Special News: January 2019

Thursday 31 January 2019

Mystery illness sees Canada halve its Cuba embassy staff

A 14th employee at Canada's embassy in Havana falls ill, and the country cuts staff there by half.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2sWTxuQ
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China's factory activity shrinks as slowdown worries rise

The data comes as several global firms warn China's slowing economy will hit their bottom line.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2UvE5l2
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Emiliano Sala: Missing Cardiff striker's former club Nantes pay tribute

Nantes pay tribute to missing former striker Emiliano Sala during their 1-1 draw with Saint Etienne.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SbuBxT
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The story of a US raid on al-Qaeda in Yemen

The BBC has gained rare access to Athlan village, the site of a major US attack on al-Qaeda in Yemen.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2UqHYHO
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Polar vortex: What is it and how does it happen?

The deep freeze gripping much of the US has been blamed on a polar vortex. Here's what that means.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Sex5LW
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Actor 'tasted brutality of hatred'

Stars support Empire actor Jussie Smollet, the victim of a suspected hate crime in Chicago.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2CRvIJi
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The Afghan Invictus athletes claiming asylum in Australia

The fears of six athletes who claimed asylum in Australia after the 2018 Invictus Games.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2S8Sgz1
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Zimbabwe women raped as government crackdown continues

Six women tell the BBC they were raped by security forces as part of a government crackdown.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2CRqD3G
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MP defends unmasking shot reporter

Kennedy Agyapong tells the BBC he regrets journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale’s death, but has a clear conscious.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2sVKNEY
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'Why I fled Saudi Arabia and sought asylum in the UK'

Two Saudis who sought asylum in the UK explain why they risked everything.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SdhEnb
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Richard E Grant in tears over Barbra Streisand's reply to 1970s fan letter

The actor and superfan was "overcome with emotion" when Streisand replied to his childhood letter.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2MGAb66
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The Lord of the Ringos? Peter Jackson to direct a Beatles film

The Lord of the Rings director will use unseen footage of the tense sessions for their final album.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SdIgEx
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Bulgarians decry ‘eco vandalism’ on coast

Social media outcry puts controversial construction on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast under scrutiny.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Uxh9C1
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Why some Japanese pensioners want to go to jail

Japan is in the grip of an elderly crime wave. Poverty and loneliness are two of the possible causes.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2sUSv2f
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How do you compost a human body - and why would you?

A US state could become one of the first places in the world to allow corpses to become fertile soil.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2S04WbU
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The Indians sharing their villages with crocodiles

In most places, a crocodile would send people scurrying in fear. But not in this part of India.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Sbqv8X
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Maduro and Guaidó: Who is supporting whom in Venezuela?

The international community is split over who it recognises as the country's current president.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2BbqOqp
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Nastya Rybka: Model who got caught up in the Trump-Russia row

The story of Nastya Rybka, who was questioned in a Thai jail by the FBI about the Trump-Russia inquiry.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2HHJ9kz
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Why Dutch fear Brexit no deal will leave onions to rot

Imagine onions - tonnes of them, rotting in a customs queue. It's a Dutch farmer's Brexit nightmare.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2DLoiZL
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New best story on Hacker News: Why isn't the internet more fun and weird?

Why isn't the internet more fun and weird?
1035 by firloop | 434 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Google’s also peddling a data collector through Apple’s back door

Google’s also peddling a data collector through Apple’s back door
525 by minimaxir | 218 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Apple blocks Facebook from running its internal iOS apps

Apple blocks Facebook from running its internal iOS apps
703 by epaga | 292 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Ending our Medium integration

Ending our Medium integration
868 by thebaer | 346 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Remembering Roger Boisjoly: He Tried to Stop Shuttle Challenger Launch

Remembering Roger Boisjoly: He Tried to Stop Shuttle Challenger Launch
533 by drewvolpe | 163 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Facebook has been paying people to install a “Research” VPN

Facebook has been paying people to install a “Research” VPN
1434 by randomacct3847 | 440 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Instacart paying 80 cents an hour because worker received a large tip

Instacart paying 80 cents an hour because worker received a large tip
1296 by timebomb0 | 665 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Firefox 65.0 released

Firefox 65.0 released
713 by theodorejb | 405 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: FaceTime bug lets you hear audio of person you are calling before they pick up

FaceTime bug lets you hear audio of person you are calling before they pick up
1527 by uptown | 429 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: A Standard and Clean Series A Term Sheet

A Standard and Clean Series A Term Sheet
617 by akharris | 167 comments on Hacker News.

Knife crime: Suspects could be banned from social media

Those breaching sanctions aimed at cutting rising violence could face up to two years in prison.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2S9v6bN

Warwick students suspended over rape threats allowed to return early

One of the targeted students said she felt "terrified" at the prospect of seeing the men on campus again.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2Rr80Jh

Polar vortex: Fire used to melt ice on Chicago train tracks

Flames from gas-fed heaters stop snow and ice from clogging up the track at railway intersections.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2RsdKSK

The GP substitute will see you now

Some 20,000 physios, pharmacists and paramedics are to be recruited to work with under-pressure GPs.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2RW3OGg

‘Meeting the stranger who saved my life’

Liv Pontin had decided to take her own life, when a train driver stopped her. Now they are reuniting.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2TsPbqZ

Sarah Sanders says 'God wanted Trump to be president'

In an interview, the White House press secretary says Donald Trump had divine support.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2Bm9a3B

MPs say fast fashion brands inaction on ethics is shocking

JD Sports, Sports Direct, TK Maxx, Amazon, Boohoo and Missguided must do more, say MPs.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2HHsiyB

Brexit: How ready is the UK government for no deal?

A think tank report assesses how ready the government is to leave the EU without a deal.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2BmiJQ3

Brexit: Car investment halves as industry hits 'red alert'

The UK industry's trade body warns of "permanent devastation" if Britain leaves the EU without a deal.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2BbLdM1

House price growth at near six-year low

The annual rise in house prices "almost ground to a complete halt" in January, the Nationwide says.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2DJKi77

The Papers: 'May woos Labour MPs with cash'

Thursday's front pages feature stories on Brexit, Facebook, stalkers and a new NHS recruitment plan.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2RsrFZh

News Daily: Knife crime crackdown, cold weather and fast fashion

Your morning briefing for Thursday 31 January 2019.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2G9SEGO

It's deadline day - can you handle the pressure?

Nearly two million people are estimated to have left it until the last minute to fill in their tax returns.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2Gabtd6

'Women are seen as home cooks - not chefs'

Meet the professional chefs changing the way people think about women in the kitchen.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2RZhkJp

Polar vortex: What is it and how does it happen?

The deep freeze gripping much of the US has been blamed on a polar vortex. Here's what that means.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2Sex5LW

Kate Spade's niece Rachel Brosnahan is the new face of her label

Rachel Brosnahan, star of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, honours her late aunt in the new collection.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2MFzERJ

How to de-ice your car - and other questions

How should I drive in the snow? Why does salt melt ice? How can I boost my immune system?

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2DJP0lG

Inflatable puffer fish pill 'could track patient's health'

US scientists say it could be used to monitor tumours or ulcers for a month in the stomach.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2ShkLdJ

Gay dating app Scruff bans underwear photos

The app bans images of men in underwear and swimwear after "repeated suspensions by app store distributors".

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2SgJDCi

Attacked Empire actor Jussie Smollett 'has tasted brutality of hatred'

Stars support Empire actor Jussie Smollet, the victim of a suspected hate crime in Chicago.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2CRvIJi

The city with no homeless on its streets

What can UK cities learn from Finland, where the number of rough sleepers has fallen dramatically?

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2TofSwO

Why some Japanese pensioners want to go to jail

Japan is in the grip of an elderly crime wave. Poverty and loneliness are two of the possible causes.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2sUSv2f

How do you compost a human body - and why would you?

A US state could become one of the first places in the world to allow corpses to become fertile soil.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2S04WbU

The unlikely stars bucking the High Street slump

Museum and gallery shops are reporting rising sales and greater interest. What is their recipe for growth?

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2CRvcuO

Nastya Rybka: Model who got caught up in the Trump-Russia row

The story of Nastya Rybka, who was questioned in a Thai jail by the FBI about the Trump-Russia inquiry.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2HHJ9kz

Can I live on tinned food?

Is it OK to eat only canned foods and no fresh fruit or vegetables?

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2RWg7T5

Wanting to die at 'five to midnight' - before dementia takes over

Dutch patients with dementia who want euthanasia are less likely to get it if their disease is advanced - so many request it very early.

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2ScPHff

The unlikely stars bucking the High Street slump

Museum and gallery shops are reporting rising sales and greater interest. What is their recipe for growth?

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2CRvcuO

On the buses? Where and how often are we travelling?

Councils say they are "desperate" to protect services but funding cuts forced "difficult decisions".

from BBC News - Home https://bbc.in/2Saz4AQ

Has Vale become Brazil's most hated company?

Can the country's mining giant Vale recover after its second major disaster in four years?

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2SlbwJK

Trump Says He’ll Leave Decision of Whether to Release Special Counsel’s Report to Justice Dept.

By MAGGIE HABERMAN from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2sYkIFk

On Politics: Trump Calls His Own Intelligence Officials ‘Naïve’

By Unknown Author from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2RZBYZV

Another Go for Charles and Di, This Time With Music

By SARAH LYALL from NYT Theater https://nyti.ms/2RoY8zC

A Black Legacy, Wrapped Up in Fur

By JASMINE SANDERS from NYT Style https://nyti.ms/2sYq1os

How Much Do You Know About Your Family’s History?

By KATHERINE SCHULTEN from NYT The Learning Network https://nyti.ms/2TpuAU8

Word + Quiz: upstage

By THE LEARNING NETWORK from NYT The Learning Network https://nyti.ms/2CXxwQO

What’s on TV Thursday: ‘30 for 30’ and ‘The Big Lebowski’

By LAUREN MESSMAN from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/2FVZlgo

After Death on Subway Stairs, New Yorkers Lament Accessibility Issues

By YOUSUR AL-HLOU, ROBIN LINDSAY and NATE SCHWEBER from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/2BbTfVb

Las principales noticias del jueves

By Por ALBINSON LINARES from NYT Universal https://nyti.ms/2FZFZqK

St. Louis Prosecutor Accuses Police of Obstructing Inquiry Into Killing of Officer

By LIAM STACK from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2TlYgl3

An Angry Trump Pushes Back Against His Own ‘Naive’ Intelligence Officials

By MARK LANDLER from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2Gcqb3g

Jury Awards Rand Paul Over $580,000 in Damages From Attack

By NOAH WEILAND from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2GgXDp8

Undocumented Immigrant Who Worked at a Trump Golf Club Will Attend State of the Union

By MATT STEVENS from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2S0FxyM

Quotation of the Day: A Merciless Cold Lingers in the Midwest

By Unknown Author from NYT Today’s Paper https://nyti.ms/2sUhliK

Mavericks Thump Knicks as Dirk Nowitzki Comes Alive at the Garden

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports https://nyti.ms/2sWxuUX

Corrections: January 31, 2019

By Unknown Author from NYT Corrections https://nyti.ms/2Rt3aey

Help Pick the Worst of Trump

By GAIL COLLINS from NYT Opinion https://nyti.ms/2TmebzR

Palindromic Number

By DEB AMLEN from NYT Crosswords & Games https://nyti.ms/2FYVr6q

Samsung Forecasts Earnings Weakness Throughout 2019

By REUTERS from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/2G9LOkO

China, Venezuela, Climate Change: Your Thursday Briefing

By PENN BULLOCK from NYT Briefing https://nyti.ms/2S1jVCw

A Closer Look at the Polar Vortex’s Dangerously Cold Winds

By YULIYA PARSHINA-KOTTAS, KARTHIK PATANJALI, JEREMY WHITE, BENJAMIN WILHELM and EVAN GROTHJAN from NYT Science https://nyti.ms/2B9tBka

Trump Calls Intelligence Officials ‘Naive’ After They Contradict Him

By EILEEN SULLIVAN from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2GdqeM3

Chris Christie Says Jared Kushner’s Father Committed a ‘Loathsome’ Crime

By DANIEL VICTOR from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2DJlZ9I

‘I’m Going to Die Here,’ She Told the Guards. They Didn’t Listen.

By SARAH MASLIN NIR from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2RWiAg9

A Merciless Cold Lingers in the Midwest

By JULIE BOSMAN and MONICA DAVEY from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2DHJFuP

Cold Weather Tips From Chicagoans Who Really Know What They’re Talking About

By JULIE BOSMAN and MONICA DAVEY from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2RX77gG

You Know the Lorena Bobbitt Story. But Not All of It.

By AMY CHOZICK from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/2BcEzFw

Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere Into the Center of the World Economy?

By Unknown Author from NYT Magazine https://nyti.ms/2B78gYo

On North Korea and Iran, Intelligence Chiefs Contradict Trump

By DAVID E. SANGER and JULIAN E. BARNES from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2MEe54e

The Polar Vortex: Hard Facts About Cold Weather

By KATE TAYLOR from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2TkGezR

‘I’m Cold and I’m Afraid’: Across Midwest, Homeless Await Deep Freeze

By JULIE BOSMAN and MONICA DAVEY from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2G9rwrw

Apple Was Slow to Act on FaceTime Bug That Allows Spying on iPhones

By NICOLE PERLROTH from NYT Technology https://nyti.ms/2FY6oVP

A Mother’s Fatal Fall on Subway Stairs Rouses New Yorkers to Demand Accessibility

By MICHAEL GOLD and EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/2sUkkry

U.S. Midwest Freezes, Australia Burns: This Is the Age of Weather Extremes

By SOMINI SENGUPTA from NYT Climate https://nyti.ms/2DGTPfb

Jussie Smollett, Star of ‘Empire,’ Attacked in What Police Call a Possible Hate Crime

By SOPAN DEB from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/2MCyPcq

If the Earth Is Warming, Why Is It So Cold Outside?

By KENDRA PIERRE-LOUIS from NYT Climate https://nyti.ms/2DFmxx6

A Tiny Screw Shows Why iPhones Won’t Be ‘Assembled in U.S.A.’

By JACK NICAS from NYT Technology https://nyti.ms/2Risd3D

Germs in Your Gut Are Talking to Your Brain. Scientists Want to Know What They’re Saying.

By CARL ZIMMER from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2UpJcTU

Gracie Gold’s Battle for Olympic Glory Ended in a Fight to Save Herself

By KAREN CROUSE from NYT Sports https://nyti.ms/2CUPpjB

Wednesday 30 January 2019

Rail user satisfaction at 10-year low

Northern and Great Northern were the operators to see the biggest falls in satisfaction, a survey says.

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2Sj4Wn2

Snow disruption: Is my boss expecting me at work?

Can employees refuse to work if they cannot travel to work or their children's school is closed?

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2ME4E4N

Five arrested over Brazil dam collapse

The arrests follow the collapse of a dam in Brumadinho last Friday which killed at least 65 people.

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2MBRzZy

Yahoo data breach payout blocked by judge

The judge is unhappy about the sum involved and the vagueness of promised cyber-security fixes.

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2TmCtdg

Huawei denies wrongdoing after US criminal charges

The Chinese telecoms giant said it was "disappointed" by the US charges, which include theft and fraud.

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2CPr1jb

Mike Ashley faces fine for late filing of accounts

A company run by Mike Ashley faces a fine from Companies House as it is six months late filing accounts.

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2G4DUsQ

Trade war: Firms look to new factories as tariffs bite

Industrial PC maker Advantech is one firm that plans to shift production out of China to combat the trade war.

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2HBYpzE

George Fernandes: The man who threw out Coca-Cola and IBM from India

Veteran socialist George Fernandes, who has died at 88, was an anti-nuclear campaigner who became India's defence minister.

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2sPZ6Lm

Huawei: Will US charges sink the Chinese tech company?

The US Justice Department has filed criminal charges against Huawei - will this sink the Chinese telecoms giant?

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2TiIQhB

China's economic slowdown explained

China's economic growth is slowing down. But what's really going on?

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2DxtjVy

‘Welcome to my high-fashion, trash shopping mall’

Anna Bergstrom runs a shopping mall in Sweden where everything for sale is recycled. Her goal is to make sustainable shopping fashionable.

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2RRnuLD

Meet the data guardians taking on the tech giants

Facebook, Google and others have grown rich from our data. Some tech start-ups are fighting back.

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2HP9ygH

Can a shift in shopping help Tesco beat the discounters?

Less people do a big weekly shop, but can the change help Tesco stop Aldi and Lidl?

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2Hxz8X8

Plastic or paper: Which bag is greener?

Morrisons will introduce paper bags, so are they better for the environment?

from BBC News - Business https://bbc.in/2HDNrcL

Ebola Survivor Dr. Rick Sacra Receiving Prestigious Award to Expand Medical Mission in Liberia

Dr. Rick Sacra was exposed to the Ebola virus in 2014 while caring for pregnant women at a Christian hospital in Liberia. He narrowly survived.

from CBNNews.com http://bit.ly/2DJgPul

Top Pakistani Court Upholds Acquittal, Frees Captive Christian Asia Bibi

Asia Bibi is now free to leave Pakistan and join her daughters in Canada after more than eight years of prison and detention. The Islamic country's highest court has just upheld its acquittal of Bibi, clearing her of all charges of blasphemy.

from CBNNews.com http://bit.ly/2SfcnLN

'Desecration': ISIS Behind Deadly Double Bombing that Killed 27 Churchgoers?

The Islamic State group, ISIS, has allegedly claimed responsibility for the deadly twin bombings that hit a Catholic Church in Jolo, Sulu in the southern Philippines, on Sunday morning.

from CBNNews.com http://bit.ly/2sRqDft

Not Safe Yet: Pakistan's Supreme Court Reconsiders Decision to Free Asia Bibi

Pakistan's Supreme Court will re-examine its decision to acquit Asia Bibi on all blasphemy charges Tuesday after Islamic extremists pressured the government to execute her immediately.

from CBNNews.com http://bit.ly/2RorDBL

Do You Think God Is Angry With You? Here Are 3 Biblical Truths About God’s Wrath

The idea of God’s anger or wrath is sure to pop up in religious news and social media circles every time our nation or the world faces a tragedy, natural disaster or violent attack. Invariably, someone will attribute the destruction and pain to God’s anger with some subsection of humanity, or indeed humanity as a whole.

from CBNNews.com http://bit.ly/2Bc0EUr

Ask HN: Why can’t I block all incoming calls that aren’t in my contact list?
146 by tones411 | 140 comments on Hacker News.
It’s pointless to block every single spam number that can call in. If we can’t end spam calls, why don’t phones let you at least block all except numbers in your contact list?