Pink News reports: Following decisions from arenas in Liverpool, Glasgow and Sheffield earlier this week, Franklin Graham’s appearances in Birmingham and Newport have now been dropped – while another in Milton Keynes is also set to be axed. A spokesperson for the Arena Birmingham confirmed to PinkNews that his June 17 appearance had been cancelled, saying: “Following a review of …

The New York Times reports: More than two months before he asked Ukraine’s president to investigate his political opponents, President Trump directed John R. Bolton, then his national security adviser, to help with his pressure campaign to extract damaging information on Democrats from Ukrainian officials, according to an unpublished manuscript by Mr. Bolton. Mr. Trump gave the instruction, Mr. Bolton …

Politico reports: Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia gubernatorial nominee whose name has been floated as a possible Democratic vice presidential nominee, predicted in an interview published Friday that she will become president within the next two decades. After Abrams said that she “absolutely” believed Americans would send a black woman to the Oval Office in the next 20 years, journalist …

Mediaite reports: Katie Hopkins, a far right British conservative who was just banned from Twitter for violating its hate speech rules, was duped into accepting a fake “Campaign to Unify the Nation Trophy” as part of an elaborate prank. The ruse, concocted by two British YouTube pranksters, Josh Pieters and Archie Manners, was so successful that it even convinced Hopkins …

ABC News reports: Authorities in Mauritania have arrested 10 men after a video appeared on social media of a gay couple appearing to take part in a traditional wedding ceremony, human rights groups said. Police later determined the gathering was a birthday party but the men remain in custody with no trial date set yet. Mauritania practices strict Islamic law …

Agence France-Presse reports: Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Friday said she was ready to step up the campaign for Scottish independence, as Brexit has set the country on the “wrong road.” In a speech in Edinburgh, the leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) said Britain’s departure from the European Union was a “pivotal moment” for the U.K. …

Reuters reports: U.S. farm bankruptcy rates jumped 20% in 2019 – to an eight-year high – as financial woes in the U.S. agricultural economy continued in spite of massive federal bail-out funding, according to federal court data. According to data released this week by the United States Courts, family farmers filed 595 Chapter 12 bankruptcies in 2019, up from 498 …

From the Facebook page of Mississippi Rep. Jill Ford: Yesterday, January 27, 2020, was a historic day for not only Governor Tate Reeves as he presented his State of the State address to the people of Mississippi – favorite line: “we’ve been singing the Blues long enough, it’s time to sing Gospel now – the Good News”. It was also …

The Louisville Courier-Journal reports: Amy McGrath, a former Marine combat aviator who has raised more than $16 million in her effort to challenge Sen. Mitch McConnell in November’s election, said Friday that she was endorsing Joe Biden for president. McGrath said Biden was “respected and beloved by Democrats and Republicans alike” and had the ability to bring the country back …

File this one under sorry not sorry: The Church of England will not be withdrawing guidance that said sex is only for “heterosexual married couples”. But the archbishops of Canterbury and York are “very sorry and recognise the division and hurt” last week’s statement caused. Justin Welby [photo] and John Sentamu say the statement “jeopardised trust”. It came ahead of …

The Washington Post reports: John Delaney, a businessman and former Maryland congressman who launched a bid for the presidency nearly three years ago, has dropped out of the race, saying in a statement that he doesn’t want to take support away from other moderate candidates in Monday’s Iowa caucuses. Delaney announced he was running for the Democratic nomination in July …

The BBC reports: The UK will leave the EU at 23:00 GMT, ending 47 years of membership. In a video message to be released an hour earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will call Brexit – which follows more than three years of political wrangling – a “new dawn”. A series of events including marches, celebrations and candlelit vigils will be …

Austin’s NBC News affiliate reports: Speaking at a private event in Austin Thursday, Former National Security Advisor John Bolton defended government officials who testified in front of the U.S. House impeachment inquiry.  Sources tell KXAN Bolton defended former officials Fiona Hill, Tim Morrison, Alex Vindman, Bill Taylor, and Marie Yovanovitch. “All of them acted in the best interest of the …

NBC News reports: Trump painted a doomsday scenario under a Democratic president. “If we don’t win, your farms are going to hell,” he said, claiming that under the Green New Deal supported by some of the 2020 contenders, “they want to kill your cows.” “That means you’re next,” he said. The proposed legislation does not call for killing or banning …

The Scotsman reports: A controversial US preacher has threatened legal action against the 14,000-capacity SSE Hydro after a prayer meeting was cancelled due to homophobia and hate speech concerns. Franklin Graham was due to come to Glasgow in May as part of an eight day tour of the UK. Graham said he would still be coming to Glasgow, and urged …

The Associated Press reports: Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee will oppose calling more witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, all but dashing Democratic efforts to hear more testimony and boosting odds the Senate will vote imminently to acquit without new testimony, in a matter of days. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said late Thursday she would vote …

Reuters reports: The United States warned Americans not to travel to China as the death toll from a new virus reached 213 on Friday and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency, and Britain confirmed its first two cases. “Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan,” the U.S. State Department said …

Metro UK reports: Pet Shop Boys could be about to net their first number one album in the UK charts for more than 26 years – and we are living for it. The Left To My Own Devices stars – made up of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe – blessed us with Hotspot on 24 January. According to OfficialCharts.com, the …

Mediaite reports: President Donald Trump retweeted a series of tweets from random Trump supporters, and even a congressional candidate running against Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a self-proclaimed conspiracy theory loving sex professional, on his way to a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa. Congressional candidate DeAnna Lorraine Tesoriero, who is running against Pelosi, is a frequent guest on InfoWars, the …

Axios reports: An American Airlines pilots’ union sued the company on Thursday to temporarily halt all flights between the U.S. and China, the Financial Times reports, citing “serious” health threats from the coronavirus. What they’re saying: “We estimate that as many as 300 passengers and crew travel to DFW alone from Chinese cities on each American Airlines flight,” said Eric …