From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Jonathan Jones reporting.

Iranian state television says 12 people have been killed during anti-government protests. Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested since protests broke out last week against economic conditions in the country and the government's military ventures in Syria, Iraq and Yemen as part of the battle with Saudi Arabia for influence in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Iranian protesters. "Sadly, many European governments watch in silence as heroic young Iranians are beaten in the streets. That's just not right. And I, for one, will not stay silent."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani promised that security forces would respond to what he called "rioters and lawbreakers."

And state television said some armed protesters tried to take control of some police stations and military bases but they met strong resistance from security forces.

President Trump is again accusing Pakistan of sheltering terrorists whom American forces are fighting in neighboring Afghanistan.

In his first Twitter message of the New Year, Trump wrote, "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!"

It's not know whether that message means that Trump is threatening to cut financial assistance to Pakistan.

The United States suggested in August it would hold up $255 million in military assistance.

This is VOA news.

Cameroon's President Paul Biya says he will destroy terrorists whom he says are fighting to separate his country.

Correspondent Moki Edwin Kindzeka reports from Yaounde.

Adolph Deben Tchoffo, governor of Cameroon's English speaking north west region, says he supports Paul Biya's determination to eliminate the armed separatists so that schools can reopen and businesses pick up in the English speaking areas of Cameroon more than one year after they were hampered by the crisis.

"We are begging for peace and we are leaving no stone on turned to maintain long lasting security, securing the population, asking the population to mobilize themselves to support government to make sure the economic activity, the social activity in the region comes back to normalcy."

Biya said Cameroonians desire greater participation in managing their affairs, especially at the local level and as such he will make sure the constitution is respected fully.

Cameroon will hold local council, parliamentary and presidential elections in 2018. Many hope the polls will be transparent. Biya has been president for 35 years, winning in elections opposition political parties say are always rigged to favor him.

Moki Edwin Kindzeka, for VOA news, Yaounde.

Somali prosecutors have filed charges against five men in connection with the October 14 truck bombing in Mogadishu that killed 512 people. It was the single deadliest terrorist attack in African history.

Four of the accused men are in government custody and appeared before a military tribunal in Mogadishu on Monday. The fifth defendant is on the run.

According to Somali intelligence sources, al-Shabaab intended the truck used in the attack to pass through road checkpoints, link up with the minivan and launch a complex attack on the recently opened Turkish military training base in Mogadishu.

And the sale and recreational use of marijuana is now legal in California, one of the biggest and wealthiest American states.

At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day, California became the sixth of the 50 U.S. states along with the national capital of Washington D.C. to sanction pot use even though the federal government still classifies its sale and possession as a criminal offense.

You can find more on these and other late breaking and developing stories, from around the world, around the clock, at voanews.com and on the VOA news mobile app. I'm Jonathan Jones reporting from the world headquarters of the Voice of America in Washington.

That's the latest world news from VOA.