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Hong Kong began 2020 with more protests as crowds marched through downtown districts on New Year’s Day to call for greater political freedom. Local media reported that the city’s Victoria Park—the traditional staging ground for mass protests—began to fill up from the early afternoon. Marchers chanted “Liberate Hong Kong” and carried flags reading “Revolution Now.” Scores of trade unions set up recruiting booths along the route in a bid to draw members from Hong Kong’s newly politicized youth. Many of the unions are new , having been set up to counteract the pro-Beijing labor federations that have long dominated the sector. Wednesday’s procession came in the wake of a restive New Year’s Eve that saw hundreds protesters form human chains and others barricade Nathan Road—the Kowloon peninsula’s principal thoroughfare—sparking clashes with police. A train carriage was set on fire by masked radicals in the early hours of Wednesday, but nobody was injured. Radicals also hu...

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(NEW YORK) — Couples kissed. Others cheered and waved balloons as fireworks burst into the night sky and confetti fell to welcome the start of 2020 in New York City’s Times Square. In one of the globe’s most-watched New Year’s Eve spectacles, the crowd counted down the last seconds of 2019 as a luminescent crystal ball descended down a pole. Throngs of people cheered and sang along to the X Ambassadors’ soul-stirring rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine” just before midnight. About 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms) of confetti showered the sea of attendees, many of whom were also briefly rained on earlier in the evening as they waited in security pens for performances by stars including rap-pop star Post Malone, K-pop group BTS, country singer Sam Hunt and singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. The frenzied moment of celebration came after many hours of waiting for much of the crowd. Eric and Aileen Sanchez-Himes brought their son and nephew from Framingham, Massachuetts, to...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Charging that Iran was “fully responsible” for an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, President Donald Trump ordered about 750 U.S. soldiers deployed to the Middle East as about 3,000 more prepared for possible deployment in the next several days. No U.S. casualties or evacuations were reported after the attack Tuesday by dozens of Iran-supported militiamen. U.S. Marines were sent from Kuwait to reinforce the compound. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday night that “in response to recent events” in Iraq, and at Trump’s direction, he authorized the immediate deployment of the infantry battalion from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He did not specify the soldiers’ destination, but a U.S. official familiar with the decision said they will go to Kuwait. “This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed i...

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Six states passed laws in 2019 banning abortions once a “fetal heartbeat” is detected, which can be as early as six weeks into pregnancy. While most of these new laws were challenged in court and are temporarily blocked, the trend has continued: another 10 states introduced similar bills in 2019 and more are expected this year. The sudden success of these measures is not an accident. They are the result of a concerted new strategy by abortion opponents, researchers have found. Instead of focusing on religious or women’s health concerns, supporters of Georgia’s “heartbeat” bill advanced their arguments by “co-opting the legal successes of progressive movements” such as the civil rights movement and the LGBT rights movement, according to a new study, published in Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters. Throughout the testimony surrounding the bill, Georgia state lawmakers and community members argued that fetuses are a class of persons entitled to protection under the law, ju...

7 significant American automobiles hitting the street in 2020 What's old is going to be very new in 2020, as America's legacy automakers reboot classic models to keep up with the times. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2Qc3zoi

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accused the Trump administration of dragging its feet in nuclear negotiations and warned that his country will soon show a new strategic weapon to the world as it bolsters its nuclear deterrent in face of “gangster-like” U.S. sanctions and pressure. The North’s state media said Wednesday that Kim made the comments during a four-day ruling party conference held through Tuesday in the capital Pyongyang, where he declared that the North will never give up its security for economic benefits in the face of what he described as increasing U.S. hostility and nuclear threats. Kim’s comments came after a monthslong standoff between Washington and Pyongyang over disagreements involving disarmament steps and the removal of sanctions imposed on the North. “He said that we will never allow the impudent U.S. to abuse the DPRK-U.S. dialogue for meeting its sordid aim but will shift to a shocking actual action to make it pay...

(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.) — The first phase of a U.S.-China trade agreement will be inked at the White House in mid-January, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, adding that he will visit Beijing at a later date to open another round of talks aimed at resolving other sticking points in the relationship. The so-called “Phase One” agreement is smaller than the comprehensive deal Trump had hoped for and leaves many of the thorniest issues between the two countries for future talks. Few economists expect any resolution of “Phase Two” before the presidential election in 2020. And the two sides have yet to release detailed documentation of the pact, making it difficult to evaluate. Trump said high-level Chinese government officials will attend the signing on Jan. 15 of “our very large and comprehensive Phase One Trade Deal with China.” “At a later date I will be going to Beijing where talks will begin on Phase Two!” Trump said in his tweet. He did not announce a date for t...

(NEW YORK) — After a year of nirvana, investors may need to get ready for something a little more normal. Markets are coming off a fabulous 2019, where stocks and bonds around the world climbed in concert. But for the next year — and decade, in fact — Wall Street is telling investors to set their expectations considerably lower. It’s not calling for another crash like the U.S. stock market suffered just over a decade ago. Or for another run like the last 10 years, where the S&P 500 returned more than 13% on an annualized basis. A gain less than half of that may be more likely, both for next year and annually for the coming decade. “People need to have a more realistic expectation of what returns are going to be,” said Greg Davis, chief investment officer at Vanguard. “That means investors who are saving for retirement or for college education will likely need to set aside more, because returns won’t be as generous as what we’ve seen over the last decade.” It’s not b...

DETROIT (AP) — Sorry, Latin teachers: Quid pro quo has got to go. The centuries-old Latin phrase, which means an exchange of favors, leads a Michigan university’s 45th annual “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness.” Quid pro quo got new life during the impeachment of President Donald Trump. He repeatedly declared there was no “quid pro quo” with Ukraine over U.S. military aid to that country and an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden’s son. “No quid pro quo was offered during the creation of this meticulously curated list of words,” said Rodney Hanley, president of Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie. The school each year invites the public to nominate words and phrases that seem tired or annoying through everyday speech, news coverage and more. The latest list has more than a dozen, including “artisanal,” “influencer,” “living my best life” and “chirp.” There’s “jelly,” short for jealou...

Amazon Prime Video has a slew of new content to start off the decade . Troop Zero, an Amazon original movie, hits the streamer on Jan. 17. In the comedy film, elementary school outcasts go to great lengths to win a talent show. Directed by Bert & Bertie, Troop Zero has a star-studded cast, including Viola Davis , Jim Gaffigan, Mike Epps and Allison Janney. Ilana Glazer of Broad City will debut her first standup special with Amazon on Jan. 3, in Ilana Glazer: The Planet Is Burning. On the darker side of things, Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer, a new docuseries examining Ted Bundy’s crimes in connection to his hatred for women, is available on Jan. 31. And in addition to dozens of licensed movies newly available for streaming this month — including six Star Trek movies — Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory, starring Antonio Banderas , is available to rent or buy on Jan. 21. Here is everything available to watch on Amazon Prime Video in January 2020. Here are t...

Fox News Breaking News Alert Dozens break into US Embassy compound in Baghdad, AP reports 12/31/19 2:12 AM

Fox News Breaking News Alert Crowd attempts to storm US Embassy in Baghdad, report says 12/31/19 1:20 AM

If the Tokyo Olympics aren’t enough reason to plan a trip to Japan this summer, Japan Airlines has an offer that could sweeten the deal—free tickets to a surprise destination in the country for 50,000 lucky travelers. To encourage visitors to travel more widely within Japan, the airline is giving away free round-trip tickets for flights within Japan to foreign tourists this summer. There are a few requirements: Travelers must fly to Japan on Japan Airlines between July 1 and Sept. 30. They must also be registered with the carrier’s Mileage Bank frequent flier program. Applications for the program will open in late February and the airline is expected to release more details in January. The free tickets will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. You can learn more about the program on Japan Airlines’ website. The airline offers direct flights to major U.S. cities, but travelers can book connections from other cities on the Japan Airlines website. Applicants...

Family finds missing cat 6 years later, only to get terrible news This family’s joy was short-lived. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2ZJKFbu

Mom accidentally records own reaction instead of daughter's proposal A mom has gone viral for her startling lack of photography skills. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2ZDGNbU

Kentucky police capture 'very hostile' chicken at CVS pharmacy The Elizabethtown Police Department shared that its fearless cops walked into the “very beak of danger.” via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2MKcgnE

Wedding guest debates breaking 'ridiculously petty rules' at former boyfriend's ceremony, bringing along the bride's ex Romance is dead for one frustrated woman. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2ZButJ6

Controversial Instagram couple now being slammed for yearlong vow of silence announcement The couple shared the decision was made in order to help “work on the way we communicate.” via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/358xK3K

TOKYO (AP) — Nissan’s former Chairman Carlos Ghosn said Tuesday he was in Lebanon and was not fleeing justice, but instead sought to avoid “injustice and political persecution” in Japan, where he was awaiting trial for alleged financial misconduct. Ghosn was out on bail before his departure, which occurred under unclear circumstances. He disclosed his location in a statement through his representatives that did not describe how he left the country. Conditions of his release on bail banned him from from traveling overseas. He promised to talk to reporters next week. “I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied, in flagrant disregard of Japan’s legal obligations under international law and treaties it is bound to uphold,” the statement said. Japanese media quoted prosecutors speaking anonymously who said they did not know how Ghosn had left t...

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The past year’s population growth rate in the United States was the slowest in a century due to declining births, increasing deaths and the slowdown of international migration, according to figures released Monday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. grew from 2018 to 2019 by almost a half percent, or about 1.5 million people, with the population standing at 328 million this year, according to population estimates. That’s the slowest growth rate in the U.S. since 1917 to 1918, when the nation was involved in World War I, said William Frey, a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. For the first time in decades, natural increase — the number of births minus the number of deaths — was less than 1 million in the U.S. due to an aging population of Baby Boomers, whose oldest members entered their 70s within the past several years. As the large Boomer population continues to age, this trend is going to continue. “Some of these things are locked into pl...

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City’s counterterrorism czar expects Times Square to be “the safest place on the planet Earth” on New Year’s Eve. Thousands of police officers will be on duty for Tuesday night’s festivities, along with specialized units armed with long guns, bomb-sniffing dogs and other measures. For the first time, police drones are expected to keep watch over the big, confetti-filled celebration — a year late after rain grounded the department’s unmanned eye-in-the-sky last year. This year’s forecast calls for some clouds, but no rain and none of the bitter cold that iced out spectators two years ago. The NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism, John Miller, said stacking various security tools and techniques gives police “multiple chances to catch something coming through.” “Times Square is probably going to be the safest place on the planet Earth on New Year’s Eve because nobody else puts that kind of effort into an event like this...

Kaitlyn Kong thought she had been punched hard in the abdomen as she stood among thousands of people in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, as the new year arrived a year ago. Her best friend, standing next to her, thought Kong had been stabbed as blood poured from a wound. It wasn’t until Kong underwent an X-ray that she and hospital medical staff realized she had been shot after someone fired a gun into the air to celebrate the new year. Although rare, people being shot by celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve and other holidays like the Fourth of July does happen, prompting law enforcement authorities to caution people that bullets fired into the air can endanger people’s lives. Raleigh police Lt. Mario Campos said the city receives a small number of calls about gunfire during New Year’s Eve celebrations in the city but would not discuss what happened to Kong, saying it remains under investigation. Raleigh police said at the time that the shot could have been fired fro...

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The newly appointed chief of Colombia’s army says he is willing to meet with soccer star Juan Fernando Quintero to discuss his father’s disappearance more than 20 years ago. Gen. Eduardo Zapateiro said during a military ceremony on Monday he “shares the pain” of Quintero’s family and added that he is willing to meet with the River Plate and Colombian national team midfielder to discuss his father’s final days. Jaime Quintero was last seen in 1995 at an army base in the city of Carepa, which was then commanded by Zapateiro. According to Quintero’s relatives, Jaime was carrying out his compulsory military service, and disappeared after falling out with Zapateiro, who wanted to transfer him to another base due to his unruly behavior. Following Zapateiro’s appointment as army chief last week, Quintero’s relatives gave interviews on local media in which they complained about the general’s promotion, saying he still had not answered questions on Jaime’s d...

(SALT LAKE CITY) — When Nalini Nadkarni was a kid, she’d run home from school, climb into one of the eight maple trees in her parents’ backyard and spend an afternoon there with an apple and a book. That time in the treetops set the tone for the rest of her life: She’s now a forest ecologist at the University of Utah who’s dedicated her career to studying rain forest canopies. She’s also always looking for new ways to get people interested in science, from fashion made with nature imagery to science lectures at the state prison. “I’ve tried for years and years to bring the science I do and understand to people outside of academia,” she said. Her childhood memories made her particularly interested in reaching children. After her own 6-year-old daughter asked for a Barbie, Nadkarni decided to re-fashion the iconic dolls as a scientist-explorer in rubber boots rather than high heels. “Lots of girls, and some little boys, love Barbie,” Nadkarni said. “It’s almost aspiratio...

(BEIRUT) — Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, who is awaiting trial in Japan on charges of financial misconduct, has arrived in Beirut, a close friend said Monday. He apparently jumped bail. It was not clear how Ghosn, who is of Lebanese origins and holds French and Lebanese passports, left Japan where he was under surveillance and is expected to face trial in April 2020. Ricardo Karam, a television host and friend of Ghosn who interviewed him several times, told The Associated Press Ghosn arrived in Lebanon Monday morning.. “He is home,” Karam told the AP in a message. “It’s a big adventure.” Karam declined to elaborate. Local media first reported Ghosn arrived in Lebanon, but didn’t offer details. There was no immediate comment from Japan or from Lebanese officials. Ghosn, 65, has been on bail in Tokyo since April and is facing charges of hiding income and financial misconduct. He has denied the charges. He had been under strict bail conditions in Japan after spen...