| Trump threatens to seal off US-Mexico border 'entirely' if Congress does not agree funding for a wall Posted: 28 Dec 2018 10:59 AM PST  Donald Trump, the US president, on Friday threatened to seal off the entire US-Mexico border if Congress does not approve funding for a border wall. His comments came as the federal government shutdown entered its seventh day, with Mr Trump failing to come to a budget agreement with his Democratic opponents. The continued standoff means around a quarter of the US government will likely remain closed well into 2019, when the Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives. The shutdown began on Saturday after Democrats rejected Mr Trump's demand for $5 billion (£3.93 billion) for a border wall to be included in a funding bill to keep the government open. "We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with," Mr Trump tweeted Friday. Analysts have warned that closing the border would cost hundreds of millions of dollars a day, with an estimated $558 billion in goods being transported across the border in both directions last year. Such a move would also cause chaos for the nearly half a million people who are estimated to enter the US through its southern border each day. An agreement on border funding will be the first big confrontation between Mr Trump and newly empowered Democrats, who won a majority in the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections. We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018 The Democrats are vehemently opposed to the construction of Mr Trump's proposed wall, suggesting that funding should instead be used on border security. As he doubled down yesterday, Mr Trump also reissued threats to shut off aid to the three Central American countries from which a majority of migrants attempting to enter the US originate. "Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of US for years!" he wrote in one of a series of tweets. The president has also signalled he is in no rush to seek a resolution, welcoming the fight as he heads toward his own bid for re-election in 2020. Yesterday Mick Mulvaney, the president's acting chief of staff, said Mr Trump had cancelled his plans to travel to Florida for a New Year's Eve celebration. Mr Trump cancelled a planned trip last week to visit his private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he usually spends the Christmas period. During an appearance on Fox News, Mr Mulvaney said that Democrats are no longer negotiating with the administration over an earlier offer to accept less than the $5 billion Mr Trump wants for the wall. "There's not a single Democrat talking to the president of the United States about this deal," he said, admitting that the White House expected the shutdown "to go on for a while". Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House, has vowed to pass legislation to end the shutdown as soon as she takes control of the chamber, which is expected when the new Congress convenes on January 3. "While we await the president's public proposal, Democrats have made it clear that, under a House Democratic Majority, we will vote swiftly to re-open government on Day One," her spokesman Drew Hammill said yesterday. However passing any legislation will be difficult without a compromise, since the Republican-controlled Senate and Mr Trump's signature will be needed to turn any bill into law. The shutdown is forcing hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors to stay home or work without pay, and many are experiencing mounting stress from the impasse. Washington's Smithsonian museum complex announced that it would soon have to close all museums, research centres and the National Zoo in the US capital as the reserve funds it has been relying on are running dry.
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| Two-year-old, whose Yemeni mother was initially denied a visa under Trump's travel ban, dies in California hospital Posted: 29 Dec 2018 08:09 AM PST  After an international outcry, the mother was allowed to travel from Egypt to be with her dying son at California hospital.
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| 3 more charged in kidnappings tied to sect, victims located Posted: 28 Dec 2018 07:01 PM PST ![3 more charged in kidnappings tied to sect, victims located]( "3 more charged in kidnappings tied to sect, victims located") NEW YORK (AP) — Three more alleged leaders of an extremist Jewish sect have been arrested on charges of kidnapping two children in New York and the children have been found safe in Mexico, authorities said Friday.
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| Second migrant child's death in custody raises alarm for doctors as Nielsen tours border Posted: 28 Dec 2018 03:35 PM PST  The death of an 8-year-old Guatemalan immigrant in custody on Christmas Eve is a sign that U.S. officials need to make dramatic improvements to health and sanitation conditions at the border, says a physician familiar with medical issues faced by migrants.
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| UK to spend over $130 million on ferries to cope with no-deal Brexit Posted: 29 Dec 2018 02:43 AM PST  Just three months before the United Kingdom is due to leave the world's largest bloc, the risk of a no-deal Brexit is rising -- the nightmare scenario for many businesses, which are now planning for an economic shock. To ease a potential backlog, the government has awarded three contracts to provide additional freight capacity on routes from English south-coast ports including Poole, Portsmouth and Plymouth.
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| How F-22 and F-35 'DNA' Will Make the 'New' F-16 Viper a Real Killer Posted: 30 Dec 2018 07:00 AM PST  Here is all we know.
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| San Quentin inmate who walked away from prison may be headed toward Los Angeles area, authorities say Posted: 29 Dec 2018 11:00 AM PST  Officials say an inmate who walked away from San Quentin State Prison earlier this week was seen in the city of San Miguel on Friday, and investigators believe he is heading toward the Los Angeles area.
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| Strong earthquake rattles southeastern coast of Philippines Posted: 28 Dec 2018 08:22 PM PST  A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the southeastern coast of the Philippines around midday Saturday, local time, prompting fears of a tsunami. However, no tsunami was reported.
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| Egypt kills 40 'terrorists' in crackdown after Giza attack Posted: 29 Dec 2018 06:26 AM PST  Egyptian police killed 40 suspects in a crackdown on Saturday after a roadside bomb hit a tour bus claiming the lives of three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian guide. Thirty alleged "terrorists" were killed in separate raids in Giza governorate, home to Egypt's famed pyramids and the scene of Friday's deadly bombing, while 10 others were killed in the restive North Sinai, the interior ministry said without directly linking them to the attack. A security source said the raids took place early Saturday morning, hours after Friday evening's roadside bombing which officials said hit a tour bus in the Al-Haram district near the Giza pyramids killing the three Vietnamese holidaymakers and their Egyptian guide.
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| Melania Trump's skin-colored pants confuse Twitter: 'Where are your pants?' Posted: 29 Dec 2018 10:03 AM PST  After trips to Iraq and Germany, the first lady stepped out in a Prada coat and tan pants – but some thought she wasn't wearing any pants at all.
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| Hannover airport closed for over four hours after car drives onto runway Posted: 29 Dec 2018 11:35 AM PST  The airport in the German city of Hannover was closed for over four hours after a car drove onto the runway. The unnamed driver has been arrested, and all flights were diverted from 3:30pm until 8pm. A police spokesman said a car with a Polish license plate managed to get on to the runway just after a plane had landed. "Officers from the Federal Police were able to stop the car and overwhelm the man," said Hannover police, in a statement. The incident comes after the airport increased security over the Christmas period. Passengers inside Hannover airport wait for updates "The security areas are currently vacated, currently there is no clearance," police said, immediately after the incident. "Flight operations are currently suspended. The investigation continues." Eurocontrol, the organisation responsible for air traffic management, said there were no flights due to land or take off until 8pm. "Zero rate applied for arrivals and departures due to an ongoing security issue on the airfield," Eurocontrol said. "Delays are high." Flights resumed at 8:06pm, the airport announced on its website.
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| Tesla names Oracle's Ellison to board, ending U.S. charges Posted: 28 Dec 2018 10:37 AM PST  (Reuters) - Tesla Inc on Friday named Oracle Corp co-founder Larry Ellison, a shareholder and self-described close friend of Chief Executive Elon Musk, to its board to provide the independent oversight demanded by U.S. regulators after Musk tweeted about taking the electric carmaker private.
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| California Will Become First State to Require Pet Stores to Sell Only Rescue Animals Posted: 29 Dec 2018 01:27 PM PST  The bill, "would require all sales of dogs and cats authorized by this provision to be in compliance with laws requiring the spaying or neutering of animals, as specified."
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| Despite regime troops nearby, Syrians in Manbij still fear Turkey Posted: 29 Dec 2018 07:26 AM PST  Syrian forces have deployed around the city of Manbij at the request of the Kurds, but Abu Azeez Jaber still fears a US military withdrawal will see Turkish troops enter. Since 2016, the strategic northern city on the Turkish border has been controlled by an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters backed by the US-led coalition. On Friday, Syria's army announced it had sent troops to the region, after Kurdish forces said they had requested the regime's help.
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| Bali's Agung volcano spews ash in fresh eruption Posted: 30 Dec 2018 12:47 AM PST  A volcano on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali erupted Sunday, belching ash high into the air and over nearby villages as officials warned tourists to keep clear of the area. Mount Agung has been erupting periodically since it rumbled back to life in 2017, when it grounded hundreds of flights and left 120,000 visitors stranded. "Residents near Mount Agung as well as climbers and tourists should not carry out any activity in the danger zone or within four-kilometre radius from the crater," the centre said in a statement.
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| Police criticised for asking public to choose which village to patrol via Twitter poll Posted: 29 Dec 2018 09:00 AM PST  A local police force has been criticised for asking the public to vote on which village they should patrol by using a poll on Twitter. Wiltshire Police force has been accused of signposting where criminals should target after announcing on social media that it would send officers to patrol one of three villages. It posted: "Which village would you like us to patrol later today?", giving the options of Aldbourne, Great Bedwyn and Worton. The village Great Bedwyn was picked as the winner. The force wrote: "Great Bedwyn got the vote! Quick pit stop to refuel and we'll head there!" The Twitter account posted pictures from the village, writing: "As promised, a foot patrol of Great Bedwyn! Had a chat to some residents and bumped into Daisy the dog." Followers of the account were quick to criticise, with Steve Johnson incredulously writing: "Wow a poll to see where to patrol ? What next a lucky dip to see who to arrest!" Which village would you like us to patrol later today?— Wiltshire Police (@wiltshirepolice) December 29, 2018 Another, Matty, wrote: "So the criminals will be hitting Worton and Aldbourne later then." Follower Gary Lawrence asked:"Is this a joke? If it is it's not very funny @wiltshirepolice If it's serious you need to think about the message it sends out. What next, a poll on what crimes to investigate or suspects to charge?" The force replied: "Not meant as a joke. We continually patrol rural areas. We are promoting our work and engaging with the communities." Mr Lawrence said in response: "It's commendable but how do people who don't use social media get a say? Who decides which areas go on the poll? What happens in the places that don't win the vote?" Chief constable Kier Pritchard said: "We patrol areas based on intelligence, likely risk and threat and where we can do our level best to reassure the public and prevent crime. This tweet was just part of raising awareness that we have to make choices and involve the public, we can't be everywhere." Many pointed to budget cuts as a reason for police having to ask the public where to patrol. Cuts to police budgets that have led to a reduction of 20,000 officers since 2010. Dave Thompson, the National Police Chiefs' Council Lead for Finance and Resources, said earlier this year that "budget cuts and a hands-off Government approach to aspects of policing" mean the public's experience is of a "less visible, less responsive and less proactive" force.
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| Mollie Tibbetts' mom took in son of Mexican immigrants after murder suspect's arrest, report says Posted: 28 Dec 2018 11:31 AM PST  Washington Post story says the boy's family worked with Mollie Tibbetts' alleged killer. Tibbetts' brother asked his mother if boy could stay.
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| Where do the investigations related to Trump stand? Posted: 29 Dec 2018 01:38 PM PST  A look at where the investigations related to President Donald Trump stand and what may lie ahead for him:
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| Man opens fire injuring mother, killing 8-year-old girl in northeast Harris County Posted: 30 Dec 2018 07:40 AM PST  Authorities say an 8-year-old child was killed when a suspect opened fire inside a vehicle.
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| Syria's regime on path to come in from the cold Posted: 30 Dec 2018 02:17 AM PST  Almost eight years into Syria's civil war, President Bashar al-Assad seems closer than ever to securing a comeback at home and in the Arab region, analysts say. As 2018 ends, the Moscow-backed government in Damascus is in control of nearly two-thirds of Syria, after notching up a string of victories against rebels and jihadists. On Friday, Damascus sent troops to a northern area near the border with Turkey to stave off a long-threatened Turkish assault on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces there.
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| Friday fury: Two blizzards blast Midwest, Southwest; 50 million face flood threat in East Posted: 28 Dec 2018 01:21 PM PST  The USA's weather isn't going quietly into the new year, thanks to a pair of blizzards and a widespread flood threat.
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| Why Trump Is Dragging Out the Shutdown — Even Though It's Unpopular Posted: 28 Dec 2018 12:32 PM PST  The results of the government shutdown would have led most past presidents to call off the fight. Not Donald Trump.
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| Nielsen visits Texas border after second child's death Posted: 28 Dec 2018 08:08 PM PST  EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Friday visited the Texas border city where an 8-year-old Guatemalan boy was detained with his father before dying in government custody .
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| U.S. judge dismisses suit vs Google over facial recognition software Posted: 29 Dec 2018 08:32 PM PST  The suit, filed in March 2016, alleged Alphabet Inc's Google violated Illinois state law by collecting and storing biometric data from people's photographs using facial recognition software without their permission through its Google Photos service.
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| Maine governor certifies contentious congressional race with ‘stolen election’ note Posted: 28 Dec 2018 02:14 PM PST  The Republican governor of Maine has certified Democrat Jared Golden as the winner in the state's 2nd Congressional District, but in one last jab he wrote "stolen election" next to his signature on the form. Governor Paul LePage's signature officially caps off a contentious race for the district in the state in the November elections, which switched in favour of Mr Golden from the Republican after successive rounds of voting during the state's historic foray into ranked choice voting. "I've signed off on the CD2 election result as it's no longer in federal court.
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| Welcome to Russia's Hybrid War in the Sea of Azov Posted: 29 Dec 2018 12:00 PM PST  Doubtful that Kremlin planners would commit to a full-scale land invasion, Moscow is likely attempting to use the Sea of Azov as a stepping stone to further develop their interests in the Black Sea
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| Hamas denies Mubarak claim it sent militants to Egypt in 2011 Posted: 29 Dec 2018 11:58 AM PST  Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas on Saturday denied an allegation by Egypt's deposed president Hosni Mubarak that it infiltrated hundreds of men across the border during the 2011 uprising. Mubarak took to the witness stand in a Cairo court Wednesday to testify about jailbreaks allegedly orchestrated by his successor Mohamed Morsi and members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
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| The Latest: Woman, baby rescued from flooded pickup truck Posted: 28 Dec 2018 03:13 PM PST  DAHLONEGA, Ga. (AP) — The Latest on storms moving across the South (all times local):
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| Government shutdown: White House aide predicts long standoff as Trump talks border closure Posted: 29 Dec 2018 08:14 AM PST  The partial federal government shutdown entered its second week Saturday with no apparent movement towards a resolution.
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| Wells Fargo in $575 mn US settlement on consumer ills Posted: 28 Dec 2018 10:45 AM PST  Wells Fargo agreed to a $575 million nationwide settlement over its opening of millions of unauthorized customer accounts and other alleged predatory practices, the bank and US authorities announced Friday. Other alleged violations short-changed consumers on auto insurance, mortgage rates and collateral protection insurance.
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| U.S. medic quarantined in Nebraska for possible Ebola exposure Posted: 29 Dec 2018 03:03 PM PST ![U.S. medic quarantined in Nebraska for possible Ebola exposure]( "U.S. medic quarantined in Nebraska for possible Ebola exposure") A U.S. healthcare worker who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus while treating patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo arrived in the United States on Saturday and was put in quarantine in Nebraska. The medic, who is not exhibiting symptoms of Ebola, will remain under observation for up to two weeks at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha, Nebraska Medicine said in a statement.
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| These were the most popular Netflix shows in each US state for 2018 Posted: 29 Dec 2018 06:01 AM PST  From the action in shows like Daredevil and Peaky Blinders to the sci-fi thrills of Stranger Things, Netflix gave us tons of content to love and binge in 2018. With that in mind, the folks at HighSpeedInternet.com decided to dive into Google Trends and use that to come up with a list of the most popular shows in each state for the year. These kinds of things always offer a fun look at what people like -- and usually produce some surprising and interesting findings, such as the fact that 13 Reasons Why, a series about a young girl who takes her own life, was one of the overall country's most favorite shows this year. Forty-six states this year had a new favorite Netflix show compared to what this same analysis found in 2017. The favorite show this year was the same as last year in just four states -- Louisiana and West Virginia, both of which still love Orange is the New Black; Utah, which still loves Stranger Things; and Missouri, which loves -- surprise, surprise -- Ozark. Speaking of Stranger Things, interest in the 80s sci-fi throwback seems to be picking up. It went from being the favorite in just one state in 2017 (Utah) to four this year -- in Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska and Utah. Also, the biggest Netflix fans in the country are apparently in the nation's capital. Because in Washington DC, there was a massive 16-way tie this year for that locale's favorite Netflix show, which you can also see in the map above. All in all, this another reminder that Netflix remains an entertainment juggernaut, with so much content it can give people to watch. Speaking of the year the company has had, the company disclosed on Friday that CEO Reed Hastings is getting a 7 percent increase in his compensation, which could hit as much as $31.5 million in salary and stock options next year.
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| Illegal alien accused of killing officer, death may have been prevented if it weren’t for California sanctuary policies Posted: 30 Dec 2018 04:36 AM PST  Co-founder of Fight Sanctuary State Don Rosenberg weighs in on the possibly preventable death of Newman, California, police Cpl. Ronil Singh.
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| Two right-wing ministers form new party ahead of Israel polls Posted: 29 Dec 2018 01:06 PM PST  Two right-wing Israeli government ministers on Saturday launched a new party aimed at winning over secular voters ahead of snap elections in April. Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said they were quitting the far-right Jewish Home party to found the New Right party. Nationalist Jewish Home -- of which Bennett was the head and Shaked deputy leader -- has been part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition with eight seats in parliament.
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| Anti-India protests erupt in Kashmir after 4 rebels killed Posted: 29 Dec 2018 07:59 AM PST  SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Anti-India protests and clashes erupted in disputed Kashmir on Saturday after a gunbattle between militants and government forces killed four rebels, police and residents said.
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| US migration the dream of Guatemalans from the village Posted: 28 Dec 2018 05:35 PM PST  Emigrating to the United States to escape poverty back home is the dream of many residents of the Mayan indigenous community in Yalambojoch, western Guatemala. It was the dream that ultimately cost eight-year-old Felipe Gomez his life after he crossed into the US with his father Agustin. With reddened eyes and a distant gaze, Alonzo remembers the vow her son gave before leaving for the promised land.
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| Trump, holed up in White House amid shutdown, will skip New Year's gala at Mar-a-Lago Posted: 29 Dec 2018 12:11 PM PST  The president's incoming chief of staff says Trump will be 'very heavily engaged' on federal shutdown negotiations instead.
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