Special News and Updated: January 2018

Wednesday, 31 January 2018

Kristaps Porzingis and Enes Kanter Lead Knicks in Rout of Nets

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports http://ift.tt/2nkLndi

Corrections: January 31, 2018

By Unknown Author from NYT Corrections http://ift.tt/2DPRYXj

Insane Video: Russian Military Jet Crosses Within 5 Feet of US Navy Plane

The U.S. State Department is calling out Moscow after a close call in the sky over the Black Sea between a U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane and a Russian fighter jet.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2DNYdH2

A 'Troubling' Policy Shift: Gov't Report on Afghanistan Shows Pentagon Blocked Key Data on War

The Defense Department told its inspector general overseeing the reconstruction of Afghanistan to hide what used to be public data on how much of the country is controlled by insurgent groups, according to a new government report.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2rSYkQ8

South African Muslim Celebrity Suspected of Converting to Christianity

South African singer and business woman Zari Hassan is suspected of converting to Christianity after a video surfaced online of her in church.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2rQbvRS

Scores of Christians on the Run as Violence Continues to Grip Central African Republic

After five years of violence, hundreds of thousands of people in the Central African Republic are still on the run and facing growing food insecurity as political instability continues to grip the nation.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2nprGjx

CBN News Special: Faith & Politics in Washington & Israel, Plus God at Work in the US & Around the World

Watch the CBN News 2018 News Special, featuring a new Faith Nation from Washington, D.C., that brings you not only the most important political stories of the day but also exclusive coverage from our Jerusalem Dateline team in Israel.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2Ejd8Kg

11 Afghan Troops Die in IS Attack on Kabul Military Academy

Islamic State militants attacked Afghan soldiers guarding a military academy in the capital of Kabul on Monday, killing at least 11 troops and wounding 16.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2njzgNn

State of the Union: The North Korean defector at Trump's side

North Korean defector Ji Seong-ho waved his crutches to resounding applause when Trump called him up.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2DZ8LX8

Used clothes: Why is worldwide demand declining?

As the worldwide demand for used and worn clothing plummets, what do we do with our unwanted clothes?

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2EqeIKC

'I was 12 when I married a 35-year-old'

A campaign in several African countries wants to stop child brides and keep girls in education.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2nqZsF4

The tea boss with a thirst for global domination

How businessman Tran Qui Thanh built Vietnam's largest soft drinks firm, THP, and his plans to become a worldwide brand.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2FxKrc1

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Clinton, moments before SOTU, explains why she didn't fire campaign adviser

01/30/18 9:31 PM

Bollywood's troubled relationship with women

Film critic Shubhra Gupta shines a spotlight on the history of sexism in Indian films.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2nsu0Xf

'Chemtrail' conspiracy theorists: The people who think governments control the weather

The first part of the BBC's series on online conspiracy theories: why some people think chemicals are dropping from the sky.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2DQkWX9

House Republicans Vote To Release Classified Memo They Wrote Attacking Russia Probe

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s Republican allies in Congress advanced their monthslong assault on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election on Monday, voting along partisan lines to release a classified memo slamming officials from the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation who have investigated the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2EkDP1c

GOP Congressman Calls For Undocumented SOTU Guests To Be Arrested On The Spot

WASHINGTON ― About 30 young undocumented immigrants are attending the State of the Union on Tuesday as guests of lawmakers ― and one of their colleagues wants to use the opportunity to have those guests arrested.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2ErdOgV

North Korea Pulls Out of a Cultural Event With South Korea Ahead of the Winter Olympics

North Korea pulled out of a joint cultural event with South Korea planned for at the North's Diamond Mountain on Feb. 4

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2rRuefJ

Trial starts for woman charged with killing her twin

WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — A murder trial began Monday for a woman accused of deliberately driving off a cliff in Hawaii and killing her identical twin sister.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2BDQDNp

State Officials Fire Employee Who Sent False Missile Alert In Hawaii

The emergency worker responsible for sending a false missile alert to people in Hawaii earlier this month actually believed there was an incoming ballistic missile, The Washington Post reports.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2DQKr6B

Taiwan holds live-fire drills as tensions with China mount

Taiwanese troops Tuesday staged live-fire exercises simulating a response to an invasion, as China steppeds up pressure on the island's President Tsai Ing-wen and a row over airline routes escalated. The ministry did not specify that the annual drill simulated an invasion by China but said it was intended to "show determination to safeguard peace in the Taiwan Strait and national security". Tsai last month warned against what she called Beijing's "military expansion" -- the increase in Chinese air and naval drills around the island since she came to power in May 2016.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2FtgNEI

U.N. employees in Gaza demonstrate against U.S. aid cut

By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - Schools, clinics and food distribution centers in the Gaza Strip were closed most of Monday by a demonstration by thousands of employees of the United Nations agency that serves Palestinian refugees. Palestinians have been angered by a U.S. decision to cut aid to the United Nations Relief and Welfare Agency (UNRWA), saying it will cause worse hardship in Gaza. More than half the enclave's two million residents depend on support from UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2GtIdvA

The Latest: Arizona man confirms selling ammo to shooter

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on court orders by Nevada judges to release documents that had been sealed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history (all times local):

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2Fvu0wU

GOP Rep. Gaetz joins the 'Infowar' against the FBI

“We’re called conspiracy theorists because we see this cabal right in front of us,” said Gaetz. “We aggregate these data points and show what was really going on.”

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2nmRvlb

7 Glass Mosaics Around the World That Take Design to New Heights (Literally)

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2DQGHlz

Joy Behar Challenges Kirsten Gillibrand: Why'd You Push Out Al Franken?

Joy Behar kicked off an interview with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on Monday by confronting the lawmaker for calling on Sen. Al Franken to resign after being publicly accused of sexual misconduct.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2DKrLVZ

India's 'Unwanted' Girls Number In The Millions, New Report Finds

Indian families’ traditional preference for sons over daughters has led to the existence of millions of “unwanted” girls in the country, a new government report estimates.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2DPlU5T

Amazon, eBay Remove 'Chinese Boy' Costumes Featuring Racist 'Slant-Eye' Images

Amazon UK and eBay UK have received immense backlash after social media users recently noticed “Chinese Boy Fancy Dress Costumes” for sale through the e-commerce sites.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2rTvG1b

Shaky start to Syria peace talks in Russia as opposition delegates refuse to leave Sochi airport

A Russian-organised peace conference aimed at ending the war in Syria had a shambolic start on Tuesday, after dozens of opposition delegates refused to leave the airport in Sochi and others backed out at the last minute. Moscow, a staunch Assad ally, is hosting what it has called a Syrian Congress of National Dialogue in the Black Sea resort that it hopes will launch negotiations on drafting a new constitution for Syria after almost seven years of war. But the conference, which is running in parallel to the United Nations-negotiated talks, looked in jeopardy after more than 70 rebel delegates refused to leave the airport until all logos and emblems representing the government were removed. A rebel source told the Telegraph Russia had promised to change or remove the symbol of the congress, which read “Peace to the People of Syria” but only featured the regime flag, only to be greeted by them at the arrivals gate. Sochi conference logo (w/only regime flag) causing problems. Apparently a group of opposition members refused to board one of the buses with it at the airport. They sat at the terminal until other transport was arranged. pic.twitter.com/hjSVlH0uR1— Neil Hauer (@NeilPHauer) January 30, 2018 The Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC), the country's main opposition group, meanwhile said following two days of UN-led talks in Vienna last week that it would not attend the Sochi congress. Turkey, which backs the opposition and is co-sponsoring the talks with Iran, which supports Bashar al-Assad’s government, said it would represent the rebels. Lt. Col. Ahmad al-Saud of Idlib's Free Syrian Army claimed the opposition delegation was mistreated by Russian authorities at the airport, where he was detained for several hours Credit: Twitter/CombatChris1 Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, was heckled during his opening statement, with several delegates accusing Moscow of killing civilians in Syria with its air strikes. “In Russia, it's polite to say ‘please’ first,” Mr Lavrov responded, saying they would have a chance to speak later. The conference was initially billed as a two-day event but was cut down to one. Observers noted that much of Tuesday’s programme was taken up with a long lunch and dinner, leaving little time for discussion. Attendees shout slogans prior to a plenary session at the Congress of Syrian National Dialogue in Sochi Credit: AFP Britain, the US and France did not send any official delegates because of what they say is the government's refusal to properly engage. Western powers support the UN process, which is now in its ninth round but has so far failed to make any major headway. The conference was also also boycotted by Kurdish delegates over Turkey’s offensive on the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia in Afrin, a northern Syrian enclave on the border with Turkey. A few Kurdish officials attended in a personal capacity and reportedly met in private with Russian counterparts on the sidelines of the conference. The main aim of the Sochi talks is to establish a committee to create a post-war constitution for Syria with UN backing, according to a draft statement. However, any deal agreed without he Kurds, which control some 25 per cent of territory in Syria, will unlikely succeed. The poor start is a blow to Russia, which has been positioning itself a Middle East peace broker and trying to consolidate influence in the region as the US increasingly takes a step back from the Syrian crisis under President Donald Trump. "The whole point of the congress was to have a serious negotiation with the Kurds, or at least the Higher Negotiating Committee (the most relevant opposition body)," Neil Hauer, s security analyst focused on Russia-Syria relations, told the Telegraph from Sochi. "Neither of them are here, and as such there's not much that can be discussed. Nor will anything announced here have much legitimacy. It will be very difficult for the Russians to spin this as a win." The opposition has accused Russia of not being an honest broker after failing to uphold a deal made in previous round of talks in Kazakhstan. Both sides agreed to so-called de-escalation zones across Syria, which government forces have since violated. Hours before the the congress got underway, nearly a dozen civilians were killed in a pro-government air strike on the largest market in rebel-held Idlib province. The government is now focused on the northwestern province of Idlib, which is dominated by al-Qaeda-linked militants and home to more than 2.6 million people, nearly half of whom have fled from other areas. It appears to have stepped up its bombing campaign in Idlib in recent days. The Observatory reported 90 airstrikes in Idlib on Monday alone.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2GupW14

Everything you need to know about tomorrow's super blue blood moon

A rare celestial phenomenon will take place January 31, when a super moon, blue moon and total lunar eclipse take place at the same time.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2DYywXv

Schiff: House Intel GOP disgraced for Trump

Rep. Adam Schiff talks with Rachel Maddow about the unprecedented lengths to which House Intelligence Committee Republicans are going to undermine Robert Mueller's investigation of Donald Trump.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2GvkwTK

China denies report it hacked African Union headquarters

By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - China and the African Union dismissed on Monday a report in French newspaper Le Monde that Beijing had bugged the regional bloc's headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. An article published Friday in Le Monde, quoting anonymous AU sources, reported that data from computers in the Chinese-built building had been transferred nightly to Chinese servers for five years. After the massive hack was discovered a year ago, the building's IT system including servers was changed, according to Le Monde.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2Emivs9

Suspect Accused of Killing 4 in Car Wash Shooting Was Jealous, Victim's Family Says

The family said he was obsessed with one of the victims

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2noeY4B

Gold! Treasure lost at sea in 1857 shipwreck goes on display

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — More than $50 million worth of gold bars, coins and dust that's been described as the greatest lost treasure in U.S. history is about to make its public debut in California after sitting at the bottom of the ocean for more than 150 years.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2DLRjpN

Tom Brady Has This Wish For Radio Host Who Insulted His 5-Year-Old Daughter

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Monday night that he doesn’t want radio station WEEI to sack the host who called his 5-year-old daughter Vivian “an annoying little pissant.”

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2DMrZvG

North Korea has stepped up executions, says top US commander

North Korea has stepped up its executions, the top commander of US troops on the Korean Peninsula said on Monday, amid increasing strain on the its military from international economic sanctions. “We’re seeing some increase in executions, mostly against political officers who are in military units, for corruption,” General Vincent K Brooks, the top US commander in South Korea told the Wall Street Journal. He added that the actions “are really about trying to clamp down on as much as possible on something that might be deteriorating and keeping it from deteriorating too quickly.” In recent months the South Korean press has reported the possible execution of Park In-young, the official in charge of Pyongyang’s nuclear test facilities, and former military chief, General Hwang Pyong-so, who was accused of allegedly taking bribes. General Brooks also noted a recent shift in the pattern of defections from the North. “We’re seeing defections happening in areas where we don’t generally see them, for example crossing the DMZ (Demilitarised Zone on the border),” he said. Meanwhile, North Korea has been cutting back on its winter military drills as harsh sanctions over its nuclear and weapons programme begin to bite, say analysts. The military exercises, which usually run from December to March, got started late and aren’t as extensive as before, the Journal reported. The United Nations has placed major restrictions on imports of oil and refined petroleum products to North Korea, which may have led to a reduction in military activities to save fuel. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visiting the State Academy of Sciences at an undisclosed location Credit: AFP “Where this will have an effect in on ground-force readiness,” Joseph Bermudez, a military analyst for 38 North, a website run by Johns Hopkins University’s US-Korea Institute, told the paper. “Military units have to train to maintain their proficiency.” North Korean workers overseas, previously a big source of foreign currency for the regime, are also now being sent home from their host countries after strict new sanctions imposed by the UN in August, following Pyongyang’s test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. On Tuesday it emerged that Angola was the latest country to terminate all of its contracts with North Korean construction company, Mansudae, and had asked its employees to leave.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2nsbf5Y

Lockheed Martin Has Delivered 265 F-35s (And the Profits are Pouring In)

The future is looking bright for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which is set for massive growth as the program finally reaches maturity and enters into full rate production. “Our F-35 program, during the fourth quarter we met our joint government and industry commitment by delivering the 66 aircraft in 2017,” Marillyn Hewson, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin, told investors. Lockheed Martin expects that the program will continue to expand in 2018.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2DOd1cK

US threatens new sanctions as Russia laughs off Putin list

The United States warned Tuesday that it may soon impose new sanctions on Russian figures, after Vladimir Putin laughed off the release of a US target list of his closest and richest allies. The world was braced for a US sanctions onslaught on Monday when a new law came into effect 180 days after President Donald Trump, still hopeful for warmer ties, begrudgingly signed it.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2nsdmXF

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Orders Investigation Into Karolyi Ranch Allegations

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has ordered additional law enforcement to investigate allegations of sexual assault at Walker County’s Karolyi Ranch, the former training facility for USA Gymnastics athletes.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2DQGFKt

US Air Force sergeant removed from post after expletive-filled Facebook rant about ‘black females’

An Air Force sergeant is under investigation after a profanity-laced Facebook tirade in which she denigrated “black females” who are of lower rank than her. Tech Sgt Geraldine Lovely has been “removed from her supervisory role” after the Facebook post went viral over the weekend, officials at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas have said. “It pisses me the f*** off that they have no respect and constantly have attitude,” Ms Lovely says in the video.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2DKMuZH

Jamie Grace and Reba Sing Powerful Worship Song Together in Instagram Video

Contemporary Christian musical artist Jamie Grace congratulated fellow singer Reba McEntire on her recent Grammy win in an Instagram video this week.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2EnHiMx

Battle of the Billboards: Pro-Lifers Fight Back Against Pro-Abortion Signs

Pro-life groups are countering a group of controversial pro-abortion billboards in Ohio with their own pro-life billboards.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2rOifzO

Facebook's New Campaign to Combat 'Fake News' : What It Means for Your News Feed

Facebook announced this week that it is fighting misinformation on user's news feeds by favoring local news over national news.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2rWuLgK

Time for a Second Reformation? Why Some Say Another 'Revival' Is Not Enough

Many Christians believe they've lost the culture war and their nation is slipping away. They believe it's time for a world-changing Reformation.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2EqxIIS

Woman Testifies in Church to Being Raped by Mother's Boyfriend - Pastor Responds

Video of a woman testifying in church that she was raped when she was 8-years-old is making its rounds on the internet. But the pastor of the church says there is more to the story.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2FtCrsu

Faith Leaders on Immigration: 'Families Aren't Chains'

Faith leaders are calling on the president and other political leaders to stop using the term "chain migration" as the immigration debate heats up.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2BEmLjX

Did You Catch These 'Ordinary' American Heroes Trump Invited to the State of the Union?

President Trump gave his first State of the Union address tonight and he honored some of the nation's "hidden" heroes by inviting them as his special guests to the event.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2nsNue5

Forget About the Wall, Right Now Border Patrol Is Facing This Crisis

It was a campaign pledge that helped President Donald Trump win the White House. But the battle over funding a new border wall continues on Capitol Hill. Now the agency in charge of overseeing the building of the wall has a crisis – a manpower crisis.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2DPz4je

'When God Gets in the Middle...Anything Is Possible': Girl Once on Life Support Is Heading Home

More good news for Chloe Clark, the young Christian girl who miraculously recovered from a severe head injury – she's finally getting to go home.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2BEhEQD

A God Who Restores: Michael Vick Reads Psalm 23 Over Liberty University Students

Repentance, redemption and restoration – former NFL star Michael Vick knows these topics well, and shared that message with students at the Liberty University convocation Monday.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2EnDFWP

FBI's No.2 'Quits' Right Before Retirement: Is It Because of This 'Explosive' Memo?

Andrew McCabe's departure is fueling speculation about a congressional memo that could soon be released.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2DJMk4V

Five-Month Abortion Ban Bill Fails to Pass Senate

The pro-life Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act failed to garner the 60 votes necessary to move forward in the Senate, coming up short 51-46.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2GvHQ3M

Iowa Students Could Soon be Studying Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament

Iowa high school students could soon have the option of taking a Bible literacy course that focuses on the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2GrSrwF

California Arsonist Targets Places of Worship in Series of Fires; Churches Stand Strong

A 25-year-old man in Southern California has been arrested for allegedly setting a series of overnight fires and committing acts of vandalism at several different churches.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2FqC562

Ben Carson to Atheists: 'I Refuse to Be Intimidated – My Faith Helps Me Serve the Nation Better'

HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson sets Atheists straight about his Christian faith and religious liberty after several groups target him over his attendance at a weekly cabinet Bible study.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2nlOOA8

Salt, the Solution to Winter’s Dangers, Threatens US Waters

When roads turn into ice rinks, consider trying beet juice, molasses, and even beer or cheese waste to make them safer. So say experts who fear road salt is starting to take a toll on the nation’s waterways, putting everything from fish and frogs to microscopic zooplankton at risk.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2rOdgz1

'I would think, I wish I was a good girl:' Moore and Warren Recount Shame of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Pastor Rick Warren and his wife Kay of the Saddleback Church are looking to confront the horrors of sexual abuse head on. In fact, this weekend's service was dedicated to the topic.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2FoyPrM

Police Prevent Second School Shooting; Teen Found With Arsenal of Weapons

According to police, the teen was found with one semi-automatic rifle, one shotgun, two machetes, throwing knives, a revolver, and a host of other weapons.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2DSq0cv

Fighting Abortion: The Battle So Far and the Battle Ahead

Pro-life advocates agree, while there has been some progress there’s still much to do to cut the number of abortions and stop the flow of tax dollars that support the industry.

from CBNNews.com http://ift.tt/2Fn9nTA