Headlines:
From Al Jazeera, Associated Press, BBC News, Reuters, The Globe and Mail, New York Times, and Wired
Indian navy tries to save trapped miners – (BBC News)
High-power pumps arrive at a flooded “rat-hole” mine where 15 workers were trapped 16 days ago.
2 million in Times Square for New Year’s? Experts say no way – (Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan Seacrest and Anderson Cooper will be there. Snoop Dogg, too. But 1 or 2 million people in New York’s Times Square for New Year’s Eve? As Snoop would say, you must be sippin’ on gin and juice. Crowd-size experts scoff at those mammoth figu…
Bankruptcy leaves Detroit police abuse claims unpaid – (Associated Press)
DETROIT (AP) — Detroit could have been on the hook for millions of dollars in a lawsuit alleging police abuse. Lawyers, however, are closing the case after eight years, acknowledging that the claims of possibly 200,000 people are practically worthless. The re…
2-year-old Yemeni boy whose mom sued US to see him has died – (Associated Press)
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The 2-year-old son of a Yemeni woman who sued the Trump administration to let her into the country to be with the ailing boy has died, the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced. Abdullah Hassan died Friday in UCSF Benioff Chil…
He Was a Gay Man on Staff at a Catholic Parish. Then the Threats Began Coming In. – (The New York Times)
Some Catholic parishes have quietly welcomed gay parishioners and staff. But in the aftermath of the sex abuse crisis, there is a campaign to push them out.
Amos Oz, a Writer Who Loved the Dream of Israel and Charted Its Imperfect Reality – (The New York Times)
Oz, through his novels and nonfiction, came to embody a sort of sociologist and psychologist of the Israeli soul.
Brazil’s president-elect plans decree allowing wider gun ownership – (Reuters)
Brazil’s far-right President-elect Jair Bolsonaro said on Saturday he plans to issue a decree allowing all Brazilians without criminal records to own firearms, welcome news to many core supporters who want him to loosen Brazil’s strict gun laws.
Egyptian forces kill 40 suspected militants after tourist bus bombed – (Reuters)
Egyptian security forces have killed 40 suspected militants in three separate incidents in North Sinai and Giza, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday, a day after a bombing on a Vietnamese tourist bus in Giza killed four people.
Exclusive: For Bangladesh PM, authoritarian tag is “badge of honor”, son says on poll eve – (Reuters)
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina considers being called authoritarian by the western media a “badge of honor”, the leader’s son told Reuters on the eve of a national election on Sunday.
‘You Control Nothing’: House Republicans Brace for Life in the Minority – (The New York Times)
Most Republican representatives are about to enter a dark, unknown realm where those on the sidelines have few options to exert influence.
Baltimore trying to stem decades-long disappearing act – (Associated Press)
BALTIMORE (AP) — LaShelle Rollins’ rental house in West Baltimore is wedged between a line of derelict properties valued only by street gangs, drug addicts and firefighters conducting arson drills. And even though her family’s $700-a-month address sits across…
DRC presidential election: What you should know – (Al Jazeera English)
Voters in the DRC will head to the polls on Sunday to choose a successor to long-time President Joseph Kabila.
WADA discussing date for lab visit as deadline nears – Russia – (Reuters)
Moscow and the World Anti-Doping Agency are discussing a date for WADA experts to visit and receive laboratory data, Russia’s sports minister said on Saturday, as Russia’s anti-doping agency, RUSADA, stands on the verge of suspension.
Female veterans defy vote trend to oppose Trump, seek office – (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — It had been months since retired Lt. Cmdr. Michele Fitzpatrick paid attention to news coverage. She was turned off by President Donald Trump’s tweetstorms and attacks on critics such as the late Republican Sen. John McCain, a war hero. But a…
Bangladesh opposition leader: ‘Time has come for a change’ – (Al Jazeera English)
Kamal Hossain says the election commission has a responsibility, which requires neutrality, impartially and fairness.
Race row erupts on Cape Town beach – (BBC News)
Demonstrators allege black beachgoers were asked to leave the area by private security guards.
China court orders retrial for Canadian jailed for drug smuggling – (Reuters)
A Chinese court ordered a retrial of a Canadian citizen on drug smuggling charges on Saturday after prosecutors said his sentence of 15 years was too light – a case that could further test relations between Beijing and Ottawa.
Trump, Democrats play the blame game in 2nd shutdown weekend – (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Democrats are trading blame for the partial government shutdown but doing little substantive talking with each other as the disruption in federal services and public employees’ pay slogs into another weekend. Trump…
The events that shook Palestinian territories in 2018 – (Al Jazeera English)
With little reason for optimism for 2019, here are the main events that rocked the West Bank, Gaza and Israel this year.
First Briton crosses Antarctica solo – (BBC News)
Capt Lou Rudd was just two days behind the first person to complete the gruelling 921-mile journey.
***
From various sources
Destined for greatness: A new biography of Winston Churchill – (The Jerusalem Post)
The latest Churchill biography manages to be both engaging and scrupulously researched.
Tunisian-Italian recipes from an Israeli chef – (The Jerusalem Post)
I managed to convince a few bakers to give me their secret recipes for these special dishes that demonstrate the awesome connection Italy and Tunisia share.
The extraordinary story of Israel’s Shor family and their wineries – (The Jerusalem Post)
The Shor family, which opened their winery back in 1847-48, is still making wine today.
Citing ‘light’ sentence for drug smuggling, China court orders retrial for Canadian | CBC News – (CBC News)
A court in China has ordered a retrial for a Canadian man who was found guilty and sentenced last month on drug smuggling charges.
PayPal has permanently banned The Hacker News and hold funds for 180 days – (Hacker News)
Indian navy tries to save trapped miners – (BBC News)
High-power pumps arrive at a flooded “rat-hole” mine where 15 workers were trapped 16 days ago.
Investing lessons for 2019 and beyond from the country’s biggest pension fund – (The Globe And Mail)
The CPPIB doesn’t sweat a bad year like 2018; instead, says Geoffrey Rubin, the pension fund looks more closely at long-term returns
18 Real Text Messages Celebrities Sent This Year – (Buzzfeed)
“You’re a real keeper.”
Here’s a map of the 80 Sears and Kmart stores closing in March – (CNBC)
Sears is expected to close another round of stores early next year, as the bankrupt department store chain now tries to stay afloat via a $4.4 billion bid from its chairman, Eddie Lampert.
Government accused of ‘standing idly by’ as UK bolsters ferry links for Brexit – (The Irish Times)
UK to spend more than £100m chartering extra ferries to ease congestion at Dover
Clifton beach controversy: A row over racism, politicking and animal rights – (News24)
The contentious clearing of beach-goers on the popular Clifton Beach in Cape Town has garnered international headlines with the incident spilling over into public debate about racism, politicking and animal rights.
US Conservative writer Bre Payton dies from swine flu aged 26 – (Mirror)
Payton, who wrote for online magazine The Federalist, was found unconscious on Thursday by a friend before she later died in hospital
Flu cases surge: Here’s what you need to know to stay healthy – (USA Today)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared that flu activity from the 2018-2019 season is climbing in the United States. Officials say it’s not too late to get vaccinated.
Major performance (I/O?) issue in /mnt/* and in ~ (home) · Issue #873 · Microsoft/WSL – (Hacker News)
A brief description As a Symfony developer, it’s always been hard to get a stable/fast development environment. My current setup is a Ubuntu running under VirtualBox (using vagrant). While page…
Anak Krakatau volcano now a quarter of its pre-eruption size | CBC News – (CBC News)
Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano island — which erupted and collapsed a week ago, triggering a deadly tsunami — is now only about one-quarter of its pre-eruption size, scientists say.
Transgender inmate serving a 10-year sentence for burglary gets approval for a transfer to a women’s prison – (Fox News)
The Illinois Department of Corrections was forced to make this decision after a federal court found her rights were violated.
2 million in Times Square for New Year’s? Experts say no way – (Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan Seacrest and Anderson Cooper will be there. Snoop Dogg, too. But 1 or 2 million people in New York’s Times Square for New Year’s Eve? As Snoop would say, you must be sippin’ on gin and juice. Crowd-size experts scoff at those mammoth figu…
Gerrard: Rangers could have beaten Celtic by more – (FourFourTwo)
Ryan Jack’s first Rangers strike earned Old Firm bragging rights, but Steven Gerrard said his side should have beaten Celtic by more goals.
Videos show migrant children being dragged, pushed and slapped by shelter staffers – (USA Today)
Videos released by the Arizona officials show migrant children being dragged, pushed and slapped at a Southwest Key shelter. Officials have found no grounds for criminal charges.
Museums and National Zoo Set to Close as Shutdown Drags into Second Week – (Time)
Museums and galleries popular in Washington D.C. will close starting midweek if the partial shutdown of the federal government drags on.
***
All about Trump
Mercury in retrograde: Trump EPA orders rollback of Obama-era regulations – (NBC News)
The Trump administration has targeted an Obama-era regulation credited with helping dramatically reduce toxic mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants.
2-year-old Yemeni boy whose mom sued US to see him has died – (Associated Press)
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The 2-year-old son of a Yemeni woman who sued the Trump administration to let her into the country to be with the ailing boy has died, the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced. Abdullah Hassan died Friday in UCSF Benioff Chil…
Trump issues executive order freezing federal workers’ pay in 2019 – (Google News)
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday freezing federal workers’ pay for 2019, following through on a proposal he announced earlier in the year.
Trump issues executive order freezing federal workers’ pay in 2019 – (CNN)
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday freezing federal workers’ pay for 2019, following through on a proposal he announced earlier in the year.
Boy, 2, Dies After Yemeni Mother’s Legal Battle to See Him in U.S. Hospital – (Time)
Abdullah Hassan died Friday after his Yemeni mother, Shaima Swileh, sued the Trump Administration for entry to the U.S. to see her son.
GOP Senator Jeff Flake thinks Trump’s border closure threat is a bluff – (Newsweek)
“It’s highly unlikely—gratefully—that he would do that,” Flake told CNN.
Two-year-old son of Yemeni woman who sued to enter US dies in California – (The Guardian (AU))
Shaima Swileh, who had been excluded by Trump’s travel ban, sees son Abdallah Hassan die from genetic brain condition
Female veterans defy vote trend to oppose Trump, seek office – (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — It had been months since retired Lt. Cmdr. Michele Fitzpatrick paid attention to news coverage. She was turned off by President Donald Trump’s tweetstorms and attacks on critics such as the late Republican Sen. John McCain, a war hero. But a…
2-year-old Yemeni boy whose mom sued US to see him has died – (Google News)
The 2-year-old son of a Yemeni woman who sued the Trump administration to let her into the country to be with the ailing boy has died, the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced.
Dems, Trump trade blame as shutdown slogs into 2nd weekend – (The Globe And Mail)
Dems, Trump trade blame as shutdown slogs into 2nd weekend
Trump hasn’t ordered Pentagon to withdraw troops from Afghanistan – (The Hill)
A White House spokesman said Friday that President Trump has not yet ordered the Pentagon to pull troops out of Afghanistan, contradicting reports last week that the president has called for the withdrawal of 7,000 troops.
Trump, Democrats play the blame game in 2nd shutdown weekend – (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Democrats are trading blame for the partial government shutdown but doing little substantive talking with each other as the disruption in federal services and public employees’ pay slogs into another weekend. Trump…
See how Trump’s false claims have multiplied – CNN Video – (CNN)
CNN’s Victor Blackwell uses gumballs to represent The Washington Post’s count of President Donald Trump’s false and misleading claims since taking office.
Trump ditched the TPP. Now it’s going into effect without the US – (CNN)
A major 11-country agreement goes into effect Sunday, reshaping trade rules among economic powerhouses like Japan, Canada, Mexico and Australia — but the United States won’t be a part of it.
House probe of FBI-DOJ’s alleged anti-Trump, pro-Clinton bias hits unceremonious end — with no report – (Fox News)
House Republicans unceremoniously ended their investigation into the way the FBI and the Department of Justice handled Hillary Clinton’s email scandal and the bias allegations against President Trump.
The Memo: Trump veers between hardliner, dealmaker on shutdown – (The Hill)
President Trump is presenting himself as both a hardliner and would-be dealmaker as the government shutdown hits the one-week mark.
Narrow majority backs Trump on Syria, Afghanistan troop reductions – (The Hill)
A narrow majority of U.S. voters support President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and reduce the country’s military presence in Afghanistan, according to a new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released exclusively to The Hill.
Trump threat to close southern border legally ‘murky’ | CBC News – (CBC News)
U.S. President Donald Trump could be entering “murky” legal territory if he attempted to close down the southern border with Mexico, a move that some observers say could have significant impacts on both economies.
‘He’s still in prison’: Trump lifts Turkey sanctions but Americans remain detained – (Politico)
The move baffled those who say the U.S. has otherwise been working hard behind the scenes to free those still held in Turkey.
Trump will stay in DC through the shutdown, incoming chief of staff says – (CNN)
President Donald Trump has canceled his New Year’s plans in order to remain in Washington until a deal over border wall funds is reached and the partial government shutdown ends, according to the President’s incoming acting chief of staff.