith, Chancer and Our Friends in the North. His agent Sally Long-Innes said: "This is to confirm that very sadly Peter Vaughan passed away at approximately 10.30 this morning. He died peacefully with his family around him." Vaughan began acting in the 1950s and became a recognisable face by playing numerous mainly supporting roles on stage, television, radio and film. He specialised in characters with a tough edge - such as police officers, secret agents and authoritarian elders.

A spokesman told the BBC that classified information was thought to have been stolen, although it is not clear exactly what data was accessed. The North has previously been accused of hacking into banks and media outlets but never the South's military. Pyongyang has in the past rejected allegations of cyber crime involvement. "It seems the intranet server of the cyber command has been contaminated with malware. We found that some military documents, including confidential information, have been hacked," a military spokesman told South Korea's Yonhap news agency. It is not clear whether low-grade documents or more important details like war plans were accessed. The military said that the compromised section of its network was isolated once the attack was detected. North Korean hackers 'could kill' Bureau 121: How good are Kim Jong-un's elite hackers? North Korea is believed to have thousands of personnel involved in cyberwarfare. Sinc