Dorothy Abernathy, The Associated Press bureau chief for West Virginia and Virginia, shares the 10 things you need to know Monday, Jan. 20, 2014. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items, upcoming events and stories in West Virginia newspapers:
1. IRAN BEGINS LANDMARK NUCLEAR DEAL
The U.N. nuclear agency confirms that Tehran has halted its most sensitive uranium enrichment as part of a landmark deal struck with world powers.
2. SYRIA PEACE CONFERENCE SET FOR WEDNESDAY
But political leaders acknowledge slim prospects for an end anytime soon to a civil war that has killed more than 120,000 people.
3. AN APPEAL FROM AMERICAN MISSIONARY JAILED IN NORTH KOREA
Kenneth Bae appears before reporters to ask the U.S. government to do its best to get him released.
4. REMEMBERING MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
People across the U.S. are pausing to honor the slain civil rights leader with parades, marches and service projects.
5. BREAKING THE BREAST CANCER TABOO IN PAKISTAN
Discussing the disease is off limits in the country’s conservative culture, and some groups are trying to break the silence to help save lives.
6. WHO’S CALLING FROM SPACE
The comet-chasing probe Rosetta is due to wake from an almost three-year hibernation and phone home to the European Space Agency.
7. A RARE TIE IN PRODUCERS GUILD AWARDS
“12 Years a Slave” and “Gravity” share the top honor, often a strong predictor of the best-picture Oscar.
8. WHAT LIFE IS LIKE FOR MANY IN SOCHI
Some residents near the glittering Olympic facilities endure squalor and environmental waste, and their quality of life has dropped because of construction for the games.
9. HOW TO GET RECORDS FROM THE PREVIOUS PRESIDENCY
The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum starts taking requests that are in writing and filed under the Freedom of Information Act.
10. MATCHUP SET FOR COLD-WEATHER SUPER BOWL
It will be the NFL’s No. 1 offense (Denver) vs. the league’s No. 1 defense (Seattle) at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Feb. 2.