WorldAFPPalestinians slam Australia's move on Jerusalem
The Palestinian leadership on Saturday described as "irresponsible" Australia's recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying it violated international law. The country became one of just a few to follow US President Donald Trump's lead and recognise the contested city as Israel's capital, saying. Australia said it would open a defence and trade office in the west of the holy city and Prime Minister Scott Morrison also committed to recognising a future state of Palestine with east Jerusalem as its capital.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Fierce clashes in Hodeidah lead to delay of ceasefire
Fierce clashes broke out in Yemen’s crucial port city of Hodeidah on Sunday, leading UN and Yemeni officials to delay the "official" start of the hard-fought ceasefire agreed last week. Residents reported skirmishes on the outskirts of town with missiles and automatic gunfire heard near the city's eastern 7th July suburb. Unconfirmed television reports said that the Saudi-led coalition had launched two airstrikes on Ras Isa, a port north of Hodeidah.
PoliticsAssociated PressAs sentencing looms, Flynn is upbeat, has adoring fans
The retired three-star general pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI about conversations he had with the then-Russian ambassador to the United States during Trump's White House transition. In a filing this week , his lawyers highlighted Flynn's long and distinguished military service and extensive cooperation with prosecutors in asking that he be sentenced to probation and community service , rather than prison. The special counsel investigating whether Trump's 2016 Republican presidential campaign coordinated with Russia has said Flynn was so helpful that he was entitled to avoid time behind bars , even though sentencing guidelines recommend up to six months in prison .
- PoliticsBloomberg
Top Democrat Schiff Adds Call for Probe of Trump, Deutsche Bank Links
The incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee joined Democratic colleagues in questioning ties between Deutsche Bank AG and President Donald Trump’s real estate business. Representative Adam Schiff of California said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that any type of compromise needs to be investigated. That could add his panel’s scrutiny to that of Representative Maxine Waters, who’s in line to be chair of the House Financial Services Committee and has also focused on the bank’s connections to Trump.
- NewsAccuWeather
Snow, rain and wind in late-week storm to impact holiday travel
As students embark on winter break, last-minute shoppers head to the stores and holiday travel ramps up across the country later this week, a major storm could lead to widespread travel headaches in the eastern U.S. The potential exists for a storm system to track from the Gulf Coast through the Northeast at the end of the week, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Maura Kelly. This storm is expected to soak the southeastern U.S. Thursday into Friday before heading northward, bringing rounds of heavy rain to the Northeast and some wintry weather to the Midwest late this week and into the weekend.
- LifestyleCar and Driver
Every Photo from Our Drive of the Audi e-tron GT Concept
Developed alongside the Porsche Taycan, Audi's sleek electric coupe is still a long way from reality. From Car and Driver
- WorldReuters
Any decision on Brexit deal will happen in New Year - British trade minister
British trade minister Liam Fox said on Sunday talks with the European Union to secure "assurances" for parliament on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal will take time, with a decision expected in the New Year. quot;The prime minister is giving an update tomorrow, she will be talking to the cabinet on Tuesday, it is very clear that the EU understand what the problem is. And it's a question now, without unpicking the whole of the withdrawal agreement, can we find a mechanism of operating the backstop in a way that actually removes those anxieties," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.
- NewsUSA TODAY
Judge gives mom 40 years after 2 kids die in car. People 'take better care of their pets'
A Texas judge showed little sympathy during sentencing for a mom whose two daughters, ages 1 and 2, died after being left in an increasingly hot car overnight. In September, Amanda Hawkins pleaded guilty to two felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child causing imminent danger of death, bodily injury or physical or mental impairment and two counts of injury to a child.
WorldAssociated PressStrike, lockdown shut Kashmir amid anger over killings
A security clampdown and a strike sponsored by separatists fighting against Indian rule shut most of Indian-administered Kashmir on Sunday, a day after chaotic protests and fighting killed seven civilians and four combatants in the disputed region. At least seven civilians were killed and over three dozen injured Saturday when government forces fired at anti-India protesters following a gunbattle that left three rebels and a soldier dead. Residents accused troops of directly spraying gunfire into the crowds and killing at least two civilians, including a teenage student, away from the site of battle.
- NewsThe Telegraph
Family complains that Catholic priest used teen's funeral to condemn suicide
The parents of a teenage boy who took his own life have condemned a Catholic priest who questioned whether their son would get to heaven while presiding over his funeral. The Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit expressed regret for the comments and said the Rev Don LaCuesta would not preach at funerals "for the foreseeable future". "We wanted him to celebrate how Maison lived, not how he died," his mother, Linda Hullibarger, told The Detroit Free Press.
WorldAFPIraq lays cornerstone to rebuild iconic Mosul mosque
Iraqis on Sunday laid the cornerstone in rebuilding Mosul's Al-Nuri mosque and leaning minaret, national emblems destroyed last year in the ferocious battle against the Islamic State group. The famed 12th century mosque and minaret, dubbed Al-Hadba or "the hunchback," hosted Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's only public appearance as IS chief, when he declared a self-styled "caliphate" after the jihadists swept into Mosul in 2014. The structures were ravaged three years later in the final, most brutal stages of the months-long fight to rid Iraq's second city of IS.
PoliticsAssociated PressFor 76-year-old Joe Biden, age a factor as he mulls 2020 run
As he considers running for president, Joe Biden is talking with friends and longtime supporters about whether, at 76, he's too old to seek the White House, according to several sources who have spoken with the former Democratic vice president. The discussions suggest Biden is aware that his age may be the biggest hurdle to launching another bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, especially in an era when many in the party yearn for a new generation of leadership. Past and current advisers to Biden have held frequent conversations about options to alleviate concerns about age, including teaming him with a younger running mate.
- LifestyleMashable
Shop deals on luggage, packing accessories to travel smarter in the new year
Below, we've rounded up the deets on seven travel and packing tools that just went on sale in the Mashable Shop — and don't forget to enter the code MERRY15 at checkout to score an extra 15% off your purchase. Don't waste another minute of your life trying to determine which nondescript black suitcase on the baggage carousel is yours. SuitFaces' durable covers make your luggage easy to find with all sorts of awesome designs featuring your favorite movie characters, colorful patterns, NBA jerseys, and more.
- NewsAccuWeather
Photos: Snow, freezing rain from Storm Deirdre causes disruptions across UK
Storm Deirdre caused travel hazards, power outages and disruptions this weekend across the United Kingdom. Winds have gusted over 70 mph (110 km/h) at Pembrey Sands in southern Wales. "Leeds and Bradford endured an extended period of freezing rain from the midday to the afternoon hours of Saturday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
WorldReutersChina's Xi declares an 'overwhelming victory' over graft: state media
Chinese President Xi Jinping has declared an "overwhelming victory" in his fight against graft within the ruling Chinese Communist Party, while still vowing that the campaign to weed out deep-seated corruption will continue, state media reported. Xi has pledged to wage war on graft until corruption of all kinds has been expunged at all levels of the Communist Party, from high-level "tigers" to low-level "flies". He proclaimed during a twice-a-decade meeting of the top party leadership in October 2017 that his fight against graft had achieved "overwhelming momentum".
- BusinessThe National Interest
Introducing the Army's New Lethal Sniper Rifle
Task and Purpose, Jared Keller Security, Here's all we know. Despite a brief period of ambiguity wrought by budget-jousting among lawmakers in Congress, the Army’s new and improved sniper rifle is alive and well. Heckler & Koch showed off its M110A1 7.62mm semi-automatic sniper rifle, selected for the Army’s Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System (CSASS) program on the floor of the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference and exposition in Washington this week, a first up-close-and-personal look at the lightweight rifle.
- WorldBloomberg
South Africa's ANC Postpones Party Election List Conference
The conference would be rescheduled to Jan. 4-5 from this weekend to accommodate the North West province, which hadn’t submitted its nominations, ANC acting spokesman Dakota Legeote said by phone. The conference had been delayed because of deep divisions within the party and allegations by some members of manipulation of the lists, City Press reported on Sunday. South Africa is due to hold national and provincial elections in 2019, likely in May. The country has a proportional representation system in which lawmakers are chosen according to where they sit on nomination lists.
- PoliticsYahoo News
How Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke came undone
Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke arrives at the Capitol. On his first day at work, March 2, 2017, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke rode a horse to the department headquarters in downtown Washington, arriving like a conquering king, accompanied by U.S. Park Police escorts, also on horseback. A native Montanan and a former congressman from that state, Zinke was attired in a cowboy hat, jeans and a rodeo windbreaker instead of a Brooks Brothers suit.
NewsUSA TODAYThis high school taught 'adulting' for a day: How to cook, do resumes, taxes and more
An "adulting conference" this week allowed Kentucky high school seniors the chance to learn how to change a tire, how to cook and other basic life skills — things that they may not have learned at home or in classes. A series of photos posted by Bullitt Central High School on social media shows students learning about personal finances, resumes, and other essential skills at the event, which has drawn attention from local and national news outlets. Students could choose to attend three workshops out of 11 total options, the school says.
- U.S.WGN - Chicago
Student Charged After Video Shows Fight That Left Another Student Injured
A student was charged with aggravated battery after an attack that left another student seriously injured was caught on video at the Lockport Township High School East Campus.
PoliticsAssociated PressWarren seeks to solidify backing of African Americans
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is seeking to solidify her connection with African-American voters as she prepares to launch a potential presidential campaign amid criticism of her approach to race and identity. The Massachusetts Democrat visited Morgan State University in Baltimore Friday, marking her third trip this year to a historically black college or university. It follows her widely panned October release of a DNA test meant to bolster her claim to Native American heritage.
- LifestyleMashable
Find love this Christmas with 15% off eharmony until Dec. 17
Rather than make a potentially ill-judged move on a colleague at the Christmas party or hope for the best by spending time in packed bars this December, you could just sign up with eharmony. When it comes to how much you are paying for a dating service, it's really down to quantity. You can now sign up to eharmony and get 15% off with the code JOIN15.
- NewsAccuWeather
Snow showers, squalls to accompany fresh wave of cold air in northeastern US Monday
Cold air diving into the northeastern United States to start the new week will be accompanied by gusty winds, snow and the threat for slippery travel. "As the mid-Atlantic dries out, the storm will spread snow or a wintry mix from northeastern Pennsylvania to Maine on Sunday night," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said. The greatest risk of a steady, accumulating snowfall will be across central and eastern Maine from late Sunday night into Monday night.
WorldAFPYemenis fear collapse of UN-backed ceasefire accord
Residents of Yemen's flashpoint port of Hodeida and other cities fear a UN-brokered ceasefire could collapse at any moment, saying that after four years of conflict any accord is deeply fragile. On Friday morning, a day after the breakthrough agreement was penned in Sweden by representatives of the Yemeni government and the Huthi Shiite rebels, many held their breath. The Red Sea port of Hodeida, a main frontline between rebels and loyalist forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition and a key conduit of aid, had woken to calm after weeks of confrontation.
