Event kicks off Iditarod race
Mushers from around the world gather in downtown Anchorage for the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. About 2,000 dogs belonging to 72 mushers are hitting the trail this year for the race that spans nearly 1,000 miles of Alaska wilderness.
Oil companies face charges
Nigeria files criminal charges of corruption against oil multinationals Royal Dutch Shell and Eni over the $1.1 billion sale of one of Africa’s richest oil blocks. Both companies deny any wrongdoing. Charges allege the companies paid $801 million to officials and a businessman for the license.
China expects growth in 2017
China’s top economic official sets this year’s growth target at about 6.5 percent, down from last year’s 6.7 percent expansion as Beijing tries to build a consumer-driven economy and reduce reliance on trade and investment.
President is in battle of words
In a tweet Saturday, Trump says his newly departed Celebrity Apprentice successor Arnold Schwarzenegger was actually fired from the NBC reality competition for “his bad (pathetic) ratings.” Schwarzenegger didn’t let the tweet go unnoticed, responding with: “You should think about hiring a new joke writer and a fact checker.”