Russia, Turkey discuss coordination in Syria after U.S. withdrawal

Foreign and defense ministers from Russia and Turkey discussed coordination between their forces in Syria after the United States' decision to withdraw troops from the Arab republic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday. "Today, an understanding was reached on how military representatives of Russia and Turkey will continue coordinating their steps "on the ground" under new conditions with a view to the ultimate eradication of the terrorist threat in the Syrian Arab Republic," Lavrov said.

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AP FACT CHECK: Trump twists facts of child migrant deaths

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump, in his first public words about two migrant children who died in Border Patrol custody, misrepresented the circumstances of their deaths as he sought to deflect any responsibility from U.S. authorities.

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Does the U.S. Navy Have Another Carrier-Killer Missile to Worry About?

Here comes the YJ-12.

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Sinaloa Cartel hands out Christmas presents to local villagers

Mexicans living in the state of Sinaloa have received a delivery of Christmas parcels, with a message wishing them well from a leader of the Sinaloa cartel. Wrapped in clear plastic, the baskets came with a card bearing a short message: “Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year from your friend Cholo Ivan.” “El Cholo Ivan” is Orso Ivan Gastelum Cruz, who was the cartel’s former chief lieutenant, senior hitman and head of security for Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman - currently on trial in New York. Gastelum is one of the most infamous of Mexican "narcos", and has had numerous ballads dedicated to him. His fame only rose with his relationship with Miss Sinaloa, Maria Susana Flores, who died in a shootout with police in October 2012, an AK-47 in her hands. A wildly popular television series detailing his life, called El Desconocido, sealed his infamy. Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is currently on trial in New York Gastelum was arrested with Guzman in January 2016, and remains in prison. The Christmas baskets arrived in a series of trucks, driven by men in black, making deliveries in the towns and villages around Mocorito and Salvador Alvarado, in central Mexico. The gifts are not the first time that the cartel has attempted "social work". In September, after a tropical storm ravaged Sinaloa, supplies were sent - mattresses, cooking stoves and rations - with the initials JGL, for Guzman. And last month, a witness for the prosecution in Guzman's trial in New York told how the cartel leader had bought 50 luxury cars in the 1990s, for distribution to his friends, families and supporters.     

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US winter storms kill seven: media

Parts of the United States were digging out Saturday from winter storms that media reports said led to at least seven deaths, while warmer regions braced for potential flooding during the New Year's travel period. As storm clouds moved east, they were set to bring heavy rain and probably flooding to the Gulf Coast, and both rain and freezing rain to New England. Flight tracker FlightAware reported more than 129 flight cancellations and 1,006 delays Saturday -- down from more than 500 cancelations and 5,700 delays on Friday -- as the winter storm hit north-central and Midwestern states with up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of snow.

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Key Senator Says Trump Taking Seriously a Shift in Syria Plan

Graham, a South Carolina Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Forces Committee, has been a vocal critic of Trump’s plan to pull forces from the conflict. “I feel better about Syria than I felt before I had lunch,” Graham told reporters after leaving the White House. “I think the president is taking this really seriously, and the trip to Iraq was well timed.” Trump has forged a plan with his generals in the field that “makes sense,” Graham added.

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Fears of intimidation, violence as Bangladesh set to vote

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — As Bangladeshis get set to vote in Sunday's parliamentary elections, there are fears that violence and intimidation could keep many away from the polls, including two opposition candidates who said police had barricaded them inside their homes.

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Cyber-attack hits US newspaper deliveries: report

A malware attack that appears to have originated outside the US delayed the hardcopy distribution of several major newspapers, according to a report. The LA Times said Saturday that the attack, which was first assumed to have been a server outage, hit a computer network at Tribune Publishing which is connected to the production and printing process of multiple newspapers around the country. As a result, the delivery of the Saturday editions of the LA Times and San Diego Union Tribune were delayed.

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Putin Says Russia, Turkey Will Play a ‘Decisive’ Role in Syria Peace

In a New Year’s message to Erdogan published by the Kremlin on Sunday, Putin said that “Moscow and Ankara are making a decisive contribution to the fight against terrorism in Syria, as well as to the promotion of a political settlement in that country.”His comment came a day after the Russian and Turkish foreign and defense ministers, as well as the countries’ intelligence chiefs, held talks in Moscow on Syria as they move to fill the void left by U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to order a military pullout. “We reached an agreement on how Russian and Turkish military representatives on the ground will continue to coordinate their actions in these new conditions, with the goal of decisively defeating the terrorist threat in Syria,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters after the talks.

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Better medical checks on migrant children? Not all health officials know status of new screenings

Public health officials in Arizona say they aren't coordinating medical screenings of migrant children in federal custody.

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California inmate who walked away from San Quentin is caught

SAN QUENTIN, Calif. (AP) — California authorities on a nearly four-day manhunt for an inmate who walked away from San Quentin State Prison captured him Saturday.

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UK trade minister says '50-50' chance Brexit may be stopped: paper

Britain's trade minister Liam Fox said there is a "50-50" chance that Brexit may be stopped if parliament rejects the government's divorce deal with the European Union next month. "If we were not to vote for that, I'm not sure I would give it (Brexit) much more than 50-50," Fox, a leading supporter of leaving the EU, told the Sunday Times newspaper. With three months left until the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29, May's Brexit deal is floundering, opening up a range of possibilities from a Brexit without a trade deal to calling Brexit off.

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Origin of virus that hobbled newspapers still unclear

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The origins of a suspected computer attack that disrupted the Los Angeles Times and Tribune Publishing newspapers remained unclear Sunday after causing delivery delays and being brought to the attention of federal investigators.

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Syria's Assad authorizes Iraqi forces to strike IS in Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad authorized Iraqi forces on Sunday to attack the Islamic State group inside Syria without waiting for permission from authorities in Damascus, the state news agency SANA said, as the two allies coordinate their fight against extremists ahead of a planned U.S. withdrawal from Syria.

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Bangladesh PM takes big lead as opposition rejects poll alleging vote rigging

A third straight term for Hasina's Awami League was widely expected, but the main opposition led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) rejected the election and called for a fresh vote in the country of 165 million people. The Election Commission said it was investigating complaints of rigging, even as at least three voters in southeast Bangladesh, including a journalist, said they were barred from entering polling booths or were told their ballot papers had already been filled in. "If we get any confirmation from our own channels then measures will be taken as per rules." But as results started coming in showing the Awami League winning 48 seats and one for the BNP, Asaduzzaman declined to comment if its investigation would have any bearing on the final outcome.

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Does the U.S. Navy Have Another Carrier-Killer Missile to Worry About?

Here comes the YJ-12.

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Police teargas 'yellow vest' protesters in Paris

Police fired tear gas at "yellow vest" demonstrators in Paris on Saturday but the turnout for round seven of the popular protests that have rocked France appeared low. Several hundred people wearing the symbolic hi-visibility vests had gathered near the offices of several state-run television stations and the BFM TV channel in the centre of the capital shouting "Fake news" and calling for the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron. Protesters spilled onto tram lines and lobbed projectiles at police who replied with tear gas grenades and detained several people.

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Federal Government Advised Furloughed Employees to Offer Manual Labor for Rent During Shutdown

"I would like to discuss with you the possibility of trading my services to perform maintenance (e.g. painting, carpentry work) in exchange for partial rent payments"

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Fears of intimidation, violence as Bangladesh set to vote

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — As Bangladeshis get set to vote in Sunday's parliamentary elections, there are fears that violence and intimidation could keep many away from the polls, including two opposition candidates who said police had barricaded them inside their homes.

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Trump aides call on Democrats to make counteroffer on shutdown

Aides to Trump and congressional lawmakers discussed blame for the partial government shutdown

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Graham more upbeat on Syria troop withdrawal after Trump meeting

Senator Lindsey Graham had warned that removing all U.S. forces from Syria would hurt national security by allowing Islamic State to rebuild, betraying U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters of the YPG militia battling remnants of the militant group, and enhancing Iran's ability to threaten Israel. During a morning television interview, Graham said he would ask Trump to slow down the troop withdrawal, which was announced earlier this month and drew widespread criticism. An ally of Trump, although he has opposed some of his foreign policy decisions, Graham was more upbeat after the meeting.

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AP Explains: Why groundbreaking Congo vote could stumble

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Rich in the minerals that power the world's mobile phones and laptops, yet desperately underdeveloped, Congo votes on Sunday for its first new president in nearly two decades. This could be the sprawling country's first peaceful, democratic transfer of power.

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8th Largest Mega Millions Jackpot in History Up for Grabs on New Year's Day

The jackpot climbed to $415 million in a drawing set to take place Tuesday

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Trump refuses to budge on border wall demand as shutdown continues

With time dwindling before a new Congress is sworn in, Donald Trump refused to budge in his demand for billions for a border wall, narrowing prospects for a swift end to an increasingly damaging government shutdown. Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives on 3 January.

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Lion Kills 1 Worker After Escaping Its North Carolina Enclosure

The lion was shot and killed to allow Caswell County personnel to retrieve the worker

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Kim Wants More Summits With Moon to Tackle Nuclear Issue

The North Korean leader sent Moon a personal letter of well wishes on Sunday, expressing a willingness to meet often in 2019 to advance peace talks and achieve “denuclearization on the Korean peninsula,” Moon spokesman Kim Eui-keum said. Moon thanked him for the letter, tweeting that the North Korean leader “again made clear” that he would act on his agreement with the U.S. and South Korea.

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Key Senator Says Trump Taking Seriously a Shift in Syria Plan

Graham, a South Carolina Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Forces Committee, has been a vocal critic of Trump’s plan to pull forces from the conflict. “I feel better about Syria than I felt before I had lunch,” Graham told reporters after leaving the White House. “I think the president is taking this really seriously, and the trip to Iraq was well timed.” Trump has forged a plan with his generals in the field that “makes sense,” Graham added.

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Afghanistan to delay presidential election to July: election body

The announcement follows heavy criticism of October's chaotic parliamentary election, which saw problems ranging from roadside bomb attacks to malfunctioning biometric voter verification equipment, incomplete voter lists and huge delays at polling sites. The timing of the election has also been complicated by talks under way between U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and representatives of the Taliban aimed at launching a full peace process to end the war in Afghanistan. The election was originally scheduled for April 20 but Gula Jan Abdul Bade Sayad, chairman of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) said mounting problems had forced a delay.

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Two migrant children recently died in Border Patrol custody. There were documented warning signs

Federal officials launched new health-care efforts after two migrant children died in December. But kids' health warnings had been filed months earlier.

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Welcome to Russia's Hybrid War in the Sea of Azov

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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Putin tells Trump in New Year's letter he's open to meeting

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has told U.S. President Donald Trump in a New Year's letter that the Kremlin is "open to dialogue" on the myriad issues hindering relations between their countries.

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Trump moves to freeze pay for federal workers amid government shutdown

If Trump's decision is allowed to stand, the pay freeze would affect about 2.1 million federal employees. The military would not be affected.

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Cyberattack hits U.S. newspaper distribution

The cyberattack appeared to originate outside the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a source with knowledge of the situation. The attack led to distribution delays in the Saturday edition of The Times, Tribune, Sun and other newspapers that share a production platform in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reported. Tribune Publishing, whose newspapers also include the New York Daily News and Orlando Sentinel, said it first detected the malware on Friday.

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Origin of virus that hobbled newspapers still unclear

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The origins of a suspected computer attack that disrupted the Los Angeles Times and Tribune Publishing newspapers remained unclear Sunday after causing delivery delays and being brought to the attention of federal investigators.

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Trump blames child border deaths on Democrats

President Donald Trump on Saturday blamed Democrats for the high-profile deaths of two children along the U.S.-Mexico border.

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Bangladesh opposition calls for fresh election as Sheikh Hasina wins amid violence and vote-rigging claims

Bangladesh's main opposition called for a fresh vote on Sunday as the country's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, and her ruling Awami League were declared the winners of an election tainted by violence and vote-rigging allegations. At least 17 people were said to have been killed in election day clashes, while reports flowed in of alleged vote manipulation and people being blocked from entering polling stations by ruling party supporters. As Mrs Hasina's alliance sailed past the 151 seats needed to form a government and headed for a landslide third consecutive term, the country's main opposition leader called for the "farcical" election to be declared void.  Kamal Hossain, head of the Jatiya Oikya Front (JOF), the largest opposition alliance, told a press conference in Dhaka that votes had been "rigged on a massive scale across the country".  He urged Bangladesh's election commission to dismiss the result and call "fresh elections under a non-partisan caretaker government as soon as possible".  Salahuddin Ahmed, a candidate for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the largest single party in the opposition alliance, was stabbed in Dhaka as the election unfolded Credit: Reuters Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed finished delivering the results of the voting early on Monday. Ahmed said the ruling Awami League-led alliance won 288 seats while the JOF, led by former president H.M.Ershad, had 20 seats. An opposition alliance led by Mr Hossain had only seven and others got three out of 300 seats. The poll followed a campaign that had been marred by violence and a crackdown on freedom of speech. Human Rights Watch and other international groups had decried repressive measures which they said had created a climate of fear. Some 600,000 security personnel had been deployed for the election, while authorities ordered the shutdown of high speed internet to prevent the spread of "rumours" that might spark unrest. Vehicles in Dhaka burn after an opposition rally which ended with police using tear gas and batons after the election was announced Credit: AFP On Sunday, polling agents alleged that they had stayed away out of fear. Others claimed they had been beaten up and forced out of voting centres. Rumana Mahmood, a JOF candidate in Sirajganj, 68 miles northwest of Dhaka, claimed that 90 percent of her supporters had been prevented from voting for her. "In most cases they were not allowed to enter the voting centres. Police and the ruling Awami League party cadres blocked them,” she alleged to the Telegraph, claiming that supporters of the ruling party had stuffed ballot boxes in favour of the government. Supporters of Bangladesh Awami League march along a street as they take part in a rally ahead of December 30 general election vote Credit:  MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP One 65-year-old woman in Ms Mahmood’s constituency claimed that the police had not allowed her to vote freely. "We were around 20 or 25 women from the same locality. The policemen at the gate of the centre said that he would allow us inside if we voted for the boat (symbol of the Awami League),” she said."In my locality there are hundreds of people who have not been allowed in any voting centre today."  Bangladesh has become increasingly authoritarian under Mrs Hasina’s rule, moving closer towards a de-facto one-party state while Begum Khaleda Zia, her arch-rival, and leader of the largest opposition party, the Bangladesh National Party, serves a lengthy prison sentence on corruption charges. 

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Trump, holed up in White House amid shutdown, will skip New Year's gala at Mar-a-Lago

The president's incoming chief of staff says Trump will be 'very heavily engaged' on federal shutdown negotiations instead.

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The Royals Just Shared Their Favorite Moments of 2018

The year featured many memorable moments for the royal family- including the April birth of Prince William's third child- Prince Louis and the May royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Merkle.

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Anti-India protests erupt in Kashmir after 4 rebels killed

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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Bangladesh PM wins election landslide but opponents demand new vote

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was declared the landslide winner Monday of an election marred by deadly violence that the opposition slammed as "farcical" and rigged. Hasina's ruling Awami League party and its allies won 288 seats in the 300-seat parliament, with the main opposition securing only six seats, Election Commission secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said. Hasina's government had mounted a crackdown on the opposition, an alliance led by the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), which urged the country's election commission to void the results.

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Cyber-attack hits US newspaper deliveries: report

A malware attack that appears to have originated outside the US delayed the hardcopy distribution of several major newspapers, according to a report. The LA Times said Saturday that the attack, which was first assumed to have been a server outage, hit a computer network at Tribune Publishing which is connected to the production and printing process of multiple newspapers around the country. As a result, the delivery of the Saturday editions of the LA Times and San Diego Union Tribune were delayed.

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Missouri man fatally shoots girlfriend, her kids, her mother

A St. Louis-area man shot to death his girlfriend, her two young children and her mother in the home they all shared, authorities said Saturday. He exchanged gunfire with officers as he fled and was captured several hours later in a convenience store, covered in blood and wounded.

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6 people injured in jetway collapse at Baltimore-Washington International Airport

At least 6 people were injured, according to a Tweet sent out by BWI airport. However, none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening.

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Fears of intimidation, violence as Bangladesh set to vote

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — As Bangladeshis get set to vote in Sunday's parliamentary elections, there are fears that violence and intimidation could keep many away from the polls, including two opposition candidates who said police had barricaded them inside their homes.

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UK trade minister says '50-50' chance Brexit may be stopped: paper

Britain's trade minister Liam Fox said there is a "50-50" chance that Brexit may be stopped if parliament rejects the government's divorce deal with the European Union next month. "If we were not to vote for that, I'm not sure I would give it (Brexit) much more than 50-50," Fox, a leading supporter of leaving the EU, told the Sunday Times newspaper. With three months left until the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29, May's Brexit deal is floundering, opening up a range of possibilities from a Brexit without a trade deal to calling Brexit off.

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Key Senator Says Trump Taking Seriously a Shift in Syria Plan

Graham, a South Carolina Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Forces Committee, has been a vocal critic of Trump’s plan to pull forces from the conflict. “I feel better about Syria than I felt before I had lunch,” Graham told reporters after leaving the White House. “I think the president is taking this really seriously, and the trip to Iraq was well timed.” Trump has forged a plan with his generals in the field that “makes sense,” Graham added.

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Hamas denies Mubarak claim it sent militants to Egypt in 2011

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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Does the U.S. Navy Have Another Carrier-Killer Missile to Worry About?

Here comes the YJ-12.

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Turkey, Russia have common aim to clear Syria of terror organizations - Anadolu

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey and Russia have the common aim of clearing Syria of all terror organizations, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday following a meeting with Russian officials in Moscow, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported. Cavusoglu also said Turkey would continue to be in close cooperation with Iran and Russia on Syria and regional issues, according to Anadolu. U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Washington would withdraw the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, upending a pillar of American policy in the Middle East and alarming U.S. allies. ...

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AP Explains: What happens in a partial government shutdown

A look at the impact of the partial government shutdown that began on Dec. 22:

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