PoliticsAFPLawyer says Mueller can interview Trump only 'over my dead body'
A lawyer for Donald Trump Sunday pushed back Sunday against reports that the special counsel investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election might be seeking to interview the president, saying it would happen only "over my dead body." Rudy Giuliani said special counsel Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors could not be trusted to deal fairly with the president, suggesting they had trapped another witness into committing perjury. Asked on "Fox News Sunday" about reports Mueller now wants a face-to-face interview to follow up on Trump's submission of written answers, Giuliani shot back: "Good luck.
- 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.
- 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.
PoliticsAssociated PressSign-up deadline is Saturday for ACA health law coverage
Saturday is the last day to sign up for health insurance next year under the Affordable Care Act in most of the country. For 2019, premiums are stable, more plans are available, and millions of uninsured people can still get financial help. People can also sign up through approved community organizations, online insurance sellers, and insurance companies.
WorldReutersMore than 40 injured in explosion in Japan's Sapporo: Kyodo
More than 40 people were injured in an explosion on Sunday at a bar in Sapporo in northern Japan, Kyodo news agency reported. Kyodo said one person was in critical condition. Eyewitnesses reported smelling gas in the area following the explosion, which Kyodo said happened at 8.30 p.m. (1130 GMT).
- 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.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Paris 'yellow vest' protests lose steam after Emmanuel Macron concessions
Defiant “yellow vest” demonstrators took to the streets of Paris and other French cities on Saturday, but the anti-government protests appeared to be losing steam after major concessions by President Emmanuel Macron and another deadly terror attack on French soil. Riot police fired tear gas and fought with protesters on the Champs Elysées and elsewhere in the capital, but these were minor incidents compared with the widespread rioting and looting that took place a week ago. More than 66,000 took part in demos across the country, half the number of a week ago, and in Paris 2,200 people participated, far fewer than the 10,000 who turned out last Saturday, according to interior ministry figures.
- 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.
- 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.
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 .
WorldAFPOttawa's envoy in China meets with second detained Canadian: ministry
Ottawa's ambassador to Beijing has met with the second Canadian detained in China on suspicion of threatening national security, Canada's foreign ministry said Sunday. The ministry said Ambassador John McCallum had met with Michael Spavor, a business consultant, two days after meeting with another detained Canadian, Michael Kovrig, a think tank employee. "Canadian consular officials continue to provide consular services to him and his family and will continue to seek further access to Mr Spavor," the ministry said.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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.
- BusinessThe National Interest
Russia Is Trying to Make Its Very Own Glock Firearms
Its popularity spawned a bevy of competitors that shared many of the same design features: striker fired-action, polymer frame and no manual safeties. Russia produced its own series of “Glock-alikes” in the 1990s, some of which serve on to this day. One of the areas in which the Glock shines is in the concealed carry role.
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.
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.
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.
- WorldReuters
Malaysia's Mahathir says no rights to recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Sunday criticized Australia's move to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying countries had "no rights" to do so. Australia's move follows U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in May, which infuriated Palestinians and the wider Islamic world and upset Western allies. quot;Jerusalem should remain as it is now and not the capital of Israel," Mahathir told Reuters on the sidelines of an event in Bangkok.
- 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.
- BusinessBloomberg
Qatar Buys Mexican Oil Stakes From Eni
Qatar Petroleum is buying stakes in three offshore oil blocks in Mexico from Eni SpA, as the Arab country signs another global expansion deal after leaving OPEC. Eni and the government-owned energy company in Qatar, the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, will produce about 90,000 barrels of oil a day from the Amoca, Mizton and Tecoalli fields in the Gulf of Mexico by the end of 2021, Saad Sherida Al Kaabi, Qatar’s energy minister, said in Doha. The fields hold 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, he said at a press conference with Eni Chief Executive Officer Claudio Descalzi.
