world news: 2019-01-13

Saturday, 19 January 2019

Six suspects in court over Nairobi hotel attack

Six suspects, including a Canadian national, appeared in a Kenyan court on Friday in connection with a radical Islamist attack on a Nairobi hotel complex that left 21 dead. A magistrate granted a request from the prosecution to detain four men and one woman for 30 days while investigations continue. The suspects are accused of "possible involvement" in the almost 20-hour siege of the DusitD2 hotel and office complex by a suicide bomber and four gunmen who were killed by security forces, a court document said.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's First House Speech Broke a C-SPAN Record. Here's What She Said

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's first speech from the House floor has set a new record with C-SPAN

Mexican airline trolls Americans with brilliant ad

While the debate over immigration and a border wall between the United States and Mexico has helped grind the U.S. federal government to a halt, Mexico's national airline, AeroMexico, is trolling Americans with a new ad called "DNA Discounts." The ad features purported residents of Wharton, Texas, a town about 60 miles southwest of Houston, professing a variety of opinions about Mexico and its citizens. The ad also drops some knowledge about the long history of immigration from Mexico to the U.S., and notes that many in southern and southwestern states have a touch of Mexican DNA. Things get flipped when the airline reveals it's offering flight discounts to Americans, including those Wharton residents, based on the amount of Mexican DNA they have (i.e., 18 percent DNA equals an 18 percent discount). That certainly turns opinions around. As one recipient says, "I love discounts!" Of course, it's such a brilliant ad, it's hard to tell if those Wharton residents are real or just actors and if this whole DNA discount thing is real or satirical. Aeromexico, which has gotten political before, isn't saying much, but we've reached out for comment and will update this post when we hear back. Either way, it's a brilliant gambit that undermines the vitriol so many Americans have expressed at our neighbors to the south, and does so without ever directly mentioning the political turmoil, the wall, or even President Trump. Instead, it directs that energy at a sense of shared community, including the tagline, "There are no borders within us." Not a bad way to spread a powerful message.

Saturn's famous rings are a 'recent' addition to the giant planet

They're the solar system's most iconic feature, but Saturn's glorious rings haven't always been there, a new study suggests.

Trump missile defense review calls North Korea 'extraordinary threat'

The open acknowledgment in the Missile Defense Review of U.S. plans to counter Russian and Chinese technological advances likely will alarm those nations. It marked a departure from the approach taken by Republican Trump's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, to tamp down concerns by major nuclear powers about expanding U.S. missile defenses. "Our goal is simple: To ensure we can detect and destroy any missile launched against the United States - anywhere, anytime, anyplace," Trump said at the Pentagon.

Friday TSA status: Long lines in Seattle, Atlanta as holiday weekend kicks off

The TSA said it expects a busy travel weekend due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

More snow! Airlines expand change fees as new storms approach

Airlines are waiving change fees as two more winter storms are set to move across the Midwest, Ohio Valley and Northeast from Thursday into the weekend.

Women’s March Leader Refuses to Acknowledge Israel’s Right to Exist

Embattled Women’s March co-chairwoman Tamika Mallory refused to acknowledge the state of Israel’s right to exist during a recent interview on PBS’s The Firing Line and seemed to suggest that, unlike Palestinians, Israelis were not “native” to the region. Mallory, who has been forced in recent days to confront questions about her association with notorious anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan, acknowledged during the interview that “all people have the right to exist” but would not address the legitimacy of the Israeli state. The Women’s March lost the support of the Democratic National Committee and a host of other prominent liberal groups this week after Mallory defend her past praise for Farrakhan during a Monday appearance on The View.

Can you trust weather forecasts during the government shutdown? Absolutely!

"We feel badly for our weather colleagues in government who are not getting paid during the shutdown," said Marshall Moss, AccuWeather vice president, Forecasting and Graphic Operations. "Like us, they're doing critical life-saving work and issuing public warnings and we hope they are paid soon.”

In third year, U.S. women's marches turn to 2020 elections

Millions of people took part in the women's marches in Washington and other cities in the United States and abroad on Jan. 21, 2017, the day after the Republican president was sworn in. Vanessa Wruble, a co-founder of the original Women's March on Washington who left to start March On, a separate grassroots coalition, said the movement has evolved from being a reaction to Trump's presidency. Women's March, a national nonprofit organization that evolved from the initial Washington march, is using its #WomensWave marches in Washington and elsewhere on Saturday to roll out a 10-part policy platform that includes raising the federal minimum wage and protecting reproductive rights.

State of emergency declared in Pennsylvania, New Jersey as Midwest, Northeast rush to finalize snowstorm preparations

A major snowstorm is moving through the Midwest into the Northeast through this weekend, dumping mass amounts of snow and creating treacherous travel. Local officials warn communities to prepare ahead of the dangerous winter storm.

Why did Democrats vote for a barrier along the southern border in 2013, but won’t now?

Former U.S. Border Patrol Chief under former President Barack Obama Mark Morgan says that the border wall needs to be built.

Germany: We'll do all we can to ensure Britain quits EU with a deal

Germany will do all it can in the coming days to ensure that a deal is in place for when Britain leaves the European Union, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Thursday. British lawmakers rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal by a large majority on Tuesday.

May Said to Promise Brexiteers She Won't Cave: Brexit Update

(Bloomberg) -- Follow @Brexit, sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, and tell us your Brexit story.

Prince Philip crash: As Duke takes delivery of another Land Rover, will he be back on the road soon?

A replacement Land Rover, previously driven by the Duke of Edinburgh, has been delivered to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, hours after his car was involved in a horror crash. A black Land Rover Freelander was driven into Sandringham inside a delivery truck on Friday morning. The Land Rover is the same model as the one Prince Philip, 97, was driving in yesterday's crash, which also involved a Kia. It is believed to be the same car he has been seen driving near to Balmoral in September 2018, with a shared number plate. Armed police were on hand as the replacement vehicle was delivered to Sandringham, where Prince Phillip is now recovering. The delivery driver backed the Land Rover out of the van, then drove it through the gates of the Sandringham estate. The Duke was not injured in yesterday's crash, and was checked over by a doctor as a precaution. The two people in the other car involved in the crash were taken to hospital and treated for "minor injuries" and then discharged. Police supervise the unloading of the car Credit: Geoff Robinson The Land Rover driven by the Duke in the accident was towed away after the crash which saw the car overturn and the windscreen smash. Photographs appeared to show the air bags deployed, with heavy scratches down the sides of the vehicle. The accident will be "investigated and any appropriate action taken", Norfolk Constabulary has said. Norfolk Police said they were following standard procedure where a road traffic collision resulted in injuries. Eyewitness Roy Warne has described how Philip asked if "everybody else was all right" in the aftermath of an accident which saw his car "tumbling" over the road. "The driver of the Kia, a 28-year-old woman, suffered cuts to her knee while the passenger, a 45-year-old woman, sustained a broken wrist," said police in a statement. The aftermath of the crash "Both casualties were treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn and were discharged last night. "Police can also confirm a nine-month-old baby boy was in the Kia at the time of the incident and was uninjured. "The male driver of the Land Rover was uninjured. "Both drivers were breath tested and provided negative readings." The police are expected to take statements from the Duke, the female driver of the Kia involved in the crash and any other relevant witnesses during their investigation. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on any changes to the Duke's health, after some witnesses said the Queen's consort had been left "very, very shocked" after the accident. Yesterday, a spokesman said he suffered "no injuries". Duke of Edinburgh car crash near Sandringham Estate Asked if he held a driving licence, a spokeswoman said: "The duke has got a driving licence and follows all the usual DVLA procedures."

'We’re in Uncharted Waters.' Schools Brace for Lunch Funding Challenges if Shutdown Continues

"We’ve never gone through anything like this before"

Palestinian forces soldier on amid Israeli raids, US neglect

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — On a cold winter's night earlier this month, a convoy of 10 Israeli armored jeeps drove into the heart of the West Bank city of Ramallah and parked in front of the Palestinian police headquarters.

Zimbabwe public workers reject latest wage offer after protests

Zimbabwe's public workers have rejected a second offer to raise their salaries and demanded to be paid in dollars, days after at least three people died in violent anti-government protests.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2S0Tj3E

President George W. Bush delivers pizza to Secret Service detail amid government shutdown

Former President George W. Bush delivered pizza to his Secret Service detail, who are working without pay due to the partial government shutdown.

Six suspects in court over Nairobi hotel attack

The Latest: California dries off after storms batter state

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Latest on California storms (all times local):

Prince Philip unharmed after traffic accident, two injured

Queen Elizabeth II's 97-year-old husband Prince Philip emerged unscathed after a vehicle he was driving was involved in a traffic accident that injured two people on Thursday, according to Buckingham Palace and police. A palace spokeswoman told AFP that the duke was driving near the monarch's Sandringham Estate when the crash occurred but declined to confirm that it overturned in the incident. "The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a road traffic accident with another vehicle this afternoon," the palace said in a statement.

Aeromexico ad campaign trolls anti-Mexican sentiment in US with DNA discounts

Mexican airline Aeromexico is offering DNA discounts to U.S. travelers based on their percentage of Mexican heritage.

Shutdown is no time for celebratory State of the Union. No time is. Let's scrap it.

Pelosi was right to suggest that Trump delay or cancel the State of the Union address. In fact we should scrap it forever. It's an appalling spectacle.

Israel demolishes home of accused Palestinian killer

Israeli forces demolished the West Bank home on Friday of a Palestinian accused of the fatal September stabbing of an Israeli-American. Residents of the town of Yata, near the flashpoint city of Hebron, said that troops arrived at the home of Khalil Jabareen and were met by stone-throwing Palestinians. The Israeli army said the structure destroyed was an apartment where Jabareen lived.

Sniffer dogs, bomb experts comb through Kenya attack site

Kenyan police aided by bomb experts and sniffer dogs on Thursday resumed their search of the Nairobi hotel complex struck by Islamists as police arrested nine more suspects over the attack which left 21 dead and 28 injured. A police source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were confident there were no more people trapped inside the hotel or surrounding office buildings after the 20-hour assault unleashed on Tuesday, during which some 700 civilians were rescued. Five gunmen with the Al-Qaeda-linked Somali militant group Al-Shabaab attacked the DusitD2 hotel and office complex on Tuesday afternoon.

Illinois parents get 25 years in death of boy, 6, who weighed 17 pounds when he died

An Illinois father and stepmother will spend decades in prison in the starvation death of their 6-year-old son, who authorities say weighed just 17 pounds when he died.