Here are links to the stories making headlines today.
Defensive US military strikes kill 100 pro-regime forces in Syria
The coalition said the strikes had been carried out after forces allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “initiated an unprovoked attack” against a well-established Syrian Democratic Forces headquarters where coalition advisers were working with US-backed Syrian fighters. Some 500 pro-regime troops carried out the attack using artillery, mortar fire and Russian-made tanks, a US military official said.
North Korea isn’t interested in talking to the US at the Olympics
Jo Yong Sam, department director general of North Korea’s foreign ministry, said the country had never “begged the US for dialogue” and wasn’t about to start now, according to state-run news agency KCNA. “We have no intention to meet the US side during our visit to South Korea,” Jo said in a terse statement Thursday.
German workers win right to 28-hour week
Labor union IG Metall secured an unprecedented deal this week to give a large portion of its 2.3 million members more flexible working hours and a big pay rise. From next year, workers at many of Germany’s top engineering firms — such as Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler — can opt to work 28 hours a week for up to two years, before returning to the standard 35-hour week.
International cyber crime ring smashed after millions stolen
In a statement, US investigators claimed the accused were taking part in a massive operation known as the Infraud Organization, which stole and then sold other people’s personal information, including credit card and banking information.
Pelosi marathon speech on DACA sets record
The House Historian’s office told CNN that Pelosi’s speech is the longest on record on the House floor, according to their records. Pelosi started speaking shortly after 10 a.m. ET, and wrapped the speech a little after 6:10 p.m. ET.
Fake doctor suspected of infecting at least 33 people with HIV
Police in Bangarmau in the state of Uttar Pradesh arrested Rajendra Yadav, who allegedly passed himself off as a doctor. He visited his patients on foot or by bicycle at their homes and also provided medication, said Sushil Choudhary, Unnao district chief medical officer.
Eiffel Tower closed as snow blankets Paris
Photographs shared by the Eiffel Tower’s official Twitter account showed the French capital blanketed in white. The exceptional snowfall caused chaos on roadways across Paris, with a record 700km (430 miles) of traffic jams recorded on Tuesday evening, CNN affiliate BFM TV reported. Public transportation also was halted.
New Survey Sheds Light On How Asian-American Elders Respond To Scammers
Aging Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders may need to rethink how susceptible they are to fraudulent offers and scams. A new survey by the AARP, the nation’s largest senior advocacy group, revealed that AAPI individuals are frequent targets of scammers, yet they are overly confident in their abilities to spot a scam.
Nancy Pelosi Sets Record For Longest Continuous Speech In House History
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) just made House history. The Democrat spoke for more than eight hours on the House floor Wednesday, adamant that she would not support any long-term budget deal without a commitment from House Speaker Paul Ryan to allow a chamber vote on protecting young undocumented immigrants.
Jake Tapper: Trump Presidency Once Again Eroding Basic Lines Of Human Decency
CNN’s Jake Tapper took a moment during his Wednesday show to remind audiences that President Donald Trump was once again further eroding “basic lines of human decency.” Tapper was responding to news that White House staff secretary Rob Porter had resigned after reports surfaced that he allegedly physically abused his two ex-wives.
Opinion | ‘Black Panther’ Is Ready To Take Dark-Skinned Actresses (And Colorism) Seriously
We’re days away from the release of “Black Panther,” and all I can think about is how emotionally unprepared I am for it. Common reasons for this include not having seen a movie with a black superhero lead in about 20 years (no, I am not counting “Catwoman” and “Hancock”) and the fact that my simultaneously Nigerian-American and black American self is not ready to have my complex experience validated on screen.
Have they found a cure for our cancer?
When Simon Cox was first diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) 13 years ago, he feared the worst. But now there are promising developments in the search for a cure. He meets patients taking part in a new trial. Being told I had cancer wasn’t the scary part.
N Korea military show on Olympic eve
North Korea appears to have held a low-key military parade, a day ahead of the Winter Olympics, South Korean media said. The annual event is usually held in April, but Pyongyang hit back at US criticism of its decision to bring it forward.
Chinese police unveil camera sunglasses
Police in China have begun using sunglasses equipped with facial recognition technology to identify suspected criminals. The glasses are connected to an internal database of suspects, meaning officers can quickly scan crowds while looking for fugitives. But critics fear the technology will give even more power to the government.
Trump aide quits amid abuse accusations
One of US President Donald Trump’s top aides has resigned amid abuse claims from his two ex-wives. White House staff secretary Rob Porter said “these outrageous allegations are simply false” as he announced he would step down. The accusations were first reported in the Daily Mail and include accounts of physical and emotional abuse.
Woman alleges husband stole her kidney
An Indian woman’s husband and brother-in-law have been arrested after she told police they stole one of her kidneys in lieu of a dowry. Local media report that the West Bengal woman’s husband arranged an appendicitis surgery when she was suffering stomach pain two year ago.
Here’s how the cryptocurrency market will recover
Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work. In the past month or so, bears have ruled the cryptocurrency market. You may not think that’s a very long time, but given how fast the cryptocoin market moves, this is not some temporary flash crash.
‘Game of Thrones’ star Sophie Turner is a tattooed badass in new film trailer for ‘Josie’
Winter may be coming, but Sansa has clearly decided to take a break from the cold to get some much-needed sun. In the above trailer for Josie, a tattooed Sophie Turner plays a new arrival in a southern U.S. town.
What SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launch means for the future of spaceflight
SpaceX had a pretty big day on Tuesday. The Elon Musk-founded company successfully launched its maiden flight of the huge Falcon Heavy rocket and landed two of its three main boosters back on Earth after sending a Tesla Roadster to space.
Errant cow commits mail fraud
“It’s not every day that you see a cow eating your mail.”
Elon Musk shares the last image of his Tesla roadster floating through the solar system
Unless you spent your day under a rock on Tuesday, you probably already know that SpaceX successfully launched its largest rocket ever, the Falcon Heavy. Oh, and on that rocket was a Telsa Roadster, because why not?
Meet Lucas, the 2018 Gerber baby who just made history
Gerber is making history with its 2018 spokesbaby. On Wednesday the company announced that the winner of its annual Gerber Baby Photo Search is Lucas Warren, a one-year-old from Dalton, Georgia. Warren is the first baby with Down syndrome to join the Gerber Family since the Gerber Baby contest began in 2010, and his mother and father visited The Today Show to share just how important the milestone is.
