News24/7: January 2019

Thursday, 31 January 2019

'Serious consequences,' U.S. warns, after Venezuela moves on Guaido

The sweeping U.S. sanctions on oil firm PDVSA, announced on Monday, means the state-run company may not be able to fulfill contracts with North American buyers, the government of President Nicolas Maduro said. Aimed at driving Maduro from power, the sanctions were the strongest measures yet against the 56-year-old former union leader, who has overseen economic collapse and an exodus of millions of Venezuelans in recent years. The measures triggered higher global oil prices, angry responses from China and Russia and the first serious moves against Guaido since he challenged Maduro's claim on the presidency last week.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2TiyFcU

'El Chapo' must not 'escape' again, U.S. prosecutor tells jury

Accused Mexican drug boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's repeated escapes from the law prove that he "knows he's guilty," a U.S. prosecutor told jurors in closing arguments at his trial on Wednesday, urging them not to let him escape again. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg's description of Guzman's history of dramatic prison escapes capped off a day-long summation in federal court in Brooklyn in which she also attacked the defense argument that Guzman was a scapegoat.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2ToZpIz

US weather forecast: Record low temperatures caused by polar vortex ‘threaten 110 million Americans’

Life-threatening temperatures across the United States and a polar vortex in the Midwest is set to impact nearly 110 million Americans this week. The extreme cold and record-breaking temperatures are blasting a swathe of states spanning from North Dakota to Missouri and into Ohio after a powerful snowstorm pounded the region earlier this week. A blast of warm air from misplaced Moroccan heat last month made the normally super chilly air temperatures above the region rapidly increase.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2MLyowN

U.S. security aid to Palestinians to end Thursday, envoys seek workaround

The loss of the some $60 million in annual funding would marks another tear in ties between the Trump administration and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and potentially undermines his security cooperation with Israel in the occupied West Bank. Diplomatic sources said Palestinian, U.S. and Israeli officials were seeking a way to keep the money flowing despite Abbas's decision to turn it down as of a Jan. 31 deadline set by Congress' Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act (ATCA) of 2018. The ATCA empowers Americans to sue foreign aid recipients in U.S. courts over alleged complicity in "acts of war".

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Tnk1Bb

Trump Says He’ll Leave Decision of Whether to Release Special Counsel’s Report to Justice Dept.

By MAGGIE HABERMAN from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2sYkIFk

On Politics: Trump Calls His Own Intelligence Officials ‘Naïve’

By Unknown Author from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2RZBYZV

Another Go for Charles and Di, This Time With Music

By SARAH LYALL from NYT Theater https://nyti.ms/2RoY8zC

A Black Legacy, Wrapped Up in Fur

By JASMINE SANDERS from NYT Style https://nyti.ms/2sYq1os

Rescue Pets

By KATHERINE SCHULTEN from NYT The Learning Network https://nyti.ms/2G91nt3

How Much Do You Know About Your Family’s History?

By KATHERINE SCHULTEN from NYT The Learning Network https://nyti.ms/2TpuAU8

Word + Quiz: upstage

By THE LEARNING NETWORK from NYT The Learning Network https://nyti.ms/2CXxwQO

What’s on TV Thursday: ‘30 for 30’ and ‘The Big Lebowski’

By LAUREN MESSMAN from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/2FVZlgo

After Death on Subway Stairs, New Yorkers Lament Accessibility Issues

By YOUSUR AL-HLOU, ROBIN LINDSAY and NATE SCHWEBER from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/2BbTfVb

Las principales noticias del jueves

By Por ALBINSON LINARES from NYT Universal https://nyti.ms/2FZFZqK

St. Louis Prosecutor Accuses Police of Obstructing Inquiry Into Killing of Officer

By LIAM STACK from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2TlYgl3

An Angry Trump Pushes Back Against His Own ‘Naive’ Intelligence Officials

By MARK LANDLER from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2Gcqb3g

Jury Awards Rand Paul Over $580,000 in Damages From Attack

By NOAH WEILAND from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2GgXDp8

Undocumented Immigrant Who Worked at a Trump Golf Club Will Attend State of the Union

By MATT STEVENS from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2S0FxyM

Quotation of the Day: A Merciless Cold Lingers in the Midwest

By Unknown Author from NYT Today’s Paper https://nyti.ms/2sUhliK

Mavericks Thump Knicks as Dirk Nowitzki Comes Alive at the Garden

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports https://nyti.ms/2sWxuUX

Corrections: January 31, 2019

By Unknown Author from NYT Corrections https://nyti.ms/2Rt3aey

Palindromic Number

By DEB AMLEN from NYT Crosswords & Games https://nyti.ms/2FYVr6q

Samsung Forecasts Earnings Weakness Throughout 2019

By REUTERS from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/2G9LOkO

China, Venezuela, Climate Change: Your Thursday Briefing

By PENN BULLOCK from NYT Briefing https://nyti.ms/2S1jVCw

State Department warns Americans not to travel to Venezuela

The State Department said it has limited ability to help American citizens in Venezuela.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Rpx3fD

More Than 36,000 Pounds of Tyson Chicken Nuggets Recalled Over Possible Rubber Contamination

The contamination is considered a high health risk

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Tn3jC1

Harris: Lawmakers Should View ‘Autopsy Photographs’ of Dead Kids before Gun-Control Votes

Senator Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) made an emotional plea for increased gun control during CNN’s town hall in Iowa Monday night, arguing that her pro-Second Amendment colleagues should be forced to examine photos of dead children before voting on gun restrictions. “I think somebody should have required all those members of Congress to go in a room — in a locked room, no press, nobody else — and look at the autopsy photographs of those babies. “This has become a political issue.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Rpm9Gy

Goldman Sachs ups 'no-deal' likelihood after UK parliament amendment vote

Goldman Sachs nudged up its estimated probability of a "no-deal" Brexit on Wednesday after British lawmakers instructed Prime Minister Theresa May to reopen a Brexit treaty with the European Union to replace a controversial Irish border arrangement. Britain's parliament rejected a proposal to give parliament a path to prevent a potentially chaotic "no-deal" exit, but accepted two amendments - one seeking to replace the Irish backstop with alternative arrangements, and another rejecting the notion of a "no-deal" Brexit. Goldman Sachs analysts upped their "no-deal" Brexit probability to 15 percent from 10 percent, and cut their probability of Brexit not happening at all to 35 percent from 40 percent.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2RUKhpG

Good-bye polar vortex, hello spring? Weekend will be 75 degrees warmer

The bitter cold that froze parts of the central and eastern U.S. this week will be a distant memory by the weekend.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2HEjWra

Brexit deal 'best possible' and 'not renegotiable': Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday the Brexit deal is the "best agreement possible and is not renegotiable", as Britain's premier pushed to reopen talks with Brussels. Macron's comments during a summit in Cyprus came as Prime Minister Theresa May appealed to British lawmakers to give her a mandate to renegotiate, after parliament rejected an accord reached with the European Union. Macron urged the British government to "promptly" lay out to EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier "the next steps that will prevent an exit without an agreement, which nobody wants but for which we must all prepare ourselves".

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2DJ2qyf

Canada’s Decision on Huawei and 5G ‘Some Ways Off,’ Goodale Says

“I’m not going to speculate about time but it’s certainly beyond weeks,” Goodale told reporters Tuesday after a cabinet meeting. Goodale said Canada will take the view of allies such as the U.S. into account when studying potential risks to national security, and will make its own decision in the end. China’s ambassador to Canada and Huawei officials have denied the company’s gear is used for spying.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Rq1PFg

El Chapo prosecutor's closing argument: 'Mountain of evidence' proves guilt

Prosecutors say Guzmán became one of the largest smugglers and sellers of Colombian-produced narcotics to the United States in the 1980s and 1990s.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2RsDgHE

Record-breaking cold clobbers two-thirds of the U.S.

Polar vortex to bring extended, life-threatening cold to the Midwest, the Great Lakes, the Ohio Valley and New England this week.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2CN2xqA

Venezuela crisis: Opposition leader Juan Guaido hit with travel ban and asset freeze by supreme court

Venezuela’s self-declared interim president, Juan Guaido, has been hit with a travel ban after the country’s chief prosecutor announced he would launch a criminal investigation into the congressional leader. The supreme court – stacked with members loyal to president Nicolas Maduro – blocked Mr Guaido from leaving the counrty and froze his bank accounts, but did not strip him of his legislative immunity. It came as Mr Guaido called on Venezuelans to stage a two-hour walkout from their homes and workplaces in protest at Mr Maduro’s stewardship of the country.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2MI0MQ2

Trump friend Roger Stone pleads not guilty in Russia probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — Roger Stone, a longtime adviser and confidant of President Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to felony charges in the Russia investigation after a publicity-filled few days spent slamming the probe as politically motivated.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2CSwcPr

PG&E files for bankruptcy amid California wildfire lawsuits, citing billions in claims

The utility filed bankruptcy documents despite investigators determining last week that its equipment was not to blame for a 2017 fire that killed 22.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Wp0q5D

Britain to Prioritize Keeping Medicines Stocked Over Food in Case of No-Deal Brexit

The government has been accused of playing 'Russian roulette' with the national interest

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2BbVgAR

Regulate social media to protect children, MPs urge

A cross-party committee says social media companies should have a legal "duty of care" to children.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2BaE9iK

Facebook users continue to grow despite privacy scandals

The number of people who logged into the site at least once a month rose 9% last year.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2Uu7wUu

Scruff gay dating app bans underwear photos

The app bans images of men in underwear and swimwear after "repeated suspensions by app store distributors".

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2SgJDCi

Kwik Fit garages hit by computer virus

The car repair chain's IT system went offline on Saturday and has been experiencing problems since.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2Bbhenr

PledgeMusic: The day the music died?

Crowdfunding site PledgeMusic seems to have run out of money, leaving musicians wondering what to do.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2sShPG9

DJI pledges painful action to tackle corruption

The world's bestselling drone-maker says it must tackle cases of employee theft.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2BbV4Sh

Fifa to stop selling in-game currency in Belgium

The move comes after the Belgian Gambling Commission threatened legal action over in-game loot boxes.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2MFq3uk

Children 'afterthought' for social media companies

England's children's commissioner writes to social media companies, urging them to tackle disturbing content.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2TlA6Hr

Facebook: Dissident republicans Saoradh take legal action

Saoradh claims the social media giant removed a number of its pages from its platform.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2FYq7oy

Venezuela opposition 'has met military', says Juan Guaidó

Opposition leader Juan Guaidó says his team has held talks with the army about regime change.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SeYuxi

Polar vortex brings deadly cold snap to US states

At least eight people have died in the deep freeze, which has paralysed transport services.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2FYNLkW

'American Dying' cooled Earth's climate

European settlement of the Americas killed so many people, it disturbed Earth's climate.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2RsVJ75

Facebook users continue to grow despite privacy scandals

The number of people who logged into the site at least once a month rose 9% last year.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Uu7wUu

Tom Brady 'cheater' slur costs TV producer his job

The New England Patriots quarterback was labelled a "known cheater" during a Pittsburgh broadcast.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2GbzBvV

Sarah Sanders says 'God wanted Trump to be president'

In an interview, the White House press secretary says Donald Trump had divine support.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Bm9a3B

Saudi Arabia ends major anti-corruption campaign

Hundreds of princes and billionaires were held and more than $100bn recouped by the state since 2017.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2S0hQGQ

Bastia attack: Gunman found dead in police raid

France's interior minister says "the fanatic committed suicide" after killing one and injuring five.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2B96bLC

Senator Rand Paul wins damages after neighbour attack

Senator Rand Paul was awarded more than $580,000 (£441,000) in damages after his neighbour attacked.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2UopeIW

Mystery illness sees Canada halve its Cuba embassy staff

A 14th employee at Canada's embassy in Havana falls ill, and the country cuts staff there by half.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2sWTxuQ

China's factory activity shrinks as slowdown worries rise

The data comes as several global firms warn China's slowing economy will hit their bottom line.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2UvE5l2

Emiliano Sala: Missing Cardiff striker's former club Nantes pay tribute

Nantes pay tribute to missing former striker Emiliano Sala during their 1-1 draw with Saint Etienne.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SbuBxT

The story of a US raid on al-Qaeda in Yemen

The BBC has gained rare access to Athlan village, the site of a major US attack on al-Qaeda in Yemen.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2UqHYHO

Polar vortex: What is it and how does it happen?

The deep freeze gripping much of the US has been blamed on a polar vortex. Here's what that means.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Sex5LW

Actor 'tasted brutality of hatred'

Stars support Empire actor Jussie Smollet, the victim of a suspected hate crime in Chicago.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2CRvIJi

The Afghan Invictus athletes claiming asylum in Australia

The fears of six athletes who claimed asylum in Australia after the 2018 Invictus Games.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2S8Sgz1

Zimbabwe women raped as government crackdown continues

Six women tell the BBC they were raped by security forces as part of a government crackdown.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2CRqD3G

MP defends unmasking shot reporter

Kennedy Agyapong tells the BBC he regrets journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale’s death, but has a clear conscious.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2sVKNEY

'Why I fled Saudi Arabia and sought asylum in the UK'

Two Saudis who sought asylum in the UK explain why they risked everything.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SdhEnb

Richard E Grant in tears over Barbra Streisand's reply to 1970s fan letter

The actor and superfan was "overcome with emotion" when Streisand replied to his childhood letter.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2MGAb66

The Lord of the Ringos? Peter Jackson to direct a Beatles film

The Lord of the Rings director will use unseen footage of the tense sessions for their final album.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SdIgEx

Bulgarians decry ‘eco vandalism’ on coast

Social media outcry puts controversial construction on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast under scrutiny.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Uxh9C1

Why some Japanese pensioners want to go to jail

Japan is in the grip of an elderly crime wave. Poverty and loneliness are two of the possible causes.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2sUSv2f

How do you compost a human body - and why would you?

A US state could become one of the first places in the world to allow corpses to become fertile soil.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2S04WbU

The Indians sharing their villages with crocodiles

In most places, a crocodile would send people scurrying in fear. But not in this part of India.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Sbqv8X

Maduro and Guaidó: Who is supporting whom in Venezuela?

The international community is split over who it recognises as the country's current president.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2BbqOqp

Nastya Rybka: Model who got caught up in the Trump-Russia row

The story of Nastya Rybka, who was questioned in a Thai jail by the FBI about the Trump-Russia inquiry.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2HHJ9kz

Why Dutch fear Brexit no deal will leave onions to rot

Imagine onions - tonnes of them, rotting in a customs queue. It's a Dutch farmer's Brexit nightmare.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2DLoiZL

Senate judiciary chair requests FBI briefing on arrest of Trump ally

The Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate judiciary panel on Wednesday requested a briefing from the FBI on the arrest of Roger Stone, a longtime associate of President Donald Trump, in an inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Senator Lindsey Graham said he was concerned about the number of agents involved, tactics employed and the timing of Stone's arrest on Friday in Florida. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating U.S. allegations that Russia meddled in the election and whether members of the campaign of then-Republican candidate Trump coordinated with Moscow officials.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2t0TPk1

Huawei exec's extradition hearing pushed to March

The extradition hearing for a top Huawei executive at the center of a diplomatic row between Ottawa and Beijing was pushed back to March on Tuesday, after the US unveiled sweeping charges against her and the Chinese tech giant. Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer and the daughter of its founder, was indicted along with Huawei and two affiliates in a US case related to alleged Iran sanctions violations that has inflamed tensions with China. In Meng's first court appearance since being released, the judge moved the start of her extradition hearing to March 6, a month later than previously scheduled, in order to allow the defense time to review the evidence in the case.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Sfxk9t

Mexico, Spain discuss differing stances toward Venezuela

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The leaders of Mexico and Spain said Wednesday they hope to be in a position to mediate a dialogue to resolve the political crisis in Venezuela, but also revealed differences in their approach.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2CZHVvl

Polar vortex stalks Midwest, 'El Chapo' trial, Roger Goodell talks state of NFL: 5 things to know Wednesday

Polar vortex expected to paralyze parts of U.S. with extreme cold, Roger Goodell talks state of the NFL and more things to start your Wednesday.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Bb4cpU

Rep. Ilhan Omar calls for sharp tax increases on the wealthy: 'We've had it as high as 90 percent'

“Through Her Eyes” is a new weekly half-hour show hosted by humanitarian and women’s rights activist Zainab Salbi that aims to explore a hot button news issue through the lens of a female newsmaker. Weeks after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., made headlines by calling for a top marginal income tax rate of 70 percent in an interview with “60 Minutes,” her fellow freshman congresswoman, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., suggested that the rich could pay even more. “There are a few things that we can do,” Rep. Omar said in an interview with “Through Her Eyes.” “One of them, is that we can increase the taxes that people are paying who are the extremely wealthy in our communities.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2CNfxwo

Phone Giant Plays a Cunning Game Over Huawei Ban

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- If Deutsche Telekom AG is to be believed, a ban on equipment from Huawei Technologies Co. would slow down its rollout of 5G networks by two years. Even though such an embargo would be a huge burden for the German phone giant, there are factors that might lessen the pain. A delay to its 5G plans might even be welcome.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2WxNWsb

How major cities are helping homeless populations during the polar vortex intrusion

New York, Washington, D.C., Boston and Chicago are taking extra measures to protect homeless populations amid extreme cold, and experts recommend tips for how you can help if you see someone in need.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2RscJKo

Top airline is selling flights for $44

Winter weather and the general lull of the post-holiday season can leave just

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2sXku1c

Trump Associate Roger Stone Pleads Not Guilty in Obstruction Case

Stone was arraigned after blasting special counsel Robert Mueller's case against him

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GgqSsa

'El Chapo' must not 'escape' again, U.S. prosecutor tells jury

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2ToZpIz

US reiterates 'all options on the table' as John Bolton accidentally flashes plans for troops to Venezuela border

US National Security Advisor John Bolton was photographed on Monday holding a notepad that included the handwritten line: "5,000 troops to Colombia." Bolton spoke to White House reporters while holding the yellow notepad and discussing the crisis in Venezuela, where the US now recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's interim president. It was not until after the briefing that observers spotted the black scrawl. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a US official said "we are not seeing anything that would support" a potential troop deployment to Colombia, which neighbors Venezuela. The Pentagon referred a query back to the White House. John Bolton was caught out holding a notepad saying '5,000 troops to Colombia' Credit: Win McNamee/Getty During the briefing, Bolton would not rule out use of US troops in Venezuela. "The president has made it clear on this matter that all options are on the table," he said. The US military's Southern Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bolton's notepad also had the line: "Afghanistan - welcome the talks" - a reference to a potential breakthrough in discussions with the Taliban.