| The Latest: Pope: Choose simplicity over Christmas greed Posted: 24 Dec 2018 11:34 PM PST  VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Latest on Christmas Eve observances at the Vatican (all times local):
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| Donald Trump, Walled Off From Reality Posted: 24 Dec 2018 07:28 AM PST  What will it take for Republicans in Congress to conclude that President
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| Explaining the deadly volcanic tsunami that hit Indonesia Posted: 24 Dec 2018 09:35 AM PST  Hundreds are dead, with more missing, following a tsunami that took the Indonesian coast by surprise on Dec. 22. But this was no typical tsunami. Rather, it was a volcanic tsunami, and understanding what that means may help explain why this particular manifestation of nature's power was so devastating. The tsunami that struck between the Sumatra and Java islands was triggered not by an earthquake — as is typically the case with tsunamis — but instead by an active volcano in the area known as Anak Krakatau. The volcano reportedly partially collapsed, triggering a landslide underwater, which then in turn kicked off the tsunami, said Dwikorita Karnawati, who leads Indonesia's meteorological agency, according to multiple news reports. The sequence of events didn't trigger a tsunami alert, catching the country by surprise. "[It] did not rise to the level of triggering [a tsunami] alert," University of Southern California's Tsunami Research Center director Costas Synolakis told NBC News. "So from that point of view, the Tsunami Warning Centers were essentially useless." SEE ALSO: Radioactive boars have taken over towns abandoned after Fukushima The 305-meter volcano responsible for the landslide, reports Al Jazeera, rose from the sea starting in the 1920s at the site of a deadly 1883 eruption that left over 30,000 dead. It was only a few months ago in late September that another tsunami struck the Indonesia coast. That tsunami followed a magnitude 7.5 earthquake, and resulted in 6-foot waves. As for Saturday's tragedy, Northwestern University earth science professor Emile Okal told NBC News that volcanoes are constantly in motion and that landslides are one essentially unavoidable outcome of that fact. "A volcano is something that is a living thing," explained Okal. "Eventually it's going to have a landslide, and if it's underwater, going to displace water and make a wave." Tragically, for those on the Indonesia coast affected by Saturday's tsunami, this fact reverberates both into the past and the future. Officials warn that more volcanic tsunamis may be coming, with CNN reporting that Anak Krakatau is still erupting and could experience more landslides. But for now, rescue workers are focused on today, and that means finding those people still missing following the uniquely dangerous volcanic tsunami. WATCH: Transform your tub into an emergency water storage
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| Drone detectors now deployable across UK: minister Posted: 24 Dec 2018 10:58 AM PST  British Security Minister Ben Wallace said Monday the government can now deploy drone detection systems nationwide, after days of device sightings caused chaos at Gatwick Airport and criticism of the government response. "We are able to now deploy detection systems throughout the UK to combat this threat," Wallace said in a statement.
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| Poker player turns $5 bet into $1 million at Borgata in Atlantic City Posted: 24 Dec 2018 07:37 PM PST  A man playing poker at an Atlantic City casino won $1 million on a $5 bet.
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| Jakelin Caal: Body of seven-year-old girl who died at US border completes final journey home to Guatemala Posted: 24 Dec 2018 06:34 AM PST  The body of a seven-year-old girl who died while in custody of the US Border Patrol arrived in her native Guatemala on Sunday and was being driven hours into the countryside to be handed over to family members for a last goodbye. A white coffin containing Jakelin Caal was received in the afternoon at Guatemala City's international airport by representatives of the country's Foreign Ministry and then loaded into the back of a black hearse by workers in orange vests. No family members were on hand.
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| North Korea ordered to pay parents, estate of student $500M Posted: 24 Dec 2018 09:05 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge ordered North Korea to pay more than $500 million in a wrongful death suit filed by the parents of Otto Warmbier, an American college student who died shortly after being released from that country.
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| Christmas across the globe: Tradition and tensions amid turbulent times Posted: 25 Dec 2018 11:23 AM PST  At the Vatican, the pope called for unity. In the U.S., a federal government shutdown cast a pall. So dawned Christmas Day 2018.
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| Under duress, Israel's Netanyahu still election front-runner Posted: 25 Dec 2018 04:58 AM PST  JERUSALEM (AP) — A day after snap elections were called in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged as the overwhelming early front-runner Tuesday, with rivals and commentators alike pinning their primary hopes of unseating him on a potential corruption indictment.
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| Why the Ferrari F50 is the most underrated supercar Posted: 25 Dec 2018 03:00 AM PST  The Ferrari F50 often lives in the shadow of the F40 and Enzo, but this lightweight supercar deserves its own place in history
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| Mayim Bialik 'not doing so well' on Christmas Eve following breakup Posted: 24 Dec 2018 12:58 PM PST  "Big Bang Theory" actress Mayim Bialik is continuing to open up about her struggle being newly single during the holiday season.
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| London airport open, but location of drone culprit up in air Posted: 23 Dec 2018 06:56 PM PST  LONDON (AP) — London's Gatwick Airport operated without problems Sunday, but the fugitive drone operators who brought incoming and outgoing flights to a standstill over multiple days remained at large — and a potential threat — after police cleared two local residents who were arrested as suspects.
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| Pope Francis issues plea for peace in the Middle East in Christmas Day address Posted: 24 Dec 2018 05:15 PM PST  Pope Francis has used his traditional Christmas Day address urging people to overcome their religious and cultural differences to end conflict in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East. Delivering his sixth "Urbi et Orbi" address to 50,000 people gathered in Saint Peter's Square on Tuesday, the pope said Jesus Christ had given the world "fraternity" and differences should not be seen as a "detriment or a danger" but "a source of richness". "My wish for a happy Christmas is a wish for fraternity," the pope said. "All of us are brothers and sisters in humanity." Just days after Donald Trump, the US president, announced he would withdraw American troops from Syria and urged Saudi Arabia to help rebuild the country, the pope called for an urgent political solution that would allow millions of Syrian refugees to return home. "May the international community work decisively for a political solution that can put aside divisions and partisan interests, so that the Syrian people, especially all those who were forced to leave their own lands and seek refuge elsewhere, can return to live in peace in their own country," the pope said. "Urbi et Orbi" means "to the city and the world". Pope Francis waves after delivering the "Urbi et Orbi" message from the main balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica Credit: REUTERS/Max Rossi The 82-year-old pontiff delivered his message as thousands of pilgrims gathered in brilliant sunshine to celebrate the birth of Christ amid tight security at the Vatican. Last week police in southern Italy arrested a Somali man suspected of having been a member of Islamic State and who had threatened to bomb churches in Italy, including St. Peter's Basilica. After appealing for peace in Syria, the pope also called for a resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians and a political solution in Yemen. Members of the Swiss Guard were present during the "Urbi et Orbi" message at the Vatican Credit: REUTERS/Max Rossi "My thoughts turn to Yemen, in the hope that the truce brokered by the international community may finally bring relief to all those children and people exhausted by war and famine," the pope said. Francis also turned his attention to other hotspots in the world, calling for further rapprochement on the Korean Peninsula and peace in Ukraine which he said was "yearning to regain a lasting peace that is slow to come". He also appealed for "social harmony" in Venezuela and reconciliation in Nicaragua. The pope's concern for migrants and refugees was not overlooked. He called for an end to conflict in Africa "where millions of people are refugees, or displaced or in need of humanitarian assistance and food security". Pope Francis prays in front of a Nativity scene Credit: Gregorio Borgia/AP On Christmas Eve the pope expressed his concern about the widening gap between rich and poor and the damage caused by "insatiable greed". "An insatiable greed marks all human history, even today, when, paradoxically, a few dine luxuriantly while all too many go without the daily bread needed to survive," the pope said.
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| Trump downbeat on Fed as markets nosedive Posted: 25 Dec 2018 11:23 AM PST  US President Donald Trump on Tuesday marked Christmas with a renewed attack on the central bank over plunging stocks, as he aired a catalogue of grievances in a downbeat gathering at the Oval Office. High on the laundry list was the Democrats, whom he blamed for a partial government shutdown which dragged into its fourth day -- paralyzing key federal services such as national parks -- with no end in sight. With the stock market on track for its worst December since the Great Depression, Trump berated the Federal Reserve for its stewardship of the economy, a regular recent complaint.
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| Death toll from attack in Afghan capital climbs to 40 Posted: 25 Dec 2018 04:55 AM PST  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The death toll from an attack in the Afghan capital has climbed to 40, the Health Ministry said Tuesday, as police and rescue workers combed through the smoldering public welfare building where the gunmen held out for eight hours against security forces.
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| Delta flight makes emergency landing on Alaskan island due to 'a potential engine issue' Posted: 25 Dec 2018 02:45 PM PST ![Delta flight makes emergency landing on Alaskan island due to 'a potential engine issue']( "Delta flight makes emergency landing on Alaskan island due to 'a potential engine issue'") Delta Air Lines passengers faced a Christmas Eve scare when a Seattle-bound flight made an emergency landing on a small Alaskan Island.
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| China accuses Britain, EU of hypocrisy over Canada detention concerns Posted: 24 Dec 2018 04:49 AM PST  Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Saturday Canada will maintain a high-level campaign in the coming days to seek support from allies as it pressures China to free the two detained Canadians, who China says are suspected of endangering state security. Freeland spoke a day after the United States joined Canada in calling on Beijing to release the pair, who were held after Canadian authorities arrested a senior Chinese executive on a U.S. extradition warrant. Britain and the European Union have also expressed support for Canada.
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| US Treasury chief to confer with top market regulators Posted: 24 Dec 2018 03:40 AM PST  US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is to hold a telephone conference on Monday with top market regulators, after the Dow and the Nasdaq suffered their worst week since 2008. The call with the President's Working Group on financial markets, announced in a Treasury Department statement, comes after Mnuchin on Sunday phoned top executives of the nation's six largest banks. "The CEOs confirmed that they have ample liquidity available for lending to consumer, business markets, and all other market operations," the Treasury said in the unusual statement posted on Mnuchin's Twitter account.
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| Scientists find galactic fossil of the Big Bang Posted: 24 Dec 2018 05:46 AM PST ![Scientists find galactic fossil of the Big Bang]( "Scientists find galactic fossil of the Big Bang") Mexico, Dec. 24 (Notimex).- A group of astronomers discovered one of the only three known fossil clouds in the Universe, which will offer new data on the formation of the first galaxies. The cloud of orphan gas that formed after the Big Bang was discovered in the distant Universe, through the optical telescope of the WM Keck Observatory in Maunakea, Hawaii. The discovery of the galactic fossil was carried out by PhD student Fred Robert and Professor Michael Murphy at the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia. "Everywhere we look, the gas in the universe is contaminated by the waste of heavy elements from exploding stars," Robert said. However, he explained, this particular cloud seems pristine, not polluted by stars, even 1,500 million years after the Big Bang. "The most convincing explanation is that it is a true relic of the Big Bang," he said. According to the WM Keck Observatory, the other two known fossil clouds were discovered in 2011, however, it is now possible to inspect these fossil relics, said Michael Murphy. "That will tell us exactly how rare they are and will help us understand how some stars and galaxies formed gas in the early universe and why some do not," he said. NTX/ICB/MAG/JCG
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| Stores open Christmas Eve, government shutdown: 5 things you need to know Monday Posted: 23 Dec 2018 09:00 PM PST  From stores still open to the shutdown and the stock market, here's what to know on Christmas Eve.
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| Elon Musk promises Tesla will pay customers who miss federal tax credit Posted: 24 Dec 2018 07:15 AM PST  'Tesla will cover the tax credit difference' on cars not delivered before Jan. 1.
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| Pope Francis Calls for Stronger Bonds of Brotherhood Across the World in Christmas Message Posted: 25 Dec 2018 07:05 AM PST  Pope Francis offered a Christmas wish for fraternity among people of different nations, cultures, faiths, races or ideas.
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| Report: Israeli attack near Syrian capital wounds 3 soldiers Posted: 25 Dec 2018 03:05 PM PST  BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near the Syrian capital of Damascus late Tuesday, hitting an arms depot and wounding three soldiers, Syrian state media reported, saying that most of the missiles were shot down by air defense units.
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| Nissan executive linked to Ghosn case released on bail Posted: 25 Dec 2018 07:07 AM PST  Japanese authorities Tuesday released on bail a Nissan executive accused of a key role in the financial misconduct case involving auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn, who remains in detention. Greg Kelly, wearing a casual zip-up jacket and looking tired, walked out of the Tokyo Detention Centre more than a month after his arrest and got into a waiting taxi without speaking to the media.
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| Every Dog at Missouri Animal Shelter Finds Forever Home in Time for Christmas Posted: 24 Dec 2018 11:54 AM PST  Every dog at St. Charles City Animal Control was adopted over the weekend, clearing the shelter just in time for Christmas.
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| Russia-US relationship 'practically non-existent', Moscow's UN ambassador says Posted: 25 Dec 2018 05:22 AM PST  Russia-US relations are "practically non-existent" with little prospect of improvement while Donald Trump is president, Moscow's UN ambassador has said. Vassily Nebenzia said the current situation between the two superpowers was bad not only for Washington and Moscow but also for the rest of the world. "Given the vulnerabilities that drift around this administration, I don't see too bright prospects for improving [relations] any time soon," Mr Nebenzia said in a wide-ranging interview.
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| Russia: Hole drilled from inside Int'l Space Station capsule Posted: 24 Dec 2018 08:11 AM PST  MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian cosmonaut who explored a mysterious hole in a capsule docked to the International Space Station said Monday that the opening was drilled from inside the spacecraft and Russian law enforcement agencies are investigating what caused it.
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| Christmas movies, NBA games, Mega Millions: 5 things to know Tuesday Posted: 24 Dec 2018 09:26 PM PST  There are a few stores and restaurants open on Christmas Day, but if you're staying in, here are the NBA games and holiday movies to check out.
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| Nearly 30 people killed in brazen attack in Kabul Posted: 24 Dec 2018 01:43 PM PST  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide bomber and extremists armed with assault rifles and explosives attacked a government building in the Afghan capital in an eight-hour-long siege that left 29 people dead and more than 20 wounded, authorities said. It ended when the three gunmen were killed.
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| Election fears dim Christmas cheer in Congo Posted: 24 Dec 2018 02:11 PM PST  Last week the opposition accepted the authorities' decision to push the long-anticipated vote back by seven days, but have warned of mass protest and upheaval if there is a further delay. In a Christmas sermon delivered on Monday in the cathedral of Notre Dame du Congo in Kinshasa, Archbishop Fridolin Ambongo said lasting peace depended on the authorities sticking to their electoral promises. "To have real peace today in our country we must have elections on the set date of December 30 2018," he said.
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| Minnesota Attorney General sues Comcast for allegedly overcharging customers Posted: 24 Dec 2018 08:07 PM PST ![Minnesota Attorney General sues Comcast for allegedly overcharging customers]( "Minnesota Attorney General sues Comcast for allegedly overcharging customers") We know this will come as a shock to many of you, but the cable giant Comcast has become synonymous among the general public with price hikes that squeeze customers for every extra cent available, and then some. Indeed, the company has even been raising prices as much as it can at what you could argue is exactly the wrong time -- a period when a growing number of customers are cutting the cord, saying goodbye to traditional pricey cable packages and going all-in on Internet-based TV. And now, along comes Minnesota's attorney general, who on Friday filed a lawsuit against Comcast/Xfinity that lays a host of allegations at the company's feet, like the notion that it's overcharged thousands of customers for TV packages and even failed to come through on promised gift cards. ABC News reports that the state's attorney general Lori Swanson took more than two years to investigate the company before filing the suit because of what she says was a lack of cooperation from Comcast. Also, Swanson contends that Comcast started doing business as Xfinity some years ago to get out from under the poor reputation among customers that the Comcast brand enjoys. Her suit, among other things, asks a court to force Comcast to stop what Swanson contends are deceptive business practices. From ABC's reporting: Swanson "said Comcast often promises customers fixed prices for a year or two for cable packages, then tacks on 'an array of undisclosed fees' that can jack up the bill by 30 percent or more. Comcast then raises those fees, Swanson said, pointing out that a fee charged to most customers for regional sports has gone up 700 percent since 2015, from $1 a month to $8 this year. That's an additional $84 a year. "'It's hard to shop around for cable services if the company is playing hide-the-ball on fees,' Swanson told reporters." The report goes on to note Swanson pointing to other customers who got charged for equipment and services they didn't order -- some who got charged for those things even after turning them down. And that Comcast had failed to give thousands of customers promotional gift cards worth up to $300 in exchange for signing up with the company. Comcast, of course, disputes the allegations in the suit. Explains company spokeswoman Jill Hornbacher in a statement: "We fully disclose all charges, fees and promotional requirements. The facts do not support the Minnesota Attorney General's allegations and we'd like nothing more than to work collaboratively with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office; however, they've raised complaints about matters that date back several years and have largely ignored our efforts to work together to address them." As the ABC report notes, Comcast also recently agreed to settle a case with similar allegations in Massachusetts. Comcast agreed as part that settlement to take steps including absorbing $950,000 in refunds or debt cancellations for more than 20,000 subscribers.
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| Being a grandmother keeps me 'well occupied', Queen says Posted: 25 Dec 2018 07:11 AM PST  The Queen has revealed how being a grandmother keeps her "well occupied" as she reflected on a memorable and busy year for the Royal Family in her Christmas message to the nation. Recalling the two royal weddings of 2018 as well as the birth of her great-grandchild Prince Louis, Her Majesty underlined the importance of the family in her speech. She also said that Christmas is a time when many families become "keenly aware of loved ones who have died," adding "we would not grieve if we did not love." Filmed in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, she sat alongside three framed photographs of her family. One was a black and white picture from 1917 of her father, Prince Albert, who became George VI, dressed in his Royal Navy officer uniform. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arriving to attend the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk. Credit: Joe Giddens/PA Another showed the Prince of Wales's 70th birthday family portrait with the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who are expecting a baby. Another black and white photograph showed the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh holding Prince Charles as a baby in 1948. She said: "Closer to home, it's been a busy year for my family, with two weddings and two babies and another child expected soon. It helps to keep a grandmother well occupied. We have had other celebrations too, including the 70th birthday of The Prince of Wales." In June, the Queen's granddaughter, Zara Tindall, gave birth to her second child, Lena Elizabeth. The 92-year-old monarch also made a touching reference to how age and experience help people recognise the often painful and bewildering contradictions in human life. "Some cultures believe a long life brings wisdom," she said. "I'd like to think so. Perhaps part of that wisdom is to recognise some of life's baffling paradoxes, such as the way human beings have a huge propensity for good, and yet a capacity for evil." King George VI and great grandmother, Queen Mary, with Prince Charles Credit: Hulton Deutsch/Getty Images As a deeply committed Christian, as well as the head of the Church of England, she said that "faith, family and friendship have been not only a constant for me but a source of personal comfort and reassurance." However, she added that "even the power of faith, which frequently inspires great generosity and self-sacrifice, can fall victim to tribalism." She highlighted the work of the Commonwealth, explaining how important treating people with respect was, even at a time of "deeply held differences", to furthering "greater understanding". Other photographs shown in the programme included Prince Harry and Meghan on the occasion of their wedding in Windsor, Princess Eugenie of York's and Jack Brooksbank with bridesmaids and pageboys at their wedding. The Duchess of Cambridge arriving to attend the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk Credit: Joe Giddens/PA There was also a family photograph of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The nine minute broadcast, played on television and radio, featured the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, singing Once in Royal David's City, the opening carol sung in A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve. This year marks the 100th anniversary of that festival, introduced following the end of the First World War. The choir, which also sang the National Anthem, was conducted by Stephen Cleobury. The Queen was wearing a cocktail dress in ivory silk with pastel blue, white and gold lame lace overlay. Her brooch - the Scarab brooch made from yellow gold and featuring a carved ruby with diamond embellishments - was a gift from the Duke of Edinburgh The broadcast, made in 'Ultra High Definition', was produced by Sky News.
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| Documents detail how absentee ballots gathered in NC vote Posted: 23 Dec 2018 07:17 PM PST  Affidavits released Sunday by North Carolina's elections board allege absentee ballots were collected from voters by the man at the center of vote fraud allegations or those working for him.
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| Where are stocks headed in 2019? Wall Street pros are calling for a rebound Posted: 24 Dec 2018 07:47 AM PST  After the worst year for stocks in 10 years, where is the market headed in 2019? Wall Street pros are calling for a rebound. Here's why:
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| The top iPhone and iPad apps on App Store Posted: 25 Dec 2018 03:35 PM PST ![The top iPhone and iPad apps on App Store]( "The top iPhone and iPad apps on App Store") App Store Official Charts for the week ending December 23, 2018:
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| How the 14,000 Migrant Children in Federal Custody Will Spend Christmas Posted: 24 Dec 2018 01:43 PM PST  For many, it will be their first Christmas away from home
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| In South Africa, ousted president speaks his mind on Twitter Posted: 24 Dec 2018 02:26 AM PST ![In South Africa, ousted president speaks his mind on Twitter]( "In South Africa, ousted president speaks his mind on Twitter") JOHANNESBURG (AP) — He's back.
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| The Latest: Pope's Christmas wish is "fraternity" Posted: 25 Dec 2018 03:31 AM PST  VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Latest on Pope Francis' Christmas celebrations (all times local):
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| Video: Watch a Tesla on Autopilot slam on the brakes and avoid a crash Posted: 24 Dec 2018 11:31 AM PST ![Video: Watch a Tesla on Autopilot slam on the brakes and avoid a crash]( "Video: Watch a Tesla on Autopilot slam on the brakes and avoid a crash") More often than not, stories involving Tesla's Autopilot feature tend to make the news when something goes awry. Whether it's a Model S on Autopilot crashing into a stationary car or a Tesla on Autopilot almost careening into a highway divider, there's no question that activating the feature still requires drivers to pay close attention to surrounding road conditions at all times. All the same, Tesla's Autopilot feature has improved considerably over the past few years. And truth be told, there are many instances where Tesla's Autopilot feature works exactly as designed. The only thing is, we don't often hear about the crashes Autopilot prevents, unless of course it happens to be caught on video. With that said, a newly uploaded video to YouTube shows a Tesla on Autopilot automatically apply the brakes and avoid what was certain to be a rear-end collision. Notably, the video below was captured using Tesla's Dashcam feature which records video via the car's front-facing camera. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrTCG-mIv1Y Of course, this isn't the first time Tesla's Autopilot managed to save the day. Just a few months ago, a Model 3 owner uploaded footage which showed Tesla's Autopilot feature preventing what could easily have been a very serious crash, video of which can be seen below. https://youtu.be/9cFJI6Qf9GA The truth is, Tesla's Autopilot feature tends to get a lot of bad press because Elon Musk, in characteristic fashion, hyped up its capabilities early on. If we can put aside some of Musk's sensational claims for a second, there's no denying that Tesla has done a rather impressive job of bringing this somewhat futuristic technology into the mainstream. As a final note, you may recall that Musk last year promised that a Tesla on Autopilot would drive itself from California to New York with no user interaction whatsoever before 2018. That obviously hasn't come to pass and there's no indication it will anytime soon.
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| ASH NYC Lovingly Transforms an Old Church Complex Into a Charming Hotel Posted: 25 Dec 2018 05:00 AM PST  Located in NOLA's Marigny neighborhood, Hotel Peter and Paul is filled with Old World antiques and rich color palettes
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| No reserve 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster is a collector's dream Posted: 24 Dec 2018 11:00 AM PST  The Porsche 911 Speedster is classic car royalty with its distinctive shape and rarity. This perfectly preserved example with under 4000 miles is particularly appealing
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