A look at today’s top headlines.
Trump lashes out everywhere amid Russia scrutiny
President Donald Trump emerged into the frigid air on Monday after a snowy weekend spent indoors and unleashed on the FBI and Democrats after a slew of new reporting on his relationship with Russia.
Trial begins for self-styled ‘sex coach’ who offered to trade info on US election
The prostitution trial of a self-styled sex coach who claims to have insider knowledge of Moscow’s attempts to meddle in the US elections got underway Tuesday in Thailand.
Black and Hispanic youth are targeted with junk food ads, research shows
Click over to TV programming that caters to black and Hispanic youth and the commercials almost exclusively push fast food, sugary drinks, bad-for-you snacks and candy, a new report shows.
Trump personally paying for Clemson’s fast-food White House meals
President Donald Trump is personally paying for the meals that will be provided to the Clemson University football team during their national championship celebration at the White House on Monday night, CNN has learned.
Kim Kardashian West confirms she’s having a baby boy
Kim Kardashian West confirmed on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” that she and Kanye West will be having a baby boy.
Millions descend on north India’s Prayagraj for Kumbh Mela
The biggest pilgrimage on the planet has kicked off in New Delhi (CNN) – India. From now until March, up to 120 million pilgrims — nearly double the population of the UK or France — are expected to descend on Prayagraj in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state for the Kumbh Mela.
Zimbabwe protests turn violent after fuel prices more than double
Zimbabwe’s two main cities have faced three-day protests following the announcement of a more than double price hike on fuel.
Ivory Coast ex-leader goes free at ICC
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has acquitted Ivory Coast ex-President Laurent Gbagbo. He had been charged with crimes against humanity in connection with violence following a disputed 2010 election that left 3,000 dead and 500,000 displaced. Mr Gbagbo was captured in 2011 in a presidential palace bunker by UN and French-backed forces supporting his rival, Alassane Ouattara.
China: Canada ‘full of double standards’
China has rejected accusations from Canada that it is arbitrarily applying a death sentence to a Canadian convicted of drug smuggling. Beijing accused Canada of double standards. Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was initially given a 15-year jail term in November – but on Monday a court increased the sentence, saying it was too lenient.
China’s cotton seeds sprout on Moon
Seeds taken up to the Moon by China’s Chang’e-4 mission have sprouted, says China National Space Administration. It marks the first time any biological matter has grown on the Moon, and is being seen as a significant step towards long-term space exploration.
‘Dozens held in new Chechnya gay purge’
Activists in Russia say there has been a new crackdown against LGBT people in Chechnya. The Russian LGBT Network believes about 40 people have been imprisoned since December – two of whom they say have died under torture. The group has been monitoring alleged abuses in the mainly Muslim Russian republic since 2017 when dozens of gay people were reportedly detained.
Trump orders in fast food feast
US President Donald Trump has put on a fast food feast at the White House, blaming the partial government shutdown for the lack of catering staff. He welcomed the winners of the national college football championship, the Clemson Tigers, with more than 300 burgers as well as fries and pizzas.
Facebook wants you to hype events in Stories
Facebook’s latest tactic to push users from News Feed into Stories? Get them to hype events. The social network is testing a new feature that lets users share Facebook events directly in their Stories. The feature is being tested in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil, but could eventually roll out more broadly.
How Stephen King’s tweets saved book reviews for a local paper
When Stephen King tweets, things move – like the number of subscribers to a local newspaper. The best-selling author tweeted his outrage over a Maine paper’s decision to ditch locally-written reviews of books about Maine or by Maine authors. “Don’t do this,” King urged people to tell the newspaper, The Portland Press Herald , appealing primarily to his fellow Maine residents.
Trump’s fast food spread at the White House has the internet talking
Now the longest in history, the U.S. government shutdown has led to some unusual things happening. Like for Donald Trump, who on Monday, during his imposed shutdown over funding for his border wall, hosted the Clemson Tigers, crowned the best college football team in the country last week.
NBCUniversal to launch its own streaming service to compete with Netflix, Amazon
Another day, another breakout streaming service. Set to take on the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and Disney, NBCUniversal announced plans Monday to throw its hat in the ring and launch its own streaming service. According to a report by CNBC, the ad-supported service will launch early 2020.
Apple books 50 daily flights to China, spends $150 million a year with a single airline
The increasing cost of the latest iPhone models may be starting to make sense. An internal United promotional sign has leaked with details about the company’s top business accounts. The most notable takeaway: Apple spends $150 million a year with the airline. That’s a lot.
Watch China’s Chang’e-4 probe land on the far side of the moon
On Jan. 2, China stunned the world by landing its Chang’e-4 probe on the far side of the moon. Now, you can watch its descent onto the lunar surface, with footage released by the China National Space Administration on Friday.
