| Trump Threatens FBI Over Hillary Clinton Emails: 'I May Have To Get Involved' Posted: 25 Aug 2018 06:28 AM PDT  President Donald Trump on Saturday issued a chilling warning to the FBI,
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| Irish sex abuse victim urges pope to remove 'every rotten apple' Posted: 24 Aug 2018 08:15 PM PDT  Pope Francis should rid the Catholic Church of "every rotten apple" and announce concrete measures against sexual abuse by the clergy during his visit to Ireland, a prominent Irish victim told AFP. Marie Collins, who resigned from a Vatican commission on child protection last year over its failure to take action, said in an interview that the pontiff had to tackle the issue "head on". "Every rotten apple should be got rid of and it should happen now," Collins said on the sidelines of the World Meeting of Families in Dublin, ahead of the pope's visit to Ireland which starts Saturday.
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| Neil Simon, Broadway's master of comedy, dies at 91 Posted: 26 Aug 2018 11:01 AM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — Playwright Neil Simon, a master of comedy whose laugh-filled hits such as "The Odd Couple," ''Barefoot in the Park" and his "Brighton Beach" trilogy dominated Broadway for decades, has died. He was 91.
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| New Australian PM pledges 'generational change' to heal ruling party Posted: 24 Aug 2018 09:29 PM PDT ![New Australian PM pledges 'generational change' to heal ruling party]( "New Australian PM pledges 'generational change' to heal ruling party") (This version of Aug. 24 story corrects spelling of party member's name to Entsch, paragraph 10) By Colin Packham CANBERRA (Reuters) - New Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised generational change in the warring Liberal party on Friday, seeking to end an internecine battle that has scarred the conservative government ahead of an election due by May 2019. Morrison, who was treasurer under outgoing prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, emerged the surprise winner in a three-way challenge for the leadership of the Liberal party brought on by a right-wing rival this week. Stepping up to become Australia's sixth prime minister in less than 10 years, Morrison has inherited leadership of a coalition between the Liberal and National parties whose one-seat majority will have to be defended when a by-election is held for a safe Sydney seat that Turnbull is set to vacate.
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| 3 Dead, Including Shooter: The Latest on the Madden Tournament Shooting in Florida Posted: 26 Aug 2018 11:58 AM PDT  The shooter was a gamer in the competition
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| Vietnam demands Monsanto pays compensation for Agent Orange victims Posted: 25 Aug 2018 04:17 PM PDT  Vietnam has demanded Monsanto pay compensation to the victims of Agent Orange, which the company supplied to the US military during the Vietnam War. It came in response to the firm being ordered to pay $289m (£226m) to a school groundsman who claims his use of its Roundup weedkiller contributed to his terminal cancer. "The verdict serves as a legal precedent which refutes previous claims that the herbicides made by Monsanto and other chemical corporations in the US and provided for the US army in the war are harmless," a spokesman for Vietnam's foreign ministry, Nguyen Phuong Tra said.
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| The 52 Most Delish Taco Recipes Posted: 26 Aug 2018 05:10 PM PDT |
| Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts remembered at funeral Posted: 26 Aug 2018 04:36 PM PDT  BROOKLYN, Iowa (AP) — The father of the 20-year-old Iowa woman whose body was found in a cornfield last week wants people to remember her by "celebrating something wonderful" __ not by the way she died.
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| Fox News' Neil Cavuto Spends 10 Minutes Taking Aim At His Trump-Supporting Critics Posted: 25 Aug 2018 04:33 AM PDT  Fox News host Neil Cavuto said he knew he'd "get an earful" after accusing
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| Italy lets migrants off stranded boat as deal reached Posted: 26 Aug 2018 07:45 AM PDT  Nearly 140 migrants who had been stranded on a boat at a port in Sicily were allowed to disembark early on Sunday after Ireland and Albania agreed to take some of them in. The boat docked at Catania port on Monday but Italy had refused to let those on board disembark in the absence of any EU commitment to relocate them, prompting a new bitter row with Brussels. There were initially around 180 migrants on board when it arrived at Catania, but Rome allowed 27 unaccompanied minors to disembark on Wednesday and another 12 people left on Saturday following a health authority request.
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| Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing suspends carpooling after driver rapes and kills woman Posted: 26 Aug 2018 10:00 AM PDT  China's transport ministry on Sunday slammed Didi Chuxing's safety lapses as the ride-hailing giant said it would suspend its Hitch service after the rape and murder of a passenger, the second such killing this year. A 20-year-old female passenger was raped and killed by her driver on Friday in the eastern city of Wenzhou, barely three months after a similar incident in May. "These two vicious incidents that have violated the life and safety of passengers has exposed the gaping operational loopholes of the Didi Chuxing platform," the Ministry of Transport said in a statement. "The Ministry demands that Didi... stops making empty promises and takes concrete steps to ensuring passengers' safety." Among a list of demands, the ministry called on the Chinese firm, which calls itself the world's leading mobile transportation platform, to improve its driver vetting and driver education process. The statement was released after a meeting on Sunday between the company, the public security ministry and the transport departments of Beijing and Tianjin. Didi said earlier Sunday that it would suspend the Hitch service - which links up commuters travelling in the same direction - beginning midnight on Monday. The announcement came a day after the company admitted it bore responsibility for the crime, failing to act on a complaint about the same driver from another passenger. She claimed he drove her to an isolated area and followed her in his vehicle after she left the car. "The incident shows the many deficiencies with our customer service processes, especially the failure to act swiftly on the previous passenger's complaint and the cumbersome and rigid process of information-sharing with the police," Didi said in a statement on Sunday. It would also launch a review of the Hitch service and look again at its emergency response button. The head of Didi Hitch and the vice president of customer service have been removed from their positions. Wenzhou police said the driver, identified by the surname Chung, picked up the victim on Friday afternoon but she went missing soon after sending a friend a text message asking for help. This prompted a manhunt which saw the driver arrested in the early hours of Saturday, police said. The killing has sparked fresh criticism of Didi - which muscled Uber out of the market following a bruising battle - as angry users voiced concern about its safety.
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| Zimbabwe's Chamisa rejects court judgment confirming Mnangagwa as president Posted: 25 Aug 2018 06:02 AM PDT  Nelson Chamisa maintained that he had won the first election since the departure of Robert Mugabe last November and said the Constitutional Court had foiled his bid to subpoena the election commission to provide critical proof to bolster his case. The court dismissed Chamisa's challenge on Friday saying he had failed to prove his allegations of vote fraud. A widely condemned army crackdown in response to post-election violence by opposition supporters left six people dead on Aug. 1, recalling the heavy-handed security tactics that marked Mugabe's 37-year rule.
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| Navy Blue: The Admiral's Ferrari 500 Mondial Goes Up for Sale Posted: 25 Aug 2018 09:00 AM PDT  A Ferrari with a most interesting history.
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| 1962 ex-Phil Hill Ferrari 250 GTO sells for world record $48.4m! Posted: 26 Aug 2018 10:10 AM PDT  RM Sotheby's has sold the Series 2 GTO for the highest price ever achieved for a car at auction, to a packed saleroom in Monterey, California
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| Automaker Tesla to remain a public company, CEO Musk says Posted: 24 Aug 2018 09:56 PM PDT  Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Friday that the company would continue to be publicly traded, weeks after suggesting that he would take the electric carmaker private. Musk met with Tesla's board of directors on Thursday "and let them know that I believe the better path is for Tesla to remain public. Musk surprised markets on August 7 by announcing on Twitter he wanted to take Tesla private at $420 a share.
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| 6 children, 2 adults die in Chicago fire Posted: 26 Aug 2018 07:05 AM PDT  The Chicago Fire Department said an infant was among those killed in the pre-dawn blaze.
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| The Latest: Iowa father wants daughter's life remembered Posted: 26 Aug 2018 03:40 PM PDT  BROOKLYN, Iowa (AP) — The Latest on the funeral being held for an Iowa college student whose body was found earlier this month in a cornfield outside her small hometown (all times local):
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| China slams 'irresponsible' Trump accusations over N. Korea Posted: 25 Aug 2018 06:16 AM PDT  China on Saturday called Donald Trump "irresponsible" after the US president cancelled his top diplomat's trip to North Korea and suggested Beijing was stalling efforts to disarm Pyongyang. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was due to make his fourth visit to the reclusive state next week for what he described as the next step towards the "final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea".
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| In Ireland Pope begs forgiveness for 'betrayal' of Church abuse Posted: 26 Aug 2018 04:18 AM PDT  Pope Francis was speaking in Knock as part of his visit to the country, where he has been met with protests over sexual abuse in the Catholic church. Rough cut (no reporter narration).
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| Turkey's Erdogan says will bring safety and peace to Syria, Iraq Posted: 26 Aug 2018 07:35 AM PDT  Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan vowed on Sunday to bring peace and safety to Iraq and areas in Syria not under Turkish control and said terrorist organizations in those areas would be eliminated. Turkey, which has backed some rebel groups in Syria, has been working with Russia, which supports Syrian President Bashar al Assad, and Iran for a political resolution to the crisis. It has so far carried out two cross-border operations along its border with Syria and set up a dozen military observations posts in the northern Syrian region of Idlib.
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| The Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow Is a 750-HP Electric Single-Seater Throwback Posted: 24 Aug 2018 07:00 PM PDT  Paying homage to its 1930s W125 race car, the EQ Silver Arrow concept is a modern all-electric take on Mercedes's record-holder.
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| What To Watch On Netflix That’s New This Week Posted: 25 Aug 2018 07:02 AM PDT  Streamline recommends "Ozark" as the thing to watch on Netflix this week. The
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| The Red Pig: Meet the first AMG Posted: 25 Aug 2018 12:00 AM PDT  Is AMG's Red Pig the greatest tale of automotive humble pie ever? Here's the story of the brand's first official 300 SEL project to take on the Spa 24-hours
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| Russian Opposition Leader Detained in Moscow Ahead of Anti-Government Rallies Posted: 25 Aug 2018 11:10 AM PDT  Alexei Navalny was detained Saturday outside his home
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| 10 must-see tweets you need in your life to celebrate National Dog Day Posted: 26 Aug 2018 11:44 AM PDT  There are a few ways to properly celebrate National Dog Day. Some people choose to commemorate the important holiday by sharing photos of their dogs online, while others celebrate by hanging out with their pups IRL. But possibly the best way to celebrate? Scrolling through Twitter and laughing and/or crying over the best tweets about the precious doggos that have captured our hearts this year. Here are our favorites. SEE ALSO: 20 adoptable senior dogs in need of a new best friend 1. What a mood 2. Ikea + dogs = match made in heaven old and random but here's my dog wrapped in an Ikea rug that was virtually indistinguishable from his body pic.twitter.com/0RX8trPif5 — tia (@tia_gilles) August 15, 2018 3. What YouTube was made for, to be honest He was bored at the pub so we put squirrel videos on YouTube. pic.twitter.com/m74k2W2x2q — Addy (@adriana_lowe) April 27, 2018 4. Possibly one of the greatest things to happen on Twitter She's tough. But she's worth it pic.twitter.com/iBg7XMQdhL — Ryan Sesselman (@RyanSesselman) June 9, 2018 5. A dog's best friend Ma dog has been assigned to play with a puppy at his doggy school and they've actual became best pals �� pic.twitter.com/hGUDc8XJPL — DECLAN (@declanshields) July 10, 2018 6. Try not to cry reading this one So my pregnant dog had to get emergency surgery because her puppy wouldn't come out and it died and she was so depressed. My mom bought her a puppy to make her happy and think it's her baby and they bonded already. My heart ��❤️ pic.twitter.com/LkRsFpgGQ8 — Cynthia�� (@helloocindyy) July 12, 2018 7. "Aye, why not?" Sitting in a bar in malia and we ask the guy to take a picture of us, and he was like do u want the dog in the pic, and we were like aye why not, result being pic.twitter.com/E9gceO9qvk — Sophie (@sophieinnes_) June 13, 2018 8. Take notes 9. The superzoom function was made for this 10. Back to school ready! Since everyone is posting pictures of their kids ready for back to school, here's mine��✏️ pic.twitter.com/AidWwtxsBE — vader (@elizabethhdre) August 23, 2018 May every day going forward be as good as National Dog Day. WATCH: People want their dogs to chill out with CBD treats and demand is sky-high
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| Palestinians see aid cut as latest US move to 'liquidate' their cause Posted: 26 Aug 2018 06:22 AM PDT  US President Donald Trump's cut of more than $200 million in aid for Gaza and the West Bank is the latest in a series of steps Palestinian leaders say aims to "liquidate" their cause. The move follows Trump's recognition in December of the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as well as his freezing of $300 million in annual funding for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Washington's new policy on Jerusalem overturned decades of precedent and prompted the Palestinian leadership to break off relations with the White House.
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| Pope 'begs for God's forgiveness' for sexual abuse scandal Posted: 26 Aug 2018 05:15 PM PDT  Pope Francis "begged for God's forgiveness" on Sunday for multiple abuse scandals within the Irish church but faced accusations by a former Vatican official that he had personally ignored allegations against senior clergy. In front of 45,000 supporters at the rain-soaked Knock shrine in the west of Ireland, the pope spoke of the "open wound" of the Church's sexual abuse scandal and demanded "firm and decisive" measures to find "truth and justice".
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| Meyer tweets apology to former assistant's ex-wife Posted: 24 Aug 2018 10:29 PM PDT  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Amid withering criticism of his failing to more directly address domestic abuse issues at a news conference earlier this week, suspended Ohio State coach Urban Meyer issued an apology Friday to the ex-wife of a former assistant coach who was suspected of abusing her.
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| Yemen's Houthis say they fire two missiles at Saudi Arabia Posted: 26 Aug 2018 08:05 AM PDT ![Yemen's Houthis say they fire two missiles at Saudi Arabia]( "Yemen's Houthis say they fire two missiles at Saudi Arabia") DUBAI (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthi group fired two Zelzal-1 missiles in the direction of Saudi Arabian provinces alongside the joint border, the Houthis' Masirah TV said in a tweet on Sunday. The two missiles targeted "gatherings of Saudi soldiers," one in Jizan and the other in Najran, it said. The Saudi armed forces did not confirm the attacks. Saudi Arabia is leading a western-backed alliance of Sunni Muslim Arab states trying to restore the internationally recognized government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, ousted from the capital Sanaa by the Iran-aligned Houthis in 2015. ...
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| George Barris: possibly the most remarkable garage sale ever! Posted: 25 Aug 2018 07:01 AM PDT  A sale of memorabilia from the late legendary Hollywood customizer George Barris was never going to be ordinary – but who knew it would be this crazy...
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| Iran says 'no third party' will limit its support to Syria Posted: 26 Aug 2018 10:17 AM PDT  DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Iran's defense minister said Sunday his country will continue its support of the Syrian government to ensure improved security in the region, adding that the nature of the two countries' cooperation won't be decided by a "third party."
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| Best Labor Day Deals on Vacuums Posted: 25 Aug 2018 10:11 AM PDT  During Labor Day weekend you can find great deals if you're in the market for a new vacuum cleaner. And if you're already getting into holiday shopping mode, it's also a good time to get on retai...
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| Judge deals major blow to Trump’s attempt to restrict federal unions Posted: 25 Aug 2018 04:37 PM PDT  A US court has overturned key pieces of three executive orders signed by President Donald Trump, handing a major victory to federal employees and the unions that represent them. US District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson ruled that Mr Trump had overstepped his authority in issuing the executive orders, which sought to weaken the power of government unions. "In this court's view, these directives undermine federal employees' right to bargain collectively as protected by [federal law]," the judge wrote.
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| Pope apologizes for 'crimes' against Irish women, babies Posted: 26 Aug 2018 05:12 PM PDT  DUBLIN (AP) — Pope Francis issued a sweeping apology Sunday for the "crimes" of the Catholic Church in Ireland, saying church officials didn't respond with compassion, truth or justice to the many children and women who were abused over generations.
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| Hurricane Lane video: Parts of Hawaii flooded after torrential rains Posted: 24 Aug 2018 06:03 PM PDT  Hurricane Lane dumped torrential rains that inundated the main town on Hawaii's Big Island.
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| Suicide bomb attack kills two in eastern Afghanistan Posted: 25 Aug 2018 03:57 PM PDT  A suicide bomb attack killed at least two people Saturday in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, officials said, the latest violence to hit the war-torn country. The bombing -- claimed by the Islamic State group -- follows what has already been a bloody month with the Taliban ramping up assaults on security forces across the country and IS targeting the capital Kabul, with hundreds killed according to estimates. Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province, the main IS stronghold in Afghanistan.
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| Probation recommended for school official in knife incident Posted: 26 Aug 2018 10:13 AM PDT ![Probation recommended for school official in knife incident]( "Probation recommended for school official in knife incident") PLAINFIELD, N.J. (AP) — Prosecutors have agreed to recommend probation for a former New Jersey preschool director accused of using a knife to threaten two 4-year-olds.
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| Monterey Car Week: day three auction results Posted: 26 Aug 2018 04:47 PM PDT  This was the big day, and the last day, and it was spectacular. The obvious highlight was the 250 GTO but there was plenty more as well...
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| The Latest: Iowa AG candidate's ballot bid likely short Posted: 25 Aug 2018 04:02 PM PDT  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Latest on an effort by some Iowa conservatives to get a candidate for attorney general on the November ballot (all times local):
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| Can a Harbor Freight Generator Really Beat a Honda? Posted: 25 Aug 2018 03:01 AM PDT  Harbor Freight, a giant retailer of low-priced tools and power equipment, has been around since the 1970s. If you live near a Harbor Freight store, chances are you've received a circular comparin...
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| Trump says trade deal with Mexico 'could be happening soon' Posted: 25 Aug 2018 06:56 AM PDT  Donald Trump on Saturday hinted that the US and Mexico were on the verge of finalizing a deal, as negotiators from both sides were holding talks through the weekend to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement. "Our relationship with Mexico is getting closer by the hour," the US president tweeted. Guajardo and Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray have been shuttling back and forth to Washington for more than a month for meetings with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to try to iron out bilateral issues, such as rules for the auto market, before the end of August.
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| Tesla CEO Musk drops pursuit of $72 billion take-private deal Posted: 25 Aug 2018 11:24 AM PDT  The decision to leave Tesla as a publicly listed company raises new questions about its future. Tesla shares have been trading well below their Aug. 7 levels, when Musk announced on Twitter that he was considering taking Tesla private for $420 per share, as investors wondered what this meant for Musk's ability to steer the company to profitability.
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| Complete list of every full moon in 2018, including August's Sturgeon Moon Posted: 25 Aug 2018 07:33 AM PDT  Keep your eyes on the skies this weekend for August's full moon, which is dubbed the Sturgeon Moon. The first blue moon of the year was a spectacular sight, dubbed the 'super blue blood moon'. Falling on January 31, it was the product of three different phenomena: it was a supermoon, a blue moon and a blood moon. While many said it was the first to be seen in 152 years, other contested the fact, leading to a division among scientists. Stargazers were also treated to two full moons in March: as well as the first full moon on the night of March 1, we saw another full moon on March 31. As it was the second full moon of the month, it was a blue moon – the second of 2018. July saw the longest total eclipse of the 21st century, lasting from 8.49pm to 10.13pm in London. Making the phenomenon even more spectacular, Mars was at its closest point to Earth since 2003, meaning the Red Planet was close to maximum brightness. As if that was not enough, sky-watchers were also able to see Jupiter in the south-west and had a chance of catching the International Space Station (ISS) sailing overhead. The blood moon: a rare lunar eclipse, in pictures The moon is the largest and brightest object in our night sky and has enchanted and inspired mankind for centuries. Blue moons are a rare breed, but full moons can be admired every month. Here is everything you need to know about Earth's only natural satellite, from all its different names to how it was formed. How often does a full moon occur? A full moon occurs every 29.5 days and is when the Moon is completely illuminated by the Sun's rays. It occurs when Earth is directly aligned between the Sun and the Moon. Super blue blood moon, in pictures Why do full moons have names? The early Native Americans didn't record time using months of the Julian or Gregorian calendar. Instead tribes gave each full moon a nickname to keep track of the seasons and lunar months. Most of the names relate to an activity or an event that took place at the time in each location. However, it wasn't a uniform system and tribes tended to name and count moons differently. Some, for example, counted four seasons a year while others counted five. Others defined a year as 12 moons, while others said there were 13. Colonial Americans adopted some of the moon names and applied them to their own calendar system which is why they're still in existence today, according to the Farmer's Almanac. January: Wolf Moon This moon was named because villagers used to hear packs of wolves howling in hunger around this time of the year. Its other name is the Old Moon. This January there are two Wolf Moons - and stargazers will be in for a treat as both will be supermoons. When two moons occur in one month, the second is called a blue moon. While blue moons typically occur only once every two to three years, this year we will be treated to two moons - the second appearing at the end of March. The night following the first full moon of the month saw the Quadrantid meteor shower light up the skies. When? January 2 and January 31 February: Snow Moon Snow moon is named after the white stuff because historically it's always been the snowiest month in America. It's also traditionally referred to as the Hunger Moon, because hunting was very difficult in snowy conditions. However this year there won't be a Snow Moon - with a full moon occurring at the end of January and another at the beginning of March, we won't see one light up the skies during the year's shortest month. When? There will be no full moon this month The full Snow Moon appears red above London's Albert bridge and Battersea Bridge in 2012 Credit: Anthony Devlin March: Worm Moon As temperatures warm, earthworm casts begin to appear and birds begin finding food. It's also known as Sap Moon, Crow Moon and Lenten Moon. There will be two moons this March, one at the start of the month and one at the end. As in January, the second moon of the month is called a blue moon. The second moon of the month is important because it is used to fix the date of Easter, which is always the Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. This year, that moon appears on Saturday March 31, which means Easter Sunday falls the day after, on April 1. When? March 1 and 31 April: Pink Moon April's full moon is known as the Pink Moon, but don't be fooled into thinking it will turn pink. It's actually named after pink wildflowers, which appear in the US and Canada in early spring. This moon is also known as Egg Moon, due to spring egg-laying season. Some coastal tribes referred to it as Fish Moon because it appeared at the same time as the shad swimming upstream. When? April 30 A couple watch the Pink Moon rise beside Hartshead Pike on April 29, 2018 in Manchester, England Credit: Anthony Devlin May: Flower Moon Spring has officially sprung by the time May arrives, and flowers and colourful blooms dot the landscape. This moon is also known as Corn Planting Moon, as crops are sown in time for harvest, or Bright Moon because this full moon is known to be one of the brightest. Some people refer to it as Milk Moon. When? May 29 Night sky June: Strawberry Moon This moon is named after the beginning of the strawberry picking season. It's other names are Rose Moon, Hot Moon, or Hay Moon as hay is typically harvested around now. This moon appears in the same month as the summer solstice, the longest day of the year (June 21) in which we can enjoy approximately 17 hours of daylight. When? June 28 July: Thunder Moon Named due to the prevalence of summer thunder storms. It's sometimes referred to as the Full Buck Moon because at this time of the year a buck's antlers are fully grown. When? July 27 August: Sturgeon Moon Tribes in North America typically caught Sturgeon during this month, but also it is when grain and corn were gathered so is also referred to as Grain Moon. This moon appears in the same month as the Perseid meteor shower, which peaked on August 12. When? August 26 at 12:56 Perseids meteor shower 2018 - in pictures September: Harvest Moon The Harvest Moon is the name given to the first full moon that takes place closest to the Autumn equinox, which this year will come on September 23. The Harvest Moon arrived late last year, on October 5 - it normally rises in September. It was during September that most of the crops were harvested ahead of the autumn and this moon would give light to farmers so they could carry on working longer in the evening. Some tribes also called it the Barley Moon, the Full Corn Moon or Fruit Moon. When?September 25 October: Hunter's Moon As people planned ahead for the cold months ahead, the October moon came to signify the ideal time for hunting game, which were becoming fatter from eating falling grains. This moon is also known as the travel moon and the dying grass moon. When? October 24 November: Frost Moon The first of the winter frosts historically begin to take their toll around now and winter begins to bite, leading to this month's moon moniker. It is also known as the Beaver Moon. When? November 23 December: Cold Moon Nights are long and dark and winter's grip tightens, hence this Moon's name. With Christmas just a few weeks away, it's also referred to as Moon before Yule and Long Nights Moon. When? December 22 Clouds clear to allow a view of the final full moon of the year, a so-called 'Cold Moon' on December 13 2016 in Cornwall. Credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images Once in a blue moon Does this well-known phrase have anything to do with the moon? Well, yes it does. We use it to refer to something happening very rarely and a blue moon is a rare occurrence. It's the name given to a second full moon that occurs in a single calendar month and this typically occurs only once every two to three years. There's lots of other moons, too: Full moon: We all know what these are. They come around every month and light up the night at night. Harvest moon: The full moon closest to the autumn equinox. Black moon: Most experts agree that this refers to the second new moon in a calendar month. The last black moon was at the start of October 2016 and the next one is expected in 2019. Blue moon: A phenomenon that occurs when there is a second full moon in one calendar month. Joe Rao from space.com explains: "A second full moon in a single calendar month is sometimes called a blue moon. A black moon is supposedly the flip side of a blue moon; the second new moon in a single calendar month." Supermoon is seen behind the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, in May 2012. Credit: AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano The infrequent nature of this lunar event led to the phrase "once in a blue moon" to signify a rare occurrence. It does not actually mean the moon will be blue. Blood moon: Also known as a supermoon lunar eclipse. It's when the shadow of Earth casts a reddish glow on the moon, the result of a rare combination of an eclipse with the closest full moon of the year. There was one in the UK in September 2015, and before that in 1982 but the next one won't be until 2033. Strawberry moon: A rare event when there's a full moon on the same day as the summer solstice. It happened in June 2016 for the first time since 1967 when 17 hours of sunlight gave way to a bright moonlit sky. Despite the name, the moon does appear pink or red. The romantic label was coined by the Algonquin tribes of North America who believed June's full moon signalled the beginning of the strawberry picking season. What is a supermoon? Ever looked up at the night sky to see a full moon so close you could almost touch it? Well you've probably spotted a supermoon. The impressive sight happens when a full moon is at the point in its orbit that brings it closest to Earth. To us Earth-lings, it appears 30 per cent brighter and 14 per cent bigger to the naked eye. How a supermoon is generated Supermoon is not an astrological term though. It's scientific name is actually Perigee Full Moon, but supermoon is more catchy and is used by the media to describe our celestial neighbour when it gets up close. Astrologer Richard Nolle first came up with the term supermoon and he defined it as "… a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90 per cent of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit", according to earthsky.org. How many supermoons are there in 2018? There are two full moon supermoons this year, both of which took place in the first month of the year. The first appeared on January 2 and the second appeared on January 31. As it was the second moon of the month, the latter moon was also known as a blue moon. There will also be two new moon supermoons in 2018: one on July 13 and another on August 11. Unfortunately, stargazers were unable to see these moons as new moons are generally obscured by the light of the sun. Last year we were lucky enough to have four supermoons. The first three - April 26, May 25, June 24 - were new moons. The fourth supermoon of 2017 appeared on December 3 and was a full moon supermoon. This will be a full moon supermoon. In fact, it's the first of three full moon supermoons in a row. Supermoon rises over Auckland, New Zealand in August 2014. Credit: Simon Runting/REX What do I look for? Head outside at sunset when the moon is closest to the horizon and marvel at its size. As well as being closer and brighter, the moon (clouds permitting) should also look orange and red in colour. Why? Well, as moonlight passes through the thicker section of the atmosphere, light particles at the red end of the spectrum don't scatter as easily as light at the blue end of the spectrum. So when the moon looks red, you're just looking at red light that wasn't scattered. As the moon gets higher in the sky, it returns to its normal white/yellow colour. Will the tides be larger? Yes. When full or new moons are especially close to Earth, it leads to higher tides. Tides are governed by the gravitational pull of the moon and, to a lesser extent, the sun. Because the sun and moon go through different alignments, this affects the size of the tides. Tell me more about the moon The moon is 4.6 billion years old and was formed between 30-50 million years after the solar system. It is smaller than Earth - about the same size as Pluto in fact. Its surface area is less than the surface area of Asia - about 14.6 million square miles according to space.com Gravity on the moon is only 1/6 of that found on Earth. The moon is not round, but is egg-shaped with the large end pointed towards Earth. It would take 135 days to drive by car to the moon at 70 mph (or nine years to walk). The moon has "moonquakes" caused by the gravitational pull of Earth. Experts believe the moon has a molten core, just like Earth. How was the Moon formed? How the Moon was formed Man on the Moon Only 12 people have ever walked on the moon and they were all American men, including (most famously) Neil Armstrong who was the first in 1969 on the Apollo II mission. The last time mankind sent someone to the moon was in 1972 when Gene Cernan visited on the Apollo 17 mission. Although Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon, Buzz Aldrin was the first man to urinate there. While millions watched the moon landing on live television, Aldrin was forced to go in a tube fitted inside his space suit. Buzz Aldrin Jr. beside the U.S. flag after man reaches the Moon for the first time during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969. Credit: AP When the astronauts took off their helmets after their moonwalk, they noticed a strong smell, which Armstrong described as "wet ashes in a fireplace" and Aldrin as "spent gunpowder". It was the smell of moon-dust brought in on their boots. The mineral, armalcolite, discovered during the first moon landing and later found at various locations on Earth, was named after the three Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil ARMstrong, Buzz ALdrin and Michael COLlins. An estimated 600 million people watched the Apollo 11 landing live on television, a world record until 750 million people watched the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. One of President Nixon's speechwriters had prepared an address entitled: "In Event of Moon Disaster". It began: "Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay to rest in peace." If the launch from the Moon had failed, Houston was to close down communications and leave Armstrong and Aldrin to their death. How the Daily Telegraph reported Neil Armstrong's first steps on the Moon in 1969
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| Israel to reopen Erez border crossing with Gaza: minister Posted: 26 Aug 2018 11:39 AM PDT  Israel will reopen the Erez border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Monday, Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said, a week after closing it due to clashes. In a statement from his office on Sunday, Lieberman said the decision to reopen Erez, the only crossing for people in the north of the Palestinian enclave, was made "given the calm along the border". Israel closed the crossing on August 19 in response to what Lieberman then called "violent incidents", tightening its blockade of the landlocked territory run by the Islamist movement Hamas.
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