Firefighters respond to a building fire Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017, in the Bronx borough of New York. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II.
Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by VICE.At Least a Dozen People Killed in New York City Fire
A blaze engulfed a Bronx apartment building within minutes on Thursday night, killing 12 residents, among them a one-year-old child. The fire—described by Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro as "historic in its magnitude"—was believed to be the deadliest in the city since a 1990 Bronx fire left 87 people dead. 12 others were rescued from this fire, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.—APDoug Jones Officially Next Senator from Alabama
Alabama's Secretary of State certified the shocking result of the state's special election Thursday, despite a last-minute lawsuit by defeated GOP candidate Roy Moore. Jones became the first Alabama Democrat elected to the US Senate in more than 20 years.—VICE NewsTrump Ridicules Global Warming Because of All the Snow
In a late-night tweet about winter weather on the East Coast, the president said: "Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against." The UN World Meteorological Organization has said global temperatures in 2016 were the hottest ever, and 2017 could well overtake it.—CBS NewsApple Tries to Make Amends for iPhone Slowdown
The tech giant has apologized to customers after admitting older iPhones have slowed down over time to cope with battery problems. The company will offer $29 replacement batteries for a year, starting in January. Apple denied deliberately slowing phones to force new purchases, saying it would never “degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades."—NBC NewsTrump Says Mueller Probe Makes US 'Look Very Bad'
Referring to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election meddling, the president claimed he has the "absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department. But for purposes of hopefully thinking I’m going to be treated fairly, I’ve stayed uninvolved with this particular matter." Trump also claimed the probe "makes the country look very bad."—The New York TimesChina Denies Supplying Oil to North Korea
A spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the idea that China transferred oil to North Korea "did not accord with the facts." On Thursday, President Trump said China had been "caught" supplying Pyongyang with oil. Separately, South Korea has announced it seized a ship bearing the flag of Hong Kong after intelligence suggested the vessel was moving oil to a North Korean ship.—ReutersAt Least Ten Killed in Attacks on Christians in Egypt
At least one armed man opened fire outside a Coptic church in Helwan City near Cairo Friday morning, killing several. The attacker was eventually shot dead by security forces. A business run by a Coptic Christian was also assaulted nearby, resulting in more deaths. No group had claimed responsibility for the violence, but ISIS has carried out attacks on Egypt’s Christians in the past.—Al Jazeera / BBCSoccer Legend Elected President of Liberia
George Weah won 61.5 percent of the run-off vote in Liberia’s presidential contest, with almost all votes counted. The Coalition for Democratic Change politician—also the former FIFA World Player of the Year—tweeted: "Change is on." One of Weah's former soccer teams, Paris Saint-Germain, on Twitter hailed “the latest chapter of his brilliant career!!!"— BBC NewsMumbai Fire Leaves Over a Dozen People Dead
A huge blaze overwhelmed the city’s Kamala Mills shopping and office complex around 1 AM Friday, killing at least 15 people and hospitalizing at least 50 others. The fire began in a rooftop restaurant, and police have already registered charges of culpable homicide against the restaurant’s manager and owners.—APBeyoncé Stars in New JAY-Z Video
The rapper dangled part of the visuals for 4:44 track "Family Feud," with Beyoncé appearing dressed in black at the altar of a church. Their daughter Blue Ivy is also seen alongside JAY-Z in the video for the song about infidelity.—VarietyNetflix CEO Has Big Raise Coming Thanks to Stocks
Reed Hastings is set to earn $29.4 million next year, a significant increase from the $22 million he got paid in 2017, according to Netflix’s latest filings. The company’s stock has risen 51 percent since the beginning of 2017.—The Hollywood ReporterKeyshia Cole Told to Pay $100,000 in Legal Settlement
A judge has ordered the R&B singer to pay the sum over an alleged assault in 2014. Sabrina Mercadel had accused Cole of attacking her at the Los Angeles home of rapper Birdman. Cole reportedly failed to show up in court, forcing a default judgment.—XXLEdits to Milo Book Revealed by Lawsuit
A Simon & Schuster editor’s notes to Milo Yiannopoulos about his since-axed book Dangerous were shared online after the alt-right controversialist sued the publisher for breach of contract. Among other choice bits, Editor Mitchell Ivers told the author: “DON’T use lesbian as a slur!"—VICEMake sure to check out the latest episode of VICE's daily podcast. Today we revisit an interview with actress Rashida Jones about her shift behind the camera and her documentary Hot Girls Wanted.
US News
A blaze engulfed a Bronx apartment building within minutes on Thursday night, killing 12 residents, among them a one-year-old child. The fire—described by Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro as "historic in its magnitude"—was believed to be the deadliest in the city since a 1990 Bronx fire left 87 people dead. 12 others were rescued from this fire, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.—APDoug Jones Officially Next Senator from Alabama
Alabama's Secretary of State certified the shocking result of the state's special election Thursday, despite a last-minute lawsuit by defeated GOP candidate Roy Moore. Jones became the first Alabama Democrat elected to the US Senate in more than 20 years.—VICE News
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In a late-night tweet about winter weather on the East Coast, the president said: "Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against." The UN World Meteorological Organization has said global temperatures in 2016 were the hottest ever, and 2017 could well overtake it.—CBS NewsApple Tries to Make Amends for iPhone Slowdown
The tech giant has apologized to customers after admitting older iPhones have slowed down over time to cope with battery problems. The company will offer $29 replacement batteries for a year, starting in January. Apple denied deliberately slowing phones to force new purchases, saying it would never “degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades."—NBC NewsTrump Says Mueller Probe Makes US 'Look Very Bad'
Referring to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election meddling, the president claimed he has the "absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department. But for purposes of hopefully thinking I’m going to be treated fairly, I’ve stayed uninvolved with this particular matter." Trump also claimed the probe "makes the country look very bad."—The New York Times
International News
A spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the idea that China transferred oil to North Korea "did not accord with the facts." On Thursday, President Trump said China had been "caught" supplying Pyongyang with oil. Separately, South Korea has announced it seized a ship bearing the flag of Hong Kong after intelligence suggested the vessel was moving oil to a North Korean ship.—ReutersAt Least Ten Killed in Attacks on Christians in Egypt
At least one armed man opened fire outside a Coptic church in Helwan City near Cairo Friday morning, killing several. The attacker was eventually shot dead by security forces. A business run by a Coptic Christian was also assaulted nearby, resulting in more deaths. No group had claimed responsibility for the violence, but ISIS has carried out attacks on Egypt’s Christians in the past.—Al Jazeera / BBC
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George Weah won 61.5 percent of the run-off vote in Liberia’s presidential contest, with almost all votes counted. The Coalition for Democratic Change politician—also the former FIFA World Player of the Year—tweeted: "Change is on." One of Weah's former soccer teams, Paris Saint-Germain, on Twitter hailed “the latest chapter of his brilliant career!!!"— BBC NewsMumbai Fire Leaves Over a Dozen People Dead
A huge blaze overwhelmed the city’s Kamala Mills shopping and office complex around 1 AM Friday, killing at least 15 people and hospitalizing at least 50 others. The fire began in a rooftop restaurant, and police have already registered charges of culpable homicide against the restaurant’s manager and owners.—AP
Everything Else
The rapper dangled part of the visuals for 4:44 track "Family Feud," with Beyoncé appearing dressed in black at the altar of a church. Their daughter Blue Ivy is also seen alongside JAY-Z in the video for the song about infidelity.—VarietyNetflix CEO Has Big Raise Coming Thanks to Stocks
Reed Hastings is set to earn $29.4 million next year, a significant increase from the $22 million he got paid in 2017, according to Netflix’s latest filings. The company’s stock has risen 51 percent since the beginning of 2017.—The Hollywood ReporterKeyshia Cole Told to Pay $100,000 in Legal Settlement
A judge has ordered the R&B singer to pay the sum over an alleged assault in 2014. Sabrina Mercadel had accused Cole of attacking her at the Los Angeles home of rapper Birdman. Cole reportedly failed to show up in court, forcing a default judgment.—XXLEdits to Milo Book Revealed by Lawsuit
A Simon & Schuster editor’s notes to Milo Yiannopoulos about his since-axed book Dangerous were shared online after the alt-right controversialist sued the publisher for breach of contract. Among other choice bits, Editor Mitchell Ivers told the author: “DON’T use lesbian as a slur!"—VICEMake sure to check out the latest episode of VICE's daily podcast. Today we revisit an interview with actress Rashida Jones about her shift behind the camera and her documentary Hot Girls Wanted.