As we start the week, here are links to the biggest stories.
Turkish military enters Syrian city after days of airstrikes
Turkish officials said the troops entered the Afrin region a day after Turkish jets pounded targets there in an attempt to drive US-allied Kurdish militia from the area. “Operation Olive Branch is ongoing as planned and the ground operation has started,” the Turkish armed forces said in a statement.
WH targets filibuster as shutdown enters day 2
President Donald Trump tweeted his call for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to invoke the so-called nuclear option and thereby remove leverage for Senate Democrats. “Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our Military and Safety at the Border. The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked.
How the seizure of a US spy ship by North Korea nearly sparked nuclear war
Mock executions like this were routine, as were beatings which seemed like they would never end. That night in the forest, as Russell shivered and slipped on the icy ground, he became ever more convinced the end had come.
How the seizure of a US spy ship by North Korea nearly sparked nuclear war
Mock executions like this were routine, as were beatings which seemed like they would never end. That night in the forest, as Russell shivered and slipped on the icy ground, he became ever more convinced the end had come.
Macron: ‘I have a very direct relationship with Trump’
Macron shed light Sunday on his “very direct relationship” with Trump, telling the BBC’s “The Andrew Marr Show” that the two leaders talk “very regularly.” “I’m always extremely direct and frank. He is. Sometimes I manage to convince him, and sometimes I fail,” Macron said on the British talk show.
Rapper Fredo Santana, 27, dies in Los Angeles
Santana, whose real name was Derrick Coleman, died at his residence in the Reseda neighborhood around 11 p.m. Friday, said Lt. David Smith, a spokesman for the coroner’s office. Smith said the autopsy for the Chicago-born Santana was pending. In October, Santana posted on his verified Instagram account that he was being treated for liver and kidney failure.
Singer Ed Sheeran is engaged
A simple internet search will show that scores of newly-married couples have chosen Ed Sheeran’s ballad “Thinking Out Loud” for their first dance. Now, the British singer-songwriter will get to decide if he wants it to play at his own nuptials.
British Airways pilot taken off plane, suspected of being drunk
The pilot was removed and arrested Thursday night before the British Airways Boeing 777 departed to Mauritius. The incident delayed the flight’s departure by more than two hours. Police “received a report of a member of airline staff suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol at Gatwick Airport,” a Sussex police spokeswoman told CNN.
Goalkeeper’s water bottle ‘urinated in’
A goalkeeper’s water bottle was urinated in during a match, prompting police to arrest an opposition fan. A video on social media showed a man throw a bottle on to the pitch behind the QPR goal during their match against Middlesbrough at Loftus Road on Saturday.
Ethiopian police kill five at festival
At least five people have been killed in northern Ethiopia after security forces fired on a crowd at a religious festival who were reportedly shouting anti-government slogans. Many more were injured in the incident in the town of Waldiya. Angry protesters have blocked roads and businesses are closed.
DR Congo police clash with protesters
At least one person has been killed in widespread protests in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where police have used teargas to disperse protesters. They are demanding that President Joseph Kabila – whose expected term of office expired more than a year ago – should step down.
Trump’s year on Twitter in detail (plus a quiz)
Seven months before his shock election victory, Donald Trump promised a crowd in Rhode Island he would not use Twitter if he became president. Why? “Not presidential,” he said in April 2016. Fast forward to the one-year anniversary of his inauguration.
Trump Tweeted Support For The Women’s Marches. It Backfired.
President Donald Trump addressed the Women’s Marches last year by suggesting that the hundreds of thousands of people who turned out should have expressed their feelings toward him at the ballot box. “Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn’t these people vote?
The Washington D.C. City Government Does Not Participate In The Shutdown
WASHINGTON ― When the federal government partially shut down in 1995, the local city government closed recreation centers and suspended trash collection while then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich seethed over having having to sit in the back of Air Force One . That won’t happen this time, though.
Cable News Chyrons Tell The Bizarre Story Of Trump’s First Year In Office
Donald Trump has officially completed one full year as president, and holy moly what a year it’s been. You probably don’t even remember how much stuff really happened in the last year because mentally it’s felt like 20. There are things we never imagined could happen during an American presidency.
Ed Sheeran Is Engaged To Childhood Friend Cherry Seaborn
Ed Sheeran announced his engagement to girlfriend Cherry Seaborn on Saturday in an Instagram post that was pretty darn adorable. “Got myself a fiancé just before new year,” the “Perfect” singer wrote. “We are very happy and in love, and our cats are chuffed as well xx.”
Heart Attack, Car Crash: Hawaii’s Missile Alert Triggered Some Damage Too
HONOLULU ― Hawaii’s false missile alert last weekend didn’t just cause widespread panic, it also triggered real damage, including a car accident and at least one heart attack. An official with Honolulu Emergency Services (EMS) ― which operates on the island of Oahu, where nearly 70 percent of the state’s population lives ― told HuffPost that 911 medical calls spiked briefly after the false alarm was broadcast statewide.
All the best signs from round 2 of the Women’s March
One year after millions of demonstrators took to the streets in Women’s Marches around the world, it’s time for round two. And yes, everyone brought their finest signs – from the witty to the inspiring to the righteously mad. Here are a few of the best.
Facebook will elevate ‘trusted’ news outlets after surveying U.S. users
Facebook announced on Friday that news isn’t disappearing from your News Feed, but the social network is placing quite the heavy hand on what it decides to show you. The social network will begin incorporating user feedback on which news outlets should be trusted, a change that could be even more important due to the company’s recent move to downgrade how much publisher content ends up in users’ News Feeds.
