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BERLIN (AP) — As German police try to find the person who carried out yesterday's deadly attack on a Christmas market, the Islamic State group says the attacker was working on its behalf. A statement says the attacker was responding to calls for attacks on what the militant group calls "citizens of the Crusader coalition." The claim of responsibility came not long after German prosecutors said they had released a man who was picked up last night near the scene of the attack. He had been suspected of driving the truck, but authorities didn't have enough evidence to hold him.
LONDON (AP) — London police will institute road closures in the area surrounding Buckingham Palace when the popular Changing of the Guard military ceremony is taking place. It's a security measure rushed into place because of the deadly Christmas market truck attack in Berlin. Police say the change in procedure had been planned but is being speeded up. The closures and the new physical barriers are set to be in place by tomorrow.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump's unusual status as incoming president and owner of a Washington hotel is drawing renewed attention -- as one of the Middle East's richest kingdoms plans to host its National Day celebration at the venue. Kuwait's ambassador to the U.S. says the party is scheduled for next month at what he calls the "new hotel in town." Kuwait moved the event from its regular venue, the Four Seasons. The ambassador says no one pressed him to switch. Still, the event could reinforce questions about Trump's possible conflicts of interest.
DALLAS (AP) — A Newsweek reporter who has epilepsy is seeking information from Twitter in his effort to find out the identity of a person he says sent him an image intended to trigger a seizure. Kurt Eichenwald filed a request in Dallas County Court seeking to depose Twitter executives. The image was apparently sent in response to Eichenwald's outspoken criticism of President-elect Donald Trump. Eichenwald says the image effectively triggered a seizure. He says the person tweeted a strobe image with the words, "You deserve a seizure for your posts."
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is freeing from prison a Vatican monsignor who was convicted of leaking confidential documents to journalists. The pontiff is granting him a Christmas-time clemency and ending an embarrassing episode for the Holy See. The Vatican says Francis has granted "conditional freedom" to Spanish Monsignor Lucio Vallejo Balda. Earlier this year, a Vatican court convicted Vallejo of conspiring to pass documents onto the journalists and sentenced him to 18 months in prison.
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