| UAE reopens embassy in Syrian capital closed in 2011 Posted: 27 Dec 2018 06:48 AM PST  BEIRUT (AP) — The United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in Syria's capital on Thursday for the first time in seven years, a reflection of improved relations between President Bashar Assad and some of his Arab foes as the war winds down.
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| No 'perp walk' for Kevin Spacey? He's trying to avoid his arraignment on sex-crime charge Posted: 28 Dec 2018 01:21 PM PST  Will Kevin Spacey avoid showing up for his arraignment on a sex-crime charge on Nantucket? Not if the district attorney has anything to say about it.
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| Smithsonian, EPA Ready to Close as Shutdown Toll Deepens Posted: 28 Dec 2018 02:25 PM PST  Nearly 14,000 workers at the EPA prepared to be furloughed at midnight, the seventh day of a shutdown that showed scant signs of ending. The Smithsonian said all museums, research centers and the National Zoo will close starting Jan. 2 unless the shutdown ends. The Federal Trade Commission in a tweet said it had closed.
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| 35 photos capture extreme weather events that hammered the US in 2018 Posted: 28 Dec 2018 06:33 AM PST  Bomb cyclones, major hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and major flooding produced some memorable and tragic photos in 2018.
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| Pedialyte Is Embracing Its Reputation as a Hangover Treatment With a Sparkling Drink for Adults Posted: 28 Dec 2018 11:19 AM PST  Just in time for New Year's Eve.
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| Search for missing British cruise ship entertainer suspended Posted: 27 Dec 2018 05:31 PM PST  The United States Coast Guard has suspended the search for a missing British cruise ship entertainer. In a statement, the coast guard said it had ended the search for 20-year-old Arron Hough at about 2.30pm on Thursday, two days after he reportedly went overboard. Crews searched for approximately 83 hours and covered more than 3,700 square miles, the statement added. Commander Christopher Douglas, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief of response, said: "We've been in contact with members of Mr Hough's family throughout our search efforts and know this is a very difficult and painful time for them. "Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make as first responders, and it is never made lightly." Aaron Hough went missing from the ship on Christmas Day Credit: Facebook Mr Hough, from Sunderland, disappeared from the Royal Caribbean ship on Christmas Day. The vessel, named Harmony Of The Seas, was 267 miles (430km) north-west of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, at the time and was travelling to Philipsburg, St Maarten. The last CCTV footage available of Mr Hough showed him heading on to the ship's deck at around 4am, according to a statement issued by Royal Caribbean. However, staff on board the ship only realised he was missing when he did not report to work later that day. The United States Coast Guard was alerted to Mr Hough's disappearance at 1.45pm. Royal Caribbean and the coast guard were unable to confirm how far the ship had travelled during that time.
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| The Latest: Sheriff: Suspect surrendered in officer's death Posted: 28 Dec 2018 05:20 PM PST  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Latest on the killing of a California officer (all times local):
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| Robert Mueller, House Democrats and slowing economy will end Trump's 'great time' in 2019 Posted: 28 Dec 2018 05:10 AM PST  A slowing economy. Robert Mueller. New York investigators. House Democrats. Prediction: A year from now, Donald Trump won't be having a 'great time.'
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| Billionaire LinkedIn co-founder apologises for funding 'Russian-style' disinformation group in Alabama Senate race Posted: 27 Dec 2018 08:13 AM PST  Billionaire Reid Hoffman apologised on Wednesday for funding a group linked to a "highly disturbing" effort that spread disinformation during last year's Alabama special election for US Senate, but he said he was not aware that his money was being used for this purpose. Mr Hoffman's statement is his first acknowledgement of his ties to a campaign that adopted tactics similar to those deployed by Russian operatives during the 2016 presidential election. In Alabama, the Hoffman-funded group allegedly used Facebook and Twitter to undermine support for Republican Roy Moore and boost Democrat Doug Jones, who narrowly won the race.
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| 14-Year-Old California Girl Dies After Fall From Arizona's Horseshoe Bend Overlook Posted: 27 Dec 2018 09:21 AM PST  After falling from an overlook in Arizona, a teenage girl from California is dead.
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| UK says rising migrant Channel crossings are a 'major incident' Posted: 28 Dec 2018 09:48 AM PST  British interior minister Sajid Javid has said the fast-growing number of would-be immigrants crossing the English Channel from France in dinghies is a "major incident." Nearly 70 people have been intercepted in the past three days as they try to reach England by crossing one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Javid is also seeking an urgent call with his French counterpart over the weekend, his ministry said. "He has insisted the Home Office treat the situation as a major incident and has ... asked for daily updates," it said in a statement.
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| Flood concerns to mount in eastern US as soaking rain, storms continue into Friday night Posted: 28 Dec 2018 01:54 AM PST  A slow-moving batch of rain and locally gusty thunderstorms will enhance the risk of flash flooding from the Southeast to the mid-Atlantic into Friday night.
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| Abandoned by US, Syrian Kurds request help from Assad regime Posted: 28 Dec 2018 03:02 AM PST  Kurdish Syrian forces have asked the Syrian government for protection against a Turkish attack in a flashpoint town, triggered by a shock US decision to withdraw forces from the country which left them exposed. Syrian troops erected the national flag in the outskirts of Manbij - the first time it has flown in the northern town for more than six years. "The aim is to ward off a Turkish offensive," said Ilham Ahmed, a senior Kurdish official. "If the Turks' excuse is the (Kurdish militia), they will leave their posts to the government." A statement released earlier by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) said they had invited government forces to the town, as they are "obliged to protect the same country, nation and borders." Kurdish YPG fighters still based there are part of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance battling Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). The town has been governed for the last two years by the Manbij Military Council, which is allied to the SDF. A convoy of American Special Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces fighters makes a stop during a patrol near the Turkish border in northern Syria on November 4, 2018. Credit: Sam Tarling for the Telegraph It is the first major concession by the Kurds to the Bashar al-Assad regime since the YPG seized control of vast swathes of north and east Syria and created an area of self-rule and one which analysts called a major turning point. Until last week the YPG had the support of the US, which had helped them stave off a threatened offensive by Turkey and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels and hold territory wanted by the Syrian regime. A number of Syrian troops arrived in the area early Friday morning and deployed between YPG and Turkish-backed forces west of Manbij. A Syrian army spokesman said in a televised statement that all Syrians must "join efforts to preserve national sovereignty" and "defeat all invaders", with reference to Turkey. The US-backed coalition had a number of special forces stationed in the city, where they have a base. It is understood they will withdraw in the next few days. Men queue up to buy bread outside a bakery on the outskirts of Qamishli in northern Syria, Credit: Sam Tarling for the Telegraph It is unclear of local residents will react to regime forces returning to the city. "No one knows what to think as the regime has not yet arrived," one resident of Manbij, who declined to be named, told the Telegraph. "Anyone with any connection to the revolution will probably try to leave soon, maybe for areas controlled by Turkey in the Euphrates Shield." The town of some 100,000 people fell to moderate rebel fighters in the summer of 2012 before it was overrun by Isil jihadists in 2014. It was then captured by SDF in an anti-Isil offensive in 2016. The Kurds have used the cover of the war to carve out an autonomous state in northeastern Syria. However, their project seems increasingly under threat as Assad's regime looks to reclaim the whole of Syria. Kurdish officials have told The Telegraph they would rather try their luck in negotiations with the regime than risk an all-out assault from neighbouring Turkey, which considers the YPG a terrorist group and has watched Kurdish expansion with growing concern. "The YPG accepts drinking the poison to stop a massacre. Do you prefer your people to be massacred by a brutal dictator like (Turkish president Recep Tayyip) Erdogan or be protected by a brutal dictator like Assad?" tweeted Kamal Chomani, a non-resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) run across a street in Raqqa during the offensive against Isil Credit: Reuters Russia, which has long called for the withdrawal of US troops "illegally" in Syria, welcomed the news on Friday, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov describing the development as a "positive step" that could help "stabilise the situation." Speaking in frank terms on Donald Trump's decision to withdraw 2,000 troops from Syria, Jeremy Hunt, Foreign Secretary, today said the US president "makes a speciality of talking in very black and white terms about what's happening in the world." "We have made massive progress in the war against Daesh (Arabic acronym for Isil), but it's not over and, although they have lost nearly all the territory they held, they still hold some territory and there is still some real risk," Mr Hunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. During a visit to Iraq this week, Mr Trump declared an end to the US role of being the world's "policeman". Arab leaders have in recent days taken steps to rehabilitate the brutal Assad regime, with the UAE and Bahrain announcing they are to reopen embassies that had been shut since the beginning of the civil war.
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| Homeless men who battled NYPD officer to be charged Posted: 26 Dec 2018 06:44 PM PST ![Homeless men who battled NYPD officer to be charged]( "Homeless men who battled NYPD officer to be charged") NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on an altercation between a New York City police officer and homeless men (all times local):
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| I survived conversion therapy as a child. Now, I'm part of the movement to ban it for good. Posted: 27 Dec 2018 07:25 AM PST  The 'treatment' actually consisted of physical and emotional abuse. Ending this discredited therapy is a matter of life and death for today's youth.
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| Sheriff: Man arrested in killing of California cop has known gang affiliations Posted: 28 Dec 2018 02:07 PM PST  A suspect in the California cop killing was caught and taken into custody Friday.
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| Forget Russia: North Korea and Iran Could Acquire Hypersonic Weapons Posted: 28 Dec 2018 05:24 AM PST  It is extremely likely that Tehran and Pyongyang will acquire hypersonic missiles, according to a senior U.S. general.
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| Morocco rescues over 360 migrants at sea: military source Posted: 27 Dec 2018 12:33 PM PST  Morocco's navy on Thursday rescued 367 mostly sub-Saharan migrants in the Mediterranean sea after they attempted to reach Spain, a military source told AFP. Morocco stopped 68,000 attempted illegal migrants and dismantled 122 "active criminal networks" in the first nine months of 2018, according to a recent official count. Alongside migrants arriving from sub-Saharan Africa, an increasing number of young Moroccan citizens have attempted to leave the country on board inflatable dinghies in recent months.
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| Syrian surprise: How Trump's phone call changed the war Posted: 28 Dec 2018 02:26 AM PST  In the phone call two weeks ago, Trump had been expected to deliver a standard warning to the Turkish president over his plan to launch a crossborder attack targeting U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in northeast Syria, U.S. officials say. Instead, in the course of the conversation Trump reshaped U.S. policy in the Middle East, abandoning a quarter of Syrian territory and handing Ankara the job of finishing off Islamic State in Syria. "Trump asked: 'If we withdraw our soldiers, can you clean up ISIS?'", a Turkish official told Reuters.
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| Weather hampers efforts to inspect Indonesia tsunami volcano Posted: 28 Dec 2018 04:49 AM PST  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Bad weather and a massive ash column hampered efforts to assess whether Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano island could trigger another deadly tsunami as authorities said Friday the search for victims in the worst-affected province will continue into January.
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| No aliens: NY transformer explosion lights sky, knocks power Posted: 28 Dec 2018 12:46 AM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — A transformer explosion at an electrical plant set the skies above New York City ablaze in an eerie, pulsing blue light Thursday night, causing scattered power outages, delaying flights and sparking a social media storm of jokes about an alien invasion.
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| 23 of the Most Fascinating Public Sculptures Posted: 27 Dec 2018 05:00 AM PST |
| On foreign policy, a confident Trump removes his training wheels Posted: 27 Dec 2018 01:06 PM PST ![On foreign policy, a confident Trump removes his training wheels]( "On foreign policy, a confident Trump removes his training wheels") In the days preceding last July's NATO summit in Brussels that President Trump was set to attend, administration officials including Defense Secretary James Mattis worked around the clock with European allies to seal a summit declaration before the alliance leaders' meeting even began. The rush by Mr. Mattis and others to complete a deal they knew might not sit well with their boss – who had consistently aired his doubts about the benefits of international defense alliances like NATO and his disdain for what he considered to be freeloading allies – was striking. What it displayed was one more example of Mr. Trump's top national security advisers working around the president's skepticism and unpredictability toward traditional allies to confirm America's unaltered global leadership role.
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| Agency: Government workers could do painting or carpentry work to help pay rent during shutdown Posted: 27 Dec 2018 08:02 PM PST ![Agency: Government workers could do painting or carpentry work to help pay rent during shutdown]( "Agency: Government workers could do painting or carpentry work to help pay rent during shutdown") The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has offered federal workers affected by the partial government shutdown a guide for seeking financial assistance as their incomes are cut off.
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| Michelle Obama displaces Hillary Clinton as 'most admired' woman Posted: 27 Dec 2018 10:09 AM PST  Former first lady Michelle Obama was named the most admired woman in the United States in an annual poll conducted by Gallup.
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| Japan bolts whaling commission, but tensions may ease Posted: 27 Dec 2018 05:39 PM PST  Japan has made good on years of threats by bolting the International Whaling Commission, but its decision may also offer a way out of tensions that looked inextricable. Japan, which calls whaling part of its cultural heritage, said Wednesday it would withdraw from the seven-decade-old commission which since 1986 has banned commercial killing of the ocean giants. Australia and New Zealand have been outraged by Japan's incursions into waters they consider a whale sanctuary and activists harassed the whalers in often dangerous chases.
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| U.S. FCC probes outage of CenturyLink 911 emergency call service Posted: 28 Dec 2018 12:44 PM PST ![U.S. FCC probes outage of CenturyLink 911 emergency call service]( "U.S. FCC probes outage of CenturyLink 911 emergency call service") The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is investigating a nationwide CenturyLink Inc network outage that has affected service on 911 emergency phone calls across the country, agency chairman Ajit Pai said on Friday. "The CenturyLink service outage is ... completely unacceptable, and its breadth and duration are particularly troubling," Pai said in a statement. Asked about the FCC investigation, a spokeswoman for CenturyLink said the company had been in contact with the federal agency and would cooperate fully.
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| The Latest: Flooding rains fall in Louisiana, Mississippi Posted: 27 Dec 2018 05:17 PM PST  JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Latest on storms and flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi (all times local):
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| Boeing's F-15X Fighter: A Good Idea or Waste of Time? Posted: 27 Dec 2018 04:38 PM PST  Can it relieve critical F-22s and F-35s to more important tasks? Or is this a multi-billion dollar mistake?
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| Tributes to British couple who died within hours of each other in Australia Posted: 26 Dec 2018 10:00 PM PST  Thousands of dollars have been raised to help the families of a British couple who died within hours of each other in Australia just days before Christmas. Jason Francis was hit by a car, reportedly driven by a pizza delivery worker, near the home he shared with his partner Alice Robinson in Perth. Following his death, Ms Robinson, who was said to have been left "heartbroken", was found dead. More than A$30,000 (£16,000) has been raised for the bereaved families of the couple, believed to be from Shropshire, since a fundraising page was set up on Christmas Eve. Mr Francis had been on a day out with some other friends from the rugby club who organised a taxi home for him on Saturday evening. The 29-year-old was on the carriageway in the beachside suburb of Scarborough when he was hit by a white VW Jetta, driven by an 18-year-old man, Western Australia Police said. Following on from our tragic news of Jason and Alice, a go fund me page has been set up to raise funds to bring our friends home so that the families can lay them to rest #gofundme#donatehttps://t.co/0pTHtPvrZ4— Newport Salop RUFC (@NewportSalopRFC) December 24, 2018 Sam Diamond, president of Cottelsoe rugby club, which Mr Francis had joined at the beginning of the year after moving to the area, said he understood Ms Robinson had gone outside to investigate when she saw the flashing emergency lights. He said: "She was told by first responders that it was Jason they were working on." He said she had been left "heartbroken" by her partner's death, which was confirmed at Royal Perth Hospital. He said: "We don't know what happened to her after this. I know the police have launched an inquiry into it. She has gone missing after notifying some of our friends of what's happened (to Mr Francis) and hasn't been found until the next morning." A police spokesman said: "Police will investigate this matter and prepare a report for the coroner, which will include the full circumstances leading to the woman's death." They have also appealed for witnesses to the collision in Scarborough's Stanley Street at around 8pm on Saturday. Mr Diamond said the couple had made a big impression on the community in their short time there. "They were two of the finest people you could meet. They well and truly ingrained themselves in our club. Both Jase on the field and Alice off the field. "They were an integral part (of the club)." He described Alice, who worked for a digital marketing company but was also a talented pencil sketch artist, as having "an infectious laugh" and being "very bubbly". He added: "Jason was the sort of person that's always got the time of day for everyone. Loved talking, loved working out, loved staying fit and healthy. "They were just genuine, down-to-earth, fantastic people." He said the mothers of both Mr Francis, who was in the process of becoming a firefighter in Australia, and Ms Robinson had expressed their appreciation for the funds raised. He said: "(They) thanked us for the support and have shown their appreciation for what the club and the community here is trying to do for them and Jase and Alice." Mr Diamond said the club hopes to hold a memorial service for the couple at a later date. The captain of Market Drayton Town football club in Shropshire, which Mr Francis had played for, also paid tribute. Paul McMullen said: "You young man were such a fine piece of our puzzle at MDTFC during our success and it was a pleasure to be part of it playing along side of you."
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| 3 charged in shooting at gender reveal party for woman who wasn't pregnant Posted: 27 Dec 2018 08:47 AM PST  Three men were charged in the 2017 deadly gender reveal party shooting for a woman who was not pregnant to begin with.
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| Russia Says Syria's Assad Is Popular, Likely to Win New Vote Posted: 27 Dec 2018 07:53 AM PST  "He's fairly popular, if he wasn't, the results of the last few years would have been different," President Vladimir Putin's envoy to the Middle East, Mikhail Bogdanov, said in an interview in Moscow this week. "Of course, I think so," he added, when asked whether the Syrian leader can triumph in the next presidential vote. Work is scheduled to start early next year on a new constitution for Syria ahead of UN-supervised elections.
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| Fiat 1100C Spider: Pietro Frua's first original design on sale Posted: 27 Dec 2018 09:47 AM PST  This one-off classic Fiat 1100 Spider was legendary designer Pietro Frua's first ever design for his eponymous carrozzeria
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| US government shutdown will last into 2019 as Congress struggles for deal Posted: 27 Dec 2018 01:40 PM PST  The House will not vote on the spending bill this week, and the Senate is expected to follow suit. A partial government shutdown caused by an impasse over Donald Trump's proposed wall on the Mexican border will continue into 2019 after both chambers of Congress adjourned on Thursday without acting to end the closure.
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| American adventurer completes solo trek across Antarctica Posted: 27 Dec 2018 09:44 AM PST  An American adventurer has become the first person to complete a solo trek across Antarctica without assistance of any kind. Colin O'Brady, 33, took 54 days to complete the nearly 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometer) crossing of the frozen continent from coast to coast. In an Instagram post, he explained his journey ended upon crossing the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf: the point where Antarctica's land mass ends.
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| The Quickest Fords of All Time Posted: 28 Dec 2018 01:02 PM PST |
| Storm whips up blizzards, dumps snow in Dakotas, Minnesota Posted: 27 Dec 2018 04:44 PM PST  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Post-holiday travelers were finding driving difficult as a winter storm dumped heavy snow and whipped up gusty winds across parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota on Thursday.
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| Trump widens demands in wall standoff, threatens Mexico border closure Posted: 28 Dec 2018 01:20 PM PST  When Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats take control of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, they plan to quickly approve a spending measure meant to end a partial government shutdown that began on Dec. 22, triggered by Trump's demand for $5 billion in funding for his proposed wall. Democrats have made clear that the House measure, which would then have to go to the Republican-controlled Senate, will not include $5 billion Trump says is needed for the wall, a central part of his tougher positions on immigration than his predecessors. "Democrats are united against the president's immoral, ineffective and expensive wall ... that he specifically promised that Mexico would pay for," Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said in a statement, referring to a Trump 2016 presidential campaign pledge.
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| Toyota Corolla Hatchback Recalled Over Transmission Issue Posted: 27 Dec 2018 10:20 AM PST  Toyota is recalling about 3,400 of its 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchbacks because of a faulty component in the transmission. If the part fails while the car is in motion, it could cause the vehicle t...
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