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Dale Willman (0:19)
Live from NPR News. I'm Dale Willman. A major fire is burning in downtown Denver at this hour. An apartment complex is under construction. It went up in flames. Officials say an entire city block is burning. Firemen have evacuated a 20 block area and at least one firefighter has been injured. The FBI says it stopped a terrorist attack scheduled for New Year's Eve in a town near Charlotte, N.C. 18 year old Christian Sturtevant has been arrested. Officials say he told an FBI undercover employee that he was going to use knives and hammers to kill people at a fast food restaurant and a store. U.S. attorney Russ Ferguson says Sturtevant had pledged his loyalty to the Islamic State group.
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson (0:57)
He has been planning this attack for about a year, but he's been planning an attack for far longer than that. He was planning this attack in support of isis, and we have charged him with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Dale Willman (1:10)
If convicted, Sturtevant could face 20 years in prison. Iranian officials say they'll continue to clamp down on anti government protests despite warnings from President Trump that he might intervene to help them. A spokesman says officers would not allow what he called enemies to turn unrest into chaos. The the BBC's chief political correspondent, Lias Doucet has our reports.
Lias Doucet (1:30)
There's no sign yet that President Trump's threat to, in his words, come to the rescue of Iranians will convince the authorities to change course from the start of this strife. Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian has also tried to defuse tension by pledging to listen to what he called legitimate demands. But this dissent isn't just about a cost of living crisis, but a measure of of political discontent. And Mr. Trump's warnings have added yet more unpredictability and possible peril.
Dale Willman (2:00)
The BBC's leads to dozens of aid groups as well as Arab and European countries are urging Israel to reverse a ban on humanitarian organizations. In Gaza, the Israelis suspended the registration of 37 aid groups. As NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports, Israel says.
Michelle Kellerman (2:17)
The groups failed to meet new registration requirements, which include providing to the Israeli government the names of all the Palestinians working for them. The aid groups will have to cease operations in the coming weeks. In Gaza, the West bank and in East Jerusalem, dozens of aid groups warn in a letter that the humanitarian needs are still extreme in Gaza, where winter storms have displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians in the west bank, the aid groups write, quote, ongoing military raids and settler violence continue to drive displacement. Similar concerns are raised in a letter from the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and Egypt, among others. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, Tel Aviv.