Word News : December 2019

Tuesday, 31 December 2019

Trump warns Iran after Iraqi protesters storm US embassy in Baghdad

Angered by US air strikes that killed two dozen fighters, hundreds of protesters spilled through checkpoints in the high-security Green Zone, demanding the ouster of US troops from Iraq and voicing loyalty to a powerful Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani of the Revolutionary Guard Corps. US President Donald Trump blamed Tehran and warned that it would face punishment if Americans are killed.

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What Are Those Mysterious Drones Doing in Colorado?

The swarm appears to be practicing a search for ... something.

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Wikipedia article of the day for January 1, 2020

The Wikipedia article of the day for January 1, 2020 is Battle of Calais.
The Battle of Calais took place in the early morning of 1 January 1350, during the Hundred Years' War. English troops in the occupied French city of Calais ambushed and defeated an unsuspecting French force which was attempting to take the city. Despite a truce being in effect, the French commander Geoffrey de Charny had planned to take the city by subterfuge, and bribed Amerigo of Pavia, an Italian officer of the city garrison, to open a gate for them. The English king, Edward III, became aware of the plot and personally led his household knights and the Calais garrison in a surprise counter-attack. The French were routed by this smaller force, with significant losses and all of their leaders captured or killed. Later that day, Edward dined with the highest-ranking captives, treating them with royal courtesy except for Charny, whom he taunted for having abandoned his chivalric principles by both fighting during a truce and attempting to purchase his way into Calais rather than fight.

Chief Justice John Roberts says Americans may 'take democracy for granted' - CNN

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Sanders: Speed of Medicare for All plan is a 'major difference' with Warren | TheHill - The Hill

Sanders: Speed of Medicare for All plan is a 'major difference' with Warren | TheHill The Hill
Warren confronts ghost of Howard Dean POLITICO
We may have gotten down to the final five The Washington Post
Warren’s ‘fantasy’ wealth tax: Here’s all the programs 2020 Dem claims to cover with funding trick Fox News
The Year 2019: Kicking the 2020 presidential race into high gear | ABC News ABC News
View full coverage on Google News

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TikTok app banned by US Army on work mobile phones - BBC News

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HURRY: AirPods Pro are back down to Black Friday’s price, but not for long - BGR

HURRY: AirPods Pro are back down to Black Friday’s price, but not for long BGR

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Galaxy S11 ‘Final’ Design Reveals Stunning New Camera Design [Updated] - Forbes

Galaxy S11 ‘Final’ Design Reveals Stunning New Camera Design [Updated] Forbes
Samsung Is Making the Best Phones Gizmodo
Galaxy Watch Active 2 Review – The Only Smartwatch You Should Buy Android Headlines
Samsung Sale Alert: Galaxy S10, Note 10, TV Star Deals Beat Black Friday Prices [Updated] Forbes
What 2020 smartphone are you most looking forward to? (Poll of the Week) Android Authority
View full coverage on Google News

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Source -- Cowboys' Jerry Jones meets with Jason Garrett again - ESPN

Source -- Cowboys' Jerry Jones meets with Jason Garrett again ESPN
Why haven't Cowboys made decision on Jason Garrett? | Pro Football Talk | NBC Sports NBC Sports
What is Going on in Dallas? Crossing Broad
The names who could be in contention for NFL coaching job openings | Golic & Wingo ESPN
No resolution on Jason Garrett’s status after Tuesday’s meeting NBCSports.com
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Antonio Brown: Workout was a “publicity stunt” for the Saints - NBCSports.com

Antonio Brown: Workout was a “publicity stunt” for the Saints NBCSports.com
Minnesota Vikings vs New Orleans Saints Wild Card Weekend Game Preview NFL
Antonio Brown shrugs off Saints workout as 'publicity stunt' as team avoids signing him Fox News
3 Ups, 1 Down from the Saints’ regular season finale Canal Street Chronicles
Deuce McAllister Thinks Back On His Career | Running Errands with Saints Legends | Ep. 6 New Orleans Saints
View full coverage on Google News

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Texas Churchgoers Welcomed the Poor, but Sensed This One Was Trouble

By BY DAVE MONTGOMERY, ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS AND RICK ROJAS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/37mK6XF

Al interior de un tribunal de guerra estadounidense: la ropa y la cultura en Guantánamo

By BY CAROL ROSENBERG AND WENDY MACNAUGHTON from NYT en Español https://ift.tt/2uaRjvL

Science Panel Staffed With Trump Appointees Says E.P.A. Rollbacks Lack Scientific Rigor

By BY CORAL DAVENPORT AND LISA FRIEDMAN from NYT Climate https://ift.tt/356WYj6

New top story on Hacker News: Happy 10th Birthday, Krebsonsecurity.com

Happy 10th Birthday, Krebsonsecurity.com
2 by utopian3 | 0 comments on Hacker News.

Big rush for UGC-NET in Kashmir

Despite an internet clampdown, Jammu and Kashmir registered 83.5% attendance of candidates registered in the UGC-NET December 2019 exam, second only to 84% in Kerala, and also recorded a 10% qualification rate as against the national average of 8.2%.

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After 5-month break, Kashmir to get back SMS from today

Jammu & Kashmir administration on Tuesday said SMS will be activated in Kashmir from midnight on Tuesday, after a gap of nearly five months. There is no word of restoration of internet services though.

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U.S. presidential candidate Sanders given clean bill of health after October heart attack

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders passed a stress test this month after a heart attack required him to have two stents inserted in an artery in October, doctors to the Democratic presidential candidate said on Monday. Sanders' campaign released letters from his main doctor and two heart specialists, who all gave the 78-year-old White House hopeful a clean bill of health after physical exams, electrocardiogram monitoring and a treadmill stress test. "Mr Sanders is more than fit enough to pursue vigorous activities and an occupation that requires stamina and an ability to handle a great deal of stress," said Philip A. Ades, the director of cardiac rehabilitation at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVM), where the senator had the stress test on Dec. 11.

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Here's who will be onstage for the January Democratic presidential debate in Iowa and how to watch it

CNN and the Des Moines Register will co-host the seventh Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines three weeks before the Iowa caucuses.

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Bailed tycoon Ghosn flees to Lebanon from 'rigged' Japan

Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn said Tuesday he had fled to Lebanon to escape injustice in Japan, where he was on bail awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges. The auto tycoon's abrupt departure was the latest twist in a rollercoaster journey that saw him fall from boardroom to detention centre and sparked questions over an embarrassing security lapse in Japan. It was not clear how he managed to leave Japan, as his bail conditions barred him from exiting the country he had been held in since his sudden arrest in November 2018 sent shockwaves through the business world.

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Revelers, protesters to see in the new year in Hong Kong

New Year's revelers and pro-democracy protesters were flocking to sites across Hong Kong on Tuesday to see out 2019. The semi-autonomous Chinese city has toned down the usually raucous celebrations this year amid continuing demonstrations that began in June in opposition to proposed extradition legislation. A fireworks display that traditionally lights up famed Victoria Harbor was canceled amid safety concerns, while some roads have been closed and barriers set up in the Lan Kwai Fong nightlife district for crowd control.

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‘He’ll claim it was a witch hunt’: Democrats fear Trump will be ‘emboldened’ if he survives impeachment trial

Democratic senators are worried Donald Trump will be emboldened if he survives the upcoming impeachment trial and will use an acquittal as momentum for his 2020 re-election campaign.Sixty-seven votes are needed to convict and remove the president from office but that result seems unlikely in the Republican-controlled Senate, where Mr Trump’s party holds a 53-47 majority.

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Bernie Sanders Condemns Rise of Anti-Semitism in Iowa Menorah Lighting

(Bloomberg) -- Bernie Sanders helped light a menorah at a “Chanukah on Ice” event at an Iowa ice skating rink Sunday night, and condemned a rise in anti-semitism in America and “all over the world.”It’s rare to see the U.S. senator from Vermont, who is a secular Jew, in a religious setting while running for the Democratic presidential nomination.The annual Hanukkah event, organized by Des Moines Rabbi Yossi Jacobson, came less than 24 hours after an intruder stabbed five people at a rabbi’s home in the New York City suburb of Monsey Saturday night.“What we’re seeing right now -- we’re seeing it in America, we’re seeing it all over the world -- is a rise in anti-semitism. We’re seeing a rise in hate crimes,” Sanders said.“We’re seeing somebody run into a kid here in Des Moines because that child was a Latino. We’re seeing people being stabbed yesterday in New York City because they were Jewish. We are seeing people being assaulted because they are Muslim,” he told an audience of about 90 gathered on a frigid Iowa winter night.“And as the rabbi indicated, if there was ever a time in American history where we say no to religious bigotry, this is the time,” he said.Sanders talked about his father immigrating at age 17 from Poland, “fleeing anti-semitism and fleeing violence and fleeing terrible, terrible poverty.”Sanders joked about not burning down the ice skating rink before lighting the menorah candles with a blowtorch provided by the event organizers. He joined in, reading the words, as the rabbi sang a blessing. An icy wind blew his borrowed kippah off his head at one point.As Jacobson and his wife, Chana, who run Maccabee’s Kosher Deli in Des Moines, handed out latkes and doughnuts, the rabbi noted that Sanders rarely talks about Judaism on the campaign trail.That has raised questions about whether he’s uncomfortable with his Jewish identity, Jacobson said.Jacobson said Sanders was reluctant at first to accept the invitation to light the menorah candles, but once he did, he embraced the evening with enthusiasm.Jacobson said he asked Sanders his Hebrew name. Binyamin, Sanders answered.The rabbi said he gave Sanders a blessing, “for his health.”To contact the reporter on this story: Jennifer Jacobs in Washington at jjacobs68@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth Wasserman, Kasia KlimasinskaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Iranian-backed militia threatens retaliation for US strikes on their forces in Iraq and Syria

An Iran-backed militia vowed on Monday to retaliate for US military strikes in Iraq and Syria which killed 25 of its fighters and wounded dozens. "Our battle with America and its mercenaries is now open to all possibilities," Kataib Hizbollah said in a statement. "We have no alternative today other than confrontation and there is nothing that will prevent us from responding to this crime." Iraq described the attacks on Kataib Hizbollah as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty, and Iran said the airstrikes were “an obvious case of terrorism”. Moqtada al-Sadr, the notorious Iraqi Shia cleric, said on Monday that he was willing to work with Iran-backed militia groups - his political rivals - to end the United States military presence in Iraq through political and legal means. If that does not work, he will "take other actions" in cooperation with his rivals to kick out US troops. Sadr's militia fought US troops for years following Washington's invasion of Iraq in 2003. Iraqi Shiite cleric and leader Moqtada al-Sadr attends a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister in Najaf on June 23, 2018 The US launched strikes against five targets in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, aiming to damage Kataib Hizbollah – a separate entity to the better-known Hizbollah, based in Lebanon. The US blames the group for the killing last week of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base. The US attack - the largest targeting an Iraqi state-sanctioned militia since 2011 - represents a new escalation in the proxy war between the US and Iran playing out in the Middle East. Russia’s foreign ministry called the “exchange of strikes” between Kataib Hizbollah and US forces in Iraq “unacceptable,” and called for restraint from both sides. “We consider such actions unacceptable and counterproductive. We call upon all parties to refrain from further actions that could sharply destabilise the military-political situation in Iraq, Syria, and the neighboring countries,” a ministry statement said. Thousands of protesters blocked roads and bridges across southern Iraq on Dec 23, condemning Iranian influence and political leaders who missed another deadline to agree on a new prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, praised the “important” strikes, in a phone call to Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state. Mr Netanyahu “congratulated him on the important US action against Iran and its proxies in the region,” according to a statement issued by the Israeli leader’s office. Mr Pompeo said the strikes send the message that the US will not tolerate actions by Iran that jeopardise American lives. “We have repeatedly – the president, the secretary of state - made clear that if we are attacked by the regime or its proxies we will respond,” said Brian Hook, Donald Trump’s special envoy to Iran. He refused to comment on further possible actions. The US has maintained some 5,000 troops in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government, to help assist in the fight against the Islamic State group. But on Monday Iraq’s prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, said that invitation could now be rescinded. "The prime minister described the American attack on the Iraqi armed forces as an unacceptable vicious assault that will have dangerous consequences," his office said.

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Monday, 30 December 2019

Double the Federal Minimum Wage

By BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2SIqNUv

After Death From Falling Debris, Violations Found at 220 Buildings

By BY AZI PAYBARAH from NYT New York https://ift.tt/36acVGp

New top story on Hacker News: “Wyze was committing espionage against American citizens in the United States”

“Wyze was committing espionage against American citizens in the United States”
4 by Andrex | 0 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Deep learning algorithm outperforms 5 full-time breast imaging specialists

Deep learning algorithm outperforms 5 full-time breast imaging specialists
31 by rusht | 7 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Researchers observe brain-like behavior in nanoscale device

Researchers observe brain-like behavior in nanoscale device
6 by known | 0 comments on Hacker News.

To check crime, coaches of all trains to get CCTV cameras by 2022: Govt

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Woman’s body found without head and legs

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14 more kids die in Kota hospital, BJP looks to indict Congress govt

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Lens now on cash declarations made to Customs

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With eye on tourists from China, India revamps policy

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CBI takes over probe in IIT-M ‘suicide’ case

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Centre may act against states opposing CAA, warns BJP MP

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Act against any staffer critical of govt: Assam colleges told

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Bernie Sanders Condemns Rise of Anti-Semitism in Iowa Menorah Lighting

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Greta Thunberg said it would be a waste of time for her to talk to Trump about climate change

President Donald Trump, who is withdrawing the US from the Paris climate accord, has a long record of expressing skepticism on climate science.

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U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria hit sites linked to Iran

The United States carried out airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, targeting weapons and munitions depots used by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia.Over the last two months, there have been 11 rocket attacks against bases used by the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State. U.S. officials said Sunday's airstrikes were in response to an attack that took place in Kirkuk, Iraq, on Friday, which left one U.S. contractor dead and four U.S. troops injured.Kataib Hezbollah is connected to Iran's paramilitary Quds Forces, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal, and the Pentagon said the airstrikes are meant to serve as a warning to stop attacking the coalition's bases. A Kataib Hezbollah official said 25 members of the militia were killed in the airstrikes.More stories from theweek.com The best headlines of 2019 Giants, Browns fire head coaches on otherwise quiet 'Black Monday' The White House always knew Trump's order to freeze Ukraine aid could blow up, New York Times details

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Trump National Security Aide Is Rebuffed in Impeachment Lawsuit

(Bloomberg) -- A federal judge is taking a pass -- for now -- on deciding whether President Donald Trump’s former deputy national security advisor must comply with a congressional subpoena to testify at the impeachment hearings.Charles Kupperman, who served under John Bolton, sued Trump and House Democrats in October seeking a ruling on whether the president’s order for him to ignore the subpoena was legal. The president claims to have absolute power to decide whether his advisers can testify.The House ultimately withdrew its subpoena, and the Justice Department said it wouldn’t go after Kupperman for flouting it, making the dispute moot, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington said Monday in dismissing the case.“Kupperman no longer faces the ‘irreconcilable commands’ of two coordinate branches of government,” Leon wrote in a 14-page decision.The Democrats never issued a subpoena to Bolton, who was forced out of his job in September, even though testimony in the impeachment inquiry suggested he was opposed to the president’s efforts to force Ukraine to investigate Trump’s political rival Joe Biden.Read More: Ex-Trump Adviser Bolton Asked to Testify in Impeachment InquiryLeon balked at the claim that even though the House had withdrawn the subpoena, Kupperman could still face criminal prosecution for ignoring it. The judge noted that the Justice Department had guaranteed it wouldn’t take legal action against Kupperman. He suggested he’d hear the case again “should the winds of political fortune shift” and the House reissues the subpoena.“If so, he will undoubtedly be right back before this court seeking a solution to a constitutional dilemma that has long-standing political consequences: balancing Congress’s well-established power to investigate with a president’s need to have a small group of national security advisors who have some form of immunity from compelled congressional testimony,” Leon wrote.Kupperman had said in his complaint that he faced “irreconcilable commands” -- a subpoena from House Democrats requiring him to cooperate and an order from the White House not to testify.The case is Kupperman v. House of Representatives, 19-cv-3224, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (Washington).(Updates with details starting in fifth paragraph)To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Larson in New York at elarson4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Peter Jeffrey, Anthony LinFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Battle to save Australian wildlife as bushfires rage

A possum severely burnt by bushfires in Australia's Blue Mountains laps water from a bowl as her rescuer holds her gently in a towel, while at a nearby home a kangaroo with bandaged feet is rocked like a baby by another carer. As Australia battles wildfires that have razed more than 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) across five states, volunteers are trying to save wild animals caught in the inferno. Australia's bushland is home to a range of indigenous fauna, including kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, possums, wombats and echidnas.

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Wisconsin election officials deadlock on culling voter rolls

The Wisconsin Elections Commission deadlocked Monday on whether to comply with a judge's order to remove anywhere from 144,000 to more than 200,000 names from the state's voter rolls before a higher court can weigh in — a move that could influence the outcome of next year's presidential election in the key swing state. The commission's three Republicans wanted to remove the voters in question from the rolls but were blocked by the panel's three Democrats, the Milwaukee Journal Sentine l reported. The affected voters are in heavily Democratic areas of Wisconsin, a battleground state in the 2020 presidential election.

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A sports reporter who died in a Louisiana plane crash tried to contact her husband before the aircraft went down. He didn't see her text.

A sports journalist named Carley McCord was one of five people who died in a plane crash near Louisiana's Lafayette Regional Airport on Saturday.

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Juul employees vape at desks despite company threat to dock bonuses for e-cigarette use, report says

Juul banned vaping at its offices last year, but some employees continue to use e-cigarettes at their desks, in hallways and in meetings, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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Cyprus court finds British woman guilty of false rape claim

A court in Cyprus on Monday found a British woman guilty of falsely claiming she was gang-raped by a group of Israeli tourists in the holiday resort of Ayia Napa. "The statements you have given were false," the judge told the defendant in remarks translated by the court interpreter. The Israelis, aged 15 to 18, were released without charge the same month after the woman was arrested on suspicion of making a false statement.

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Sunday, 29 December 2019

Thai SEAL dies of blood infection a year after cave rescue

A Thai navy SEAL who was part of the dramatic rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave has died of a blood infection contracted during the risky operation, the Royal Thai Navy said. Petty Officer 1st Class Bayroot Pakbara was receiving treatment but his condition worsened after the infection spread into his blood, according to an announcement on the Thai navy SEAL’s Facebook page. Lt. Cmdr. Saman Gunan died while resupplying oxygen tanks on July 6, 2018.

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War and Corruption Made Ukraine a Terrorist Twilight Zone

KYIV—Ukraine arrested one of the world’s most dangerous international terrorists last month in a special operation conducted by local, Georgian and American special services. Al-Bara Shishani, the former commander of the so-called Islamic State and deputy head of its intelligence operations, was detained on the outskirts of Kyiv. Shishani had been presumed dead for more than a year, but was hiding here and plotting international terrorist attacks, according to Ukrainian authorities. The Secret Life of an ISIS WarlordIn fact, this country torn by a Russian-backed separatist war has become a kind of Twilight Zone for terrorists of many stripes who have found ways to cross its borders and take advantage of a deeply divided society where law and order have been undermined by official corruption and public confusion.The terrorist’s real name is Cezar Tokhosashvili, from the Pankisi Gorge region of the Republic of Georgia. The largely impoverished population of those rough mountains includes many Muslims of Chechen extraction who have embraced radical Salafi teachings and, in several cases, became enthusiastic recruits for violent jihadist organizations.Al-Bar Shishani reportedly was a deputy for the former “minister of war” of the so-called Islamic State, Abu Omar al-Shishani, real name Tarkhan Batirashvili, reported killed by an American airstrike in Syria in 2016.Katerina Sergatskova, a researcher specializing in Ukraine-based Islamic State fighters, told The Daily Beast, “What Ukrainian authorities do not explain to us is which hole in the border Tokhosashvili used to get in, who he bribed, what passport he used here, and which particular terrorist attacks he helped to organize while living in Ukraine.” According to Sergatskova there are holes in the borders of Ukraine in the Kharkiv, Odessa, and Lviv regions as well as the seceding provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. The biggest “hole,” as she put it, comes from the fact “the entire border patrol system is affected by corruption.” At least 200 other suspected ISIS fighters have been arrested in Ukraine, said Sergatskova, and dozens are still free. More than two years ago, The Daily Beast reported on the problem of Chechen fighters who had crossed into Ukraine since 2014. Some came legally, some illegally, in the early months of the war in Donbas. Dozens of Chechen militia from the Islamic State Caucasus Emirate, recognized as a “specially designated global terrorist group” by the U.S. State Department, have crossed Ukraine’s border with their families. Many of them joined Ukrainian volunteer troops fighting in Donbas, including the Right Sector militia, fighting against the Russian-supported separatists. “Our authorities have very poor or no knowledge of radical Islam,” said Sergatskova, who notes that ISIS cadres have not carried out any attacks inside Ukraine, apparently preferring to use it as a “haven.”* * *A JOURNEY TO THE GRAY ZONE* * *Earlier this month we traveled to Ukraine’s most problematic border, first taking the night train from Kyiv to the town of Pokrovsk, in the government-controlled part of the Donetsk region, then a car from there to the Marinka checkpoint where people cross into and out of the separatist’s self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic. The first thing sleepy train passengers hear upon arrival in Pokrovsk is the taxi drivers shouting, “Who needs a lift to Marinka checkpoint, get in!” And many do. They carry bags heavy with all kinds of goods, even milk, which is commonly believed to be better in government-controlled parts of Ukraine than in the separatist zone. The battered road to Marinka took us through thick fog for about 30 miles until we reached a line of cars that had been growing since hours before dawn. The wait to get to the actual checkpoint can last longer than three hours, but you can speed it up as long as you have enough cash in your pocket to cheat the system before the checkpoint closes at 5 p.m.Adults in Donbas talk matter-of-factly in front of children about death and destruction and about bribes they pay to go in and out of the separatist part of Ukraine, as if discussing a weather forecast. There is a general feeling that the war here has become a permanent, dreary, sometimes deadly status quo. It has gone on now for almost six years and killed more than 12,000 people. Those who remain in these precincts live without central heating, without gas, with brown water coming out of the faucets.When the war began in 2014, the front separated Liza, a 30-year-old Kyiv-based social worker, from her parents and grand-parents living in Donetsk. To see them, she has to return to the separatist region at least once a year and witnesses every time the kind of corruption, big and small, that opens up the country to crime and, yes, terrorists seeking safe havens. “There are sleazy people who come to the checkpoint at 3 a.m. to get in line, then sell you the spot for 200 UAH ($8.50) and if you have no state pass, you can still cross by paying thousands more UAH to the guards on both sides of the checkpoint.“Smugglers of meat or weapons pay much bigger bribes, ” Liza said. “All sorts of criminals get into Ukraine but unfortunately our government is not catching big thugs who deal in big business, committing serious crimes.”In the fog and cold of the checkpoint, she said what many people waiting in line believed, “Because of this profitable corruption, the war is never going to end.” Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faced each other in person for the first time in Paris on Dec. 9, along with the leaders of France and Germany, to try and find a way to end the war and save human lives. But just as many had predicted in war-torn Donbas, no peace deal was signed.“We have not found the magic wand, but we have relaunched talks,” French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters afterward. Meanwhile, it’s a measure of the hardened posture on both sides that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are investigating former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko amid allegations that he committed treason in 2015, when he signed the original peace accord with Putin in Minsk, a 13-point road map for resolving the war in Donbas which experts consider hopeless.During the meeting in Paris, Putin and Zelensky agreed to continue to enlarge disengagement zones, de-mine Donbas fields and roads and exchange all prisoners before the end of the year. But there was no agreement reached about the “dividing line.” The frontier that people have to cross in and out of the “gray zone” is still lost in the twilight.The latest public surveys show that up to 24 percent of the Donbas population struggle to protect their property from criminals, 17 percent suffer from bribes and threats by officials on both sides of the “dividing line,” and 20 percent have no communication with relatives. “My brother is in Donetsk, less than 20 km away from me, I have not seen him since the war started,” Andrey Shapochka, manager at Krasnohorivka power station told The Daily Beast. “Separatists do not let him out and I am banned on his side, so our mother is growing very old without seeing my brother.” A group of women were waiting in line for their pensions outside of the Oshad bank in Marinka in the afternoon. Most of them had crossed the front line that morning from separatist Donetsk, where Russia pays them pensions. Indeed, most pensioners in the rebellious Donetsk and Luhansk regions get paid by both sides.With the Children on the Ukraine War’s Front Lines Praying for PeaceWith the Children on the Ukraine War’s Front Lines Praying for PeaceYevdokiya Fedorova, a fragile 77-year-old woman in a worn woolen hat who is a resident of Donetsk, said it took her three hours to get across, and the return trip will take her from five to 12 hours more, but she says it is worth it: “My daughter and grand-daughter pay hundreds of hryvnias to skip the line. I cannot afford that, I am helping my unemployed son.” She said he entered Donetsk last year to see her, but has been prevented from leaving by the self-proclaimed government there. “We’ll always remain a gray zone, like one more Abkhazia,” she said, referring to a Russian-backed separatist region of Georgia. But when asked who she blames for it, she turned her tear-filled eyes away: “You expect me to say I blame Putin, but I blame my horrible fate.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Iraq Shuts Southern Oil Field on Concern Over Protesters’ Safety

(Bloomberg) -- Iraq, OPEC’s second-biggest producer, halted output from a southern oil field as protesters walked close to installations, according to person with knowledge of the situation who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.Other southern fields will make up the amount from the shutdown, which won’t affect the country’s output. The halt is temporary until the Nasiriya field, which produces 80,000 to 85,000 barrels a day, is clear of protesters.The closure was a precautionary measure for the safety of the field as well as the nearby protesters, the person said.Protesters have rallied more than once over the past two months near the southern oil fields in Basra and other cities and near refineries, but output hasn’t previously been shut down.Around 500 people have died and more than 22,000 others wounded in clashes between security forces and protesters since Oct. 1. Iraqis, mostly from the Shiite majority population, are protesting against government corruption, poor services, and wide-ranging Iranian political influence, calling for an overhaul of the ruling class.To contact the reporter on this story: Khalid Al-Ansary in Baghdad at kalansary@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrew Davis at abdavis@bloomberg.net, Sara Marley, James AmottFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Biden would "honor" whatever Congress "legitimately" asks

Some Republicans and President Trump have floated subpoenaing Joe and Hunter Biden to appear before the Senate.

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Iraq’s Southern Nasiriya Refinery Said to Shut Over Protests

(Bloomberg) -- Iraq, OPEC’s second-biggest producer, shut operations at its southern Nasiriya refinery after protesters marched into the facility, according to a person familiar with the operations.Operations were halted at 7 p.m. local time after about 700 protesters blocked employee access into the refinery in the southern province of Thiqar, the person said, declining to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.The facility refines between 25,000 to 30,000 barrels a day with products ranging from gasoline, fuel oil and kerosene used mostly in the province. The cut in output may lead to a shortage for the area.Protesters -- mostly made up of the unemployed that also include recent graduates from the province -- have rallied repeatedly in the past two months near the southern oil fields in Basra and other cities and near refineries.The oil ministry on Saturday had to shut the southern Nasiriya oil field after protesters cut roads leading to the area, blocking access to employees, ministry spokesman Asim Jihad said in a statement. Basra fields were pumping more to make up for the loss of about 80,000 to 85,000 barrels a day from Nasiriya, he said.Around 500 people have died and more than 22,000 others wounded in clashes between security forces and protesters since Oct. 1. Iraqis, mostly from the Shiite majority population, are protesting against issues including corruption and poor services, calling for an overhaul of the ruling class.Iraq Oil Exports Unaffected by Protests That Halted Field (1)To contact the reporter on this story: Khalid Al-Ansary in Baghdad at kalansary@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Nayla Razzouk at nrazzouk2@bloomberg.net, Linus Chua, Matthew G. MillerFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Saudi Arabia sentences Riyadh concert stabber to death: state TV

A Saudi Arabian court on Sunday sentenced to death a man accused of stabbing three performers at a live show in the capital Riyadh in November, state television said. The Nov. 11 attack occurred at King Abdullah Park, one of several venues hosting a months-long entertainment festival as part of government efforts to open up Saudi society and diversify its economy away from oil. Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthis.

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N Korea begins key meeting before year-end deadline for US

North Korea has opened a high-profile political conference to discuss how to overcome “harsh trials and difficulties," state media reported Sunday, days before a year-end deadline set by Pyongyang for Washington to make concessions in nuclear negotiations. The ruling Workers’ Party meeting is a focus of keen attention as some observers predict North Korea might use the conference to announce it would abandon faltering diplomacy with the U.S. and lift its moratorium on major weapons test. The Korean Central News Agency reported that leader Kim Jong Un presided over a plenary meeting of the party's Central Committee convened in Pyongyang on Saturday.

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What Is the Hottest Place on Earth?

Death Valley brings the heat, but there are other hot spots on this sweltering planet.

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Serb President Vucic to Step Down as Party Chief After Elections

(Bloomberg) -- Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic will overhaul his ruling party in June after general elections in spring, pledging thorough personnel changes including stepping down himself as its chief.Vucic, whose term as the head of state expires in 2022, spoke a day after unveiling an ambitious development plan through 2025 to boost economic expansion to try to catch up with the European Union that his country aspires to join. The parliamentary elections are expected in April or May, after which the ruling center-right Serbian Progressive Party will hold a convention on June 28, he told reporters in Belgrade.“It’s my decision not to run” for the top party job, he said, calling for a younger generation of activists. He didn’t say who would succeed him.The ruling party was founded in 2008 by Vucic and other defectors from the ultra-nationalist Serb Radical Party who sought to reinvent themselves as moderates with pro-EU views. It remains well ahead of other political groups with more than 50% popular support, according to polls. The rating appears unaffected by opposition accusations of deteriorating standards of democracy and rampant corruption, claims which Vucic and his party dismiss.To contact the reporter on this story: Misha Savic in Belgrade at msavic2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Irina Vilcu at isavu@bloomberg.net, Neil Chatterjee, Andrew ReiersonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Turkey evacuates wounded after deadly Mogadishu blast

A Turkish military cargo plane landed in the Somali capital on Sunday to evacuate people badly wounded in a devastating truck bombing that killed at least 90 people including two Turkish nationals. The plane also brought emergency medical staff and supplies, the Turkish embassy said in a tweet, adding these had been taken to a Turkish-run hospital in Mogadishu. Somali Information Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir Mareye told state media that 10 Somalis who were badly wounded in Saturday's blast would be evacuated to Turkey.

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John Lewis, Congressman and Civil Rights Icon, Has Pancreatic Cancer

By BY EMILY COCHRANE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Q8dTO8

Bill Barr Thinks America Is Going to Hell

By BY KATHERINE STEWART AND CAROLINE FREDRICKSON from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2SBnazG

The Presidential Nominating Process Is Absurd

By BY DAVID LEONHARDT from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2MFgEEt

Wikipedia article of the day for December 30, 2019

The Wikipedia article of the day for December 30, 2019 is The Turn of the Screw (2009 film).
The Turn of the Screw is a British television film based on Henry James's 1898 ghost story of the same name. Commissioned and produced by the BBC, it was first broadcast on 30 December 2009, on BBC One. The novella was adapted for the screen by Sandy Welch, and the film was directed by Tim Fywell. Although generally true to the tone and story of James's work, the film is set in the 1920s instead of the 1840s. The story is told in flashbacks during consultations between the institutionalised Ann, played by Michelle Dockery (pictured), and a psychiatrist, Dr Fisher (Dan Stevens). Ann tells how she was hired by an aristocrat (Mark Umbers) to care for the orphans Miles (Josef Lindsay) and Flora (Eva Sayer) at their home, Bly House. Ann soon begins to see unknown figures around the manor, and seeks an explanation. Though the film generally received a positive response, critics disagreed over whether it retained the novella's much-discussed ambiguity.

5 Killed In Plane Crash Heading To Louisiana State University Football Playoff Game - NPR

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Trump retweets post naming alleged whistleblower - ABC News

Trump retweets post naming alleged whistleblower ABC News

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NYU doctor Joseph Wiesel claims Apple used his patented heartbeat-monitoring tech without permission in lawsuit - USA TODAY

NYU doctor Joseph Wiesel claims Apple used his patented heartbeat-monitoring tech without permission in lawsuit USA TODAY
New York doctor sues Apple over irregular heartbeat detection Engadget
Apple is being sued over one of the lifesaving features in the Apple Watch iMore
Heart doctor sues for patent infringement over lifesaving Apple Watch feature Digital Trends
Apple News: Why An NYU Cardiologist Is Suing The Tech Giant For Royalties International Business Times
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Ahsoka's True Fate Was Hinted at By Dave Filoni, So Fans Don't Worry - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Ahsoka's True Fate Was Hinted at By Dave Filoni, So Fans Don't Worry Showbiz Cheat SheetView full coverage on Google News

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Ozark Actress Julia Garner Marries Musician Mark Foster - E! NEWS

Ozark Actress Julia Garner Marries Musician Mark Foster E! NEWS
Julia Garner Is Married! Actress Weds Foster the People Frontman Mark Foster PEOPLE.com
Julia Garner marries Foster the People's Mark Foster msnNOW
Julia Garner Marries Foster the People's Mark Foster -- See Her Dress! Yahoo Entertainment
Foster the People's Mark Foster & Actress Julia Garner Marry Billboard
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CRAZY ENDING in Dolphins vs. Patriots! - NFL

CRAZY ENDING in Dolphins vs. Patriots! NFL
Patriots stunned by Dolphins, lose first-round playoff bye to Chiefs Yahoo Sports
Dolphins win 27-24, knock Patriots to No. 3 seed NBCSports.com
NFL Week 17 Live: Early Games Battle Red Blog
AFC Wild-Card playoffs: These 15 things were around last time the Patriots played in 1st round msnNOW
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Miles Sanders injury: Eagles running back hurts ankle in Giants game - Bleeding Green Nation

Miles Sanders injury: Eagles running back hurts ankle in Giants game Bleeding Green Nation
Carson Wentz Goes DEEP to Josh Perkins! NFL
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants LIVE SCORE UPDATES (12/29/19) | Philly takes command as 'D' asserts i NJ.com
Zach Ertz injury: Eagles tight end reportedly suffered lacerated kidney in addition to cracked rib Bleeding Green Nation
Saquon Barkley Flies Past the Eagles Defense! NFL
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ESPN anchor criticized over 'distraction' remark about LSU coach who lost daughter-in-law in plane crash - Fox News

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Saturday, 28 December 2019

Winter storm threatens heavy snow, blizzards from Rockies to Upper Midwest, weather service warns travelers 'consider changing plans'

The storm created traffic snarls in California as it moved northeast after dumping snow in Arizona.

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Russia claims to have deployed Avangard hypersonic missiles that 'cannot be intercepted'

Russia says it has deployed its first hypersonic missiles which President Putin claims are capable of transporting nuclear warheads at 27 times the speed of sound. The location of the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle has not been confirmed but has been widely reported to be the Urals, a mountain range in western Russia. Sergei Shoigu, Russia's defence minister confirmed that the missiles entered service at 10am Moscow time on Friday, describing their deployment as a "landmark event". Vladimir Putin said that the missiles put Russia ahead of the rest of the world. "Not a single country possesses hypersonic weapons, let alone continental-range hypersonic weapons," he said, arguing that the West was "playing catch-up with us". "The Avangard is invulnerable to intercept by any existing and prospective missile defence means of the potential adversary." Vladimir Putin said that the West is now "playing catch-up" Credit: REUTERS Moscow said the Avangard is launched on top of an intercontinental ballistic missile but it can make sharp manoeuvres on the way to its target, making it more difficult to intercept. The Russian government had announced the missiles last year and in March 2018 Mr Putin likened the missile to a "meteorite" and a "fireball" in a state address. The Avangard, which Mr Putin said could penetrate current and future missile defence systems, can carry a nuclear weapon of up to two megatons. The Pentagon responded to the deployment by saying it would "not characterise the Russian claims" about the Avangard's capabilities. The United States has its own hypersonic missile programme, as does China, which in 2014 said it had carried out a test flight. The US has been developing hypersonic weapons in recent years. In August, Mark Esper, the defence secretary, said the Pentagon was some years from deploying its own missiles.

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Dallas dismissed from lawsuit over police shooting

A federal judge has ruled the city of Dallas is not liable for an off-duty police officer fatally shooting a man in his own apartment last year. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn dismissed the city from civil lawsuit that the family of Botham Jean brought after the 26-year-old was killed by Amber Guyger. The ruling leaves the 31-year-old former officer as the sole defendant in the suit, which argues she used excessive force and that better police training could have prevented Jean's death.

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Drawn-out sex crimes case rattles Israel-Australia ties

Nicole Meyer endured years of sexual abuse allegedly at the hands of her former school principal. The lengthy, Kafkaesque legal saga over the sex crimes suspect’s fate has not only agonized Meyer but is testing the relationship between Israel and one of its closest allies, Australia. Malka Leifer’s case is still far from resolved and even Australia’s pro-Israel Jewish community is losing patience.

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