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WORLD NEWSFriday 29 December 2017
London to beef up its police presence on New Year’s Eve
LONDON (AP) — London covert protection meth-
plans to beef up its po- ods will be used and rev-
lice presence and closed elers should expect to see
down some roads for New armed police and vehicle
Year’s Eve after a year barriers.
marked by repeated ex- Aldworth says police are
tremist attacks. asking the public to be
The Metropolitan Po- patient on New Year’s
lice said Thursday there’s Eve because there will
no specific threat to the be many checkpoints in
city’s massive celebra- place.
tion, which is focused on a Police say tickets for Lon-
fireworks display over the don’s fireworks display
River Thames, but says the have all been sold out and
public should be vigilant. that those without a ticket
Superintendent Nick Ald- should consider watching
worth says both overt and the event on television.q
Fireworks explode over the River Thames and the Palace of
Westminster’s Elizabeth Tower, known as Big Ben, as the New
Year’s Day celebrations begin in London. London plans to beef
up its police presence and close down some roads for New
Year’s Eve after a year marked by repeated extremist attacks.
(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
US, Turkey announce end to visa dispute sparked by arrest
By SUZAN FRASER tained or arrested for per- U.S. Consulate in Istanbul. deteriorate since a coup A statement from the Turk-
Associated Press forming their duties. Turkey Turkey had retaliated by attempt last year that the ish Embassy in Washington
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — reciprocated by restoring halting visa services in the Turkish government blames also accused the U.S. of
The U.S. Embassy in Turkey full visa services to Ameri- U.S. for Americans traveling on a Muslim cleric who lives spreading misinformation
announced Thursday that cans. to Turkey. in the U.S. and insisted that no locally
it is resuming normal visa The United States had halt- The diplomatic conflict After receiving assurances employed embassy staff
services for Turkish citizens, ed most visa services for aggravated tensions be- its locally employed staff were being prosecuted for
saying Turkish authorities Turkish citizens following the tween the United States members would not be ar- performing their official du-
fulfilled assurances that no October arrest of a Turkish and Turkey, NATO allies rested for performing du- ties, and
local staff would be de- citizen employed at the that have seen their ties ties such as communicat- “We do not approve of the
ing with Turkish officials, United States providing the
U.S. diplomatic missions in Turkish and American pub-
Turkey began processing lic wrongful information,”
visas on a “limited” basis in the statement read.
November. Metin Topuz, the consul-
The embassy said Thursday ate employee arrested in
it was satisfied enough that October, was detained on
Turkish authorities had kept charges of espionage and
their promise to restore the alleged ties to Gulen. He
full range of visa services. was the second local staff
It added that Turkey also member at a U.S. mission in
followed through on as- Turkey to be held. The U.S.
surances that Washington Embassy denied the alle-
would be informed in ad- gations against them.
vance if authorities intend- The embassy said it re-
ed to detain other staff mains concerned about
members in the future. the allegations leveled at
“The Department of State the two staff members and
is confident that the secu- other U.S. citizens who were
rity posture has improved caught up in the Turkish
sufficiently to allow the full government’s crackdown
resumption of visa services following the failed military
in Turkey,” the U.S. Embassy coup.
said in a statement. Turkey accuses U.S.-based
Turkey welcomed the U.S. cleric Fethullah Gulen of
announcement, but de- orchestrating the coup
nied giving the U.S. any re- attempt. Gulen denies in-
assurances about any on- volvement in the takeover
going legal case. attempt.q
