Headlines:

From Al Jazeera, Associated Press, BBC News, Reuters, The Globe and Mail, New York Times, and Wired

Pence condemns LGBT criticism of his wife – (BBC News)
The US vice-president says criticism of his wife’s job is an “attack” on religious education.

After cover-up trial, officer who shot teen to be sentenced – (Associated Press)
CHICAGO (AP) — A judge rejected allegations that the shocking video of Laquan McDonald’s death proved that Chicago police officers tried to stage a cover-up in the fatal shooting of the black teen. Now another judge must decide how long the officer who pulled…

Technology near for real-time TV political fact checks – (Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — A Duke University team expects to have a product available for election year that will allow television networks to offer real-time fact checks onscreen when a politician makes a questionable claim during a speech or debate. The mystery is whe…

North Korean diplomat arrives in Sweden to discuss U.S. deadlock – (Reuters)
North Korean vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui has arrived in Sweden to take part in roundtable talks, Sweden’s foreign ministry said on Friday, amid stepped up international efforts to end the stand-off between the United States and North Korea.

Pelosi cancels Afghanistan trip, cites Trump ‘leak’ – (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday canceled her plans to travel by commercial plane to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan, saying President Donald Trump had caused a security risk by talking about the trip. It was the latest twist in what ha…

Congress to probe report Trump told lawyer Cohen to lie – (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic chairmen of two House committees pledged Friday to investigate a report that President Donald Trump directed his personal attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about negotiations over a Moscow real estate project during th…

Stocks, dollar up on trade hopes; Wall Street set for fourth week gains – (Reuters)
Major stock indexes rose worldwide on Friday and the dollar was on track for its first positive week this year, boosted by optimism that the trade conflict between the United States and China may come to an end.

Kim’s right-hand man meets Pompeo in US – (BBC News)
North Korean negotiator Kim Yong-chol is in Washington ahead of another possible Trump-Kim summit.

US, North Korea start talks aimed at 2nd Trump-Kim summit – (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and North Korea began highly anticipated talks Friday aimed at resuming stalled efforts to end the North’s nuclear weapons program by arranging a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Secr…

Top North Korea envoy meets Pompeo for new nuclear talks – (Reuters)
A top North Korean nuclear envoy began a new round of talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and could also meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday during a visit aimed at clearing the way for a second U.S.-North Korea summit.

Fortnite predator ‘groomed children in-game’ – (BBC News)
A man is accused of using the hit video game Fortnite to initiate sexual activity with children.

Industrials power Wall Street higher on trade optimism – (Reuters)
Gains in technology and industrial stocks put Wall Street on track for their fourth week of gains on Friday, amid growing optimism that the United States and China would resolve their bitter trade dispute.

On the road to make an affordable car, Tesla cuts jobs – (Associated Press)
Tesla will cut 7 percent of its workforce as it tries to lower prices and break out of the niche-car market to produce an electric vehicle that more people can afford. Tesla’s cheapest model right now is the $44,000 Model 3, and it needs to broaden its custom…

Kenya court orders five suspects held over Nairobi attack – (Al Jazeera English)
Court grants prosecutor request to hold Canadian national and four Kenyans for 30 days as investigation continues.

Report that Trump told lawyer to lie to Congress draws House inquiry – (Reuters)
Two leading Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives promised to investigate U.S. President Donald Trump’s dealings with his personal lawyer Michael Cohen after a media report said Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress in violation of U.S. law.

Zimbabwe in ‘total internet shutdown’ amid violent crackdown – (Associated Press)
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe on Friday faced a “total internet shutdown,” a media group said, after a days-long violent crackdown on people protesting a dramatic fuel price increase. Badly injured people streamed into a hospital in the capital after alleg…

Netflix shares fall as weak forecast dampens investor optimism – (Reuters)
Shares of Netflix Inc fell nearly 5 percent on Friday, as investors looked past its record subscriber numbers and instead focused on its lower-than-expected revenue forecast for the first quarter.

Colombia blames ELN rebels for deadliest attack in 15 years – (Associated Press)
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian authorities said that a one-armed explosives expert belonging to the country’s last remaining rebel group carried out a car bombing against a police academy that left 21 dead and dozens more wounded. Chief Prosecutor Nestor M…

Tesla cuts jobs as it looks to make Model 3 more affordable – (Reuters)
Tesla Inc said on Friday it would cut thousands of jobs to rein in costs as it plans to increase production of lower-priced versions of its crucial Model 3 sedan, sending its shares down as much as 10 percent.

EU countries could snub US-Poland summit over Iran concerns – (Al Jazeera English)
EU diplomats raise questions about summit’s agenda, noting that Iran did not appear to be invited.

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From various sources

WATCH: Innovative IDF tanks, APC, cross water obstacles in training – (The Jerusalem Post)
Stormy winter weather allowed tanks to be tested across the country.

Over 10,000 protesters clash with IDF forces on Gaza Border – (The Jerusalem Post)
Protests on the Gaza border, named by the Palestinians March of Return protests, continue on Friday. Hamas official: “We will continue until the blockade on Gaza ends.”

Florida felons just got the right to vote. GOP leaders want to slow-walk it. – (Vice News)
A new amendment gave felons the right to vote back in Florida. But Republicans in the state might undermine it.

Fitness Tracker Study Links Activity In Old Age To A Lower Dementia Risk – (Buzzfeed)
Older people who moved around more — as registered by a fitness tracker — were less likely to develop dementia than other people their age.

Twins get some ‘mystifying’ results when they put 5 ancestry DNA kits to the test | CBC News – (Hacker News)
Last spring, Marketplace host Charlsie Agro and her identical twin sister, Carly, bought DNA ancestry kits from five of the most popular companies in the industry. Find out why some of the results they received left a team of computational biologists at Yale …

Outward: Take a Backpacking Tour of its Fantasy World – IGN.com – (IGN)
The developers of the medieval fantasy RPG Outward take you on a tour of the world of Aurai and explain the gameplay importance of the backpack during your travels.

BuildZoom jobs – (Hacker News)
Job openings at BuildZoom

Gladys Knight said she’s here to ‘give the Anthem back its voice’ – (Fox News)
Legendary soul singer Gladys Knight said she is here to ‘give the Anthem back its voice’ after announcing Thursday she will perform the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ at the Super Bowl in her hometown of Atlanta. The longtime civil rights activist faced heat for acce…

World’s largest great white shark – (Fox News)
A diver and photographer Kimberly Jeffries swims alongside the world’s largest great white shark.

Snow warning for UK extended by Met Office as Arctic freeze continues – (Mirror)
The Met Office have warned snow and sleet flurries will continue until midnight tonight for much of northern England and Scotland.

Kay Burley suffers a ‘little episode’ on the London Underground – (Daily Mail)
Sky News presenter Kay Burley flagged the incident to her 413,000 Twitter followers and praised both London Underground staff and passengers that helped her.

Ant McPartlin RETURNS to Britain’s Got Talent after one year break – (Daily Mail)
Ant McPartlin broke down in tears onstage as he was given a standing ovation on his return to work at Britain’s Got Talent auditions on Friday.

Prince Philip, 97, flips his Land Rover in dramatic car crash – (Daily Mail)
Prince Philip is ‘conscious but very shocked and shaken’ after flipping his Land Rover near the Sandringham Estate. The Queen is by the Duke’s side following the collision on the A149 in Norfolk.

Revealed: UK patients stockpile drugs in fear of no-deal Brexit – (The Guardian (UK))
Doctors call for more transparency amid fears of shortages, especially of insulin

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Netflix, Boeing, Tesla, Eli Lilly & more – (CNBC)
Check out the companies making headlines midday Friday.

Poll finds over half of Brits want to STAY in the EU – (Daily Mail)
A YouGov survey found that Remain has stretched out a 12-point lead over Leave – at 56 per cent versus 44 per cent.

100 years of Britain’s caravan love affair – (Daily Mail)
Scottish medic Dr William Stables, pictured with his dog and a friend, commissioned the world’s first leisure caravan in 1885. He wanted to be known as ‘The Gentleman Gypsy.

25 Things For The Grouchiest Person You Know – (Buzzfeed)
Sooooo… you?

Sad Pochettino admits Bielsa is ‘wrong’ – (FourFourTwo)
Marcelo Bielsa has played a huge role in Mauricio Pochettino’s career but the Spurs boss would not back his fellow Argentine over ‘Spygate’.

Simeone eyes LaLiga gain after Atletico’s Copa del Rey pain – (FourFourTwo)
Failing in the Copa del Rey will allow Atletico Madrid to better prepare for other challenges, according to head coach Diego Simeone.

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All about Trump

Masters Snooker 2019: Judd Trump beats Mark Selby to reach semi-finals – (BBC Sport)
Judd Trump beats world number one Mark Selby 6-2 to reach the Masters semi-finals.

‘Keep America Great’ banner at high school basketball game sparks uproar – (Fox News)
A Minnesota high school is being investigated after fans of the boys’ high school basketball team were spotted holding a “Keep America Great” banner promoting President Donald Trump’s re-election Tuesday.

Consumer sentiment has reached its lowest levels since Trump was elected – (Axios)
But it’s not necessarily indicative of a downturn in the economy.

Donald Trump taunts Nancy Pelosi as shutdown enters 28th day – (USA Today)
President effectively cancels House speaker’s trip to Afghanistan, though no budget talks are scheduled.

If Trump Told Cohen to Lie, Impeachment Is Coming – (Wired)
An explosive new report from Buzzfeed News makes the impeachment of Donald Trump not just possible, but likely.

Trump reportedly directed Cohen to lie to Congress about Moscow project – live news – (Google News (UK))
President told former lawyer to lie about negotiations to build a Trump Tower, BuzzFeed reports, as shutdown enters day 28

Kim’s right-hand man meets Pompeo in US – (BBC News)
North Korean negotiator Kim Yong-chol is in Washington ahead of another possible Trump-Kim summit.

GOP Rep. Will Hurd on government shutdown, border wall – (CBS News)
Republican Rep. Will Hurd of Texas calls President Trump’s demands for a $5.7 billion wall the most expensive and least effective solution when it comes to border security. The congressman joined CBSN to discuss working across party lines to reopen the govern…

GOP Rep. Will Hurd slams Trump’s decision to pull troops out of Syria – (CBS News)
Texas Republican Congressman Will Hurd, a former intelligence agent, says President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria is a “terrible” idea. On CBSN, he explained why he thinks the U.S. military needs to have a role in the war-torn country.

Democrats are furious over allegations Trump told Cohen to lie to Congress — and talking impeachment – (Vice News)
“If this is true, this is plain, slam-dunk, criminal obstruction of justice,” tweeted Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the Democrat from Rhode Island.

Trucking giant JB Hunt says American businesses are front-running the planned escalation in Trump’s trade war – (Business Insider)
Trucking giant JB Hunt says American businesses are front-running the planned escalation in Trump’s trade war

Trucking giant JB Hunt says American businesses are front-running the planned escalation in Trump’s trade war – (Business Insider (UK))
Trucking giant JB Hunt says American businesses are front-running the planned escalation in Trump’s trade war

Trump Accuses Michael Cohen Of Lying To Reduce Jail Time After BuzzFeed Report – (The Huffington Post)
“Lying to reduce jail time! Watch father-in-law!” the president tweeted.

Consumer confidence plunges to lowest level since Trump’s election – (The Hill)
U.S.

U.S. troops ’embarrassed’ by Trump’s Syria plan, Kurdish commander says – (NBC News)
merican military leaders are “constantly apologizing” for President Trump’s Syria withdrawal plan, according to the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces.

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2019-01-18

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