US government shutdown to continue into new year as Congress locked in row over border wall

The US government partial shutdown was set to stretch deep into next week after legislators failed Thursday to make a breakthrough in the row over President Donald Trump's demand for a US-Mexico border wall. After convening for just a few minutes following the official Christmas break, a still nearly empty Senate adjourned, deciding to renew budget deliberations only next Wednesday, the last day of the current Republican-controlled Congress. That would take the government shutdown, already on its sixth day, into 12. Both sides have dug in, with Democrats refusing to provide $5 billion for Trump's border wall project and the president insisting he will not fully fund the government unless he gets the money. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accused Democrats of "openly choosing to keep our government closed to protect illegal immigrants rather than the American people." Republican Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas speaks briefly to reporters after he opened and closed a brief session of the Senate on Thursday Credit: Scott Applewhite/ AP She said Trump "will not sign a proposal that does not first prioritize our country's safety and security." As long as the wall debate holds up approval of a wider spending bill, about 800,000 federal employees are not getting salaries and non-essential parts of the government are unable to function. Trump made clear he does not intend to give way first. In a tweet Thursday, he once more accused Democrats of wanting to encourage illegal immigrants, "an Open Southern Border and the large scale crime that comes with such stupidity!" "Need to stop Drugs, Human Trafficking, Gang Members & Criminals from coming into our Country," he said in another tweet, also lambasting "Democrat obstruction of the needed Wall." Opponents, including some in his Republican party, accuse the president of exaggerating the danger from illegal immigration for his own political gain. "No end in sight to the President's government shutdown," Dick Durbin, a senior Democratic senator, tweeted. "He's taken our government hostage over his outrageous demand for a $5 billion border wall that would be both wasteful and ineffective." Partial government shutdowns are not an unusual weapon in Washington budget negotiations, where party divides make cooperation a rarity. But the rancor has spiraled under Trump's abrasive administration and is set to go even higher after January 3 when the Democrats take over the House of Representatives, following their midterm election victory. The mess has contributed to worries over the outlook for the US economy in 2019, following a surging 2018 performance. The stock market has plummeted in recent days, before a record recovery on Wednesday, under a variety of factors including Trump's barrage of criticism against the independent Federal Reserve. Continuing the see-saw performance, Wall Street opened sharply lower Thursday but ended solidly higher on bargain hunting. Large sections of the nearly 2,000-mile (3,200 kilometer) border with Mexico are already divided by fences and other barriers. But immigrants - some fleeing danger and others just looking for jobs - continue to cross illegally.

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Two-year-old, whose Yemeni mother was initially denied a visa under Trump's travel ban, dies in California hospital

After an international outcry, the mother was allowed to travel from Egypt to be with her dying son at California hospital.

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2019: Robert Mueller’s endgame

After a year filled with dramatic revelations from prosecutors in the office of special counsel Robert Mueller, the investigation into Russian influence on the 2016 presidential election appears to be nearing a conclusion, with potentially huge consequences for Donald Trump’s presidency in 2019. Yahoo News Chief Investigative Correspondent Michael Isikoff looks back on the details uncovered by the special counsel and offers a preview of what may be coming next.

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Germany: Drugged driver forces car onto airport tarmac

BERLIN (AP) — A man forced open a locked gate on the security perimeter of Hannover Airport in northern Germany and drove a car onto the airfield Saturday before coming to a halt underneath an airliner and being detained, police said.

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Kroger recalls shrimp products labeled ‘cooked’ that may actually be raw

Kroger Co. is recalling nine different kinds of cooked shrimp that actually are raw or undercooked, raising the risk of food-borne illness.

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Clashes mar Bangladesh election where turnout appears thin

Reuters reporters across the country of 165 million people saw sparse turnout at polling booths in the first fully competitive general election in a decade widely expected to be won by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, giving her a third straight term in office. Others were seen trickling into polling booths, where posters bearing the ruling Awami League's "boat" symbol far outnumbered those of the opposition. Mahbub Talukdar, one of the five election commissioners who stirred a controversy last week by saying there was no level-playing field for the parties, told Reuters he did not see any opposition polling agents near the Dhaka booth where he voted, suggesting they had been kept away.

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California Will Become First State to Require Pet Stores to Sell Only Rescue Animals

The bill, "would require all sales of dogs and cats authorized by this provision to be in compliance with laws requiring the spaying or neutering of animals, as specified."

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Trump Visit Angers Iraqi Lawmakers, Spurs Calls for U.S. Pullout

Trump made his first visit to troops in a combat zone as commander-in-chief on Wednesday, meeting with U.S. soldiers at the Ain Al-Asad base west of Baghdad. The president told them he had no plans for a withdrawal from Iraq, after his recent decision to pull out of Syria.

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Sinaloa Cartel hands out Christmas presents to local villagers

Mexicans living in the state of Sinaloa have received a delivery of Christmas parcels, with a message wishing them well from a leader of the Sinaloa cartel. Wrapped in clear plastic, the baskets came with a card bearing a short message: “Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year from your friend Cholo Ivan.” “El Cholo Ivan” is Orso Ivan Gastelum Cruz, who was the cartel’s former chief lieutenant, senior hitman and head of security for Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman - currently on trial in New York. Gastelum is one of the most infamous of Mexican "narcos", and has had numerous ballads dedicated to him. His fame only rose with his relationship with Miss Sinaloa, Maria Susana Flores, who died in a shootout with police in October 2012, an AK-47 in her hands. A wildly popular television series detailing his life, called El Desconocido, sealed his infamy. Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is currently on trial in New York Gastelum was arrested with Guzman in January 2016, and remains in prison. The Christmas baskets arrived in a series of trucks, driven by men in black, making deliveries in the towns and villages around Mocorito and Salvador Alvarado, in central Mexico. The gifts are not the first time that the cartel has attempted "social work". In September, after a tropical storm ravaged Sinaloa, supplies were sent - mattresses, cooking stoves and rations - with the initials JGL, for Guzman. And last month, a witness for the prosecution in Guzman's trial in New York told how the cartel leader had bought 50 luxury cars in the 1990s, for distribution to his friends, families and supporters.     

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Federal Government Advised Furloughed Employees to Offer Manual Labor for Rent During Shutdown

"I would like to discuss with you the possibility of trading my services to perform maintenance (e.g. painting, carpentry work) in exchange for partial rent payments"

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Strong earthquake rattles southeastern coast of Philippines

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the southeastern coast of the Philippines around midday Saturday, local time, prompting fears of a tsunami. However, no tsunami was reported.

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The Latest: Community vigil honors slain California officer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Latest on the killing of a California officer (all times local):

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Trump advisor heads to Turkey, Israel after Syria pullout

US national security advisor John Bolton said Friday he would visit Turkey and Israel to coordinate on Syria, after President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw all US forces. Bolton said he would head in January to both Turkey -- which has enthusiastically backed Trump's sudden move -- as well as Israel, a close US ally where the pullout has caused concern.

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U.S. and China Fleshing Out Trade Deal - The Wall Street Journal

1. U.S. and China Fleshing Out Trade Deal  The Wall Street Journal
2. Donald Trump's 'Lose-Lose' Trade Wars Cost America and China $6bn in 2018  Newsweek
3. Trade war SHOCK: Trump tariffs cost US and China $6BILLION in 2018 and could rise again  Express.co.uk
4. China offers concessions on trade as its economy shows signs of decline  Los Angeles Times
5. US-China trade: Trump touts progress in talks for deal  Radio New Zealand
6. View full coverage on Google News

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‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’ Has a Secret Ending With a Crazy Easter Egg - TheWrap

1. ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’ Has a Secret Ending With a Crazy Easter Egg  TheWrap
2. Endings and Easter eggs in Netflix's Black Mirror: Bandersnatch  CNET
3. 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch': Netflix's Choose Your Own Adventure Movie Is a Gimmicky Disappointment  The Daily Beast
4. Black Mirror creators broke Netflix's script writing tool with Bandersnatch  Gamasutra
5. ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’ Stumps Critics: ‘Trippy Mindf–‘ or ‘Numbing and Repetitive’?  TheWrap
6. View full coverage on Google News

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Kurds seek help from Syrians as US prepares to withdraw

BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's military said Friday it had entered the key Kurdish-held town of Manbij in an apparent deal with the Kurds, who are looking for new allies and protection against a threatened Turkish offensive as U.S. troops prepare to leave Syria.

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Government shutdown, Day 7: With no movement in House, Senate until next week, standoff expected to slide into new year

The partial government shutdown ends its first week with little hope of breaking a stalemate as both sides dig in over whether to fund a border wall.

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Syrian surprise: How Trump's phone call changed the war

In the phone call two weeks ago, Trump had been expected to deliver a standard warning to the Turkish president over his plan to launch a crossborder attack targeting U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in northeast Syria, U.S. officials say. Instead, in the course of the conversation Trump reshaped U.S. policy in the Middle East, abandoning a quarter of Syrian territory and handing Ankara the job of finishing off Islamic State in Syria. "Trump asked: 'If we withdraw our soldiers, can you clean up ISIS?'", a Turkish official told Reuters.

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Trump threatens to seal off US-Mexico border 'entirely' if Congress does not agree funding for a wall

Donald Trump, the US president, on Friday threatened to seal off the entire US-Mexico border if Congress does not approve funding for a border wall. His comments came as the federal government shutdown entered its seventh day, with Mr Trump failing to come to a budget agreement with his Democratic opponents. The continued standoff means around a quarter of the US government will likely remain closed well into 2019, when the Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives. The shutdown began on Saturday after Democrats rejected Mr Trump’s demand for $5 billion (£3.93 billion) for a border wall to be included in a funding bill to keep the government open. "We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with," Mr Trump tweeted Friday. Analysts have warned that closing the border would cost hundreds of millions of dollars a day, with an estimated $558 billion in goods being transported across the border in both directions last year. Such a move would also cause chaos for the nearly half a million people who are estimated to enter the US through its southern border each day. An agreement on border funding will be the first big confrontation between Mr Trump and newly empowered Democrats, who won a majority in the House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections. We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018 The Democrats are vehemently opposed to the construction of Mr Trump’s proposed wall, suggesting that funding should instead be used on border security. As he doubled down yesterday, Mr Trump also reissued threats to shut off aid to the three Central American countries from which a majority of migrants attempting to enter the US originate. "Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of US for years!" he wrote in one of a series of tweets. The president has also signalled he is in no rush to seek a resolution, welcoming the fight as he heads toward his own bid for re-election in 2020. Yesterday Mick Mulvaney, the president’s acting chief of staff, said Mr Trump had cancelled his plans to travel to Florida for a New Year’s Eve celebration. Mr Trump cancelled a planned trip last week to visit his private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he usually spends the Christmas period. During an appearance on Fox News, Mr Mulvaney said that Democrats are no longer negotiating with the administration over an earlier offer to accept less than the $5 billion Mr Trump wants for the wall. "There’s not a single Democrat talking to the president of the United States about this deal," he said, admitting that the White House expected the shutdown "to go on for a while". Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House, has vowed to pass legislation to end the shutdown as soon as she takes control of the chamber, which is expected when the new Congress convenes on January 3. "While we await the president’s public proposal, Democrats have made it clear that, under a House Democratic Majority, we will vote swiftly to re-open government on Day One," her spokesman Drew Hammill said yesterday. However passing any legislation will be difficult without a compromise, since the Republican-controlled Senate and Mr Trump’s signature will be needed to turn any bill into law. The shutdown is forcing hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors to stay home or work without pay, and many are experiencing mounting stress from the impasse. Washington’s Smithsonian museum complex announced that it would soon have to close all museums, research centres and the National Zoo in the US capital as the reserve funds it has been relying on are running dry.

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Bangladesh opposition leader expects victory if vote is fair

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — When the founding leader of Bangladesh, father of current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was assassinated in 1975 after helping achieve independence from Pakistan, then-Foreign Minister Kamal Hossain abandoned a state visit in Europe to rush to her side.

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Indonesia trims tsunami death toll, hikes injury tally

The number of people evacuated after Indonesia's deadly tsunami has nearly doubled to some 40,000 while more than 7,000 were injured in the disaster, officials said Friday, as they trimmed the official death toll. The fresh figures come a day after Indonesia's disaster agency raised the danger alert level for an erupting volcano that sparked the killer tsunami at the weekend. "We're recommending that people who lived near the beach be permanently relocated," national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told a press briefing in Jakarta.

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Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Alabama knocks off Oklahoma in Orange Bowl, sets up National Championship showdown with Clemson

12/29/18 9:08 PM

Despite regime troops nearby, Syrians in Manbij still fear Turkey

Syrian forces have deployed around the city of Manbij at the request of the Kurds, but Abu Azeez Jaber still fears a US military withdrawal will see Turkish troops enter. Since 2016, the strategic northern city on the Turkish border has been controlled by an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters backed by the US-led coalition. On Friday, Syria's army announced it had sent troops to the region, after Kurdish forces said they had requested the regime's help.

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Hannover airport closed for over four hours after car drives onto runway

The airport in the German city of Hannover was closed for over four hours after a car drove onto the runway. The unnamed driver has been arrested, and all flights were diverted from 3:30pm until 8pm. A police spokesman said a car with a Polish license plate managed to get on to the runway just after a plane had landed. “Officers from the Federal Police were able to stop the car and overwhelm the man,” said Hannover police, in a statement. The incident comes after the airport increased security over the Christmas period. Passengers inside Hannover airport wait for updates “The security areas are currently vacated, currently there is no clearance," police said, immediately after the incident. "Flight operations are currently suspended. The investigation continues.” Eurocontrol, the organisation responsible for air traffic management, said there were no flights due to land or take off until 8pm. “Zero rate applied for arrivals and departures due to an ongoing security issue on the airfield,” Eurocontrol said. “Delays are high.” Flights resumed at 8:06pm, the airport announced on its website.

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California inmate who walked away from San Quentin is caught

SAN QUENTIN, Calif. (AP) — California authorities on a nearly four-day manhunt for an inmate who walked away from San Quentin State Prison captured him Saturday.

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Government shutdown: White House aide predicts long standoff as Trump talks border closure

The partial federal government shutdown entered its second week Saturday with no apparent movement towards a resolution.

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Why Russia Being 'First' In Hypersonic Weapons Might Be a Bad Thing

In rushing to be first, Moscow could end up fielding an unreliable weapon.

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Tesla names two directors as part of Musk US fraud settlement

Tesla named two more independent directors on Friday and said it completed the requirements of a US settlement of fraud charges involving Chief Executive Elon Musk. The electric car company tapped Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Walgreens Boots Alliance Executive Vice President Kathleen Wilson-Thompson for its board of directors, an element of the September agreement between Musk and the US Securities and Exchange Commission that resolved charges that Musk defrauded investors by claiming on Twitter that he had secured funding to take Tesla private.

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The Latest: Community vigil honors slain California officer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Latest on the killing of a California officer (all times local):

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Parents of missing woman win custody of her daughter

Kelsey Berreth's 1-year-old child is in her parents' custody after her fiance was arrested on suspicion that he killed her.

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