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ISLAMABAD: The second tier of Pakistan-China-Afghanistan trilateral dialogues is being held today (Saturday) in Kabul aimed at discussing regional peace and strengthening economic and counter-terrorism cooperation. Talking to Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Kabul Saturday, he thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi for the cooperation being extended by Pakistan to attain peace in his country. FM Qureshi is accompanied by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and other senior officials of the Foreign Office on his one-day official visit to Kabul. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who is leading the Pakistani delegation at the dialogue signed the document along with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Yi and their Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani. This is the second meeting of the three foreign ministers after their kick-off meeting in Beijing last year. According to Geo News, Afghanistan's political situation and reconciliation process with Taliban, regional cooperation and security would also come under discussion during the talks. Highly placed diplomatic sources told The News/Jang Saturday evening that President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah had meeting with visiting foreign ministers separately. Further, during his day-long visit, the foreign minister will hold bilateral dialogue with his Chinese counterpart. The foreign minister, while speaking to the media ahead of his departure, welcomed the Chinese initiative of holding trilateral dialogue. Before leaving for Kabul, Qureshi said the opening of tripartite negotiations was a welcome sign as both Pakistan and China desire peace and stability and betterment in Afghanistan. "We are carrying the message of friendship and peace to Afghanistan," he added.</s>Shahussain Murtazawi, the deputy spokesman for the Afghan president, says envoys meeting Saturday will discuss everything from regional economic development to counterterrorism. Sayed Akbar Agha, a former member of the Taliban, meanwhile, said that the United States asks Pakistan to put pressure on the Taliban to convince the armed group of allowing the U.S. to have base in Afghanistan while “Taliban is rejecting the issue.” This comes as Kabul today hosted a trilateral meeting with China and Pakistan aimed at opening talks with the Taliban to end the 17 years of war in Afghanistan. China has lent tens of billions of dollars to Pakistan and the two have forged close economic ties as part of Beijing’s “One Belt, One Road” policy of expanding trade links across Asia. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan says the United States is scheduled to meet on Monday (Dec 17) with the Afghan Taliban and that Islamabad has facilitated the dialogue at Washington’s request.

Pakistani, Afghan and Chinese officials hold talks in Kabul aimed at ending the region's conflicts.

Rajapaksa set to quit as Sri Lanka's premier to end crisis COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A Sri Lankan lawmaker said that disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will resign Saturday to end the country's political crisis. The pro-Rajapaksa lawmaker, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, told reporters that Rajapaksa decided in a meeting Friday with President Maithripala Sirisena to resign to allow the president to appoint a new government. Sri Lanka has had no functioning government for nearly two weeks and is facing the prospect of being unable to pass a budget for next year. "Unless the prime minister resigns, another prime minister cannot be appointed. But the country needs to face situations that it needs to face in January; a country cannot function without a budget," Abeywardena said. "Therefore Mr. Rajapaksa says that he will make a special statement tomorrow and resign from the position of prime minister." “Therefore Mr. Rajapaksa says that he will make a special statement tomorrow and resign from the position of prime minister.” The decision appears to have been hastened by a Supreme Court decision to extend a lower court’s suspension of Rajapaksa and his Cabinet. The top court put off the next hearing until mid-January, when it plans to rule on whether they should hold office after losing two no-confidence votes in Parliament. The country runs the risk of being unable to use state funds from Jan. 1 if there is no government to approve the budget. It also has a foreign debt repayment of $1 billion due in early January and it is unclear if it can be serviced without a lawful finance minister. Sri Lanka has been in political crisis since October, when Sirisena abruptly sacked then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa is a former strongman president who is considered by some as a war hero for defeating the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009 after a long civil war. But he lost a 2015 re-election bid amid allegations of wartime atrocities, corruption and nepotism. After his appointment as prime minister, he sought to secure a majority in the 225-member Parliament but failed. Sirisena then dissolved Parliament and called new elections, but the Supreme Court struck down that move as unconstitutional. Sirisena has repeatedly rejected appeals to reappoint Wickremesinghe as prime minister, but may now be compelled to do so since Wickremesinghe has the support of 117 lawmakers in Parliament.</s>COLOMBO: Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was appointed as Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister by President Maithripala Sirisena in a controversial move, resigned Saturday as two crucial Supreme Court decisions made the embattled former strongman’s efforts to cling to premiership untenable. A look at how Sri Lanka has plunged into a political crisis and what could happen next: HOW IT CAME ABOUT The conflict began when Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed Rajapaksa, a former strongman president, in his place. In response, Sirisena dissolved Parliament and ordered new elections, but those actions were put on hold by the Supreme Court until it heard the case and delivered its judgment Thursday. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Supporters say disputed Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to resign in an attempt to end the country's political crisis.

Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns as prime minister, effectively ending the constitutional crisis.

Metropolitan bishop Simeon even ran for the post of the head of the new entity, yet lost to ‘metropolitan’ Epiphany, who had been a hierarch within the unrecognized Kiev Patriarchate. ‘Unification’ council On Saturday, the St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Kiev hosted a so-called ‘unification’ council held under the auspices of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and brokered by the Ukrainian authorities. The title appears to be not without clout, since it’s established in the charter of the new church, which was adopted at the gathering as well. Bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, Metropolitan of Pereiaslav and Bila Tserkva Epifaniy (Serhiy Dumenko) has been elected head of the local Orthodox Church in Ukraine. He said that Patriarch Bartholomew had sent letters to bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church "inviting them to take part in that historic event.</s>The Ukrainian leader promised "to respect those who decide, for one reason or another," to remain with the Ukrainian branch of the Russian Orthodox Church — and also promised to protect those who choose to leave the Moscow Patriarchate and join the new church. Before Sunday's council in Kiev, there were three Orthodox Church branches in Ukraine: The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchate) The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Now, priests from the Kiev Patriarchate and the Autocephalous Church become members of the new church - the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The newly formed community would then be expected to receive independence from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Istanbul-based institution considered the so-called "first among equals" of leaders of the world's Orthodox churches that has already drafted a charter for an independent Ukrainian church. Image copyright EPA Image caption Many Ukrainians welcomed Constantinople's ruling earlier this year, holding a prayer in Kiev Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced the creation of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church, marking a historic split from Russia. Ukraine's president, Petro Poroshenko, said the creation of an independent, national church is essential for national security because Russia is using churches in Ukraine as tools to spread propaganda and provide support for Russian fighters. Epifaniy is now expected to travel to Istanbul on 6 January to receive a special decree, a tomos, granting independence (autocephaly) to the new church from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Read more: Greece's Orthodox Church and state consider divorce Despite the support of three Ukrainian church branches, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine of the Moscow Patriarchate — which comprises most priests, churches, and monasteries, has boycotted the meeting and has recommitted itself to Moscow's dominion. Russia has responded to attempts to create an independent, unified church in Ukraine with condemnation, comparing it to the great schism of 1054 that divided western and eastern Christianity. The church's establishment received a boost in October when the spiritual leader of the global Orthodox Church — Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople — recognized Ukraine's independence from the Russian Orthodox Church. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Believers gathered outside the cathedral on Saturday Image copyright Reuters Image caption Orthodox clergymen conducted prayers ahead of the church council Ahead of the meeting, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, called on religious and world leaders to protect believers and clergymen in Ukraine from what he called persecution. Ukraine's Orthodox clerics will gather for a meeting Saturday that is expected to form a new, independent Ukrainian church, and Ukrainian authorities have ramped up pressure on priests to support the move. "The deliberate instigation by the Russian special services of inter-church conflicts in Ukraine, to be combined with provoking direct acts of terrorism, may become a pretext for open military invasion by the Russian Federation's armed forces of our country," Vasyl Hrytsak, the chief of Ukraine's security service, said, according to Reuters. The agency also has summoned dozens of priests in for questioning.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko declares the establishment of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, a new branch of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, separate from the Russian Orthodox Church, after Ukrainian clergy elected Metropolitan Epiphanius I as the head of the new church.

A replacement to Ryan Zinke will be announced next week, says President Donald Trump WASHINGTON DC, USA – Donald Trump said Saturday, December 15, that his interior secretary will be leaving soon – the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the US president's turnover-plagued administration. WATCH: Several candidates being considered after Trump’s top pick for chief of staff turns down job Having formerly served as a Navy SEAL and as a Montana congressman, Zinke became known in the administration for championing “United States energy dominance,” aligning himself with Trump’s energy agenda, Bloomberg continues. “Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation,” the president said, adding that a replacement would be announced next week. READ MORE: Trump’s new chief of staff is a Tea Party man who lobbied for a job ‘no one wanted,’ reports say The departure follows Trump’s announcement on Dec. 8 that Chief of Staff John Kelly would be leaving at the end of this year, as well, adding another White House staffer to the administration’s long string of departures. Trump on Friday, December 14, tapped Mick Mulvaney – the director of the Office of Management and Budget – to fill the chief of staff job on an acting basis, setting him up to be the third person to hold the post since the president took office in early 2017. A series of other top officials have left the Trump White House, including a secretary of state, two national security advisors, an attorney general and the head of the US environment agency. Zinke is one of several members of Trump’s cabinet to come under fire over expenditures, including reports that his department was spending nearly USD 139,000 to upgrade three sets of double doors in his office — a cost he later said he negotiated down to USD 75,000. He has also faced criticism over costly US Park Police helicopter flights last year that allowed him to return to Washington for a horseback ride with Vice President Mike Pence, and several other flights on non-commercial aircraft.</s>Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation....... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2018 President Donald Trump says Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who's facing federal investigations into his travel, political activity and potential conflicts of interest, will leave the administration at year's end.Trump tweets that Zinke "accomplished much during his tenure" and that a replacement would be announced next week. Trump, in tweeting Zinke's departure, said the former Montana congressman "accomplished much during his tenure" and that a replacement would be announced next week. The Cabinet post requires Senate confirmation. Zinke, a former Republican congressman from Montana, is leaving weeks before Democrats take control of the House, a shift in power that promised to intensify probes into his conduct. The Cabinet post requires Senate confirmation.Zinke, a former Republican congressman from Montana, is leaving weeks before Democrats take control of the House, a shift in power that promised to intensify probes into his conduct.Zinke played a leading part in Trump's efforts to roll back environmental regulations and promote domestic energy development.His departure comes amid a staff shake-up as Trump heads into his third year in office. The president on Friday named White House budget director Mick Mulvaney as his next chief of staff. The president on Friday named White House budget director Mick Mulvaney as his next chief of staff Zinke, 57, played a leading part in Trump's efforts to roll back environmental regulations and promote domestic energy development.

U.S. President Donald Trump tweets that Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke will quit his post at the end of the year.

PARIS — Midfielder Mathieu Cafaro scored from a free kick midway through the second half as Reims beat Strasbourg 2-1 to move up to eighth place in the French league. Moussa Doumbia put Reims ahead after just seven minutes with a half-volley which went in off the post. Adrien Thomasson equalized shortly after halftime for Strasbourg but substitute Cafaro sealed victory in the 66th. Only four matches are going ahead this weekend, with another game moved to Tuesday and five postponed. Runaway league leader Paris Saint-Germain’s match at Dijon on Saturday was initially maintained before also being called off at the request of authorities. This is because police forces across the country are being stretched amid anti-government protests and in the wake of a deadly Christmas market attack this week in Strasbourg. A minute’s silence was being held at all soccer stadiums in France’s first and second divisions this weekend in memory of the victims and their families. Reims players showed their support by unfurling a banner in front of the Strasbourg fans which said “Strasbourg Toujours” (Strasbourg Forever). Strasbourg president Marc Keller looked emotional as he applauded Reims fans, and Strasbourg’s travelling fans held up two large black banners with nothing written on them. Sunday’s games are Nice vs. Saint-Etienne; Nimes vs. second-place Lille, and Lyon vs. Monaco. Caen vs. Toulouse will take place on Tuesday. The six matches were postponed last week amid security concerns about anti-government protests. Those are rescheduled for Jan. 15-16. PSG will play its match against Montpellier on Jan. 15, but it may now be pushed back to February since it clashes with PSG’s planned winter training camp in Qatar.</s>We're dealing with a man who was consumed by evil," Castaner said France's interior minister on Friday dismissed a claim by the Islamic State group that it was responsible for a shooting spree at a Christmas market in Strasbourg after the gunman Cherif Chekatt was shot dead by police.

A Polish national who was wounded during a terrorist attack in Strasbourg, France, dies of his injuries, raising the death toll to five.

A powerful blast ripped through a restaurant in northern Japan late Sunday, injuring 42 people, starting fires that took hours to bring under control and leading several neighbouring buildings to collapse, officials and reports said. Images from the scene show large flames and plumes of smoke rising in the night air after the blast in the northern city of Sapporo TOKYO, Japan – A powerful blast ripped through a restaurant in northern Japan late Sunday, December 16, injuring 42 people and starting fires that took hours to bring under control and leading several neighboring buildings to collapse, officials and reports said. Fires broke out following the incident in the northern city of Sapporo, Kyodo news agency said, and images from the scene showed large flames and plumes of smoke rising in the night air. "We are investigating details about the damage together with police at the scene," the official said. One witness reportedly said he had smelled gas after the explosion. A police official for the Hokkaido region told AFP that despite the large number of injuries, there had been no fatalities. The Jiji Press agency said one of those injured was seriously hurt, suffering burns to his face, but none of the victims had life-threatening wounds. Several children were reportedly among those hurt in the explosion, which hit in the city's Toyohira district. "I heard a 'bang', which sounded like thunder, and my condo was shaken," a man in his 50s who lived nearby told The Japan Times. The two-story wooden building that housed the restaurant, a real estate agency and a clinic was seriously damaged, a Sapporo fire department official told AFP. National broadcaster NHK said the flames were extinguished several hours after the fire broke out, with police and fire department officers still at the site. Police had initially warned of the possibility of secondary explosions, according to Kyodo, which described buildings collapsing following the incident around 8.30pm (7.30pm Singapore time). The blast happened around 8.30 pm (1130 GMT), and the city government opened a shelter to house dozens of people whose homes were damaged.</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The cause of the explosion in Sapporo is not yet known A huge explosion and fire has hit a restaurant in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo. Among the injured, a male employee of the real estate agency was said to in critical condition Tokyo: At least 42 people were injured in an explosion near a pub in Japan's Sapporo city, police said. The blast occurred at around 8.30 p.m. on Sunday in the city's Toyohira Ward, causing a fire which was only extinguished hours later at 2.10 a.m., reports The Japan Times. The footage later showed gray smoke billowing from the restaurant as dozens of firefighters poured water onto the building, which was charred and nearly collapsing. Another eyewitness told NHK that the blast had broken the windows of the restaurant he was working in, and that there were "many injured people".

A gas blast in a restaurant in Sapporo, Japan, injures 42 people.

AFP/Swiss police of the Canton of Zurich (Kantonspolizei Zurich) One person died and 44 were injured when a bus crashed into a wall on a Swiss motorway early Sunday, police said. The bus, operated by a subsidiary of the German-owned firm Flixbus, was heading to the German city of Dusseldorf, from Genoa, Italy, the ATS news agency reported.</s>BERLIN (AP) - Zurich police say a tour bus on its way to Germany has crashed in Switzerland, killing one person and injuring 44 others. The dpa news agency reported Sunday that bus travelling to Duesseldorf from Genoa in Italy crashed at 4:15 a.m. south of Zurich, a city in northern Switzerland that is the country’s financial hub. Zurich canton (state) police say the bus went into a skid on the snowy road and crashed into a wall. They said one woman, whose identity was not immediately released, was killed and three people, including the driver, have serious injuries.

A bus crash in Zurich, Switzerland, kills one person and injures 44 others.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka's disputed prime minister announced Saturday that he would step aside, paving the way for his sacked predecessor to regain the position and apparently ending a political impasse that has paralyzed the government for nearly two months. Mahinda Rajapaksa signed a letter of resignation at his residence in Colombo, flanked by members of his party and blessed by Buddhist and other religious leaders in the presence of the media. It was not immediately clear if the letter had been handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena. Mr Rajapaksa said in a statement: “Since I have no intention of remaining as prime minister without a general election being held, and in order to not hamper the president in any way, I will resign from the position of prime minister and make way for the president to form a new government.” He was to deliver an address to the nation later on Saturday in which he was expected to explain his resignation. Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, a politician close to Mr Rajapaksa, told reporters on Friday that Mr Rajapaksa had decided to step down to end a crisis that began in October when Mr Sirisena sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Sirisena then named Rajapaksa the new prime minister, but Parliament twice rejected the appointment. Rajapaksa's resignation came a day after the Supreme Court extended a lower court's suspension of Rajapaksa and his Cabinet. The top court put off the next hearing until mid-January, when it planned to rule on whether they should hold office after losing two no-confidence votes in Parliament. Sri Lanka has had no functioning government for nearly two weeks since the Court of Appeal suspended Rajapaksa and his Cabinet and was facing the prospect of being unable to pass a budget for next year if a new government is not appointed quickly. The country runs the risk of being unable to use state funds from January 1 if there is no government to approve the budget. It also has a foreign debt repayment of 1 billion US dollars (£794 million) due in early January, and it is unclear if it can be serviced without a lawful finance minister. Mr Rajapaksa is a former strongman president who is considered by some as a war hero for defeating the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009 after a long civil war. But he lost a 2015 re-election bid amid allegations of wartime atrocities, corruption and nepotism. After his appointment as prime minister, Rajapaksa sought to secure a majority in the 225-member Parliament but failed. Mr Sirisena then dissolved Parliament and called new elections, but the Supreme Court struck down the move as unconstitutional. Mr Sirisena has repeatedly rejected appeals to reappoint Mr Wickremesinghe as prime minister, but has invited Mr Wickremesinghe, who has the support of 117 politicians in Parliament, to form a government.</s>COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka's president reappointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister on Sunday, nearly two months after firing him and setting off a long political stalemate in the South Asian island nation. Also Read | Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns as Prime minister of Sri Lanka The President removed Wickremesinghe from the post of Prime Minister on October 26 and appointed former president Rajapaksa as the Premier, plunging the country into an unprecedented crisis. Sri Lanka's Supreme court on Friday refused to stay a court order restraining Rajapaksa, 73, from holding the office of Prime Minister until it fully heard the case next month.

Ranil Wickremesinghe is sworn in as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

(Civil.Ge) — Salome Zurabishvili, 66, was sworn in as Georgia’s fifth president for a six-year term on December 16 in an oath-taking ceremony in the eastern Georgian town of Telavi. A former foreign minister, she was backed by the ruling Georgia Dream-Democratic Georgia Party and won nearly 60 percent of the votes in a runoff against Grigol Vashadze on November 28.</s>TELAVI, Georgia: Georgia on Sunday swore in its first female president, Salome Zurabishvili as opposition parties continue to denounce her election as fraudulent and demand snap parliamentary polls. The inauguration paved the way for a new constitution to come into force, transforming the country into a parliamentary republic with a largely ceremonial president. The event was held in the mediaeval town of Telavi in Georgia´s eastern winemaking region of Kakheti. French-born Zurabishvili, 66, took the oath of office in the courtyard of an 18th-century manor that belonged to Georgia´s penultimate king Heraclius II. "The goal of my presidency is to make Georgia´s democratic development and its path towards Europe irreversible," she said in an inaugural speech. "I will facilitate this process with the support of our strategic partner, the United States of America, and our European friends," she said. Opposition parties have refused to recognise Zurabishvili´s election and tried to hold a protest rally outside the royal residence. But the plan was thwarted by police, who on Sunday morning blocked a kilometres-long opposition motorcade on a road leading from the capital Tbilisi to Telavi. Pro-opposition Rustavi-2 TV channel reported that clashes briefly erupted between police officers and protesters as they tried to break through police ranks. Zurabishvili was elected as the ex-Soviet nation´s president last month. She defeated Grigol Vashadze, the candidate of an 11-party opposition alliance led by exiled former president Mikheil Saakashvili´s United National Movement. She was backed in the election by the ruling Georgian Dream party of Georgia´s ex-premier and billionaire tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili. Ivanishvili, Georgia´s richest man, stepped down as prime minister in 2013 after just a year in office but is still widely believed to be Georgia´s de facto ruler. His critics accuse him of "state capture". Former French diplomat Zurabishvili has said her election was a step forward for women and a move closer to Europe.

Salome Zurabishvili takes office as President of Georgia. Zurabishvili is the first woman in office and the last president to be elected by popular vote.

NEW DELHI: Belgium won a tense penalty shootout 3-2 against three-times champions Netherlands to win their first men's hockey World Cup title at Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium on Sunday (Dec 16). Florent van Aubel then converted to put Belgium ahead before the Netherlands' Jeroen Hertzberger shot wide to dash their hopes of a fourth title as Belgium became the sixth nation to win the World Cup. Belgium's national team won the 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup title for the first time in history, proving victor in the final match following a penalty shootout against the Netherlands, which finished 3-2 after a 0-0 tie at the end of regulation time.</s>A gritty Belgium defeated former champions the Netherlands in sudden death in a thrilling summit clash to win their maiden men’s hockey World Cup title at the Kalinga Stadium in BHubaneswar on Sunday. Their opponents, the Netherlands, settle for a painful second consecutive silver in a sudden-death (3-2) defeat.The goal-less regulation period was the first in the history of World Cup finals. Earlier in the evening, history chasing Australia defeated England 8-1 in a one-sided third-place play-off to claim the bronze medal. In the last edition of the World Cup at The Hague in the Netherlands, Belgium had finished fifth. The Netherlands, on the other hand, failed to match Pakistan’s record of a fourth world title for the second consecutive edition. The Dutch had finished runners-up to Australia four years ago in front of their home crowd. They last won a World Cup title way back in 1998 in Utrecht. Incidentally, it was the Netherlands’ second consecutive match that went to shoot-out in the tournament after their victory over Australia in the semi-finals on Saturday. In Sunday's shoot-out, Belgium goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch outmatched his Dutch counterpart Pirmin Blaak by making four saves to hand his side their maiden World Cup title. There was hardly anything to separate the two sides in the shoot-out as they were levelled 2-2 after five tries. While Jeroen Hertzberger and Jonas de Geus scored for the Netherlands, Florent van Aubel and Victor Wegnez were on target for Belgium. However, the shoot-out was not without drama as Belgium needed Arthur de Sloover to score from their fifth and last attempt to win the game and he did so, sending the Red Lions bench into wild celebrations. But the Dutch goalkeeper asked for a referral for a foot and the goal was later withdrawn after TV replays showed the ball indeed touch De Sloover's feet while he was pushing it into the net past Blaak. The reversal meant that the match went into sudden death and Van Aubel was given the responsibility by Belgium to take the first opportunity and he duly converted it. It was then Netherlands' turn to score and continue the sudden death but Hertzberger faltered this time as Belgium goalkeeper Vanasch came up with another brilliant save to hand his side the biggest win of their careers. The title clash, which was witnessed by none other than cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, turned out to be a fierce contest between the two European sides. While the Netherlands took the early initiative and attacked continuously in the first two quarters, Belgium made a strong comeback after the change of ends. Belgium, though, had the first chance but Tom Boon's deflection in the second minute went just wide. Minutes later, Hertzberger's reverse struck the side-netting. It was a midfield slugfest between the two teams as both created chances but lacked the final touch inside the opposition circle. When the men in orange upped the ante, the Red Lions displayed their defensive prowess.Netherlands will rue missing the two penalty corners they earned. Belgium, on the other hand, failed to secure a single penalty corner in the game. Two minutes after half time, Belgium skipper Thomas Briels' shot was saved by Dutch goalie Blaak. Belgium pressed hard in the final 10 minutes of the game, putting relentless pressure on the Dutch defence but a breakthrough eluded them.

In field hockey, Belgium wins the title, defeating the Netherlands 3–2 in a sudden death shootout. After regular playing time, the score was 0–0.

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Monday it had killed 62 militants in six air strikes on Saturday and Sunday in the vicinity of Gandarsh in Somalia’s south-central Banaadir province. The Africa Command (Africom) says four strikes were carried out on Saturday near Gandarsh, killing 34 militants, and two more on Sunday, which killed 28. "Africa Command and our Somali partners conducted these air strikes to prevent terrorists from using remote areas as a safe haven to plot, direct, inspire and recruit for future attacks," Africom said in a statement. The air strikes, among the deadliest this year, did not kill any civilians, the statement said. “At this time we assess these air strikes did not injure or kill any civilians.” The United States carries out regular air strikes in Somalia in support of a U.N.-backed government there, which has been fighting against an al Shabaab insurgency for years. Last month, the U.S. military said it had killed 37 militants. In Washington, the Pentagon cited 45 strikes against al Shabaab militants this year, after 35 strikes in 2017. As of August 2018, the Pentagon believes there were 3,000 to 7,000 al Shabaab fighters and 70 to 250 Islamic State militants in Somalia, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Robert Manning said during a press briefing.</s>The U.S. military over the weekend unleashed an intense air assault targeting al-Shabaab militants in Somalia, killing at least 62 in a series of strikes aimed at denying the terrorist group a safe haven from which to launch attacks. The first airstrikes claimed the lives of 34 militants while 28 others were killed on Saturday according to a statement issued by the Germany based US-Africa Command. Africa Command and our Somali partners conducted these airstrikes to prevent terrorists from using remote areas as a safe haven to plot, direct, inspire, and recruit for future attacks.” “We are committed to preventing al-Shabaab from taking advantage of safe havens from which they can build capacity and attack the people of Somalia,” the U.S. military said.

Six U.S. air strikes over the weekend kill at least 62 Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia, according to The Pentagon.

(AFP) — Moroccan authorities on Tuesday arrested a suspect following the murder of two Scandinavian tourists in the High Atlas mountains, the interior ministry said. The tourists, a Danish woman and another from Norway, were discovered with cuts to their necks in the tourist village of Imlil in Morocco's High Atlas mountains on Monday. Danish woman Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, has been named by local media as one of the victims who was travelling in the country with her friend. The Norwegian woman, who she was backpacking in Morocco with is said to be 28, but has not yet been named. Other suspects are being sought over the deaths of the two women — a Dane and a Norwegian — whose bodies were found on Monday with cuts to their necks, the ministry said. They were found with 'signs of violence' on their necks caused by a cutting device, the interior ministry said. Both women's bodies were found in an isolated mountainous area six miles (ten kilometres) from the tourist village of Imlil in the High Atlas range. The man was arrested on suspicion of murder in the city of Marrakesh about 60 kilometres north of Imlil, the ministry said. The pair had been both studying ‘outdoor activities and cultural guidance’ at a Norwegian college in the village if Bo, in Telemark, Danish newspaper BT reports. The Danish victim, Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, “had her throat cut,” her mother Helle Petersen was quoted by the Danish newspaper B.T. Her family had warned her against going to Morocco 'because of the chaotic situation', she added. According to Jespersen's Facebook page, she had studied in Norway to be a guide. Security was stepped up in the region and hiking suspended following the discovery of the bodies, local media said. Ms Jespersen was originally from Denmark but had been living in Norway for some time, according to her social media. Moroccan officials said an investigation had been launched into the 'criminal act', without providing more details. Ms Jespersen's mother, Helle Jespersen, told BT the family was 'completely broken', after being told the news of her daughter's death just before Christmas. Ms Jespersen has been described as 'adventurous' and 'always happy and positive' by her family, who had reportedly tried to get her to come home for the festive period. On November 21, Ms Jespersen wrote of her trip on Facebook: 'Dear friends, im going to Morocco in december. Any of you guys whos around by then or any mountain friends who knows something about Mount Toubkal?' [sic]' She had also posted pictures from previous trips in which he is hiking in mountains as well as skiing and kayaking. Imlil is as a starting point for trekking and climbing tours of Mount Toukbal, the highest summit in North Africa. Tourism is a cornerstone of Morocco's economy and the kingdom's second-largest employer, after agriculture.</s>The latest statement came as Moroccan authorities arrested three more suspects over the killings in the Atlas mountains, which have sent shockwaves through a popular tourist destination that has been relatively untouched by Islamist attacks. The tourists, a Danish woman and another from Norway, were found with "signs of violence" on their necks caused by a cutting device, the ministry said in a statement. The Moroccan government spokesman, Mustapha El Khalfi, described the killings as a “criminal and terrorist act”. According to a statement from the Interior Ministry, the women from Denmark and Norway were discovered on Monday with “evidence of violence on their necks” inflicted by a “cold weapon.” Their bodies were found in a “remote mountainous region” about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) from the centre of Imlil; the village typically is the starting point for treks to Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa. The killings have prompted concerns about the impact on Morocco’s tourist sector, which accounts for 10% of national income, as the kingdom’s relative security has been a major selling point.

Two Scandinavian women on a backpacking holiday were found dead in Morocco with cuts to their necks. The bodies were found in an isolated area in the Atlas mountains, near the tourist village of Imlil, Marrakesh-Safi. 13 men are arrested with links to a Jihadist group.

The Philippines' Catriona Gray was named Miss Universe 2018 in a competition concluding Monday in Bangkok, besting contestants from 93 other countries and delighting her home country. The 24-year-old Gray wore a sparkling red dress she said is inspired by a volcano in the Philippines as she was handed the crown to the delight of a roaring crowd that generally favoured Southeast Asian contestants. The 24-year-old singer and model said she wore red because “when I was 13 my mom said she had a dream that I would win Miss Universe in a red dress”. She said her mother cried when they saw each other after she won the competition, the 67th Miss Universe pageant. Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green was the first runner-up, while Miss Venezuela Sthefany Gutierrez was the second runner-up. The 24-year-old Filipina-Australian has become the fourth Filipina to bring home the coveted title. The office of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte congratulated the winner, saying in a statement: "Ms. Gray truly made the entire Philippines proud when she sashayed on the global stage and showcased the genuine qualities defining a Filipina beauty: confidence, grace, intelligence and strength in the face of tough challenges." Angela Ponce of Spain competes in the swimsuit competition during the 2018 Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok on December 13, 2018. Credit: LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images Last week, Summers sparked an online backlash when she posted a video commenting on the English-language abilities of two contestants. One of the few controversies of this year’s contest involved Miss United States, Sarah Rose Summers, seeming to mock contestants from Cambodia and Vietnam over their English language skills. The show was hosted once again by comedian Steve Harvey together with model Ashley Graham, and featured a performance by R&B artist Ne-Yo.</s>LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/Getty Images(BANGKOK) — Miss Philippines, Catriona Gray, has been crowned the new Miss Universe. Miss South Africa Demi, Leigh Nel-Peters and Miss Venezuela, Sthefany Gutiérrez rounded out the top three at the contest. The 24-year-old Filipina-Australian became the fourth woman from her country to bring home the coveted title at the 67th annual Miss Universe pageant held in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 16. The event took place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand aired on Fox and was hosted once again by Steve Harvey and model Ashley Graham. She bests 93 other ladies in the Miss Universe 2018 pageant MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Catriona Gray from the Philippines was crowned Miss Universe 2018 on Monday, December 17 (Manila time), in Bangkok, Thailand.

Filipina-Australian model Catriona Gray is crowned Miss Universe at the IMPACT Arena in Thailand.

Drivers crossing between England and Wales will have a few more quid in their pockets as the Severn Bridge tolls are scrapped from Monday. The abolition of the crossing fee - which was confirmed earlier this year - comes in time for the thousands expected to make their journeys home for the festive period. Charges on the original Severn Crossing have been in place since 1966, when the fee stood at two shillings and sixpence - the equivalent of 12.5p in today's decimal currency. Tolls have applied to the original Severn Crossing since 1966 and the second crossing, renamed the Prince of Wales Bridge in April this year, has always charged fees since it opened 30 years later in 1996. Experts have estimated that regular commuters will save around £1,400 a year from the removal of the toll, while some businesses could pocket around £55,000 in transport costs. The tolls were reduced on New Year’s Day this year when the bridges returned to public ownership, although the Government initially declined to scrap the charges altogether. The Government said scrapping of the tolls would provide an immediate benefit of over £100 million per year for Wales, and over a billion pounds of economic benefit over the next decade. Drivers had more recently had to pay £6.70 to cross the bridges linking Wales and England via the M4 and M48 motorways, though this was reduced to £5.60 in January as the fee was no longer run by the government and was therefore VAT free. “The end of the tolls is a major milestone for the economies of south Wales and south west of England, and will remove historic barriers between communities,” Mr Cairns said. “Scrapping the tolls means an end to generations of people paying to simply cross the border and delivering this has been one of my key aims as Welsh Secretary. “A week before Christmas drivers will no longer have to pay every time they cross the border, meaning more money in their pockets, helping them with the cost of living and leaving them with and more cash to spend in their local areas.” Chris Graying, Secretary of State for Transport, added: “We made a commitment in the manifesto to deliver free crossings over the Severn and that’s exactly what we’re delivering. ‘This move will put £1,400 a year in the pockets of thousands of hard-working motorists and help transform the economy in the South West and South Wales, creating new opportunities and helping drive future growth.’ Earlier this year, more than 30,000 people signed a petition against the Second Severn Crossing being renamed after the Prince of Wales. The new title, which has the agreement of the Queen and Prime Minister Theresa May, was to recognise Charles’ 70th birthday year and 60 years since he became the Prince of Wales.</s>The removal of the fee, which was £5.60 for a car, on the M4 and M48 bridges between south west England and Wales may save commuters up to £1,400 a year. Monday will be the first day since 1966 that a fee has not been required to journey over the original Severn Crossing, while the Prince of Wales Bridge has also required a toll since it opened in 1996. Tourism chiefs have called for toll fees on British roads to be scrapped as two bridges linking England to Wales are to become free to use for the first time in history. Image copyright MJRichardson/Geograph Image caption Maintenance of the two Severn bridges costs on average £6m a year Sunday marked the final day of a centuries-old tax of paying to cross between south Wales and south-west England before the toll is removed. The M4's Prince of Wales bridge will reopen as a free-flowing toll-free bridge "before morning rush hour" - at a time to be confirmed by Highways England - but with a 50mph (80km/h) speed restriction on temporary narrow lanes. Highways England plans to carry out further work on the bridges in 2019 to return both routes to a three lane motorway with the usual 70mph speed limit.

Tolls are scrapped for the Severn crossing bridges connecting England and South Wales, making travel across the River Severn free for all commuters for the first time in 800 years.

The European Court of Justice ruled earlier on Monday that Poland must immediately suspend a new law that lowered the age of retirement of its Supreme Court judges, provisionally backing the European Commission in its battle with Warsaw. The law was criticised for being a legal veil for a government-orchestrated purge of judges who did not align politically with the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), and thousands protested in cities across the country.</s>Earlier in the day, the EU's top court, the European Court of Justice, ruled that Poland needed to suspend a law that lowered the retirement age for Supreme Court judges and to put about two dozen justices the law had affected back on the bench. Polish President Andrzej Duda signed legislation late Monday reinstating around two dozen Supreme Court judges forced into early retirement. The April law backed by Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party lowered the judges' retirement age from 70 to 65, allowing them to stay on past that age only if they gained the permission of President Andrzej Duda. In Monday's ruling, the EU's top court found that the Commission's arguments about Poland's actions were not unwarranted, and that otherwise "the independence of that court may not be ensured" until the ECJ issues its verdict on the Commission's challenge.

Polish President Andrzej Duda signs into law the bill, passed by the Parliament of Poland three weeks ago, reinstating the Supreme Court judges who had been forced out of their jobs when legislation to lower the judges's mandatory retirement age was enacted in July. This addresses one of the issues that has been in dispute with the European Union.

The US-based luxury watchmaker Fossil Group has announced the launch of its seven products across its six brands in India. "At Fossil, it is our endeavor to provide our customers with the best of both, fashion and technology. With the launch of next Generation of smartwatches, we have amplified the technological features on the wrist while maintaining our aesthetically fashioned designs, creating an experienced individual to each consumer. We are certain they will enjoy it", says Managing Director, Johnson Verghese. The newly launched products include Fossil Gen 4 Smartwatch Venture HR and Explorist HR for Fossil, Skagen Falster 2 for Skagen, Michael Kors Access Runway for Michael Kors, Emporio Armani Connected for Emporio Armani, A|X Armani Exchange Connected for Armani Exchange and Diesel Full Guard for Diesel. The new product line comes with features like touchscreen digital display, Bluetooth technology, wireless syncing and magnetic charging, compatibility with iOS 9.3+ and Android 4.4+ (excluding Go edition) and long battery life. It is powered with Wear OS by Google and running Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 Platform. Gautam Sharma, Vice President Brand Strategy - APAC says, "Since our entry into the smartwatch market three years ago, it has been Fossil's mission to meld technology and design. 2018 has been our biggest leap so far: by adding significant features in terms of technology, without compromising our design ethos, Fossil's new generation of smartwatches provides consumers with one device for all their lifestyle needs. The smartwatches have features like a heart rate sensor, GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light, and microphone. "We are excited to finally launch the fourth generation of our Fossil Group products into India. This new collection comes with several new features, including a heart rate monitor, GPS and swimproof. With wellness being such a strong part of our daily lives, we know that our fans will fall in love with our new lines," Sharma said. According to a company functions like Heart Rate, and GPS will give users a 360-holistic way to track all parts of their lives while keeping true to the authentic creative spirit of innovative watch design that Fossil was founded on more than 30 years ago.</s>1. Lucas, A. M. S. & Peter, R. Avian Anatomy: Integument (US Agricultural Research Service, Washington DC, 1972). 2. Barrett, P. M., Evans, D. C. & Campione, N. E. Evolution of dinosaur epidermal structures. Biol. Lett. 11, 20150229 (2015). 3. Xu, X. et al. An integrative approach to understanding bird origins. Science 346, 1253293 (2014). 4. Di-Poï, N. & Milinkovitch, M. C. The anatomical placode in reptile scale morphogenesis indicates shared ancestry among skin appendages in amniotes. Sci. 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160 million-year-old fossil anurognathid pterosaurs are discovered that show feathery coverings, suggesting either deep common ancestry with theropod dinosaurs or independent coevolution.

A team of astronomers has discovered the most-distant body, 2018 VG18, nicknamed “Farout” by the discovery team for its extreme location –the most distant observed in our Solar System. Scientists have discovered the most-distant body ever observed in our solar system — located over 100 times farther than Earth is from the Sun. “All that we currently know about 2018 VG18 is its extreme distance from the Sun, its approximate diameter, and its color,” said University of Hawaii astronomer David Tholen.”Because 2018 VG18 is so distant, it orbits very slowly, likely taking more than 1,000 years to take one trip around the Sun.” The new object was announced on Monday, December 17, 2018, by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center and has been given the provisional designation 2018 VG18. The new object, discovered by Scott S Sheppard from Carnegie Institution for Science, David Tholen from University of Hawaii, and Chad Trujillo from Northern Arizona University in the US, has been given the provisional designation 2018 VG18. 2018 VG18, nicknamed “Farout” by the discovery team for its extremely distant location, is at about 120 astronomical units (AU), where 1 AU is defined as the distance between the Earth and the Sun. A statement from these astronomers explained: The second-most-distant observed solar system object is Eris, at about 96 AU. Pluto is currently at about 34 AU, making 2018 VG18 more than three-and-a-half times more distant than the Solar System’s most-famous dwarf planet. 2018 VG18 was discovered as part of the team’s continuing search for extremely distant solar system objects, including a suspected Planet X (with the X standing for unknown), also sometimes called Planet 9. This same group of astronomers – Sheppard, Tholen and Trujillo – recently discovered another small, outer body that’s been labeled 2015 TG387 and nicknamed The Goblin, because it was first seen near Halloween 2018. The Goblin was discovered at about 80 AU and has an orbit that is consistent with it being influenced by an unseen Super-Earth-sized Planet X on the Solar System’s very distant fringes. The existence of a ninth major planet (image at top of page) at the fringes of the Solar System was first proposed by this same research team in 2014 when they discovered 2012 VP113, nicknamed Biden, which is currently near 84 AU. Their statement explained: The Goblin was discovered at about 80 AU and has an orbit that is consistent with it being influenced by an unseen super-Earth-sized Planet X on the solar system’s very distant fringes … 2015 TG387 and 2012 VP113 never get close enough to the solar system’s giant planets, like Neptune and Jupiter, to have significant gravitational interactions with them. This means that these extremely distant objects can be probes of what is happening in the Solar System’s outer reaches. The team doesn’t know 2018 VG18’s orbit very well yet, so they have not been able to determine if it shows signs of being shaped by Planet X. “2018 VG18 is much more distant and slower moving than any other observed Solar System object so it will take a few years to fully determine its orbit,” Sheppard said in a statement. “But it was found in a similar location on the sky to the other known extreme solar system objects, suggesting it might have the same type of orbit that most of them do,” he said. The orbital similarities shown by many of the known small, distant Solar System bodies was the catalyst for our original assertion that there is a distant, massive planet at several hundred AU shepherding these smaller objects.” “All that we currently know about 2018 VG18 is its extreme distance from the Sun, its approximate diameter, and its color,” added Tholen “Because 2018 VG18 is so distant, it orbits very slowly, likely taking more than 1,000 years to take one trip around the Sun.” The discovery images of 2018 VG18 were taken at the Japanese Subaru 8-meter telescope located atop Maunakea in Hawai‘i on Nov. 10, 2018. Follow-up observations with Carnegie’s Las Campanas Observatory’s Magellan telescope in Chile determined its path, brightness, and color. Over the next week, researchers monitored 2018 VG18 with the Magellan telescope to secure its path across the sky and obtain its basic physical properties such as brightness and colour. The Magellan observations confirmed that 2018 VG18 is around 120 AU, making it the first Solar System object observed beyond 100 AU. But the researchers who found it are calling it “Farout.” They believe the spherical object is a dwarf planet more than 310 miles in diameter, with a pinkish hue. That color has been associated with objects that are rich in ice, and given its distance from the sun, that isn’t hard to believe. “This discovery is truly an international achievement in research using telescopes located in Hawaii and Chile, operated by Japan, as well as by a consortium of research institutions and universities in the United States,” Trujillo said in a statement. “With new wide-field digital cameras on some of the world’s largest telescopes, we are finally exploring our Solar System’s fringes, far beyond Pluto.” The Daily Galaxy via Carnegie Institute for Science “Spying on Earth’s Most Awesome Creatures” –Scientists Pursue Undiscovered Species of Whales Swimming Below Since the Eocene Artificial Intelligence Is Already Out There, and It’s Billions of Years Old” (WATCH Video) ‘Ghost Signals’ of Extraterrestrial Civilizations Haunt the Milky Way –Suggests the New Drake Equation (WATCH Video) “Odds That There has Never Been Another Civilization in the Universe One in Ten Billion Trillion” –A Joe Rogan Interview “The Mystery of Where Extraterrestrial Life is Hiding Deepens” “We’re Entering Uncharted Territory” –The Exoplanet Revolution May Reveal that Rise of Civilizations May Not be Unusual “The Big Rip” –When Matter and Spacetime are Gradually Torn Apart Through Expansion of the Universe “Humans are the First to Arrive at the Interstellar Stage” –Physicist Answers the Fermi Paradox</s>Astronomers have discovered the most distant body in the solar system, a pink micro-planet which has been nicknamed "Farout". Nicknamed 'Farout', the new object was announced by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center and has been given the provisional designation 2018 VG18. It is about 120 astronomical units (AU), where 1 AU is defined as the distance between the Earth and the Sun, and the first known Solar System object detected at a distance of more than 100 times farther than Earth is from the Sun. Astronomers don’t know much about Farout’s physical characteristics because it’s so faint. (Image credit: Roberto Molar Candanosa/Carnegie Institution for Science) Farout is 120 astronomical units (AU) from the sun — one AU is the distance between Earth and the sun, which is about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers). At this size, gravity will dominate over any material strength the object might have, and thus it should be spherical in shape,” said Sheppard. The color of the object is pinkish to red in color, which suggests it has an icy surface. "All that we currently know about 2018 VG18 is its extreme distance from the sun, its approximate diameter, and its color," David Tholen, a researcher at the University of Hawaii and part of the discovery team, said in a statement. “It moves so slow, that it will take a few years to see enough motion of the object to determine its orbit around the Sun.” Sheppard and his colleagues wouldn’t be surprised if a single year on Farout lasts more than 1,000 Earth years. The discovery images of 2018 VG18 were taken at the Japanese Subaru 8-meter telescope located atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii on November 10, 2018. Other extreme trans-Neptunian objects include Eris at 96 AU and Goblin, which was discovered earlier this year, at 90 AU. The object is more than 3.5 times the current distance between Pluto and the sun (34 AU), and it outpaces the previous farthest-known solar system object, the dwarf planet Eris, which is currently about 96 AU from the sun. "This discovery is truly an international achievement in research using telescopes located in Hawaii and Chile, operated by Japan, as well as a consortium of research institutions and universities in the United States," Chad Trujillo, a researcher at Northern Arizona University and the third member of the discovery team, said in the statement. (Image credit: Roberto Molar Candanosa/Carnegie Institution for Science) The research team is scoping out these ultradistant objects to search for the gravitational influence of a theorized super-Earth-size Planet Nine, also called Planet X, that researchers have posited orbits in the extreme reaches of the solar system. "2018 VG18 is much more distant and slower moving than any other observed solar system object, so it will take a few years to fully determine its orbit," Scott Sheppard, a researcher at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., and member of the discovery team, said in the statement. “Planet X needs to be several times larger than Earth in order to gravitationally push the other smaller objects around and shepherd them into similar types of orbits,” explained Sheppard. 'The orbital similarities shown by many of the known small, distant Solar System bodies was the catalyst for our original assertion that there is a distant, massive planet at several hundred AU shepherding these smaller objects.' Farout was first spotted using the Subaru 8-meter telescope in Hawaii in November, and then a follow-up measurement in early December by the Magellan telescope in Chile confirmed its existence. The Magellan observations confirmed that 2018 VG18 is around 120 AU, making it the first Solar System object observed beyond 100 AU.

Astronomers announce the discovery of trans-Neptunian object 2018 VG18, the most distant object in the Solar System ever observed at a distance of ~120 AU.

A Russian cargo ship dragged its anchor in strong winds off the coast of the Falmouth, Cornwall on Tuesday, relocating the 180-meter vessel to within a few meters of the coast. The MV Kuzma Minin had "dragged her anchor and grounded" between the Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches near the town of Falmouth, according to Britain's Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the ship moved back out into Falmouth Bay under her own power with the assistance of five tugs and a salvage vessel. British rescuers have refloated a Russian ship with 18 sailors trapped on board after it dragged its anchor and grounded off the southwest coast of England. The vessel, which had 18 Russian crew on board, has now been taken to Falmouth Bay to be inspected. Falmouth resident Jess Hughes described the weather on the Cornish coast as "extreme" and said it had been "horrendously windy" on Monday night.</s>Rescue vessels were heading to assist a Russian bulk cargo ship after it ran aground off beaches in southwest England, Britain’s coastguard said on Tuesday. The 180-meter long ship ‘Kuzma Minin,’ with 18 Russian crew on board, dragged its anchor in strong winds and grounded between the Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches near Falmouth in Cornwall, Reuters reports. There is no cargo on the vessel, which has 18 Russian crew on board. The Met Office is urging rush hour drivers to take care with heavy showers and strong winds expected to batter parts of the UK. An HM Coastguard spokeswoman said in a statement: "HM Coastguard is currently co-cordinating assistance to a 180-metre bulk carrier which dragged her anchor and grounded on the western side of the port entrance between Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches at around 5.40am. "The vessel has 18 Russian crew on board. There is no cargo on board. She says the ship carried no cargo and there were no reports of any pollution from the grounding. "Tugs are on their way to the vessel and a lifeboat is standing by at the scene. The Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team have cordoned off an area around the ship and planned to refloat the ship when the tide rose. The Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team have cordoned off an area around the ship.” “Tugs will be attached to the vessel and as the tide rises, the plan is to re-float the vessel.”

Russian cargo vessel MV Kuzma Minin runs aground and then is refloated off Gyllyngvase, Cornwall, and taken to anchor in Falmouth Bay for inspection, according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

(SEATTLE) — A National Weather Service storm damage survey team is heading to a town west of Seattle where a strong tornado blew through a neighborhood. A tornado touched down in the area of Port Orchard, Wash., on Tuesday afternoon. — NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) December 18, 2018 Footage from the region shows homes without roofs and trees that have been uprooted. READ MORE: Alaska earthquake: ‘Major’ damage left by 7.0 magnitude jolt There are no reports of any injuries at this time. Washington state averages 2.5 tornadoes a year, but December tornadoes are extremely rare, the National Weather Service service said on Twitter. Homes were damaged and trees uprooted in Kitsap County, west of Seattle, when the tornado touched down just before 2 p.m. WATCH: Rare tornado leaves path of destruction in Seattle suburb The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office called the damage “catastrophic,” saying it was contained to neighbourhoods east and south of a Walmart in Port Orchard. The sheriff’s department is asking everyone to stay off the roads Lund, Bethel, Salmonberry, Harris and Chase. “There’s going to be a dozen or so homes that people may not be staying in their house tonight and there’s definitely some commercial properties that sustained damage.” WATCH: Floyd Parkins joins Jennifer Palma from Washington state after witnessing the tornado that touched down there on Tuesday afternoon. Port Orchard is about 15 miles (24 kilometres) west of Seattle, across Puget Sound on the Kitsap Peninsula.</s>PORT ORCHARD, Wash. (AP) – Authorities say a tornado touched down near Port Orchard Tuesday afternoon, damaging several homes and toppling trees. Video from the television station’s helicopter at the scene shows trees down, homes with roofs ripped off and debris scattered across yards. The tornado touched down around 1:45 p.m. near the intersection of Bethel Road and SE Lund, then went northeast behind the Walmart and into several neighborhoods, rendering some homes uninhabitable, according to Deputy Sheriff Scott Wilson with the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office. WSP said downed trees and power lines in roadways have caused a number of outages, but crews are working to clear them and restore power. SE Salmonberry Road between Branson Drive SE and Harris Road SE is restricted to through access, Kitsap County Sheriff's Officials said. Some minor injuries have been reported, but no one has needed hospitalization, according to Poulsbo Fire. The National Weather Service in Seattle said on Twitter that based on radar imagery and video evidence, a tornado touched down south of Port Orchard shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday.

A powerful tornado touches down near Port Orchard, Washington. Several structures are severely damaged or destroyed.

Will never be treated fairly by these people - a total double standard of “justice.” — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018 New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood has accused the foundation of engaging in “a shocking pattern of illegality” that included unlawfully coordinating with Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. “The Trump Foundation was little more than a checkbook for payments from Mr. Trump or his businesses to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose or legality,” Underwood said in a statement at the time. Additionally, Trump and his three oldest children — Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump — are all barred from serving on the boards of this or any other New York State charity.</s>Nov. 23: N.Y. Supreme Court clears the way for state lawsuit against Trump Foundation Aug. 24: Trump Foundation: How New York's growing case could impact the president According to Underwood's office, the event was largely directed by Trump's campaign staff, which directed where the funds went. The dissolution of the Donald J. Trump Foundation resolves one element of the attorney general's civil lawsuit against the foundation, which includes claims that the President and his three eldest children -- Don Jr., Ivanka and Eric -- violated campaign-finance laws and abused its tax-exempt status. The lawsuit will continue in court because it also seeks two other outcomes: $2.8 million in restitution, plus penalties, and a ban on Trump and his three eldest children serving on the board of any other New York nonprofit. “Contrary to (Underwood's) misleading statement issued earlier today, the Foundation has been seeking to dissolve and distribute its remaining assets to worthwhile charitable causes since Donald J. Trump’s victory in the 2016 Presidential election," the attorney, Alan Futerfas, said in a statement. The most recent tax return filed by the foundation listed its net assets at slightly more than $1.7 million. In a statement, she said there had been "a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation - including unlawful co-ordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and wilful self-dealing, and much more". Rather than operating it as a genuine charity, the lawsuit alleges, they instead allowed it to be used "as little more than a checkbook to serve Mr. Trump's business and political interests." “We’ll continue to move our suit forward to ensure that the Trump Foundation and its directors are held to account for their clear and repeated violations of state and federal law.” The Trump Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Donald J. Trump Foundation agrees to dissolve under judicial supervision while a lawsuit in the state of New York is ongoing.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Tuesday issued a new rule banning bump stocks, the attachments that enable semiautomatic rifles to fire in sustained, rapid bursts and that a gunman used to massacre 58 people and wound hundreds of others at a Las Vegas concert in October 2017. The controversial handgun accessory, which allows shooters to fire bullets from semi-automatic weapons faster than would normally be possible, drew national scrutiny after they were used to kill 59 people in Las Vegas in 2017. Owners of bump stocks will have 90 days from when the regulation is published in the federal register — probably Friday, according to CNN — to either turn in their bump stocks to a local ATF office or destroy them. The National Rifle Association, however, said in a statement to NBC News that the rule should have offered "amnesty" to current bump stock owners because of a 2010 decision by the ATF that found bump stocks did not amount to machine guns and could not be regulated unless Congress amended existing firearms law or passed a new one.</s>Trump administration moves to officially ban bump stocks that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump administration moves to officially ban bump stocks that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly.

The U.S. Department of Justice issues a final regulation banning the use of bump stocks, which allow semi-automatic rifles to be fired at a rate similar to that of automatic weapons and became infamous following the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. It is scheduled to go into effect on March 21, 2019.

President Donald Trump launched the Pentagon's new Space Command Tuesday, an effort to better organize and advance the military's vast operations in space that could cost as much as $800 million over the next five years. “I also direct the Secretary of Defense to recommend officers for my nomination and Senate confirmation as Commander and Deputy Commander of the new United States Space Command.” Two defense officials told CNN that the Pentagon is nearing completion of a draft proposal for a Space Force that would sit under the Air Force, but have many of the trappings of a separate service, resembling the Marine Corps’ relationship to the Department of the Navy. SpaceCom, as it will inevitably come to be known, will be the Pentagon’s 11th combatant command, along with other well-known commands including Central Command and Europe Command. Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at Cape Canaveral Tuesday, said the new space command “won’t end there.” Pence said “in the days ahead, President Trump will also sign a new space policy directive that will lay out our plans and our timeline to create the new sixth branch of the armed forces, the US Space Force.” “We’re working as we speak with leaders in both parties in Congress to stand up the United States Space Force before the end of 2020,” Pence said.</s>When U.S. President Donald Trump announced his plan to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement last year, he said he was benching the United States in the global fight against climate change because he wanted the rest of the world to stop “laughing at us.” “We don’t want other leaders and other countries laughing at us anymore, and they won’t be,” Trump vowed from a podium in the White House Rose Garden in June 2017. “They won’t be.” But the name of a newly discovered amphibian species reveals just how hearty a laugh critics of the president abroad are having at his expense — and on the very issue he cited as he promised to protect American dignity. A London-based sustainable building materials company, EnviroBuild, saw a resemblance between the serpentine creature, which is nearly blind and burrows underground, and Trump, who has called the evidence of global warming a “hoax.” EnviroBuild, which paid $25,000 (U.S.) for the naming rights at an auction this month, said on Tuesday that it had chosen “Dermophis donaldtrumpi” in recognition of the president’s position on climate change. The announcement came on the heels of a weekend agreement by climate negotiators in Poland on the rules for implementing the Paris pact, which Trump sees as counter to U.S. national interests. The naming choice highlights the president’s dismal approval ratings around the world and is clearly designed to belittle him. And yet, it is further evidence that nearly everything now revolves around Trump, from “Matilda” statues to Barbra Streisand torch songs, as the former reality TV star has become a ubiquitous global symbol. His name is everywhere, from skylines to golf courses to magazines to songs to subreddits to a restaurant in Iraq. On Wikipedia, there is a “List of things named after Donald Trump” — does it matter whether the individual items are favourable so long as the list keeps growing? “Realizing the similarities between the amazing but unknown creature and the leader of the free world, we couldn’t resist buying the rights in your president’s honor,” Aidan Bell, EnviroBuild’s co-founder, told The Washington Post. The firm added a mop of blond hair to an image of an amphibian in the same family as the snake- or wormlike species to emphasize the visual likeness. As an amphibian, the company noted in a news release, the Dermophis donaldtrumpi is especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of climate change and is “therefore in danger of becoming extinct as a direct result of its namesake’s climate policies.” The naming rights went up for sale Dec. 8 at a “Species Legacy Auction” sponsored by Rainforest Trust, a Virginia-based conservation nonprofit that called the event “the largest species-naming auction in history.” The privilege of naming the “unusual wormlike” species, the trust said, drew the highest bid of any item in the auction, the proceeds of which benefited wildlife conservation. As an amphibian, the company noted in a news release, the Dermophis donaldtrumpi is especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of climate change and is “therefore in danger of becoming extinct as a direct result of its namesake’s climate policies.” “We saw this underloved amphibian and thought we could make some fairly cheap jokes about a public figure crawling on their belly,” Bell said. Despairing that the results of climate talks in Poland were insufficiently bold, and realizing that singling out a British figure “would risk hurting our sales too much,” he explained, “we decided Trump was the answer.” EnviroBuild acknowledged that the authority to name a new species is typically reserved for biologists. Bell noted that the title would have to undergo peer review, according to standards governing zoological nomenclature. But these rules have allowed for significant creative leeway, often to honour famous people. Former president George W. Bush, former vice president Richard B. Cheney and former defense secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld all have beetles named for them. Beyonce’s name graces a horse fly. A tree frog shares a name with Prince Charles. The Dermophis donaldtrumpi measures 10 centimeters (nearly four inches) in length, according to EnviroBuild. It belongs to a group of limbless amphibians called caecilians. Rainforest Trust said the remittance for the naming rights will go to protecting the creature’s home in Panama, where it was recently discovered by scientists. In the news release, Bell outlined why the name was appropriate. He footnoted his analysis elaborately. Among his sources were Trump tweets and official climate reports. The amphibian’s “rudimentary eyes,” Bell wrote, can perceive only light or dark. “Capable of seeing the world only in black and white, Donald Trump has claimed that climate change is a hoax by the Chinese,” he noted. He also observed that the title “Caecilian” derives from the Latin caecus, meaning “blind" The Dermophis grouping grows an extra layer of skin, he explained, which their offspring peel off with their teeth and eat. To ensure that his children “survive in life,” Bell observed, “Donald Trump prefers granting them high roles in the Oval Office.” The wormlike animals live mostly underground, “believed to have lost their limbs at least 60 million years ago, as an adaptation to burrowing,” Bell explained. Burying his “head underground,” Bell added, “helps Donald Trump when avoiding scientific consensus on anthropomorphic climate change,” as well as appointing “several energy lobbyists to the Environment Agency, where their job is to regulate the energy industry.” A sensory power in their tentacles helps caecilians find prey, a capacity that Bell likened — straining the metaphor a bit — to the many tentacles of the investigation being pursued by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Finally, it wouldn't be a Trump takedown if it didn't involve the size of his hands and the hue of his skin, although on this final point, Bell left the comparison unstated. “Being entirely limbless it is hard to determine whether caecilians have proportionate hands and their shiny skin is ringed with skin folds called annuli, generally grey, but with other genus’ often displaying more colour, even orange,” he wrote. The Dermophis donaldtrumpi is not alone among creatures bearing Trump’s name. Just before the president’s inauguration last year, an article in the journal ZooKeys dubbed a blond-haired moth the “Neopalpa donaldtrumpi.” “The new species is named in honor of Donald J. Trump, to be installed as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, 2017,” wrote the author, Vazrick Nazari, an evolutionary biologist in Ottawa. “The reason for this choice of name is to bring wider public attention to the need to continue protecting fragile habitats in the US that still contain many undescribed species.” He also offered this specific rationale for the label: “The specific epithet is selected because of the resemblance of the scales on the frons (head) of the moth to Mr. Trump’s hairstyle.” In another case, however, the naming is in fact meant as a tribute to Trump. In 2016, a restaurant owner, fossil hunter and author identified a new species of fossil sea urchins near Canyon Lake, in the San Antonio area. William Thompson told the San Antonio Express-News that he had chosen to name the species after Trump, his favoured presidential candidate. The small, round fossil, he told the newspaper, "was named to honour Donald Trump. The name will become a permanent part of the scientific record.” He added: “Obviously, I’m probably voting for him. I want change ... I want change ... I’d love for him to change the world, or at least the politics of the United States.” A physical resemblance to Trump appeared not to factor in his decision. A physical resemblance to Trump appeared not to factor into his decision.

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive memorandum to re-establish the United States Space Command.

The right-wing N-VA party quit the government after Michel sought parliamentary approval to support the global migration deal against its wishes, branding his minority government “the Marrakech coalition,” after the city where the agreement was signed just over a week ago. Key points: Mr Michel quit due to ongoing upheaval within his minority Government over the signing of UN's migration treaty The PM went to see the Belgian King, who is "withholding his decision" on what steps to take next The right-wing N-VA party quit the Government coalition just over a week ago Mr Michel told Belgian MPs: "I am taking the decision to offer my resignation. I have decided to resign and go to the King immediately.” In answer to calls for an early election, Michel refused, saying it would only lead to “stagnation for the whole of 2019”. The politicians had been demanding that he submit his new minority Government to a confidence vote, but Mr Michel had so far refused and a confrontation seemed likely this week.</s>Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has announced his resignation in address at parliament, says he will notify king.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel submits the resignation of his cabinet to King Philippe, after the biggest party in his coalition, the New Flemish Alliance, formally quit on 9 December over the government's support for the Global Compact for Migration. The King is withholding his decision.

Traffic has gone from bad to horrific back to bad.” On Tuesday, Musk unveiled the first mile-long stretch of his underground vision of a transit system in this suburb of 90,000 people about 24 kilometres southwest of Los Angeles. Autonomous, electric vehicles could be lowered into the system on wall-less elevators the size of two cars or spiral ramps. Mr Musk, best known as the head of Tesla electric cars and the commercial SpaceX programme, arrived at the launch on Tuesday in a Tesla car modified to work on the "loop" system. "The profound breakthrough is very simple: it's the ability to turn a normal car into a passively stable vehicle by adding the deployable tracking wheels, stabilising wheels, so that it can travel at high speed through a small tunnel," Mr Musk said. “The way the loop will work is you will have main arteries that are travelling at 150mph and when you want to go to an exit, you will have an off ramp,” he added. “It’s much more like an underground highway.” The entrance to the tunnel sits across the street from the SpaceX headquarters and the Hawthorne Municipal Airport, next to a single-family residence and behind some storefront-style buildings.</s>Tech mogul Elon Musk unveiled an underground transportation tunnel in Hawthorne, California Tuesday evening that could move people faster than subways.Musk also showed off the autonomous cars that will transport commuters through the test tunnel, which stretches about 2 miles under the city where Musk's SpaceX is headquartered. He unveiled elevators that he says will lower user's own cars from the street to the tunnel.In a grand entrance, Musk came out of the mile-long tunnel in a Tesla Model X. He hopes it can also be used for affordable housing.The event came almost exactly two years after Musk tweeted that "traffic is driving me nuts," adding that he intended to "build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging. Since then he has posted photos and videos on social media that showed crews making progress on the tunnel. Musk also plans to show off the autonomous cars that will carry people through the test tunnel, which runs about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) under the streets of Hawthorne, California, Musk's SpaceX headquarters.

Elon Musk opens the 1.6km-long Boring Test Tunnel in Hawthorne, California, which is designed to demonstrate technology that will transport cars at high speeds below the city.

WHO SAYS IT'S NOT FOR ME OR MY SIZE?</s>Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Artwork: The fireball was the kind of event expected to happen only two to three times per century A huge fireball exploded in the Earth's atmosphere in December, according to Nasa. The blast was the second largest of its kind in 30 years, and the biggest since the fireball over Chelyabinsk in Russia six years ago. But it went largely unnoticed until now because it blew up over the Bering Sea, off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. The space rock exploded with 10 times the energy released by the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Lindley Johnson, planetary defence officer at Nasa, told BBC News a fireball this big is only expected about two or three times every 100 years. What do we know? At about noon local time on 18 December, the asteroid barrelled through the atmosphere at a speed of 32km/s (20 miles per second) , on a steep trajectory of seven degrees. Measuring several metres in size, the space rock exploded 25.6km above the Earth's surface, with an impact energy of 173 kilotons. "That was 40% the energy release of Chelyabinsk, but it was over the Bering Sea so it didn't have the same type of effect or show up in the news," said Kelly Fast, near-Earth objects observations programme manager at Nasa. "That's another thing we have in our defence, there's plenty of water on the planet." Dr Fast was discussing the event here at the 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, near Houston, Texas. Military satellites picked up the blast last year; Nasa was notified of the event by the US Air Force. Dr Johnson said the fireball came in over an area not too far from routes used by commercial planes flying between North America and Asia. So researchers have been checking with airlines to see if there were any reported sightings of the event. What's the significance? In 2005, Congress tasked Nasa with finding 90% of near-Earth asteroids of 140m (460ft) in size or larger by 2020. Space rocks of this size are so-called "problems without passports" because they are expected to affect whole regions if they collide with Earth. But scientists estimate it will take them another 30 years to fulfil this congressional directive. Image copyright NASA Image caption Artwork: The NeoCam concept would aim to discover many of the undiscovered asteroids above 140m in size The meteor trail was seen by Nasa's Terra satellite Once an incoming object is identified, Nasa has had some notable success at calculating where on Earth the impact will occur, based on a precise determination of its orbit. In June 2018, the small 3m (10ft) asteroid 2018 LA was discovered by a ground-based observatory in Arizona eight hours before impact. The Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) then made a precision determination of its orbit, which was used to calculate a probable impact location. This showed the rock was likely to hit southern Africa. Just as the calculation suggested, a fireball was recorded over Botswana by security camera footage on a farm. Fragments of the object were later found in the area. Image copyright Himawari/JMA/Simon Proud/Oxford Uni Image caption Japan's Himawari satellite captures the fireball's steep descent Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Archive: Eyewitnesses and CCTV cameras captured the moment the Chelyabinsk meteor flew across the sky How can monitoring be improved? The latest event over the Bering Sea shows that larger objects can collide with us without warning, underlining the need for enhanced monitoring. A more robust network would be dependent not only on ground telescopes, but space-based observatories also. A mission concept in development would see a telescope called NeoCam launched to a gravitational balance point in space, where it would discover and characterise potentially hazardous asteroids larger than 140m. Dr Amy Mainzer, chief scientist on NeoCam at JPL, said: "The idea is really to get as close as possible to reaching that 90% goal of finding the 140m and larger near-Earth asteroids given to Nasa by Congress. She said that if the mission did not launch, projections suggested it would "take us many decades to get there with the existing suite of ground-based surveys". Dr Mainzer added: "But if you have an IR-based (infrared) telescope, it goes a lot faster." Follow Paul on Twitter.

A meteor, which measured several metres in size, exploded 26km over the Bering Sea, near the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia.

Contending that the United States has defeated the so-called Islamic State, or ISIS, territorial caliphate, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the Trump administration has “started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign.” She, however, stressed that “these victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign,” and offered that the United States and its allies stand ready to “re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary.” “We will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support and any means of infiltrating our borders,” she added in a statement. "In fact, with President Trump promising to the American people he would act only in the national interest— and that U.S. forces have accomplished their objective to defeat the Islamic State — there was no reason for them to stay any longer," Kazianis said. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders echoed that statement saying, "Five years ago, ISIS was a very powerful and dangerous force in the Middle East, and now the United States has defeated the territorial caliphate." Trump said on Twitter: “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.” His tweet followed a series of news reports that the U.S. was preparing to withdraw its troops from Syria. Responding to the reports, Pentagon spokesman Col. Rob Manning said in a statement that “at this time, we continue to work by, with and through our partners in the region.” The U.S. first launched airstrikes against IS fighters in Syria in 2014. In the years that followed, the U.S. began partnering with Syrian ground forces to fight the extremists. The Pentagon recently said ISIS now only controls just one percent of the territory it originally held during the Syrian civil war.</s>MOSCOW (Reuters) - A decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria creates prospects for a political settlement of the crisis there, TASS news agency reported the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying on Wednesday. The United States said it had begun withdrawing U.S. forces from Syria as U.S. officials said Washington was considering pulling out all its troops as it winds up its campaign to retake territory once held by Islamic State. TASS also cited the ministry as saying that an initiative to form a Syrian constitutional committee had a bright future with the U.S. troop withdrawal.

The Pentagon reports it has begun withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria, with a spokesperson saying that the coalition has liberated ISIL-held territory but also that the campaign is not over.

For more information, see: • South Sudan set to vaccinate targeted healthcare and frontline workers operating in high risk states against Ebola • Summary report for the SAGE meeting of October 2018 • Statement on the October 2018 meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee on the Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo • WHO recommendations for international travellers related to the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo • Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Operational readiness and preparedness in neighbouring countries Cumulatively as of 18 December, 549 EVD cases (501 confirmed and 48 probable), including 326 deaths (case fatality ratio 59%), have been reported in 12 health zones in North Kivu Province and three health zones in Ituri Province (Figure 1). Of the 319 believed to have died from the virus to date, 271 have been confirmed, the figures show. JUST WATCHED The last line of defense: How to stop Ebola Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH The last line of defense: How to stop Ebola 02:28 The World Health Organization (WHO) said efforts to contain the outbreak have been hampered due to "non-engagement" from local communities and armed conflict in the region. North Kivu, which includes the cities of Beni, Kalunguta and Mabalako, remains the epicenter of the outbreak, though cases have been reported in neighboring Ituri province, according to the WHO. For detailed information about the public health response actions by WHO and partners, please refer to the latest situation reports published by the WHO Regional Office for Africa: This outbreak of EVD is affecting north-eastern provinces of the country bordering Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.</s>JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Congo’s deadly Ebola outbreak is now the second largest in history, behind the devastating West Africa outbreak that killed thousands a few years ago, the World Health Organization said Thursday. So far this outbreak, declared on Aug. 1, has 198 confirmed deaths, with another 47 probable ones, Congo’s health ministry said. The response in wary places like Beni, where more than 1,000 people have been killed in rebel attacks in recent years, has at times been harsh, with some health workers attacked. Late Thursday, the World Health Organization declared this outbreak second only to the devastating West Africa one that killed more than 11,000 people from 2014 to 2016. Day by day, reports by health organizations note one new difficulty after another in this latest outbreak, even as their work sets milestones that have given new hope in the fight against one of the world’s most notorious diseases. Global health experts are urging the Trump administration to allow U.S. government disease specialists — "some of the world's most experienced" — to return to northeastern Congo to help fight the second-largest Ebola outbreak in history. In the Journal of the American Medical Association, one group noted that the U.S. government weeks ago ordered all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention personnel — “some of the world’s most experienced outbreak experts” — from Congo’s outbreak zone because of security concerns. A separate one in the New England Journal of Medicine said : “Given the worsening of the outbreak, we believe it’s essential that these security concerns be addressed and that CDC staff return to the field.” It is not clear how many Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workers are now trying to tackle the outbreak from Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, which is nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away. Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Over 300 people have died of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the World Health Organization is concerned the outbreak is not being contained.

Nicholas Slatten, a 35-year old former security guard for the private mercenary firm Blackwater, was found guilty of first-degree murder on Wednesday in the third trial stemming from his role in the notorious 2007 Nisour Square massacre in Baghdad, Iraq that left 14 Iraqis civilians dead and another 17 injured. However, prosecutors took so long to charge Slatten that the statutory time limit for bringing a manslaughter charge had expired, an error the appeals panel said also stemmed from an errant court ruling, a court found. A federal judge initially threw out the other indictments, saying prosecutors improperly relied on statements the guards gave State Department investigators immediately after the shooting, believing the statements would not be used in court. He was originally sentenced to life in prison while the three others were given 30-year prison sentences An appeals court has ordered that the three other Blackwater guards be resentenced. Prosecutors in the 2013 trial said Slatten was the person who “initiated the entire incident” when he fired the first shots “without justifications.” But in 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals threw out Slatten’s murder conviction and said he deserved a new trial. Slatten then received a retrial that ended in a hung jury in September, with the defence saying the convoy members had been acting in self-defence. According to the evidence, Slatten was the first to fire, without provocation, killing Ahmed Haithem Ahmed Al Rubia'y, an aspiring doctor, who was driving his mother to an appointment.</s>Former Blackwater contractor found guilty of murder in Iraq massacre More than a dozen unarmed civilians died in the mass shooting in a Baghdad traffic circle in 2007. Prosecutors charged that Slatten was the first to fire shots in the September 2007 massacre that killed 14 Iraqi civilians at a crowded traffic circle in Baghdad. Nicholas Slatten, of Sparta, Tennessee, was found guilty of first-degree murder in Washington for his role in the shooting, which strained international relations and drew intense scrutiny of the role of American contractors in the Iraq War. The defense has argued that Slatten and other Blackwater contractors opened fire only after Al Rubia'y's sedan, seen as a potential suicide car bomb, began moving quickly toward their convoy. An appeals court had overturned his 2014 conviction, saying he should have been tried separately from three other men. Slatten was retried last summer, but a mistrial was declared after the jury couldn't reach a unanimous verdict.

In a third trial, former Blackwater private military contractor Nicholas Slatten is convicted on one count of first-degree murder over the 2007 mass shooting.

REUTERS/Susana Vera MADRID (Reuters) – Four jailed Catalan separatist leaders, incarcerated since October 2017 ahead of a trial for their involvement in a push by the region for independence, called off a hunger strike on Thursday, their spokeswoman said. Former regional ministers Jordi Turull, Josep Rull and Joaquim Forn, as well as the president of the separatist civil association Catalan National Assembly (ANC) Jordi Sánchez, are currently in pre-trial detention on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds for their role in organizing a referendum on the prosperous northeastern Spanish region's independence from the rest of the country that was deemed unconstitutional by the judiciary.</s>BARCELONA, Spain — A spokeswoman for four jailed Catalan separatist leaders says they are abandoning their hunger strike more than two weeks after starting it because they consider that their protest has achieved its goals. Speaking on behalf of the politicians, who are awaiting trial for their part in last year’s attempt to secede from Spain, Pilar Calvo said Thursday the strike has drawn attention to the separatists’ plight and prompted Spain’s Constitutional Court to review some of their appeals, which enables them to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. Nico Krisch denounced a “grave interference in the democratic order” linked to the charges against Puigdemont, who lives in exile in Belgium, as well as Oriol Junqueras, Raul Romeva, Josep Rull, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Turull. Ex-regional ministers Josep Rull and Joaquim Forn joined two days later, AP said. According to the Constitutional Court, the appeals are following the “normal judicial calendar.”

Carles Puigdemont calls on Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Turull to end the hunger strike they started on 1 December.

Someone just paid $25,000 to name a worm-like amphibian after Donald Trump Donald Trump’s name is attached to a lot of things — Trump Towers, Trump University, The Trump Foundation (oops nevermind) — and now, Dermophis donaldtrumpi — a four-inch-long, worm-like amphibian from Panama. Dermophis donaldtrumpi is a caecilian, a word derived from the Latin for “blind.” The winning bidder, Aidan Bell, is the head of a sustainable building materials company called EnviroBuild, and wound up spending $25,000 to make the environmental and political jab. ‘Burrowing its head underground helps Donald Trump when avoiding scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change and also appointed several energy lobbyists to the Environment Agency, where their job is to regulate the energy industry.’ Even more unkindly, the company also drew attention to a similarity between the burrowing creature and Donald Trump’s approach to looking after their offspring. Bell also touched on the capability of the dermophis genus to grow an extra layer of skin that their young later peel off and eat, comparing the method, known as dermatrophy, to President Trump granting his children positions within the Oval Office to ensure their “survival in life.” The newly discovered creature tends to spend a majority of its life underground, another characteristic that Bell found it shares with the president. https://t.co/PSCf5R7CZF pic.twitter.com/NpNG3Ogc9S — Tibor Hartel (@harteltibor) December 18, 2018 “As Demorphus donaldtrumpi is an amphibian, it is particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change and is therefore in danger of becoming extinct as a direct result of its namesake’s climate policies.” Bell told The Guardian the name was “perfect.” “Caecilian is taken from the Latin caecus, meaning ‘blind,’ perfectly mirroring the strategic vision President Trump has consistently shown towards climate change,” he said.</s>A London-based business specializing in sustainable building materials says it has paid $25,000 to name a newly discovered genus of wormlike amphibian after President Donald Trump. EnviroBuild announced Tuesday that it would be using Dermophis donaldtrumpi as the name for the caecilian — an amphibian with no legs and poor eyesight. The business says the name still will need to undergo peer review, but that other animals have been named after presidents in the past. Co-founder Aidan Bell authored a blog post that likened the qualities of the animal, which is native to Panama, to Trump. "Caecilians is taken from the Latin Caecus meaning 'blind,'" the post says. The animals can only see light and dark. "Capable of seeing the world only in black and white, Donald Trump has claimed that climate change is a hoax by the Chinese," Bell wrote. Rainforest Trust announced the auction in November, saying it sells naming rights for newly discovered animals to raise money for conservation. Traditionally, naming privileges have been given to scientists who discovered an animal, but the organization says it has been breaking with that tradition to raise money for 25 years. Dec. 17: Teen activist calls out climate leaders: 'You are not mature enough' Dec. 11: Almost all of the oldest, thickest ice in the Arctic Ocean is gone due to climate change The caecilian burrows its head underground, a trait the blog likened to Trump's position on climate change: "Burrowing its head underground helps Donald Trump when avoiding scientific consensus on anthropomorphic climate change and also appointed several energy lobbyists to the Environment Agency, where their job is to regulate the energy industry." The post also criticizes the high-profile positions given to Trump's children and references the Mueller investigation. In November, Trump cited his intelligence as a reason for his skepticism surrounding climate change. That came on the heels of a 1,600-page National Climate Assessment, issued by the Trump administration, which detailed the climate and economic impacts U.S. residents are projected to see if drastic action is not taken to address climate change. EnviroBuild isn't the first to name an animal after Trump. In January 2017, a scientist named a tiny moth Neopalpa donaldtrumpi, Time reports. Canadian scientist Vazrick Nazari chose the name partly to draw attention to U.S. environmental policies and partly because he believed the moth resembled Trump's hair style, according to Time. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to members of the news media while holding a meeting with governors-elect and members of his administration, in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington on Dec. 13, 2018.

EnviroBuild, a sustainable building materials company, pays $US 25,000 to name a newly discovered limbless amphibian Dermophis donaldtrumpi, after U.S President Donald Trump, in disagreement with his environmental policy.

A short section of the 134 Freeway between Glendale and Pasadena was officially renamed after President Barack Obama on Thursday, a tribute to the 44th president who attended Occidental College in nearby Eagle Rock from 1979-1981 while living in Pasadena for a portion of that time. Two large, green-and-white freeway signs were unveiled Thursday, one on the right shoulder of westbound State Route 134 at the beginning of the 210 Freeway at Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena, the other at the eastbound 134 in the vicinity of Route 2 in the city of Los Angeles near Glendale, according to Caltrans spokesman Marc Bischoff. “The president has often mentioned his fond memories of living in Pasadena and attending Occidental College, so it was very appropriate to name the portion of the freeway he traveled after him,” said state Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge. Signs for the stretch of highway on the 134 Freeway from State Route 2 in Glendale to Interstate 210 in Pasadena were installed this week, the outlet reports. In June 2017, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to rename a 3.4-mile stretch of Rodeo Road through southwest Los Angeles as Barack Obama Boulevard. “So many generous people can share in the accomplishment of this appropriate recognition of an inspiring, positive leader, ” Portantino said in a statement according to the Star-News. “What a great way to bring in 2019.” Reactions Shoppers at the Smart & Final store near the Pasadena freeway sign at Maple Street and Fair Oaks Avenue were unaware of the recent renaming.</s>(AP Photo/John Antczak) LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Caltrans has finished installing the President Barack H. Obama highway signs renaming a portion of the Ventura (134) Freeway after the 44th president, Sen. Anthony J. Portantino announced Thursday. A portion of the 134 Freeway in southern California has officially been renamed after former U.S. President Barack Obama.The signs were posted Thursday, renaming a stretch of the 134 from State Route 2 in Glendale, through Eagle Rock, to Interstate 210 in Pasadena as the President Barack H. Obama Highway.The designation was authorized last year.The former president attended Occidental College in Eagle Rock from 1979 to 1981 and lived in Pasadena.Obama was the country's 44th president. "This is an exciting day for Southern California and it showcases our deep respect and appreciation for President Obama," Portantino said in a statement on Thursday. “The President has often mentioned his fond memories of living in Pasadena and attending Occidental College, so it was very appropriate to name the portion of the freeway he travelled after him,” Portantino said in a news release. A year later in September 2018, state lawmakers gave the final approval and community leaders raised money for Caltrans to make the changes at a fundraiser hosted by Portantino and the Pasadena Community Foundation. It is an honor to be in a position to have helped facilitate this wonderful symbol of our collective respect for the grace and dignity embodied by our 44th President.” Portantino received offers from outside the state to pay for the sign, but chose to keep it local, the news release said.

Parts of the Ventura Freeway in Southern California is renamed as “President Barack H. Obama Highway” in honor of former President Barack Obama.

Israel has attacked Iranian forces directly in Syria, carrying out airstrikes on what it calls dozens of Iranian military targets in the country.</s>REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo France is a leading member of the U.S.-led coalition fighting militants in Syria and Iraq and has special forces based in the north of the country, deployed alongside Kurdish and Arab forces, and carries out air strikes against the group. US President Donald Trump earlier tweeted: “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there.” It was not immediately clear from Sanders’ statement whether all of the roughly 2,000 US troops in the country would leave and if so, by when. A decision to pull out completely, if confirmed, would upend assumptions about a longer-term US military presence in Syria, which senior officials have advocated to help ensure Islamic State cannot re-emerge. Brett McGurk, the US special envoy for the global coalition to defeat Islamic State, said last week that the group was down to its last 1 percent of the territory it once held in its self-styled “caliphate.” The group has no remaining territory in Iraq. He also questioned what Trump’s announcement meant in practical terms, saying there was no sign yet of a withdrawal of U.S. forces, whose presence in Syria Moscow calls illegitimate. The United States has started to withdraw its troops from Syria, the White House said on Wednesday, asserting that it has been able to defeat the Islamic State in the strife-torn country. “He (Trump) is cutting corners, risking a serious accident ... the coalition’s spine is the United States,” the source said.

Reacting to yesterday's announcement by the United States on the withdrawal of their forces from Syria, France's Defense Minister Florence Parly says on Twitter that ISIL has not yet been driven out of Syria.

The operations come after two ethnic Rakhine Buddhist men were found dead YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar forces are conducting new rounds of "clearance operations" in conflict-hit Rakhine state after 4 local Buddhists were attacked and two killed, the commander-in-chief's office said Thursday, December 20, with one of the incidents blamed on Rohingya Muslims. The violence occurred around the evening of December 17 along Pyu Ma creek in northern Rakhine state's Maungdaw township, the same area where forces waged a bloody crackdown against the Rohingya last year. More than 720,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after Myanmar launched clearance operations in August 2017, and UN investigators want the country's top brass prosecuted for genocide for alleged abuses carried out during the expulsion. Myanmar said it was defending itself against Rohingya militants who attacked police posts and has denied almost all claims of atrocities. But the commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing's office said in the statement posted to his official website Thursday that security forces were active again and had been carrying out "area clearance operations along Pyu Ma Creek." The post said the activity was sparked after two ethnic Rakhine Buddhist men did not return from fishing and were later found on the creek bank with their throats slit. On the same day two members of another ethnic Buddhist minority were attacked while fishing along the creek by 6 men "speaking Bengali language," but they escaped and were treated at a local hospital. The post said authorities did not know the identities of the attackers. Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingya as one of its national races and refers to them as Bengali to falsely imply they are newly arrived immigrants from Bangladesh. (FAST FACTS: Who are the Rohingya?) Tensions are high in northern Rakhine as the government seeks to kickstart a repatriation process but Rohingya in Bangladesh have refused to take part without being guaranteed rights, citizenship and safety. The Rohingya still in Rakhine are increasingly isolated, and several boats full of men, women and children trying to flee the state have been stopped in recent weeks and turned around. The minority has long been persecuted and subjected to apartheid-like conditions in Rakhine, with lack of access to healthcare and freedom of movement curtailed. Many fear that in their absence Myanmar is changing the landscape of their former homes for good, erasing all signs of their local history. – Rappler.com</s>Some of the available evidence that the commission is ignoring is contained in the following reports: • None The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar issued a 444-page report on September 18 detailing crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide by Myanmar’s security forces in Rakhine State and serious human rights abuses in Shan and Kachin States; • None The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a “flash report” in February 2017 documenting extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, torture, and other abuses by Myanmar security forces in Rakhine State after an attack on security posts in August 2016; • None The US Department of State issued a report on September 24 detailing widespread and systematic human rights abuses against the Rohingya in Rakhine State; • None Human Rights Watch has documented the widespread use of sexual violence against the Rohingya in Rakhine State, a massacre in the village of Tula Toli, and the widespread destruction of Rohingya villages in Rakhine State; • None Amnesty International has documented serious human rights abuses by the military in Rakhine State and identified some of the military units and officers responsible for atrocities; and • None The US Holocaust Memorial Museum and Fortify Rights issued a joint report in November 2017 documenting abuses by security forces including murder, rape and other sexual violence, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances, and forced displacement.

Myanmar's military announces it will resume "clearance operations" in Rakhine State after a recent spike in attacks by unidentified assailants. In the past week, two Rakhine fishermen and a teenager were found murdered after they were reported missing, while two Maramagyi villagers were kidnapped and stabbed but managed to escape their abductors.

LONDON — Drones spotted over the runway forced the shutdown of London's Gatwick Airport on Thursday during one of the busiest times of the year, stranding or delaying tens of thousands of Christmas-season travellers and setting off a hunt for the operator of the intruding aircraft. The prospect of a deadly collision between what police called "industrial"-grade drones and an airliner led authorities to stop all flights in and out. Police said that they had no doubt the intrusion was a deliberate attempt to disrupt operations at the airport during a peak period but that there were "absolutely no indications to suggest this is terror-related." About 20 police units from two forces tried in vain to find the drone operator as soon as the first unmanned aircraft was spotted above Gatwick on Wednesday evening. Police told airport officials it was too risky to try to shoot down the drones — stray bullets might kill someone. "Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears. When we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears," said Sussex Police Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw. He said the newer-generation drones are bigger and have more range, making it harder for police to zero in on the person controlling the device. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said the military would be deployed to help police. He said the armed forces would bring "unique capabilities" but gave no details. Drones could get sucked into a jet engine or crash through a windshield, incapacitating the pilot. The crisis at Gatwick had a ripple effect on air travel in Britain, continental Europe and beyond as incoming flights were sent to other locations and outgoing ones were stopped. Travellers described freezing conditions overnight at Gatwick as hundreds slept on benches and floors, and passengers and their families complained they weren't being kept informed about re-routed flights. "We understand it's an emergency situation, but the lack of information is really surprising," said Vanessa Avila, an American based in Britain who works for the U.S. military. Her mother was on a flight from Florida to Gatwick that ended up landing in the northern English city of Manchester.</s>That optimism was short-lived, as just 44 minutes later the airport announced another drone had been sighted and the airfield was again closed. According to the Guardian, which is providing live coverage of the ongoing disruption, Chris Woodroofe, the airport's chief operating officer, apologized to passengers and explained during a Sky News interview that the drones would not be shot down because of the risks posed by stray bullets. Stewart Wingate, the airport's CEO, called it "criminal behaviour," targeted activity meant to shut down the airport and "bring maximum disruption in the run up to Christmas."

Gatwick Airport in West Sussex, England, is shut down intermittently since Wednesday night, after drones are seen flying over the airfield. Police believe it is "a deliberate act to disrupt the airport". Hundreds of thousands of passengers are affected.

“But I wasn’t sure I had all the answers to the more technical questions so I got in touch with the World Health Organization (WHO) for assistance.” And so Mama Mwatatu teamed up with WHO’s community engagement team and her two weekly shows expanded from 30 minutes to an hour. An upsurge of fighting in the east of the mineral-rich part of Democratic Republic of the Congo has exacerbated the spread of the world’s second largest Ebola outbreak.</s>LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - With an Ebola epidemic raging and millions caught in a forgotten “catastrophe” of conflict and hunger, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was the most neglected crisis of 2018, according to an annual Thomson Reuters Foundation poll of aid agencies. This year's survey was unusual for the high number of "most forgotten crises", with experts also listing the Central African Republic, Lake Chad Basin, Yemen, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Burundi, Nigeria and, for the first time, Venezuela. But Congo's "mega-crisis" barely made headlines, they said, even as the country gears up for landmark elections on Sunday which some fear could stoke further unrest. "The brutality of the conflict is shocking, the national and international neglect outrageous," said Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council. "I visited Congo this year and have seldom witnessed such a gap between needs and assistance." “I visited Congo this year and have seldom witnessed such a gap between needs and assistance.” Congo, where 13 million people in a population of 82 million need help, also topped the annual Thomson Reuters Foundation poll in 2017, but agencies said the situation had deteriorated. Six of 21 agencies polled named Congo as the most neglected crisis, including WFP, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, ActionAid, International Rescue Committee, and Christian Aid. ActionAid's humanitarian advisor Rachid Boumnijel urged the international community to redouble efforts to end years of conflict characterised by sexual brutality. "It's been a catastrophe for the country, and for women and girls particularly," Boumnijel said. Christian Aid's head of humanitarian programmes Maurice Onyango said the violence had caused "large-scale trauma", with children witnessing parents and siblings being murdered. An upsurge of fighting in the east of the mineral-rich country has also exacerbated the spread of the world's second largest Ebola outbreak, agencies said. The Central African Republic, where armed groups control much of the country and 60 per cent of the population needs assistance, came a close second in the poll. Listed as the most neglected by OCHA, UNICEF, MercyCorps, Plan International, and Caritas, the country has been racked by violence since mainly Muslim rebels ousted the president in 2013, provoking a backlash from Christian militias. Armed groups are increasingly targeting schools, hospitals, mosques and churches, while attacks on aid workers have impacted a "chronically underfunded" humanitarian response, they said. U.N. children’s agency UNICEF said thousands of children had been trapped in armed groups or subjected to sexual violence. "The crisis is growing increasingly desperate and resources are at breaking point," added UNICEF emergencies director Manuel Fontaine. U.N. appeals for both DRC and CAR are less than 50 percent funded. "Central African Republic is in a death spiral," said Caritas Secretary General Michel Roy. "While governments and the world's media have turned their backs, we must not. It’s the only hope CAR has left.” Plan International said the media neglected complex crises like CAR and DRC because they lacked the shock factor of a sudden disaster like Indonesia’s huge earthquake in September.

The annual Thomson Reuters poll among aid agencies shows that the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with its war, hunger and Ebola outbreak, is perceived as the most neglected crisis of 2018. The Central African Republic, with its civil war, is a close second.

Curious spectators flocked to White Rock’s waterfront to see the debris that washed up on the beach in the aftermath of Thursday’s wind storm — including three boats and chunks of the city’s landmark pier. Oren Perry, 42, was caught on the far end of the pier in White Rock, B.C., after it collapsed in the early afternoon. BC Hydro said about 155,000 customers were still without power by midday Friday and some could be in the dark for days as crews work to repair outages on Vancouver Island, Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast and Fraser Valley. It's one of several communities dealing with the aftermath of Thursday's storm, which BC Hydro is describing as among the most severe in many years. The storm – with gusts of up to 100 km/h and described by BC Hydro as “one of the most severe storms BC Hydro has experienced in years” – has dealt the 100-year-old structure a vicious beating. The city says pools are also closed because people can’t take showers prior to getting into the water as per health and safety regulations.</s>VANCOUVER — A person who was stranded on a pier in White Rock, B.C., has been rescued after part of the structure collapsed in strong winds. The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria says on Twitter one of its helicopters successfully hoisted the person to safety. Parts of southern British Columbia were hit by a powerful wind storm today that left thousands of BC Hydro customers without power on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast. BC Hydro says about 330,000 customers late Thursday afternoon didn’t have electricity on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and on the Sunshine Coast. Environment Canada issued a wind warning for those areas saying a powerful low pressure system was sweeping into the B.C. coast, bringing winds in the range of 70 to 90 km/h with gusts up to 100 km/h. The winds also prompted cancellations or delays at BC Ferries for sailings between Nanaimo and Horseshoe Bay, Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, Tsawwassen to Duke Point and Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands. Rainfall warnings were posted for Howe Sound, the Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon, with Environment Canada saying 50 millimetres could drench those regions by Friday. Snowfall or winter storm warnings were also up for mountain passes to and from the Interior with Environment Canada advising of rapidly accumulating snow on sections of a number of highways including the Sea-to-Sky, Coquihalla, Highway 3 and Highway 1 between Eagle Pass and Rogers Pass.

Severe windstorms in Vancouver and Vancouver Island damage houses, damage roads, and destroy a 100 year old pier in White Rock, British Columbia. One person stranded on the pier is rescued by helicopter. Several highways were closed due to trees falling.

The tour bus, which had the company name Eyre Bus, Tour, Travel on the side, was parked Wednesday night in the 700 block of Pennsylvania Avenue near the Navy Memorial and across the street from the National Archives. Skagway, Alaska, native and Mayor Monica Adams Carlson, 61, and 85-year-old Cora Louise Adams of Elbe, Washington, were in the crosswalk on the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th Street Northwest when they were struck by a 2013 Prevost H3 passenger bus shortly after 9:30 p.m. D.C. police said they believe the bus was traveling northbound on 7th Street Northwest and made a left turn onto Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest when it struck the mother and daughter. They were taken to a hospital with injuries that police had said were life-threatening.</s>ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Residents of a tiny Alaska town are grieving the death of their mayor, who was fatally struck by a bus with her elderly mother during a visit to Washington, D.C. Metropolitan police say 61-year-old Skagway Mayor Monica Carlson and her 85-year-old mother, Cora Adams of Elbe, Washington, died at a hospital after the Wednesday night crash near the National Mall. The Eyre bus was making a left turn onto Pennsylvania Avenue when it struck Monica Adams Carlson and her mother, 85-year-old Cora Louise Adams, as they were in the crosswalk, the Metropolitan Police Department said. Blaine Mero, office administrator for the Skagway Chamber of Commerce, says locals in the town of about 1,000 are in shock and grief over the news. Carlson was a write-in candidate who was elected to a 2-year term in 2017, according to the town's radio station KHNS-FM.

The Mayor of Skagway, Alaska, Monica Carlson, as well as her mother, are killed after being struck by a tour bus in Washington, D.C. while preparing to visit the White House.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Police and hundreds of yellow jacket protesters upset over high taxes and living costs clashed Friday in Brussels. Dozens were detained as the grassroots movement that started in France two weeks ago… BRUSSELS (AP) — Police and hundreds of yellow jacket protesters upset over high taxes and living costs clashed Friday in Brussels. Dozens were detained as the grassroots movement that started in France two weeks ago gained traction in Belgium. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons on protesters, who threw rocks and paving stones after they were blocked from approaching government buildings and offices in Brussels. “Our officers started to use water cannons after they began throwing objects. They were throwing pool balls,” said Brussels city police spokeswoman Ilse Van De Keere, estimating that over 300 people were involved in the clashes. A riot police cordon charged protesters after they attacked two police vehicles, overturning one and setting both alight. Road signs were uprooted and traffic lights smashed. Around 60 people were charged with disturbing public order. Many were carrying objects that police considered to be dangerous, including razor blades, tire levers and pepper spray, she said. Some were detained for having gas, ski and diving masks. The Brussels prosecutors’ office said one person was detained for carrying a weapon and a second for willfully causing damage, while a third was being questioned by police over alleged drug offenses. It said an investigation has been opened into the torching of the police vehicles. Prime Minister Charles Michel tweeted: “all my support to forces of law and order which ensure our safety and guarantee our freedom. No impunity for the inadmissible violence in Brussels. Thugs and pillagers should be punished.” His interior minister, Jan Jambon, lamented in a tweet what he described as “incomprehensible violence toward the police, which does its best to protect citizens and society. Scandalous.” Earlier, dozens of protesters wearing the movement’s high visibility vests blocked city streets, sometimes with pieces of scaffolding, causing traffic chaos along major roads. Some handed out vests to bystanders and people stuck in cars. As they marched, some protesters chanted “We are the people!” and held up placards marked: “Union is Strength” and “Shame on the Police.” Michel has said he is willing to talk with some of their leaders, but it was not immediately clear whether any meeting had taken place. Protest roadblocks were also in place near the city of Charleroi, 60 kilometers (38 miles) south of Brussels. It’s unclear exactly who the protesters are. Small rallies and roadblocks have been going on in the French-speaking south of Belgium for about two weeks. Some appeared linked to high fuel prices, seen as the cause of the protest movement in neighboring France. Belgian media say many are out in the streets over high taxes and food prices, low wages and pensions, but some question whether the movement is being exploited by far-left and far-right groups. Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian prosecutors have dropped their case against former directors of Fortis, 10 years after the Belgian-Dutch bank’s collapse during the global financial crisis. FILE PHOTO: Belgian-Dutch financial services group Fortis Chief Executive Herman Verwilst and Chairman of the Board Maurice Lippens (R) attend a group's information session for shareholders in Brussels August 20, 2008. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir Brussels prosecutors said that they had decided not to pursue charges against seven ex-directors because it had not found sufficient proof that they had wilfully given over-optimistic information to shareholders. “If we want to prove fraud then we need to show they knowingly attached too low a risk to the sub-primes, in other words were too positive... It is difficult to say that they should have known better,” said prosecutor Ine Van Wymersch. She noted that Belgian insurer Ageas (AGES.BR), the legal successor to Fortis, was set to pay shareholders 1.3 billion euros by way of compensation. Part of the reason for the pursuit of the ex-directors was to secure damages for Fortis shareholders who had lost their money. Seven ex-directors, including former chairman Maurice Lippens and former CEO Jean-Paul Votron, were accused in 2013 of misleading investors during Fortis’s purchase of part of Dutch lender ABN AMRO and before its 2008 collapse. Allegations by the prosecutors revolved around whether communications to investors about Fortis’s exposure to U.S. sub-prime assets were insufficient or too late, such as at the time of a capital increase when Fortis bought part of ABN AMRO. The seven would have been the first in Belgium to face trial over banking failures during the crisis, which also forced bailouts for Franco-Belgian group Dexia (DEXI.BR) and Belgian company KBC (KBC.BR). Fortis, once one of Europe’s largest banks, got into trouble after paying a top-of-the-market 24 billion euros ($27.4 billion) to buy the Dutch operations of ABN AMRO just before the credit crunch struck. Shareholder groups have complained that Lippens and Votron repeatedly assured markets that Fortis’s balance sheet was strong and that it would not be changing its dividend policy. In June, 2008, Fortis scrapped its interim dividend and sold new shares to prop itself up before it collapsed and was broken up in October 2008.

Ten years after the collapse of Belgian financial group Fortis in the financial crisis of 2007–2008, the prosecutor in Brussels decides to drop the case against seven former directors. The prosecution argues that it found insufficient evidence that they knowingly misled shareholders with over-optimistic company information.

Denmark has passed a law requiring any new citizens to shake hands at their naturalization ceremony.Some of the mayors who are expected to take part in the ceremonies have complained that the new law signed on Thursday uses them against the populace.It was decided over the summer that new citizens should take part in a ceremony where they sign a declaration pledging their belief in Danish values.The new law means that as part of the ceremony a new citizen will have to shake hands with an official.He previously told the Eskra Bladet tabloid that shaking hands 'must simply be a demand. According to the New York Times (NYT), citing Danish lawmakers, the new ruling is aimed at Muslims as some of them refuse to touch members of the opposite sex on religious grounds. The law, which is to come in force on January 1, was a reaction of "Muslim immigration to Denmark over a long time", the New York Times reports, referencing Martin Henriksen, a Danish lawmaker and a People's Party's spokesman on immigration.</s>COPENHAGEN — Denmark will require anyone who takes Danish citizenship to shake hands at the naturalization ceremony, under a law passed on Thursday, which lawmakers say is aimed at Muslims who refuse on religious grounds to touch members of the opposite sex. “If you arrive in Denmark, where it’s custom to shake hands when you greet, if you don’t do it it’s disrespectful,” said Martin Henriksen, a lawmaker who has been critical of Islam and is the right-wing Danish People’s Party’s spokesman on immigration.

Denmark passes a law that requires new citizens to shake hands with a Danish official at their naturalization ceremony. It is widely believed that the law was made to spite potential Muslim immigrants, who usually refuse to shake hands with people of the opposite gender. Several Danish municipalities are openly looking for loopholes in the law.

Breaking bread may bring people together, but baking bread seems to intimidate many home chefs. At least, that’s the response I get from others when I make this bread. Everyone always appears stunned that I whipped up a loaf of French bread so easily and that it’s so good. But it actually is really easy, just five ingredients and five easy steps, and voila! You’ve got a delicious loaf of bread that will impress and satisfy dinner party guests or that friend coming by for a glass of wine. Smother it with butter, pesto (See the December 13 Reporter), Brie, figs and goat cheese, or anything you’d like! My nine-year-old son loves it too and has me make it for him and his friends during movie time when he hosts sleepovers. 1. Combine the water, honey, salt and yeast in a glass bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until there’s some bubbling, foamy stuff on top. 2. Add a bunch of flour. I use regular white organic flour and usually start with a full 3½ cups and add as I knead. 3. Keep kneading until it is no longer sticky. You want your dough to be sticking to itself, not your fingers. So keep adding flour and keep kneading until that happens. 4. Form the dough into a loaf shape. Cover with a towel and let sit on the counter for 20 minutes (or on top of the preheating oven if your kitchen is cold). This is the time to set the oven to 400 degrees. 5. After 20 minutes, cut slits in the top of the dough and bake for 16 to 20 minutes. Variations can be made by adding garlic and oregano, or cinnamon and raisins, or whatever you dream up! 1. In a medium bowl, combine the goat cheese, olive oil, honey and half of the tarragon, shallots and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. 2. In a separate bowl, toss the figs with the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and remaining tarragon, shallots and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Spread the goat cheese mixture on the sliced bread, then top with the figs. Cook’s notes: You can saute the figs before mixing them with the herb mixture. To make crostinis, toast the bread slices in the oven before topping them with the figs and goat cheese.

Protests break out across Sudan over rising prices of bread and fuel, resulting in at least eight deaths.

Abortion has become officially legal in Ireland after President Michael D Higgins signed the Bill into law today. The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018 will allow access to abortion on request for up to 12 weeks and on restricted grounds beyond this from January 1. More than 3,000 doctors were issued with clinical guidelines on abortion services yesterday. GPs will be able to provide terminations via medication for women who are under nine weeks pregnant. A woman will have three consultations with the doctor with a three-day delay between the first and second meeting. Amnesty International welcomed the signing into law of the Bill, saying it was a "historical milestone" for Ireland. “We welcome Ireland’s new abortion law as both a historical milestone for this country and an inspiration for millions of people globally," said Sorcha Tunney, Campaign Coordinator of It’s Time campaign for Amnesty International Ireland. "Ireland’s abortion law was one of the most restrictive in the world, and today that is finally ending.” “Today is also a day to reflect on where we have come from. For over 35 years, women and girls have been denied access to safe and legal abortion beyond when their life was at risk. Hundreds of thousands of women and girls were forced to travel, forced into secrecy and shame. They were gravely denied their human rights. "We look forward to the full implementation of the Act but will be looking to engage with the Department of Health in its three-year review. We will continue our campaigning to make sure the law is human rights compliant, and that pregnant people are not prevented from accessing the healthcare they need,” Ms Tunney said.</s>The announcement comes a day after abortion officially became legal in the Republic of Ireland after President Michael D Higgins signed new legislation into law. Abortion services are not expected to be available in a full fashion throughout the country from January 1st, although are set to become more widely available as more medical professionals are trained. The Irish Parliament finally passed a bill that legalized abortion earlier this month after voters repealed the ban. A statement released by Áras an Uachtaráin on Thursday evening said: “Having considered the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018, the President has signed the Bill and it has accordingly become law.” The Bill finished its final stage in the Seanad earlier this month after weeks of sometimes heated debate in both the Dáil and Seanad. The legislation will allow abortions for up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy, and in very limited circumstances - such as when there is a risk to the life of the pregnant woman - after that. Thanking campaigners who had “fought for 35 years to change a nation, to change hearts and minds”, Health Minister Simon Harris called the passing of the bill though the Oireachtas as a “genuinely historic moment”.

Irish President Michael D. Higgins signs a bill making abortion legal in the Republic of Ireland for the first time.

"Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position," Mattis wrote in his letter to the President Earlier Thursday, a senior administration official told CNN's Jake Tapper that Mattis was "vehemently opposed" to the Syria decision and a possible Afghanistan troop withdrawal. In his resignation letter, General Mattis said he was stepping down so Mr Trump could have a defence chief whose views align more closely with his own. Read more: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis quits, says his views aren't 'aligned' with Trump as president upends major US policies On Thursday, President Donald Trump tweeted that Mattis was "retiring, with distinction, at the end of February." Syria decision JUST WATCHED CNN reporter: Mattis is falling on his sword Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH CNN reporter: Mattis is falling on his sword 04:47 Mattis' resignation comes just a day after the President ordered the "full" and "rapid" withdrawal of US troops from Syria over the objections of Mattis, other senior officials and scores of lawmakers, who declared it a strategic blunder.</s>“This is an opportunity for the whole country to get a new secretary of defense who will be aligned with the president on these critical issues, whether you’re talking about in Syria, whether you’re talking about across the Middle East in general,” Miller told CNN. I greatly thank Jim for his service!” Mattis’ resignation letter was made public shortly after Trump’s surprise announcement. “General Jim Mattis will be retiring, with distinction, at the end of February, after having served my Administration as Secretary of Defense for the past two years,” President Donald Trump tweeted on December 20. Trump touted the “tremendous progress” that has been made during Mattis’ tenure at the helm of the Defense Department and thanked Mattis for his service. REUTERS/Leah Millis Senator Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, called it “a significant loss and a real indication that President Trump’s foreign policy agenda has failed and continues to spiral into chaos.” WHITE HOUSE UNPREDICTABILITY The shifts in significant aspects of U.S. foreign policy and Mattis’ addition to the long list of senior Trump administration figures who have quit or been removed added to the sense of an increasingly unpredictable White House as Trump approaches the halfway point of his four-year term. The Mattis resignation letter also said that he believed the United States “must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours.” He identified Russia and China as countries that “want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model.” Mattis’ resignation was greeted with regret on Capitol Hill, by both Republicans and Democrats. On Thursday however, Trump praised Mattis for his service and for being a “great help” to him in getting allies and other countries “to pay their share of military obligations”. On Thursday, an official said the president was planning to withdraw at least 5,000 of the 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan - another blow to Mattis, who advocated for a strong U.S. military presence to bolster diplomatic peace efforts. In his resignation letter, Mattis said, “Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world.

U.S. Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis announces his resignation at the end of February 2019. Mattis says that his views are not well "aligned" with those of the President.

(KINSHASA, Congo) — Congo’s electoral commission has delayed the country’s long-awaited presidential election until Dec. 30, citing problems caused by a recent fire that destroyed 80 percent of the voting machines in the capital. The vote had been scheduled for Sunday. This is the latest of several delays in the election originally scheduled for late 2016, amid opposition concerns that President Joseph Kabila had been looking for ways to stay in power. After last week’s fire destroyed some 8 000 voting machines in Kinshasa, officials found replacement machines but had to get 5 million new ballots printed and prepared, said Corneille Nangaa, head of the national electoral commission. Nangaa called on the country of some 40 million voters for calm. On Wednesday the governor of Kinshasa, Andre Kimbuta, banned all election rallies in the capital, citing security concerns. That prevented main opposition leader Martin Fayulu from holding a rally. Thousands of angry supporters gathered but police dispersed them with tear gas. “No postponement is justifiable,” Fayulu’s coalition said in a statement later on Thursday, saying it would not accept the delay and accusing Kabila of trying to stay in power and “continue to loot the country.” Several people have been killed in recent days at chaotic opposition rallies in various parts of the country, leading the UN Security Council to issue a statement this week calling on DRC’s government to “swiftly investigate.” The council also called for a “violence-free environment”. On Deember 12, the UN’s special representative in DRC denounced “the obstacles encountered by some opposition candidates during their efforts to hold public meetings in certain cities around the country.” Among several incidents, Fayulu was prevented from landing in Kindu where he was scheduled hold a rally on December 9, according to his campaign manager, Pierre Lumbi. "I am concerned by the growing tensions ... and the risk of escalating violence that could lead to the commission of grave crimes," the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, said in a statement on Thursday. She warned that anyone who "incites or participates in mass violence" could be prosecuted. Other observers have expressed concern over whether adequate election materials have been distributed across the vast country that is more than three times the size of Texas. "We had seven years to prepare these elections and at the last minute the electoral commission gives the impression they are not ready for the vote," said Rev.</s>Derailed By Fire And Disarray, Congo Delays Presidential Election — Again Enlarge this image toggle caption Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images Three days before voters were finally to cast their ballots for president, authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared something that's become familiar: another delay.

The CENI electoral commission delays the election to 30 December after 80% of the voting machines in the capital were destroyed in a suspected arson last week.

Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev, NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor and European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst landed in a frigid Kazakhstan at 12:03 a.m. EST (5:02 GMT) Dec. 20, 2018, in their Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft’s descent module. Armed with a knife, scissors and other cutting tools, cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Sergey Prokopyev went outside the International Space Station on Dec. 11 to slice into the thermal insulation of a Soyuz spaceship and inspect the site of a repaired air leak that briefly caused a minor drop in air pressure in the research outpost earlier this year. The more than 4 minute long deorbit burn began at 23:09 EST on Wednesday, 19 December (0409 UTC on Thursday, 20 December) and decreased Soyuz MS-09’s velocity to lower the craft’s perigee, point of closest approach to Earth’s surface, into Earth’s atmosphere at a precise point to allow the Soyuz’s Descent Module to land at its primary location on the steppes of Kazakhstan. But the spacecraft’s quiescent existence was shattered on 29 August 2018 when a small air leak was identified by ground controllers throughout the International Space Station, a leak that was quickly traced to a 2 millimeter hole in the Orbital Module of Soyuz MS-09. Kononenko and Prokopyev’s dramatic spacewalk produced unforgettable imagery of the duo vigorously cutting into the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft’s black insulation, then into an orbital debris shield to inspect the site of a tiny 2-millimeter drill hole plugged in August with an improvised stopper of gauze and epoxy sealant. The rather dramatic looking spacewalk took place on 11 December, with Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Sergey Prokopyev cutting into the thermal blankets and pulling away insulation in order to examine the Orbital Module’s outer hull. The upper and lower modules burn up while the descent module, the only one protected by a heat shield, continues on to touchdown. The crewed Soyuz transportation vehicles are comprised of three primary sections, the Orbital Module at the top which physically connects the vehicle to the International Space Station, the Descent Module in the middle within which crews ride to and from orbit, and the Instrumentation and Propulsion Module which contains the propulsion, power, electrical, and avionics systems for the craft. However, the in-flight abort of the Soyuz MS-10 crew that was initially to join Expedition 57— NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin — caused the outing to be pushed to Dec. 11, several days after Soyuz MS-11 launched with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, NASA astronaut Anne McClain and Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques.</s>Ground personnel help International Space Station (ISS) crew member Alexander Gerst of Germany to get out of the Soyuz MS-09 capsule after landing in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, formerly known as Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan December 20, 2018. Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev, German astronaut Alexander Gerst, and NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor have delivered to Earth the pieces of evidence that Russian state space corporation Roscosmos and investigators need for their probe into the microfracture found in the orbital module of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft in late August.

Soyuz MS-09 lands safely on the steppe in Kazakhstan.

NEW DELHI: The Union Health Ministry today said that bats cannot be ruled out as the primary source of Nipah outbreak, nearly two weeks after a central medical team told it that samples collected from bats in two Kerala districts, where 17 people have died of Nipah infection, tested negative. The need for new tests to determine the source of Nipah outbreak deepens the mystery behind the spread of the virus. On May 26, the medical team in its report to the ministry said samples collected from insectivorous bats in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts tested negative. But Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey said today new samples of 55 fruit bats were collected two days ago and sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. The test results of the fresh samples are awaited. R R Gangakhedkar, head of Division of Epidemiology Communicable Diseases, Indian Council for Medical Research, said the previous samples were from insectivorous bats, which are not known to be Nipah carriers, and not from fruit bats. Gangakhedkar said an NIV team has collected samples of 55 fruit bats two days ago. The Nipah virus stays for a short duration in the body of fruit bats as their system is quite capable of fighting it. So even if a bat has been infected by virus earlier, their samples may test negative later. "Thus, there is need for a larger sample for testing," he explained. The Indian Council of Medical Research has suggested that samples of excreta of fruit bats be collected for testing. MoS Choubey urged people not to panic as the infection has been contained. The central medical team is examining the travel history of Mohammad Sabith, 26, the first person to die in the Moosa family that lost four members to the virus infection. He had travelled to Saudi Arabia, where he worked as a helper, and returned to India sometime back. The central medical team in its report last month had also ruled out pigs to be the primary source of the virus. A total of 21 samples, including from seven species of bats, two species of pigs, one bovine and one caprine, were sent to National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal and National Institute of Virology in Pune. These, included samples of bats found in the well near a house in Kerala's Perambra from where the initial death was reported. Seventeen people - 14 in Kozhikode and 3 in Malappuram - have died due to Nipah virus so far.

U.S. researchers say that the Marburg virus has been found for the first time in West African bats, notably in Egyptian rousette fruit bats in Sierra Leone. Marburg is a "cousin" of the Ebola virus disease, which too may be spread by bats.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican, called it a 'homerun agreement,' tweeting 'This deal will make life better for Cuban baseball players, who will no longer have to risk unsafe passage to the U.S.' Players have told stories of harrowing crossings on rafts and rickety boats - some later challenged as exaggerations. Major League Baseball and the Cuban Baseball Federation signed a historic deal Wednesday allowing Cuban players to come to the United States without having to defect or place their lives in the hands of criminal human traffickers. We believe that this agreement accomplishes that objective and will allow the next generation of Cuban players to pursue their dream without enduring many of the hardships experienced by current and former Cuban players who have played Major League Baseball.” Under the arrangement, Cuban players in the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) are broken down into two categories: FCB Professionals, and FCB Amateurs. FCB can choose to release players who haven’t met the age and service requirements, and MLB deputy commissioner Dan Halem explained to the Miami Herald that defectors can still make their way to MLB, but only in a way that is designed to be less desirable than just sticking in FCB for a few more seasons: If a Cuban player under 25 years chooses to defect in the future, such a player could still sign with an MLB team but would be subject to a waiting period of one to two years. Release fees that would go to FCB—between 15% and 20% of the total guaranteed value for Major League contracts, and 25% of the signing bonus for Minor League contracts, per the deal—will presumably help grease the skids for FCB Amateurs who seek permission to make the move to MLB ahead of meeting the service requirements for mandatory release.</s>Major League Baseball, its players and Cuba strike deal allowing Cubans to sign with big league teams without defecting HAVANA (AP) — Major League Baseball, its players and Cuba strike deal allowing Cubans to sign with big league teams without defecting.

Cuba's baseball federation and Major League Baseball reach a deal that will allow Cuban players to compete in the USA without defecting.

Authorities say his holdout faction of rebels from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia is behind a wave of violence rattling communities in southern Colombia. In a TV address, Colombia's president Ivan Duque revealed Arizala was killed in a "heroic operation" carried out by a special forces unit. It means many Colombians "can now sleep peacefully because one of the most horrendous criminals our country has ever known has fallen", the president added. A dissident rebel believed to be working for a Mexican drug cartel, and on the 'most wanted' lists of two South American countries, was killed Friday in a government operation, Colombia said. In September Duque said "Guacho" was wounded in a gunfight with Colombian soldiers in the jungle border region of Narino, the same area where he has now been killed. Walther Arizala, known by his nom-de-guerre of "Guacho," is believed to have ordered the abduction and murder of a three-man Ecuadoran press team on the border with Colombia early this year. They worked for El Comercio, a daily newspaper in Ecuador's capital Quito, and were covering a story about violence along the border. Of Ecuadoran origin, Arizala served as a guerrilla for 15 years in the now-defunct FARC movement and then led the Oliver Sinisterra Front, which authorities blame for the kidnapping and murder in April of an Ecuadoran couple, as well as for the journalists' deaths. Most Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels disbanded under a 2016 peace deal that ended half a century of conflict in Colombia, but more than 1,000 dissidents remain active.</s>Colombian armed forces have killed a Marxist insurgent commander in an operation aimed at ending his attacks on civilians after he kidnapped and shot dead three Ecuadorean media workers earlier this year, president Ivan Duque said on Friday. The president said Walter Arizala was killed during a “heroic operation” earlier in the day after a months-long, U.S.-backed manhunt that followed the kidnapping and murder of three Ecuadorian press workers in the turbulent border area. Arizala, who was part of the Oliver Sinisterra Front — a faction of the now-defunct Revolutionary Army Forces of Colombia (FARC) — was the subject of a monthslong manhunt after he kidnapped and shot dead three Ecuadorean media workers earlier this year. Colombia deployed more than 3,000 members of its armed forces to search for the group's leader "dead or alive", Reuters reports. "The message is clear; we won't take a step back in the defense of legality, life, honor and the property of Colombians," the president said. His small holdout faction of a few dozen guerrillas abandoned the country's 2016 peace process and was accused of drug trafficking, extortion and homicide across Colombia's volatile Narino state, which is home to the country's largest harvest of illegal coca crops. He led a small holdout faction of a few dozen guerrillas from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that was behind a rising wave of drug-related violence, including the March kidnapping of three newspaper workers from Ecuador’s El Comercio newspaper who were later found slain. Arizala’s Oliver Sinisterra Front has its base of operations in Colombia’s volatile Narino state, which is home to Colombia’s largest harvest of illegal coca crops.

Ecuadorian drug trafficker and FARC dissident Walter Arizala is killed in a joint police and military operation near Tumaco. Arízala was wanted for the murder of two Ecuadorian journalists earlier in the year.

UK police say 2 people arrested for suspected 'criminal use of drones' in Gatwick Airport case LONDON (AP) — UK police say 2 people arrested for suspected 'criminal use of drones' in Gatwick Airport case.</s>Two held on Friday night, police say, as airport bosses expect to run full schedule on Saturday This article is more than 8 months old This article is more than 8 months old A man and a woman have been arrested in connection with the “criminal use of drones” which has caused widespread disruption to flights at Gatwick airport, police have said. Planes were grounded again at 5pm when a drone was sighted above the airfield before air traffic resumed with severe delays on Friday night. Last night Sussex Police said in a statement: 'As part of our ongoing investigations into the criminal use of drones which has severely disrupted flights in and out of Gatwick Airport, Sussex Police made two arrests just after 10pm. "Our investigations are still on-going, and our activities at the airport continue to build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from drones, by deploying a range of tactics," Superintendent James Collis said. 'We continue to urge the public, passengers and the wider community around Gatwick to be vigilant and support us by contacting us immediately if they believe they have any information that can help us in bringing those responsible to justice. “The arrests we have made this evening are a result of our determination to keep the public safe from harm, every line of inquiry will remain open to us until we are confident that we have mitigated further threats to the safety of passengers.” Anyone with information was asked to call police on 101. After Friday evening's disruption Gatwick Airport said: 'Flights have now resumed at Gatwick following a reported drone in the area. Flights were temporarily suspended again on Friday evening when another drone was spotted near the airfield. Military measures were in place which meant it was safe to fly despite the "confirmed sighting", the spokeswoman said, The airport faced a total shutdown all of Thursday and part of Wednesday night when drones repeatedly violated its perimeter. The cat and mouse game with police started at 9pm on Wednesday with drones deliberately flown over officers and the Gatwick control tower while flashing on-board lights before heading for the runway if officials tried to reopen it. She said her flight with Ukraine International Airlines was re-scheduled for 7pm on Friday but it has now been pushed back until 10pm. Shooting down the drones causing chaos at Gatwick Airport is a "tactical option" being considered by police as bosses weigh up halting all flights on Friday. The chaos at Britain's second busiest airport has threatened the Christmas holiday plans of up to 350,000 people. ACC Barry said measures to tackle the drones now include 'technical, sophisticated options to detect and mitigate drone incursions, all the way down to less sophisticated options - even shotguns would be available to officers should the opportunity present itself.' Transport Secretary Chris Grayling is also under pressure to explain why Britain's second busiest airport has no anti-drone systems despite being early warning systems and jammers being common in the United States. Yesterday Gatwick confirmed that 'additional mitigating measures' were working and had given them 'reassurance' to re-open the runway at Britain's second busiest airport. Speaking on Friday, Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said the drone flights were “highly targeted” and have “been designed to close the airport and bring maximum disruption in the run up to Christmas”. Mr Woodroofe said the airport could remain closed for potentially all of Friday after drone activity was spotted again on Thursday night. He added: 'Last night working with a number of government agencies and the military we were able to put in place a number of additional mitigating actions which gave me the confidence to re-open Gatwick Airport this morning. “Our runway is open and we aim to run a full schedule – 757 flights scheduled today, carrying 124,484 passengers,” a spokesman said. Gatwick airport said on Saturday morning that it was open for flights but urged passengers to check with their airline before travelling. “Safety is Gatwick’s top priority and we are grateful for passengers’ continued patience as we work to get them to their final destination in time for Christmas.” The airport was plunged into chaos on Wednesday night when drones spotted hovering near the runway forced hundreds of flights to be cancelled, delaying and stranding thousands of passengers. Stewart Wingate, Gatwick's CEO, said on Thursday it 'cannot be right' that a major international airport could be targeted in this way. 'Although not for today, these events obviously highlight a wider strategic challenge for aviation in this country which we need to address together with speed - the aviation industry, government and all the other relevant authorities. One piece of equipment believed to have been deployed at the airport is the Israeli-developed Drone Dome system, which can detect drones using radar. It can also jam communications between the drone and its operator, enabling authorities to take control of and land the drone. Police and military experts were deployed to search for the operators of the drones, which reappeared near the airport every time the authorities tried to reopen the runways. When asked why someone would want to disrupt the airport, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: 'There's no sense of motive - there's no suggestion that this is a terrorist act. Some were left in limbo, waiting for hours at the packed airport to learn if their flights would finally go ahead. Passengers were left with Christmas plans ruined, with some forced to abandon holidays abroad while others struggled to return to the UK in time for December 25. Mr Woodroofe added: "We have had the police, we have had the military seeking to bring this drone down for the last 24 hours and to date that has not been successful so Gatwick Airport is still closed. Gatwick announced that the runway had reopened at about 3am on Thursday - but just 45 minutes later it was shut again. Passengers faced severe disruption as flights were unable to leave the tarmac at Gatwick, while many inbound flights were diverted to alternative airports as far away as Amsterdam and Paris.

Two people are arrested by Sussex Police and charged with "criminal use of drones".

A bus carrying college students and their teachers back from an educational trip veered off a mountainous road and lunged into a ravine in Nepal, killing 23 people and injuring 14 others. The fatal crash occurred on Friday when the bus was returning from Kapurkot in Salyan district. According to the District Police Office, Dang, there were 37 persons —34 students, two teachers and a diver, on the ill-fated bus, which drove off the road and fell some 700 metres down near Ramri village, about 400 kilometres west of the capital Kathmandu. Fourteen persons, including five women, were injured in the incident. The students and instructors from Krishna Sen Ichhuk Polytechnic Institute had been visiting a farm for their botany project, The Kathmandu Post reported. Poor road infrastructure and reckless driving are the leading causes of accidents in Nepal.</s>Around 31 students and teachers of the Krishnasen Icchuk Technical School in Ghorahi were returning from a tour of a botanical garden in Salyan when the bus fell around 400 meters down into the ravine killing 16 people, police said. Road accidents are relatively common in Nepal because of poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

At least 23 people are killed and 14 injured in Dang Deukhuri District, Nepal, when a bus carrying students and their teachers returning from a botanical trip runs off a road and plunges 700 meters into a ravine.

(Jaroslav Ozana/CTK via AP) PRAGUE (AP) — The death toll in a methane explosion at a black coal mine in northeastern Czech Republic has increased to 13, a mining company said Friday. OKD mining company spokesman Ivo Celechovsky said that 12 of the dead were Polish nationals while one was Czech, correcting information given earlier that said there were 11 Poles and two Czechs. READ MORE: Over 40 injured in explosion at Japanese bar, officials warn another blast possible A further 10 miners were injured in the explosion Thursday afternoon at the CSM mine near the town of Karvina. The Czech public television said three of the injured were still hospitalized in the city of Ostrava, with one of them in critical condition. Another miner was released after being treated in Karvina. On this difficult day, we strongly show our solidarity and sense of national community.” OKD executive director Boleslav Kowalczyk said efforts to recover the bodies were continuing on Friday despite a fire in the mine. Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki and his Czech counterpart Andrej Babis have offered their condolences to the families of the victims. The Czech leader also said he would assess what assistance his government can provide during his visit to the site on Friday. READ MORE: Canada co-hosts ‘coal-free day’ at UN climate meeting in Poland “I wish to express words of deepest sympathy to all the close victims of the mining disaster in Karvina,” Morawiecki said. “This is a huge tragedy for all Poles and Czechs. On this difficult day, we strongly show our solidarity and sense of national community.” Polish president Andrzej Duda also expressed his condolences on Twitter, saying “O Lord, keep the families of the miners in your care.</s>REUTERS/Stringer STONAVA, Czech Republic (Reuters) - A methane explosion killed 12 Poles and one Czech at an eastern Czech coal mine, the OKD mining company said on Friday, in the worst disaster of this kind in almost three decades. The state-run firm said that a methane blast more than 800 metres (875 yards) underground devastated areas of the CSM hard coal mine near the town of Karvina and the Polish border on Thursday afternoon. "We stopped underground work immediately, evacuated miners to the surface, and rescuers arrived who inspected the whole location thoroughly," OKD spokesman Ivo Celechovsky said on Czech public television. The accident is the worst mining disaster in the Czech Republic since 1990, when 30 miners died in a fire at a mine near Karvina in the same region, according to a list compiled by CTK news agency. Most of the victims were Polish miners provided by an agency, the state-run OKD mining company said. OKD said that attempts to rescue eight miners originally reported as unaccounted for had to be abandoned due to conditions in the shaft. "Unfortunately, we have reached a point where it was impossible to move forward, because there was a fire raging and zero visibility," OKD managing director Boleslav Kowalczyk said.

At least 13 miners, eleven Poles and two Czechs, are killed and 10 injured in a methane explosion in a coal mine in Karvina, Czech Republic.

Train in Serbia Hits Bus Full of Students, Killing at Least Five (Bloomberg) -- A train collided with a bus carrying students in southern Serbia, killing at least five people and injuring 27, the Interior Ministry said. The railway crossing where the crash occurred is near Nis, Serbia's third-largest city, and is secured just by a warning sign, not ramps and signalization, residents said. The force of the impact tore the bus open and the death toll is likely to climb due to the compound injuries suffered by several passengers, RTS quoted a doctor in Nis as saying. Serbia ranks poorly in traffic safety among European countries, with the number of fatalities per 100,000 vehicles near double the continental average - 34.5 to 19.</s>Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Investigators assess the damage following a deadly collision near the Serbian city of Niš A train has slammed into a bus carrying school students in southern Serbia, cutting it in half and killing five people, police say. Dozens of people were injured and two teenagers were fighting for their lives after the accident, which happened early on Friday near the city of Nis. But authorities later confirmed that two more people died in a hospital and that at least 26 people were injured. Doctors in Nis said some of the children have life-threatening injuries. The Serbian state TV says that the bus was carrying local children to school. A video from the scene shows that the bus was practically cut in half from the impact while the train partly slid off the tracks. TRENDING: Trump Fires Back Against NY Democrats After Trump Foundation Is Shut Down “When I heard a big bang I knew it was bad,” said a witness, Stevan Jocic. "The bus was cut down the middle, with passengers inside... high school kids. It was horrific.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Five people are killed and dozens injured when a train slams into a bus carrying school students in Niš, Serbia.

“It has died a thousand times and had life breathed back into it a thousand and one times,” said Brett Tolman, a Republican who was Utah’s top federal prosecutor in the late 2000s but has advocated for many of the bill’s changes since 2010. When it was finally called up, the First Step Act sailed through the Senate, with 87 senators in favor and just 12 Republicans opposed. Of prisoners who could not advocate for themselves from behind bars, Kushner said: “We were their lobbyists.” The act expands rehabilitative opportunities, increases “good time”-served credits for most federal prisoners, reduces mandatory minimum sentences for a number of drug-related crimes and formally bans some correctional practices including the shackling of pregnant women. A House vote is expected Thursday, and President Donald Trump tweeted that he was looking forward to signing the legislation, which he said would “keep our communities safer, and provide hope and a second chance, to those who earn it. “It’s also very modest … If people think we are even close to scratching the surface of the inequities in the federal criminal-justice system, they’re kidding themselves.” The bill, in fact, would affect only the federal prison population of about 180,000, which accounts for less than one-tenth of the more than 2 million inmates nationwide, a sum that makes the United States the world leader in incarceration rates. And I don’t want any of your listeners to say, “Well, I’m not going to believe something good is happening.” No, when we fight and we don’t give up, good things can happen, even under the Trump administration. You’ve got media from all over the country, everything from the Lexington Courier to The New York Times, saying this is one of the most significant criminal justice reforms and that Trump needed to get this done and Congress needed to get this done. He brought his son-in-law to town.” Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, made criminal justice reform a priority, having seen the federal prison system firsthand after his father, real estate developer Charles Kushner, spent 14 months behind bars for tax evasion and illegal campaign contributions. The First Step Act does mark a significant bipartisan accomplishment, but it came together only amid a rare alignment of conditions, structural and political.</s>After the US Senate overwhelmingly voted on Tuesday to reform certain parts of the criminal-justice system, a move lauded as a remarkable bipartisan victory under the Trump administration, even its supporters are warning that the legislation will ultimately be toothless if it's not followed up with stronger reforms.

U.S. President Donald Trump signs the First Step Act, a bipartisan prison and sentencing reform bill, into law.

Tokyo: Japanese prosecutors re-arrested Nissan Motor Co Ltd’s ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn on Friday on fresh allegations of making Nissan shoulder $16.6 million in personal investment losses, dashing chances he would be released on bail imminently. It’s unclear if Ghosn’s use of the houses is being probed by Japanese prosecutors, but the people familiar with the matter say they figure in the carmaker’s investigation into its former chairman, who brought Nissan back from the brink by creating an alliance with Renault SA nearly two decades ago. The re-arrest, however, means he could be detained for at least another 10 days in a Tokyo jail, where he has been confined since he was arrested last month on initial allegations of financial misconduct. And in another unexpected development, Ghosn was arrested on Friday on suspicion of transferring losses from personal financial investments to Nissan, causing damage to the company’s assets, according to a statement from prosecutors. It also rejected a detention extension for the company’s former Representative Director Greg Kelly, who had also been arrested in November.</s>TOKYO — Carlos Ghosn, the former Nissan Motor chairman, was arrested again by Japanese authorities on Friday, this time on suspicion that he shifted more than $16 million in personal losses incurred a decade ago to the automaker. Prosecutors said they suspected that in October 2008, in the midst of the global financial crisis, Ghosn temporarily forced Nissan to take over a personal derivative contract that was sitting on $16.6 million in losses at the time, according to the wall Street Journal.

Carlos Ghosn, formerly the chairman of Nissan, is arrested again on suspicion of shifting personal losses to the company.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — A Canadian judge on Friday denied former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr’s request for relaxed bail conditions and a Canadian passport. Justice June Ross said Friday that nothing has changed since the last time Khadr asked for eased bail conditions and there’s no evidence the current restrictions create hardship or are needlessly strict. Khadr was sent to the notorious U.S. military holding facility at Guantanamo Bay in 2002 after he was captured and accused of throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier in 2002. READ MORE: Omar Khadr speaks after Edmonton judge reserves decision on bail condition changes His lawyer Nathan Whitling said it’s not fair that Khadr’s life remains restricted by a stalled U.S. court process with no end in sight. He also wanted unsupervised conversations with his sister, who lives in the country of Georgia, and a Canadian passport so that he could make a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, an obligation for observant Muslims. The justice called his current conditions reasonable and said “they should continue while Mr. Khadr is on bail.” Now 32, the former Guantanamo Bay detainee asked to be able to travel to Toronto without approval of his bail supervisors, and to make court appearances related to a civil lawsuit filed by the family of an American soldier who was killed in the Afghanistan fight in which Khadr was captured. The appeal in the U.S. has stalled and Khadr has no idea of how long his bail conditions will last. READ MORE: A chronological look at Omar Khadr’s long legal odyssey In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that Khadr’s rights were violated while he was in captivity in the U.S. and that the Canadian government had contributed to that.</s>EDMONTON -- An Edmonton judge is to rule Friday on former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr's request for relaxed bail conditions and a Canadian passport. There's no evidence of hardship or that the conditions are needlessly onerous, Court of Queen's Bench Justice June Ross said Friday. She said nothing has really changed since the last time Khadr asked for changes to his bail conditions and the restrictions he faces are "reasonable" and "standard." "Such decisions should not be made based on future hypothetical circumstances that may or may not occur," Ross said, adding that if a parole hearing is scheduled, Whitling can bring forward the application again. Khadr's lawyer had argued that it wasn't fair that his client's life remains restricted by a stalled U.S. court process with no end in sight. He has been on bail since May 2015, when it was granted by an Alberta judge pending appeal of Khadr's conviction by a U.S. military commission on alleged war crimes. The appeal in the U.S. has stalled and Khadr has no idea of how long his bail conditions will last. Khadr wanted to be able to travel to Toronto without the approval of his bail supervisor to visit his family more easily and to make court appearances related to a civil lawsuit filed by the family of an American soldier killed in the Afghanistan firefight in which Khadr was captured He also wanted unsupervised conversations with his sister, who lives in the country of Georgia, and a Canadian passport so that he could make a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The Islamic religious pilgrimage, or hajj, is considered obligatory for practising Muslims. Currently, he must contact his bail supervisor if he wants to leave Alberta. He can only talk under supervision to his sister Zaynab, who has spoken in favour of al-Qaida and was investigated in Canada more than a decade ago for helping the terrorist network. "His case is different because of the extraordinarily long time that he's been on bail ... because of the extraordinary delays that have occurred with his foreign appeal," Whitling said in an interview. Whitling said his client has lived quietly for years, is happily married, follows bail conditions to the letter and poses no threat. Khadr's affidavit says he has been to Toronto eight times without issue since the conditions were imposed. This is Khadr's latest of several attempts for relaxed bail conditions. In 2017, a judge denied most of his requests. Khadr was sent to the notorious U.S. military holding facility at Guantanamo Bay in 2002 after he was captured and accused of throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier in 2002. He was 15 at the time and says he can't remember killing the soldier. He says he only confessed to the crime to get out of Guantanamo and into the Canadian justice system. In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that Khadr's rights were violated while he was in captivity in the U.S. and that the Canadian government had contributed to that. Khadr settled a lawsuit against Ottawa in 2017 with a $10.5-million payout.

A Canadian judge denies former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr's request for relaxed bail conditions and a Canadian passport.

House adjourns without deal on spending, virtually guaranteeing partial government shutdown will begin at midnight WASHINGTON (AP) — House adjourns without deal on spending, virtually guaranteeing partial government shutdown will begin at midnight.</s>Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials were on Capitol Hill late Friday trying to broker a compromise as President Donald Trump pushes for $5 billion in border wall funding, a proposal Democrats staunchly oppose. Because Congress has already allocated funds for three-fourths of the federal discretionary budget for 2019, the pending partial shutdown would only impact a limited number of government services. However, the nation currently is headed toward a partial shutdown since Congress has already funded about 75 percent of the federal government through September 2019. Funding that expires after Dec. 21 covers the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, the State Department, the Interior Department, the Departure of Agriculture and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, among some other federal entities. [RELATED: Partial government shutdown in effect after lawmakers fail to reach deal] A government shutdown happens when Congress does not pass funding bills or the president fails to sign them before the previous appropriations run out. Social Security, like Medicare, is a mandatory spending program, which means that Social Security payments would be 100 percent unaffected by a partial government shutdown. What happens to federal employees during shutdown More than 420,000 federal employees would have to go to work without pay, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee estimates that includes: • More than 41,000 law enforcement and correctional officers • Up to 88 percent of Department of Homeland Security employees On top of that, more than 380,000 federal employees would be furloughed — meaning, sent home without pay — the committee estimates. In the past, Congress has passed legislation to retroactively compensate all federal employees that were furloughed during shutdowns.

The U.S. Congress adjourns for the night before reaching a new budget agreement, starting a partial federal government shutdown that began the next day at 12:00 AM EST (05:00 UTC).

GEORGETOWN, Guyana — A lawmaker from the ruling coalition in Guyana voted late Friday with the opposition for a no-confidence motion, bringing down the administration of President David Granger and forcing fresh elections by March. Government legislator Charrandass Persaud said: “I voted with my conscience.” The main opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) said it was emboldened by the coalition’s poor showing in November’s midterm elections. The PPP picked up several seats in places that had recently been a stronghold for parties that form part of the political alliance known as A Partnership for Unity. The vote now means that elections will have to be held even though Granger still has nearly two years left in his constitutional term. The country is also about a year away from becoming an oil producer. Clearly stunned by the development, legislators openly persuaded Persaud to vote with the combined APNU-AFC coalition, which holds 33 seats in the country’s National Assembly to the PPP’s 32. He stubbornly refused, saying: “Yes, yes, yes,” when asked if he was siding with the opposition. He was escorted out of the chamber by police and allowed to leave through a back entrance after voting. Opposition leader and former President Bharrat Jagdeo said Persaud might have been impacted by the layoff of about 7,000 sugar workers from the area where he lives and practices as an attorney. Moses Nagamootoo, who is prime minister and head of the assembly, said that there may be outcomes “which have not been anticipated, but the outcome has to be accepted.” Nagamootoo said the government wanted supporters to know that the coalition would make another run in fresh elections. “This is not the end,” he said.</s>Meanwhile, the Alliance For Change announced the immediate expulsion of backbencher Charandass Persaud who Friday night broke ranks with the government side and voted with the 32 People’s Progressive Party parliamentarians to pass the Jagdeo-sponsored motion.

A motion of no confidence is passed by the National Assembly of Guyana with a vote of 33–32, triggering early elections scheduled for 2019.

The World Has A New Largest-Known Prime Number There's a new behemoth in the ongoing search for ever-larger prime numbers — and it's nearly 25 million digits long. A prime is a number that can be divided only by two whole numbers: itself and 1. The newly discovered number is what's known as a Mersenne prime, named for a French monk named Marin Mersenne who studied primes some 350 years ago. Mersenne primes have a simple formula: 2n-1. In this case, "n" is equal to 82,589,933, which is itself a prime number. If you do the math, the new largest-known prime is a whopping 24,862,048 digits long. We would write the number out for you, but it would fill up thousands of pages, give or take, and look like this gigantic zip file. The latest Mersenne prime comes courtesy of a project started in 1996 called the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search, in which people download special software that runs in the background on their computers. A computer owned by Patrick Laroche of Ocala, Fla., discovered the number on Dec. 7, and mathematicians have spent the past two weeks verifying the calculations. It's more than a million and a half digits longer than the previous largest known prime, discovered about a year ago by a computer in Germantown, Tenn. Why should you care about Mersenne primes? They've proven useful in generating reasonably random numbers, but the best answer might be simply because they're there — and they're majestic. Chris Caldwell, a mathematician at the University of Tennessee, Martin, talked to NPR in 2009 about these large primes. "Mersennes, in a way, are kind of like a large diamond," Caldwell said back in 2009. Think about the Hope Diamond, a 45.52-carat diamond that sits in a special case in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, usually with crowds around it. "Nobody there looking at the Hope Diamond ever asks, 'Why did they bother to dig it up?' or 'What is it good for?' — even though it really isn't good for much other than to just hang there and people to look at," Caldwell said. "And in many ways, the Mersennes play that same role — that they really are the jewels of number theory."

The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search announces the discovery of a new Mersenne prime, 282,589,933-1. It has 24,862,048 decimal digits, which surpasses the previous record by over 1.5 million digits.

Suicide car bombing near Somalia's presidential palace kills at least 6, police say; several wounded MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Suicide car bombing near Somalia's presidential palace kills at least 6, police say; several wounded.</s>Police in Somalia say suicide bomber blew themselves up near presidential palace This article is more than 8 months old This article is more than 8 months old A vehicle packed with explosives has been detonated at a military checkpoint near Somalia’s presidential palace, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 20 others, police said. Col. Ahmed Mohamud says those killed in the Saturday morning blast include soldiers and civilians. Those killed include three staffers from the London-based Universal TV station, including prominent journalist Awil Dahir Salad, said police Capt. Mohamed Hussein says the bomber targeted a military checkpoint near the rear entrance of the heavily fortified palace. The blast and a second, smaller one nearby appeared to target those heading to work on what was a business day in the Horn of Africa nation. The blast and a second, smaller one nearby appeared to target those heading to work on what was a business day in tSomalia. Al-Shabab, the most active Islamic extremist group in sub-Saharan Africa, was pushed out of Mogadishu years ago but continues to control large parts of rural southern and central Somalia.

A car bomb near the presidential palace in Mogadishu kills at least 16 people and injures more than 20 others.

A man who was one of the last remaining survivors of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising that constituted the most significant act of Jewish resistance against Nazi terror has died at the age of 94, Israel's official Holocaust memorial and museum, Yad Vashem, announced on Sunday. “His story and the story of the uprising will forever be with our people.” President Reuven Rivlin noted that in one interview, Rotem said his one message to Israeli teens would be “to be human beings.” “We are all animals on two legs,” Rotem said. The Nazis were able to quash the uprising and killed and captured most of the Jewish fighters, but Rotem is credited with helping dozens of rebel fighters escape, the BBC reported. Rotem, who went by the nom-de-guerre Kazik, served in the Jewish Fighting Organization that staged the uprising on April 19, 1943, when the Nazis began deporting the surviving residents of the Jewish ghetto in Poland's capital. “But to this very day I keep thinking whether we had the right to make the decision to start the uprising and by the same token to shorten the lives of many people by a week, a day or two,” he said in a 2013 interview (via the BBC). “We’d kill as many of them as we could [but] we knew our fate was completely clear.” Thousands of Jews died in Europe’s first urban anti-Nazi revolt, most of them burned alive, and nearly all the rest were then sent to Treblinka. To choose one's death After the liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto, he went on to participate in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising led by Polish resistance fighters against the Nazis.</s>JERUSALEM (AP) — Simcha Rotem, an Israeli Holocaust survivor who was among the last known Jewish fighters from the 1943 Warsaw ghetto uprising against the Nazis, has died. He was 94. Rotem, who went by the underground nickname "Kazik," was among the rebels who carried out the single greatest act of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. Though guaranteed to fail, the Warsaw ghetto uprising symbolized a refusal to succumb to Nazi atrocities and inspired other resistance campaigns by Jews and non-Jews alike. Rotem, who passed away Saturday after a long illness, helped save the last survivors of the uprising by smuggling them out of the burning ghetto through sewage tunnels. The Jewish fighters fought for nearly a month, fortifying themselves in bunkers and managing to kill 16 Nazis and wound nearly 100. “This is a loss of a special character since Kazik was a real fighter, in the true sense of the word,” said Avner Shalev, chairman of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. “The challenge for all of us now is to continue giving meaning to remembrance without exemplary figures like Kazik.” Rotem was born in 1924 in Warsaw, at a time when its vibrant Jewish community made up a third of the city’s population. After World War II broke out, he was wounded in a German bombing campaign that destroyed his family home. His brother and five other close relatives were killed. Shortly after, the city’s Jews were herded into the infamous ghetto. The ghetto initially held some 380,000 Jews who were cramped into tight living spaces, and at its peak housed about a half million. Life in the ghetto included random raids, confiscations and abductions by Nazi soldiers. Disease and starvation were rampant, and bodies often appeared on the streets. The resistance movement began to grow after the deportation of July 22, 1942, when 265,000 men, women and children were rounded up and later killed at the Treblinka death camp. As word of the Nazi genocide spread, those who remained behind no longer believed German promises that they would be sent to forced labour camps. A small group of rebels began to spread calls for resistance, carrying out isolated acts of sabotage and attacks. Some Jews began defying German orders to report for deportation. The Nazis entered the ghetto on April 19, 1943, the eve of the Passover holiday. Three days later, the Nazis set the ghetto ablaze, turning it into a fiery death trap, but the Jewish fighters kept up their struggle for nearly a month before they were brutally vanquished. The teenage Rotem served as a liaison between the bunkers and took part in the fighting, before arranging for the escape of the few who did not join revolt leader Mordechai Anielewicz in the command bunker on 18 Mila Street for the final stand. The Nazis and their collaborators ultimately killed 6 million Jews before the Allies’ victory in World War II brought an end to the Holocaust. “His story and the story of the uprising will forever be with our people.” Rotem is survived by his two children and five grandchildren.

Simcha Rotem, the last surviving fighter of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, also a participant in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, dies at the age of 94.

Tsunami in Indonesia kills at least 222 without warning (CNN) — At least 222 people were killed, with hundreds more injured and missing, including members of a pop band, after a tsunami hit the coastline of west Java and Sumatra, Indonesia on Saturday. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, an Indonesian civil servant and head of public relations at the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management speculated the “cause of the tsunami in Pandeglang and South Lampung is possibly a combination of underwater landslides due to the influence of the eruption of Anak Krakatoa (child of Mount Krakatoa) and the high tides caused by the full moon”. Officials there are blaming the tsunami on underwater landslides caused by volcanic activity on the island of Anak Krakatau, which erupted just after 9 p.m. Footage shared by news outlets and social media show a wave hitting a seaside concert at a resort on the island of Java, washing away the stage and many people along with it. The waves washed away an outdoor stage where a local rock band was performing in Tanjung Lesung in Banten province, a popular tourist getaway not far from the capital, Jakarta, killing at least one musician. “And we need lots of it.” Nugroho pointed out that tsunamis are much faster and less predictable than tidal waves, which are caused by atmospheric conditions. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) said the wave was not caused by an earthquake but was the result of volcanic activity at Anak Krakatoa (child of Mount Krakatoa), which triggered an underwater landslide. The damage The tsunami has destroyed 558 houses and heavily damaged nine hotels, 60 restaurants and 350 boats, indicating the tsunami hit residential and tourist areas. Kathy Mueller, a spokeswoman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Indonesia, told CNN that the organization expected the death toll to rise. The timing of the tsunami, over the Christmas holiday season, evoked memories of the Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake on December 26 in 2004, which killed 226,000 people in 14 countries, among them Australians.</s>A tsunami apparently caused by the eruption of an island volcano killed at least 62 people around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, sending a wall of water crashing some 65 feet (20 meters) inland and sweeping away hundreds of houses including hotels, the government and witnesses said.Some 600 people have been reported injured when the tsunami hit 9:27 p.m. Saturday, the Disaster Management Agency said. More than 800 others were injured and dozens were reported missing after the tsunami hit coastal areas along western Java and southern Sumatra islands at 9:27 p.m. Saturday amid a Christmas holiday weekend, the Disaster Management Agency said. At least 222 people were killed as waves smashed into houses, hotels and other beachside buildings Saturday night along Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, in a disaster that followed an eruption and possible landslide on Anak Krakatau, one of the world’s most infamous volcanic islands. They also cited tidal waves caused by the full moon.Footage posted on social media showed a pop band named "Seventeen" performing under a tent on a beach as dozens of people sat listening at tables covered in white cloths. “I had to run, as the wave passed the beach and landed 15-20m (meters, or 50-65 feet) inland,” said Norwegian Oystein Lund Andersen, in a Facebook post. The self-described photographer and volcano enthusiast said he was taking pictures of the volcano when he suddenly saw the water racing toward him. “Next wave entered the hotel area where I was staying and downed cars on the road behind it. Managed to evacuate with my family to higher ground trough forest paths and villages, where we are taken care of (by) the locals. Were unharmed, thankfully.” Looking for the missing The worst affected area was the Pandeglang region of Banten province in Java, which encompasses the Ujung Kulon National Park and popular beaches, the disaster agency said. The death toll could increase once authorities hear from all stricken areas. We are currently not aware of any U.S. citizens directly affected, but stand ready to assist as needed.” In the city of Bandar Lampung on Sumatra, hundreds of residents took refuge at the governor’s office, while at the popular resort area of Anyer beach on Java, some survivors wandered in the debris. Of the deaths, 33 were in Pandeglang.In the city of Bandar Lampung on southern Sumatra, hundreds of residents took refuge at the governor's office.Alif, a resident in Pandeglang district who goes by one name, said told MetroTV station that many people were still searching for missing relatives.The Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait that links the Indian Ocean and Java Sea erupted about 24 minutes before the tsunami, the geophysics agency said.The 305-meter (1,000-foot) -high volcano, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) southwest of capital Jakarta, has been erupting since June. In July, authorities widened its no-go areas to 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) from the crater.Gegar Prasetya, co-founder of the Tsunami Research Center Indonesia, said the waves were likely caused by a flank collapse - when a big section of a volcano's slope gives way. He said it’s possible for an eruption to trigger a landslide above ground or beneath the ocean, both capable of producing a tsunami. “Actually, the tsunami was not really big, only 1 meter (3.3 feet),” said Prasetya, who has studied Krakatoa. “The problem is people always tend to build everything close to the shoreline.” Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands and home to 260 million people, lies along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. Footage posted by the head of the disaster agency showed the aftermath of flooded streets and an overturned car.In September, more than 2,500 people were killed by a quake and tsunami that hit the city of Palu on the island of Sulawesi, which is just east of Borneo.In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra island in western Indonesia triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

At least 281 people are killed and over 1,000 injured when a tsunami triggered by Krakatoa's eruption hits the coast near Indonesia's Sunda Strait.

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban lawmakers on Saturday unanimously approved a revised draft of a new constitution that retains the island’s one-party socialist system but reflects its socio-economic opening since the fall of the Soviet Union. HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba has reinserted the goal of “advancing toward a communist society” into the draft of the country’s new constitution after its removal from the first version had sparked concern among thousands of citizens, state-run television said on Thursday. Still, the commission writing the new constitution, headed by party chief Raul Castro, took the mention of “communism” out of the first draft that it published in July and put to a nationwide, three-month popular consultation. If this latest draft passes, as expected, a national assembly vote this week, it will go to a nationwide referendum on Feb. 24. The government has insisted the drafting of the constitution is participatory democracy at its best, while critics point out that the fundamentals of the Cuban system were never up for discussion and say its methodology is questionable. “The (text-drafting) Committee proposes deferring the definition of marriage to the draft constitution, as a way to respect all opinions.” The new draft, with the changes made, will be taken up Friday by the National Assembly and then submitted to a popular referendum on February 24, 2019. Gay rights advocates had proposed eliminating the description of marriage as a union of a man and woman, changing it to the union of “two people … with absolutely equal rights and obligations.” That change drew protests from evangelical churches and ordinary citizens in months of public meetings on the new constitution. Diaz-Canel has backed same-sex marriage since taking office and said the change “responds to the problem of eliminating all types of discrimination in society.” It has also been championed by Raul Castro’s daughter, Mariela Castro, who has been a staunch supporter of gay rights in Cuba.</s>HAVANA — Cuba’s National Assembly on Saturday approved an update of the country’s constitution, the final step before a national referendum expected to approve the new charter in February. The new constitution contains more continuity than change, although it recognizes the de-facto modernization of Cuban society over the last decade. The constitution maintains Cuba as a centrally planned economy ruled by a single Communist Party, but recognizes private property for the first time and paves the way for a separate referendum on legalizing gay marriage. It also creates the role of prime minister alongside the current president, as well as provincial governors. Legalizing private property is a formal recognition of significant change in Cuban society since former President Raul Castro permitted home and auto sales, creating a booming real-estate market, and allowed more than half a million Cubans have permits to work as entrepreneurs. Hundreds of thousands more work full or part-time in the private sector without licenses. The new constitution also recognizes worker-owned co-operatives for the first time as a legal form of production in every sector of the economy, while maintaining Cuba’s largely inefficient and stagnant state-run industries as the central means of production. The degree to which the new constitution will actually spur change is expected to be seen only after the National Assembly approves a raft of changes to the civil and penal codes and electoral laws next year. Cuba's government said Tuesday that language promoting the legalization of gay marriage will be removed from the draft after widespread popular rejection of the idea. Cuban officials say the question of gay marriage will be put to a nationwide referendum, something most gay activists oppose. The constitution was drafted by a committee led by Communist Party head Raul Castro, then subjected to months of public comment in workplaces and neighbourhoods across the island. Some suggested changes were approved, others rejected. As in virtually every vote in recent memory, the National Assembly unanimously approved the draft constitution.

The draft of a new constitution is approved by the parliament of Cuba. It will be put up for referendum on February 24, 2019.

Brett McGurk, U.S. special envoy for the global coalition to defeat Daesh, submitted his resignation on Friday, CBS reported on Saturday citing sources, ahead of his departure planned in February. McGurk's resignation came as a result of "strong disagreement" with President Donald Trump's decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, CBS reported, and a day after Trump's Defense Secretary Jim Mattis quit on the back of same decision. A U.S. State Department official later confirmed McGurk's resignation and said it will take effect from December 31. McGurk worked under the past three administrations, becoming one of the few persons appointed by former President Barack Obama to keep his post under U.S. President Donald Trump. He also served under the Bush administration. The envoy had originally planned to leave his post in 2019 but decided to accelerate his resignation over strong disagreements with Trump over the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, the news channel reported quoting anonymous sources. McGurk's resignation comes as a surprise because the envoy had told reporters at the State Department that the U.S. was going to remain committed to the fight against Daesh terrorist forces last week. "Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished. Defeating a physical caliphate is one phase of a much longer-term campaign," McGurk told reporters. McGurk sent in his resignation on Friday, a day after Secretary of Defense James Mattis quit saying his views were not aligned with the president. Mattis will end his post in February. On Wednesday, Washington announced it will be withdrawing all of its troops from Syria, following a conversation between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. counterpart Trump over an imminent Turkish cross-border operation to eliminate PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units (YPG) from northern Syria. It has been reported that the U.S. still has about 2,000 troops in Syria, many of whom are working in close cooperation with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Almost all the territory in the east of the Euphrates River comprising some one-third of the territory of Syria, except for the Assad regime-controlled area near Deir el-Zour and the Daesh-held area near the Iraqi border, is controlled by the SDF. The SDF also controls the districts of Manbij and Tabqah on the right bank of the river. Due to the group's links with the PKK, Ankara has called the YPG-held areas a "terror corridor" and said repeatedly it will not allow the region to turn into an autonomous region administered by the terrorist group.</s>AP Photo/Hadi Mizban) WASHINGTON (AP) — Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, has resigned in protest over President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, joining Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security figures. McGurk's decision follows the resignation this week of Gen. James Mattis as defense secretary and comes after US President Donald Trump proclaimed the defeat of the IS in Syria and announced the withdrawal of the 2,000 US troops deployed in that country as part of an international coalition. WASHINGTON — Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy for the global coalition to counter ISIS, submitted his resignation Friday because of President Donald Trump’s decision to pull US forces out of Syria, according to a senior administration official. Trump's remarks came just hours after CBS and the Washington Post reported that the special US envoy to the anti-Islamic State (IS) coalition, Brett McGurk, presented his resignation in protest against the White House decision. “It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered with no plan in place or even considered thought as to consequences.” McGurk, who was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump, said in his resignation letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the militants were on the run, but not yet defeated, and that the premature pullout of U.S. forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to IS.

The United States Department of State confirms Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL Brett McGurk's resignation, effective December 31. President Trump describes the resignation as a "nothing event".

Nine Irish people were arrested for being drunk while in charge of a motor vehicle, and four were arrested for driving under the influence of drugs.</s>British police on Sunday released without charge two people arrested in an inquiry into the illegal use of drones at London's Gatwick Airport that crippled operations for three days last week Sussex Police arrested a 47-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman from the local area late on Friday. "Both people have fully co-operated with our inquiries, and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick," Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said on Sunday.

The two people arrested by police two days earlier are released without charges.

Bespoke Investment Group spotlighted this dubious S&P 500 record earlier in the day: That statistic has been confirmed by Dow Jones Market Data, which said the largest decline in the index on the trading day before Christmas was Dec. 23 in 1933. “People don’t care it’s a session before Christmas when the U.S. equity market is acting like this.” The S&P 500 fell more than 1.5 percent Monday, the biggest loss during pre-Christmas session since at least 2000, deepening losses after the index’s worst week since 2011. Both the Dow and the S&P 500 are in the red for 2018 by at least 9 percent, and both are also preparing for what looks to be their worst December performance since the Great Depression of 1931. Mick Mulvaney, the president's incoming chief of staff, told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that Trump "now realizes" he cannot remove Powell, while Mnuchin stated Saturday that the president had not suggested firing Powell.</s>It’s the most wonderful time of year, and it’s also the time when you buy last-minute Christmas gifts and last-minute ingredients for those Christmas Day recipes. Why do the royal family open their presents on Christmas Eve? • Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Redwood Falls will host Christmas Eve services at 4, 5:30 and 11 p.m., with a Christmas Day service at 10 a.m. • First United Methodist Church in Redwood Falls is holding a Christmas Eve service starting at 5 p.m. • Redwood Alliance Church in Redwood Falls is hosting a Christmas Eve service at 5 p.m. • Christ’s Victory Lutheran Church in Redwood Falls is holding a Christmas Eve service at 4:30 p.m. • The Redwood Falls Evangelical Free Church will hold a Christmas Eve service at 5 p.m. • Cornerstone Christian Church in Redwood Falls is holding a Christmas Eve service at 5:30 p.m. • The Assembly of God Church in Redwood Falls is holding a Christmas Eve service at 5 p.m. • The Church of St. Catherine in Redwood Falls will hold a Christmas Eve Vigil Mass at 4 p.m., with a Christmas Day Mass at 9:30 a.m. • St. John Catholic Church in Morton is holding a Christmas Eve Vigil Mass at 6 p.m. • Grace Lutheran Church in Belview will host a Christmas Eve service starting with carol singing at 3:45 p.m. and worship at 4 p.m., with a Christmas Day service starting with carol singing at 9:45 a.m. and worship at 10 a.m. • Rock Dell Lutheran Church in rural Belview is hosting a Christmas Eve service at 4 p.m. • Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Belview is hosting a Christmas Day worship service at 9 a.m. • Word of Life Lutheran Church in Belview will host a Christmas Eve service and program at 4 p.m. • Echo Alliance Church in Echo will host a Christmas Eve service at 5 p.m. • Peace Lutheran Church in Echo will host a children’s program Christmas Eve at 6:30 p.m., with a Christmas Day service at 10:30 a.m. • St. John Lutheran Church in Vesta is hosting a children’s Christmas program Christmas Eve at 5 p.m., with a Christmas Day service at 9 a.m. • St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Flora Township will host a Christmas Eve service at 5 p.m. • St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Danube will host a Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m., with a Christmas Day service at 10 a.m. • Zion Lutheran Church in Morton will host a Christmas Day worship service at 8:30 a.m. • St. John Lutheran Church in Morgan will host a Christmas Eve service at 7:30 p.m. • St. Luke Lutheran Church in Franklin will hold a Christmas Eve service starting at 6 p.m. • Trinity Lutheran Church in Sanborn will host a Christmas Eve worship service at 6 p.m. • Bethany Lutheran Church in Wabasso will host a Christmas Day worship service at 9 a.m. • Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Milroy will host a Christmas Eve worship service at 4 p.m. • St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Wabasso will host a Christmas Eve service at 6 p.m. • Trinity Lutheran Church in Lucan will host a Christmas Day service beginning at 9 a.m. • Sundown Lutheran Church of Springfield will host a Christmas Day service at 10:30 a.m. • Bethany Lutheran Church near Gilfillan will host a Christmas Eve service at 5 p.m. • St. Matthew Lutheran in Evan will have a Christmas Eve service starting at 7 p.m. • Middle Creek Methodist Church is hosting a Christmas program and birthday party for Jesus Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. • Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Lucan will hold a Christmas Eve Mass at 4 p.m. • St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Wabasso is hosting a Christmas Eve Mass starting at 6 p.m. • St. Mathias Catholic Church in Wanda is holding a Christmas Eve Mass starting at 9 p.m. • St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Seaforth is hosting a Christmas Day Mass beginning at 9 a.m. So get your order in as early as possible to make sure that you can get your delivery.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average drops 2.9%, its worst performance ever on Christmas Eve.

Indonesia's disaster agency says at least 168 dead, 745 injured and 30 missing in Saturday night's tsunami JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia's disaster agency says at least 168 dead, 745 injured and 30 missing in Saturday night's tsunami.</s>PANDEGLANG (Indonesia), Dec 23 — A tsunami killed at least 222 people and injured hundreds on the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra following an underwater landslide believed caused by the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano, officials and media said today. Øystein Lund Andersen, a Norwegian holidaymaker, was in Anyer town with his family when Saturday's tsunami struck. About 150 people are still missing, while more than 16,000 have been displaced, the agency says. Scientists from Indonesia’s Meteorology and Geophysics agency said it could have been caused by undersea landslides from the eruption of Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island formed over years from the nearby Krakatau volcano.

The death toll following the tsunami caused by the Anak Krakatau volcano has risen to at least 429, according to Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency. Also, 1,459 people are injured, while 150 are still missing.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Lava and smoke could be seen on Etna on Monday Europe's most active volcano, Mount Etna in Sicily, erupted on Monday, with officials reporting more than 130 earthquakes of up to 4.3 in magnitude. It reported lava flows from the volcano and said a new fracture had opened near its southeast crater. Etna’s eruptions are relatively frequent and, according to Italy’s National institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, there has been a gradual increase in activity on the volcano over the last month.</s>CATANIA, Italy (Reuters) - Italy’s Mount Etna, Europe’s highest and most active volcano, erupted on Monday, sending a huge column of ash into the sky and causing the closure of Catania airport on Sicily’s eastern coast. A chain of around 130 earth tremors have rocked the volcano since around 0800 GMT on Monday, Italy’s National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology said, with the strongest posting a magnitude of 4.0. There were no reports of any injuries. Italy's Mount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano, erupted on Monday, sending a huge column of ash into the sky and causing the closure of Catania airport on Sicily's eastern coast.There were no reports of any injuries.The 3,330 meter high volcano can burst into spectacular action several times a year, spewing lava and ash high over the Mediterranean island. The last major eruption was in 1992.

Mount Etna erupts, causing the closure of Catania–Fontanarossa Airport in Sicily, Italy.

A court in Pakistan has sentenced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to seven years in prison for corruption, drawing criticism from his party, which said the decision was a "black spot" on the justice system. Shortly before the verdict was announced, clashes erupted between supporters of Sharif and police in Islamabad. Sharif’s supporters said he would also appeal against his latest conviction. Sharif had already been sentenced by the same court to 10 years in prison on charges related to the purchase of upscale apartments in London, after the Supreme Court removed him from power.</s>The verdict was hailed by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), whose Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the "real face of Nawaz Sharif has been unmasked today.” He said that the people who were still defending Sharif "should be ashamed of themselves because the money involved in the scam belonged to the people of Pakistan.” The trial against the Sharifs commenced on Sept. 14, 2017 after Pakistan's anti-corruption body filed three cases relating to the Avenfield properties case, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment Limited on the Supreme Court's directives in the landmark Panamagate verdict. The ruling was slammed by his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, as the "last hiccup of blind revenge.” Judge Arshad Malik imposed hefty fines on the Pakistan Muslim League leader after ruling that Al-Azizia Steel Mills － a Saudi Arabian firm carrying the name of his son － belonged to the former Prime Minister and that he was unable to demonstrate how the project was funded, Dawn newspaper reported. Ahead of the verdict, the Supreme Court in Pakistan had asked the accountability court to give out the verdict in the pending corruption cases against the PML-N chief and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by Monday (December 24) following which the judgement in the case had been reserved by the accountability court. Earlier in July, an accountability court in Islamabad had sentenced the former Prime Minister and his daughter Maryam Nawaz to 10-year and 7-year imprisonment in several corruption cases against them. However, later in September, Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law captain (retired) Muhammad Safdar had challenged the verdict in the Avenfield case against them following which the Islamabad High Court suspended their jail term after they gave a surety of Rs 5 lakh each.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of corruption.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's state TV is reporting that Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, head of the Expediency Council advisory body to the country's Supreme Leader, has died at the age of 70. The Monday report said Shahroudi was long sick and hospitalized in north Tehran. Reportedly, he was suffering from gastrointestinal cancer. Shahroudi, a relatively moderate cleric, was appointed as chairman of the Expediency Council in 2017 by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The body arbitrates on differences between parliament and the Guardian Council, a constitutional watchdog. Shahroudi was also chief of the judiciary from 1999 to 2009. TRENDING: ‘Huge Win’ for Trump, Conservatives: First Step Act Follows Red State Successes Born and raised in Najaf, Iraq, Sharoudi was close to the late leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei, who spent years in exile there.</s>Shahroudi was head of Iran’s hardline judiciary for a decade until 2009, but he implemented some reforms including banning death penalty by stoning, arguing it was tarnishing Iran’s image. In a message issued on Tuesday, the Iranian government offered condolences on the demise of Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei, the senior clergymen, seminaries, the honorable nation of Islamic Iran, and the family of the deceased cleric, and declared Wednesday as a national day of mourning.

Chairman of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council and former Chief Justice Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi dies at the age of 70.

The last Israeli general elections were held in May 2015, while the upcoming elections had been expected to be held in November. Coalition party heads in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government have decided to dissolve parliament and hold elections in early April "in the name of budgetary and national responsibility," the statement distributed by a spokesman for Netanyahu's Likud party said.</s>JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government agreed Wednesday to hold early elections on April 9 after the ruling coalition appeared to come up short on votes needed to pass a contentious piece of court-ordered legislation. Netanyahu said his coalition “unanimously” agreed to disband the government and hold a new election. At a meeting of his Likud faction, he listed his accomplishments in office and said he hoped his current religious, nationalistic coalition would be the “core” of the next one as well. The latest polls appear to predict another solid victory for Netanyahu, though an indictment over mounting corruption charges could still derail his campaign. Netanyahu’s coalition has been roiled by internal divisions for months. Avigdor Lieberman resigned as defense minister last month to protest what he perceived to be the government’s weak response to rocket attacks from Hamas-ruled Gaza. But a new law extending the military draft to ultra-Orthodox men appears to have triggered the government’s downfall. Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox partners are demanding the legislation be weakened and his razor-thin parliamentary majority seems to be making such a compromise impossible. Ultra-Orthodox parties consider conscription a taboo, fearing that military service will lead to immersion in secularism. But years of exemptions have generated widespread resentment among the rest of Jewish Israelis. Earlier yesterday, Yair Lapid of the opposition Yesh Atid party announced he was rescinding his support for the bill, calling the coalition’s hoped-for compromise a payoff to draft dodgers. As a result, Netanyahu convened his fellow coalition faction leaders and the decision was made to dissolve parliament and go to elections. Another victory for Netanyahu would assure his place in history as Israel’s longest-serving leader and allow him to solidify his close alliance with US President Donald Trump. With the opposition parties currently splintered, the only thing that seems to stand in his way is potential criminal charges over his bevy of corruption allegations. Police have recommended he be indicted on bribery and breach of trust charges in three different cases. Reuven Hazan, a political scientist at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, said he doesn’t expect the attorney general to make a final decision in the coming months and Netanyahu’s move seems to be trying to “pre-empt” a potential indictment by getting re-elected first. The justice ministry announced Monday that deliberations were continuing and were “not dependent on political events.” Netanyahu has angrily dismissed the accusations against him, characterizing them as part of a media-driven witch-hunt that is obsessed with removing him from office.

The coalition government of Benjamin Netanyahu dissolves the Knesset and sets early elections for April. The coalition has been struggling after failing to pass a new bill that would extend the military draft to ultra-Orthodox Jews and the resignation of Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, leader of one of the parties in the coalition.

</s>(Bloomberg) -- Burundian authorities decided to move the political capital to the city of Gitega in the central province, from Bujumbura, government spokesman Prosper Ntahorwamiye said Monday on Burundi National Television. The government "has just adopted an historic bill making Gitega the political capital and making Bujumbura the economic capital," tweeted Jean-Claude Karerwa Ndenzako, spokesman for President Pierre Nkurunziza. "Cabinet meetings will henceforth be held in Gitega, where five ministries will also be established from the start of 2019," he added, notably the interior, education and agriculture ministries.

Burundi moves its capital from Bujumbura to Gitega.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide bomber exploded his car outside a building housing the government’s department for martyrs and disabled persons on Monday moments before gunmen stormed the building armed with automatic rifles and explosive devises, Kabul police chief spokesman Basir Mujahid said. Four people have been reported injured in the attack that occurred as workers were preparing to leave for the day, said Mujahid, adding that police were still battling the gunmen. The gunmen also took hostages in the building of the National Authority for Disabled People and Martyrs’ Families, said Najib Danish, a spokesman of Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs. Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid said authorities received at least one telephone call from inside the building, but frightened employees were unable to provide any details. Rahmat Gul / AP Police cordoned of the area as they tried to secure the building, but Danish said the operation was painstakingly slow as officers moved carefully from room to room and floor to floor. The attack began when the suicide bomber blew up his explosives-laden car in front of the multi-story building that houses a public welfare department in an eastern neighborhood of Kabul, Danish said. The Taliban and a local Islamic State affiliate have carried out a relentless wave of assaults on government targets in recent years, but the Taliban denied involvement in this one.</s>Afghan Health Ministry says death toll from attack in capital has risen to 43 KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan Health Ministry says death toll from attack in capital has risen to 43.

The Afghan health ministry says that yesterday's attack by a suicide bomber and three gunmen on a government building in Kabul killed at least 43 people. No group has claimed responsibility.

According to the information given by the Health Ministry, in an incident that took place in the capital killed at least three people and ten other got injured after a terror attack targeted on the Libyan Foreign Ministry’s headquarters. A third assailant, who was unarmed and wearing a bulletproof vest, was killed by security forces outside, Dawass added. Last month IS claimed responsibility for an attack on militia forces in south eastern Libya in which at least nine people were killed.</s>CAIRO (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at Libya's Foreign Ministry in Tripoli that killed at least three people. In a statement carried by its Aamaq news agency Wednesday, IS says three fighters infiltrated the area and fired on Foreign Ministry workers. Libyan officials say a suicide bomber targeted the entrance to the ministry and another was shot dead by guards before he could detonate his explosives. Libya's Health Ministry says the Tuesday attack wounded 10 other people. Libya was plunged into chaos following the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Moammar Gadhafi, allowing IS and other extremist groups to gain a foothold.

Three people are left dead in an attack against Libya's Foreign Affairs ministry in Tripoli.

* Nikkei drops more than 5 pct to lowest since April 2017 TOKYO, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Japan’s Nikkei retreated to a 20-month low on Tuesday after a slide on Wall Street deepened with a series of unnerving U.S. political developments. “The sell-off is triggered almost entirely by developments in the U.S. markets, rather than by negative factors unique to the domestic market.” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called top U.S. bankers on Sunday amid the pullback in stocks and said he was calling a meeting of financial regulators to discuss ways to ensure “normal market operations”. “But I think that they will get it pretty soon.” After Bloomberg reported that Trump had inquired about firing Powell, administration officials including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin sought to tamp down the idea, only to have Trump rattle investors again on Monday with a Twitter rant aimed at the Fed. “The more stocks fall, the more investor sentiment gets worse, so there’s more people who need to sell temporarily, such as stop-loss selling.” The tumult in Washington added to the troubles of investors, who have seen equities worldwide tumble on concerns about a slowing U.S. economy, the pace of the Fed’s rate hikes and the ongoing trade war. The S&P 500 plunged almost 3 percent to close at a 20-month low after news over the weekend that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called top executives from the six largest U.S. banks to discuss liquidity and a Bloomberg News report that President Donald Trump inquired about firing Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. The president said Tuesday that he has confidence in the “very talented Mnuchin.” Equities in Shanghai dropped, despite plans by policy makers to improve financing for the private sector and implement tax cuts.</s>TOKYO: Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index closed down more than five per cent on Tuesday (Dec 25) amid rising doubts about the US economy and fears sparked by a US government funding crisis. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index jumped 3.54 per cent or 684.32 points to 20,011.38 in the first few minutes of trade while the broader Topix index was up 3.81 per cent or 54.55 points at 1,486.02.

The Nikkei index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange drops 5% to below 20,000, its lowest level since September 2017.

In Thursday remarks, which are attributed to an individual named Jong Hyon, North Korea is insisting the U.S. remove “all elements of nuclear threats from the areas of both the north and the south of Korea and also from surrounding areas from where the Korean peninsula is targeted.” TRENDING: Congress Considered To Have Lowest Ethics of All Professions The statement’s distinction of not only removing the nuclear threat from North and South Korea but the surrounding regions mirrors the reverse debate in the U.S. on whether the strategy is focused on “denuclearization of North Korea” or “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” “I don’t want to split words, and I think our policy has been clear,” State Department deputy spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters Tuesday. America’s reluctance to embrace South Korea’s right to make the peace inside its own country and on its own terms brought the critical issue of South Korean sovereignty to the fore in a way that has not happened since South Korea’s democratic spring of 1960.</s>SEOUL: The two Koreas on Wednesday launched a project to reconnect rail and road links severed since the 1950-53 Korean War, but actual construction cannot start while sanctions remain in place against North Korea, officials said. A nine-car special train carrying some 100 South Koreans, including officials and five people born in the North, was seen leaving Seoul railway station early in the morning for a two-hour journey to the North's border city of Kaesong. North Korean Ri Son Gwon who oversees the North’s exchanges with the South, his South Korean counterpart Cho Myoung-Gyon and transport officials from China, Russia and Mongolia were among the hundreds of people attending the rail event in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong. The United States and the UN Security Council gave their support for the ceremony, South Korean officials said, but construction cannot begin while sanctions block the shipment of energy and metal products, as well as other supplies. "There's a lot of things to do before we actually start construction," Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee said, adding the two sides would conduct additional joint surveys and design work for one or two years. For a brief period about a decade ago, South Korea ran freight trains into Gaeseong, where South Korea had an industrial park, until political tensions undermined the project. Seoul stressed that the ceremony would not herald the start of actual work on reconnecting and modernising road and rail links between the two Koreas - which remain technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended without a peace treaty. The ambitious project is among a variety of peace gestures agreed between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-in as they push ahead with engagement amid a stalemate in larger nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang. Kim agreed to work toward denuclearisation at a summit with US President Donald Trump in June, but talks have since made little headway, with Pyongyang upset at Washington's insistence that sanctions remain until the North takes concrete steps toward denuclearisation.

North Korea and South Korea hold a ceremony for a project to reconnect rail and road links, although construction cannot start while sanctions over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs remain in place.

Eight killed in China as hijacked bus crashes into pedestrians Beijing, China | AFP | Eight people were killed and 22 injured after a hijacked bus crashed into pedestrians in east China’s Fujian province on Tuesday afternoon, state media reported. A hijacker carrying a knife has been detained and is being investigated by local police, state television CGTN reported. The incident happened at about 3:20 pm (0720 GMT) in the city of Longyan, the local Minxi Ribao newspaper reported. A policeman was among the five confirmed dead. In a video posted by Duowei news, a Chinese media outlet based in the US, several injured people were shown lying on the street near a crashed bus, its front badly damaged. It also showed police wrestling a person to the ground. Blood could also be seen on the steps of the bus, which had been stopped in the middle of a road. The hijacker had attacked a female passenger before taking control of the bus, Duowei reported. The suspect has not been identified and Longyan public security bureau declined to comment when contacted by AFP. China has suffered a spate of similar incidents this year. In late November, a car ploughed into a group of children crossing a street in front of an elementary school in the northeastern Liaoning province, killing five people and injuring at least 19. The driver said he “chose his victims at random” and had reportedly been contemplating suicide due to domestic troubles before the tragedy occurred. In October, three people were killed when a man fleeing after committing a stabbing drove into a crowd and attacked onlookers in the eastern province of Zhejiang. The month before, a man ploughed a truck into a crowd in Hunan province and went on a rampage, attacking onlookers with knives and a shovel. Eleven died and 44 were injured.</s>Man hijacks bus and drives it into crowd, killing 5 & injuring 21 in Longyan, China A man has hijacked a bus and drove it into a crowd of people in China’s city of Longyan, killing five people and injuring 21 others, Chinese media reported. Police identified the suspect as a 48-year-old man from Longyan according to CCTV.

A man stabs a local government official and a police officer to death in the streets of Longyan, China, then hijacks a bus and drove it into pedestrians, killing eight people and wounding 22 others. Authorities said the perpetrator "took revenge on society" after a dispute with local officials about his father's veteran benefits.

(BANGKOK) — Thailand’s legislature on Tuesday agreed to amend the country’s drug law to allow the licensed medical use of marijuana, as well as kratom, a locally grown plant traditionally used as a stimulant and painkiller. The decision means that Thailand becomes the first country in Southeast Asia to allow the use of the drug in any form, in a region that is notoriously strict on drug use, and carries extremely harsh penalties for those found to be in violation of the law. This year has seen the British government also approve the use of marijuana for medical purposes, and just last month it became available on the NHS for those with medical prescriptions. The legislation passed its final reading on Tuesday at the National Legislative Assembly by a vote of 166-0 with 13 abstentions. And will become effective once it is published on the Royal Gazette,” he said.” The National Legislative Assembly’s 166 members voted in favour of the change and there were no votes objecting to the motion. Despite the passing of this bill, one of the senators who worked on it confirms that the use of marijuana for recreational purposes still remains illegal.</s>Thailand approved marijuana for medical use and research on Tuesday, the first legalisation of the drug in a region with some of the world's strictest drug laws. The junta-appointed parliament in Thailand, a country which until the 1930s had a tradition of using marijuana to relieve pain and fatigue, voted to amend the Narcotic Act of 1979 in an extra parliamentary session handling a rush of bills before the New Year's holidays. "This is a New Year's gift from the National Legislative Assembly to the government and the Thai people," said Somchai Sawangkarn, chairman of the drafting committee, in a televised parliamentary session. While countries from Colombia to Canada have legalised marijuana for medical or even recreational use, the drug remains illegal and taboo across much of Southeast Asia, which has some of the world's harshest punishments for drug law violations. The region has some of the world’s toughest penalties for drug law violations, with marijuana traffickers potentially facing the death penalty in nearby countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Thailand approves marijuana for medical use and research. The country voted to amend the Narcotic Act of 1979 prior to the New Year’s holiday.

He did visit a different cemetery on the day he left Paris, but upon his return to Washington, Trump failed to visit Arlington National Cemetery on the observed Veterans’ Day holiday. As has become normal operating procedure for such visits, the White House disclosed his whereabouts only after Air Force One safely landed in Iraq. The head of one of two main blocs in Iraq’s Parliament is denouncing President Donald Trump’s unannounced visit, calling it a “blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.” Sabah al-Saidi says he is calling for an emergency session of Parliament to discuss Trump’s visit Wednesday evening.</s>President Trump greeted U.S. troops on an unannounced trip Wednesday to Iraq, where he defended his decision to withdraw forces from neighboring Syria and declared that the Islamic State is “very nearly defeated” while making his first visit to a conflict zone as commander in chief. “We’re no longer the suckers, folks,” Trump told American servicemen and women at a base in western Iraq. “But it’s time to get our soldiers out.” [A tumultuous week began with a phone call between Trump and the Turkish president] Trump told reporters traveling with him that he would deny any request from generals to extend the U.S. operation in Syria, where roughly 2,000 troops are deployed. But he said he had no plans to withdraw American forces from Iraq, which he said the United States could use as a staging ground in the heart of the Middle East from which to combat Iran, or someday reenter Syria. “Now, we’re doing it right and we’re going to finish it off.” • Turkey ‘determined’ to drive out Syrian Kurdish forces and coordinate U.S. forces withdrawal • Twitter after midnight: Trump defends decision to withdraw from Syria as Republicans speak out • ‘We have defeated ISIS’: Trump has ordered full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, official says He said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to take out “any remnants” of ISIS left in Syria. “The nations of the region must step up and take more responsibility for their future,” said Trump, who said there would be a “strong, deliberate and orderly withdrawal” of U.S. forces from Syria. It comes a week after Trump stunned his national security advisers by announcing that he would withdraw U.S. troops from neighboring Syria where they have been fighting Islamic State militants. We’ve knocked them silly.” Trump’s sudden decision last week to withdraw troops from Syria led Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State, to resign in protest. Trump’s trip was shrouded in secrecy. Air Force One flew overnight from Washington, landing at an airbase west of Baghdad under the cover of darkness Wednesday evening. It is his first visit with troops stationed in a troubled region. Trump has not said anything in the past week about the U.S. presence in Iraq, where about 5,000 American troops remain, assisting Iraqi government forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters in the north in the effort to secure the nation from the threat of the Islamic State. ISIS has lost a significant amount of territory in Iraq and Syria but is still seen as a threat. Trump, who speaks often about his support for the U.S. military, had faced criticism for not yet visiting U.S. troops stationed in harm’s way as he comes up on his two-year mark in office. He told The Associated Press in an interview in October that he “will do that at some point, but I don’t think it’s overly necessary.” He later began to signal that such a troop visit was in the offing. Trump had planned to spend Christmas at his private club in Florida, but stayed behind in Washington due to the shutdown. It’s unclear whether his trip to Iraq was added after it became apparent that the government would be shut down indefinitely due to a stalemate between Trump and congressional Democrats over the president’s demand for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Adding to the tumult, the stock market has been experiencing heavy losses over concerns about a slowing global economy, Trump’s trade war with China and the president’s public slamming of the Federal Reserve and its chairman over interest rate hikes by the independent agency. After months of public pressure for him to spend time with troops deployed to conflicts in the Middle East and Central Asia, Trump touched down at the joint U.S.-Iraqi base west of Baghdad after a secret flight from Washington. He went against the views of his top national security advisers in announcing the Syria withdrawal, a decision that risks creating a vacuum for extremists to thrive. There are dire implications in particular for neighbouring Iraq. The Iraqi government now has control of all the country’s cities, towns and villages after fighting its last urban battles against ISIS in December 2017. But its political, military and economic situation remains uncertain, and the country continues to experience sporadic bombings, kidnappings and assassinations, which most people attribute to IS. Trump was scheduled to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, but a face-to-face meeting was canceled for security and logistical reasons, so the two men spoke by phone, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Iraq keeps reinforcements along its frontier to guard against infiltration by ISIS militants, who hold a pocket of territory along the Euphrates River. Trump campaigned for office on a platform of ending U.S. involvement in foreign trouble spots, such as Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Syria decision will ultimately affect all of the approximately 2,000 troops deployed in the war-torn country. He directed the Defense Department to withdraw nearly half of the more than 14,000 troops deployed to Afghanistan, U.S. officials said last week, despite warnings from many of his senior advisers and military officials that the move would invite chaos and terrorism. During the presidential campaign, Trump blamed Democrat Hillary Clinton for the rise of ISIS, due to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq at the end of 2011 during her tenure as secretary of state. President George W. Bush is the one who set the 2011 withdrawal date as part of an agreement with the Iraqi government to gradually shrink the U.S. footprint and slowly hand off security responsibilities to the government and Iraqi security forces. His successor, President Barack Obama, wanted to leave a residual force in Iraq to help the government manage ongoing security challenges. But he ultimately went ahead with the scheduled pullout in 2011 after Iraqi’s political leaders rejected terms the U.S. sought for legal protections for the U.S. troops that would have remained. Two of Trump’s recent predecessors visited Iraq early in their terms. George W. Bush made a surprise Thanksgiving visit to troops in Iraq after the invasion in 2003 and traveled back three times as president. Due to security concerns, Bush waited until 2006 to make his first visit to Afghanistan. Obama visited Afghanistan four times as president, most recently in 2014, and made a trip to Iraq shortly after his 2009 inauguration. He visited Afghanistan in 2010. Vice-President Mike Pence visited Afghanistan in December 2017, not long after Trump outlined a strategy to break the stalemate in America’s longest war. Pence met with Afghan leaders and visited with U.S. troops stationed in the country. [Trump forces Mattis out two months early, names Shanahan acting defense secretary] Trump has long been critical of the war in Afghanistan, which has stretched on for more than 17 years, becoming the longest U.S. war.

U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump make an unannounced post-Christmas visit to troops at the Al Asad Airbase in Iraq, their first visit to a combat zone since taking office.

An Oregon man became the first person to traverse Antarctica alone without any assistance on Wednesday, trekking across the polar continent in an epic 54-day journey that was previously deemed impossible.Colin O'Brady, of Portland, finished the bone-chilling, 930-mile (1,500-kilometer) journey as friends, family and fans tracked the endurance athlete's progress in real time online. Colin O'Brady, of Portland, finished the bone-chilling, 930-mile journey as friends, family and fans tracked the endurance athlete's progress in real time online. "I did it!" a tearful O'Brady said on a call to his family gathered in Portland for the holidays, according to his wife, Jenna Besaw. "It was an emotional call," she said. "He seemed overwhelmed by love and gratitude, and he really wanted to say 'Thank you' to all of us." "O'Brady was sleeping near the finish line in Antarctica late Wednesday and could not immediately be reached for comment.The 33-year-old O'Brady documented his nearly entirely uphill journey - which he called The Impossible First - on his Instagram page . The 33-year-old O'Brady documented his nearly entirely uphill journey — which he called The Impossible First — on his Instagram page . He wrote Wednesday that he covered the last roughly 80 miles (129 kilometers) in one big, impromptu final push to the finish line that took well over an entire day. "While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced," O'Brady posted.The day before, he posted that he was "in the zone" and thought he could make it to the end in one go. The day before, he posted that he was "in the zone" and thought he could make it to the end in one go. "I'm listening to my body and taking care of the details to keep myself safe," he wrote. "I called home and talked to my mom, sister and wife — I promised them I will stop when I need to." Though others have traversed Antarctica, they either had assistance with reinforced supplies or kites that helped propel them forward. "Though others have traversed Antarctica, they either had assistance with reinforced supplies or kites that helped propel them forward.In 2016, British explorer Henry Worsley died attempting an unassisted solo trip across Antarctica, collapsing from exhaustion toward the end of the trek. Worsley's friend and fellow English adventurer Louis Rudd is currently attempting an unaided solo in Worsley's honor and was competing against O'Brady to be the first to do it.Besaw said O'Brady plans to stay on Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trek, hopefully in the next few days. Besaw said O'Brady plans to stay on Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trek, hopefully in the next few days. "It's a small club," she joked. "His intention is to wait for Louis and have kind of a celebratory moment with the only other person on the planet to have accomplished this same thing." "O'Brady described in detail the ups and downs along the way since he began the trek on Nov. 3. He had to haul 375 pounds (170 kilograms) of gear largely uphill and over sastrugi, wave-like ridges created by wind. "Not only am I pulling my ... sled all day, but I'm pulling it up and over thousands of these sastrugi speed bumps created by the violent wind," he wrote in an Instagram post on Nov. 12. "It's a frustrating process at times to say the least." "On Nov. 18, he wrote that he awoke to find his sled completely buried from an all-night blasting of wind and snow. That day he battled a 30 mph (48 kph) headwind for eight hours as he trudged along. "There were several times I considered stopping, putting my tent back up and calling it a day," he wrote. "I wanted so badly to quit today as I was feeling exhausted and alone, but remembering all of the positivity that so many people have been sending, I took a deep breath and focused on maintaining forward progress one step at a time and managed to finish a full day." "On Day 37, or Dec. 9, O'Brady wrote about how much he's changed, along with a selfie in which he looks almost in pain, snow gathered around his furry hat. "I'm no longer the same person I was when I left on the journey, can you see it in my face?" he wrote. "I've suffered, been deathly afraid, cold and alone. I've laughed and danced, cried tears of joy and been awestruck with love and inspiration." "Though O'Brady had initially thought he'd want a cheeseburger at the end of his nearly impossible journey, Besaw said her husband has been fantasizing about fresh fish and salad because he has mostly been eating freeze-dried foods.As for what's next for O'Brady, who also has summited Mount Everest, Besaw said she's not entirely sure. As for what's next for O'Brady, who also has summited Mount Everest, Besaw said she's not entirely sure. "We are just so in the moment celebrating this right now," she said. "Then we'll see what's next on the horizon." Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>“As I pulled my sled over this invisible line, I accomplished my goal: to become the first person in history to traverse the continent of Antarctica coast to coast solo, unsupported and unaided.” O’Brady said he only had one thing on his mind once he took his final step: his family and wife, Jenna Besaw. “It was profound, it was beautiful, and it was an amazing way to finish up the project.” O’Brady commemorated his accomplishment on Instagram as well and has been documenting his entire journey there. He started to cross the final 77.54 miles early Christmas morning in “one continuous ‘Antarctica Ultramarathon’ push to the finish line,” which he completed in just over 32 hours, he wrote on Instagram. In 2008 O'Brady suffered severe burns to 25% of his body during a holiday in Thailand, leading doctors to tell him that he may never walk normally again.

After a 53-day trek, American professional endurance athlete Colin O'Brady allegedly becomes the first person to cross Antarctica alone and unaided; his claim of being unaided has been disputed, and the first person to really cross Antarctica alone and unaided was Børge Ousland in 1996 and 1997.

TOKYO — Japan announced Wednesday that it is leaving the International Whaling Commission to resume commercial hunts for the animals for the first time in 30 years, but said it would no longer go to the Antarctic for its much-criticized annual killings. “The government of Japan must urgently act to conserve marine ecosystems, rather than resume commercial whaling.” Australia called Japan’s decision to withdraw from the IWC “regrettable” and urged Japan to return to the convention as a “matter of priority,” in a statement released Wednesday. “As the chair of the G20 (Group of 20) in 2019, the Japanese government needs to recommit to the IWC and prioritise new measures for marine conservation.” New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters welcomed Japan’s decision to halt whaling in the Southern Ocean, but said he was disappointed with the decision to resume commercial whaling in its exclusive economic zone. “Australia remains resolutely opposed to all forms of commercial and so-called ‘scientific’ whaling.” Japan has long defied such protests to conduct what it calls scientific research whaling, having repeatedly said its ultimate goal was to whale commercially again. Leaving the IWC means Japanese whalers will be able to resume hunting in Japanese coastal waters of minke and other whales currently protected by the commission. But Japan will not be able to continue the so-called scientific research hunts in the Antarctic that it has been exceptionally allowed as an IWC member under the Antarctic Treaty. Iceland and Norway object to the moratorium and continue to hunt whales commercially without relying on science as an excuse. Japan has hunted whales for centuries, and their meat was a key source of protein in the immediate post-World War II years when the country was desperately poor. But consumption has declined significantly in recent decades, with much of the population saying they rarely or never eat whale meat.</s>Japan says it has decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission and resume commercial hunts TOKYO (AP) — Japan says it has decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission and resume commercial hunts.

Japan announces its intention to resume commercial whaling in July 2019 after withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission.

After a maritime conflict with Moscow in the Black Sea in late November, Poroshenko accused Russia of having sharply raised its military presence on the border, with Ukraine warning of the threat of “full-scale war.” Today, Ukrainian president announced the new sanctions against those involved in the aggression against Ukrainian ships.</s>KIEV — Martial law, imposed on Nov. 25 in some Ukrainian areas after a naval confrontation in which Russia fired on and seized three Ukrainian vessels, expired on Wednesday, President Petro Poroshenko told the country's security council. Poroshenko said this month he did not plan to extend martial law beyond the one month initially foreseen unless there was “a large scale attack from Russia.” Three Ukrainian Navy ships were detained earlier in the Kerch Strait, which controls access to the Sea of Azov. The Ukrainian navy ships were captured in the Kerch Strait, between Russian-annexed Crimea and southern Russia, which controls access to the Sea of Azov, where there are both Russian and Ukrainian ports. Moscow said the ships entered Russian waters while trying to cross the strait without prior notice, ignoring orders to stop. Kiev said its ships needed no Russian permission to cross the strait. Under the martial law, Ukraine banned Russian men of combat age from entering the country and boosted security at critical sites such as nuclear power stations and Black Sea ports.

Martial law in Ukraine ends a month after an attack on three Ukrainian Navy vessels near the Kerch Strait.

CAIRO (AP) - Sudanese activists say a protester injured in anti-government demonstrations has died of his wounds. An umbrella coalition of independent professional unions says Wednesday the victim, Abuzar Ahmed, was shot in the head last week in the eastern city of Gadaref. The coalition says at least 22 protesters were wounded on Tuesday. There were no reports of fresh protests on Wednesday. The protests began last week, initially over rising prices and shortages of food and fuel, but later escalated into calls for President Omar Bashir to step down. Amnesty International said it had “credible reports” that Sudanese police have killed 37 protesters since the protests began. (Sudanese Activist via AP) The government has acknowledged fatalities during the protests but given no figures. An opposition leader said over the weekend that 22 protesters were killed.</s>However, rights group Amnesty International on Monday put the death toll at 37 181224114651302 Protests initially started in towns and villages and later spread to Khartoum, as people rallied against the government tripling the price of a loaf of bread from one Sudanese pound to three ($0.02 to $0.06). While the official government position says at least eight people died during Thursday’s protests, while only person lost their life on Friday, the opposition said “22 people were martyred and several others wounded”. He did not name anyone but he also said the protesters, some of whom have called for the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir, were being exploited by opposition parties.

Street battles between anti-government protesters and riot police in Sudan leave at least 19 people dead, including two policemen, as well as hundreds injured. Amnesty International puts the death toll at 37.

Overton volunteered for the Army starting in 1942 and served with the 188th Aviation Engineer Battalion, an all-black unit that served on various islands in the Pacific. Richard Overton, who was believed to be America’s oldest living veteran, is acknowledged by U.S. President Barack Obama during a ceremony to honor veterans at the Tomb of the Unknowns on Veterans Day, at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, on November 11, 2013. 'I only got out of there by the grace of God,'" former President Barack Obama said while honoring Overton at a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in 2013. Earlier this year, the Austin City Council changed the name of his street from Hamilton Avenue to Richard Overton Avenue, and declared that day Richard Overton Day. Overton always credited God as the secret to his long life along with the help of whiskey and cigars, “I been smoking cigars from when I was 18 years old, I’m still a smoking ‘em.</s>AUSTIN, Texas — Richard Overton, the nation's oldest World War II veteran who was also believed to be the oldest living man in the U.S., died Thursday in Texas, a family member said. Richard Overton was 112. The Army veteran had been hospitalized with pneumonia but was released on Christmas Eve, said Shirley Overton, whose husband was Richard's cousin and his longtime caretaker. Shirley Overton, whose husband was Richard’s cousin, says the Army veteran died Thursday evening at a rehab facility in Austin. Richard Overton was in his 30s when he volunteered for the Army and was at Pearl Harbor just after the Japanese attack in 1941. He once said that one secret to his long life was smoking cigars and drinking whiskey, which he often was found doing on the porch of his Austin home. In 2013, he was honored by former President Barack Obama at a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Richard Arvin Overton, the oldest U.S. veteran from World War II, as well as the oldest American man, dies at age 112.

Transformer explosion in Queens lights up sky in New York City, causes power outages. NEW YORK (AP) — Transformer explosion in Queens lights up sky in New York City, causes power outages.</s>UPDATE: Con Ed Tweaks Statement on Cause of Eerie Blue NYC Sky A transformer fire in Queens sent an eerie blue light flooding the nighttime sky as electricity flickered in homes and an airport was plunged into darkness Thursday. - The Night Sky Turned Crazy -- and NYers Have Jokes About It The fire lit the sky so brightly that it briefly appeared to be daytime in neighborhoods like Astoria and Woodside, residents reported. Lucas Espinoza, a Queens resident, said: “I was eating dinner in my living room and out of nowhere the lights and TV started flickering and then the whole sky – which was pitch black a moment earlier – lit up with a pulsating greenish blue light. Twitter/@Eat_Work_Run/via REUTERS (Reuters) - A transformer explosion at an electric power station in the New York City borough of Queens on Thursday led police officials to warn people to avoid the area, after social media users posted images of a bright light on the horizon. Con Edison, the power company, tweeted that: "There was a brief electrical fire at our substation in Astoria which involved some electrical transformers and caused a transmission dip in the area. It was the second major incident involving Con Edison in the last six months. Photograph: Emma Canalese “There was a brief electrical fire at our substation in Astoria which involved some electrical transformers and caused a transmission dip in the area. Also on Thursday, a power outage at LaGuardia Airport, which is located in Queens, prompted flight cancellations, the New York affiliate of NBC reported. The New York mayor’s spokesman insisted that the glowing lights were not aliens Craig Ruttle/AP A small explosion at a power plant turned the sky over New York bright blue last night, causing airport disruption and prompting the mayor’s official spokesman to confirm that it was “not aliens”.

The New York City sky lights up in blue after a transformer in Astoria, Queens, explodes.

Iraqi political and militia leaders condemned U.S. President Donald Trump's surprise visit to U.S. troops in Iraq on Wednesday as a violation of Iraq's sovereignty, and lawmakers said a meeting between Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi was canceled due to a disagreement over venue.The Bina bloc, Islah's rival in parliament and led by Iran-backed militia leader Hadi al-Amiri, also objected to Trump's trip to Iraq.Abdul Mahdi's office said in a statement that U.S. authorities had informed Iraq's leadership of the president's visit ahead of time. Sabah al Saadi, the leader of the Islah parliamentary bloc, called for an emergency session of parliament “to discuss this blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and to stop these aggressive actions by Trump who should know his limits: The U.S. occupation of Iraq is over.” The Bina bloc, Islah’s rival in parliament and led by Iran-backed militia leader Hadi al-Amiri, also objected to Trump’s trip to Iraq. "Iraqi lawmakers told Reuters that the pair had disagreed over where their planned meeting should take place: Trump had asked to meet at the Ain al-Asad military base, an offer which Abdul Mahdi declined.Falih Khazali, a former militia leader turned politician allied with Bina, accused the United States of wanting to increase its presence in Iraq. "The American leadership was defeated in Iraq and wants to return again under any pretext, and this is what we will never allow," he said.While there has been no full-scale violence in Iraq since Islamic State suffered a series of defeats last year, some 5,200 U.S. troops train and advise Iraqi forces still waging a campaign against the militant group.Islah is headed by populist Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. “Parliament must clearly and urgently express its view about the ongoing American violations of Iraqi sovereignty,” Salam al-Shimiri, a lawmaker loyal to the populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, said. Sadr has long opposed the U.S. presence in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. He led two uprisings against U.S. forces in Iraq and is one of the few Shi'ite leaders to also distance himself from Iran.Iraq's Shi'ite militias, also known as the PMF, many of which are supported by Iran, oppose the presence of U.S. troops in the region. The PMF was made formally part of the security forces this year after helping the military defeat Islamic State in Iraq in 2017.Qais al-Khazali, the leader of the powerful Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia said on Twitter, "Iraqis will respond with a parliamentary decision to oust your (U.S.) military forces. And if they do not leave, we have the experience and the ability to remove them by other means that your forces are familiar with.” Some Iraqis, however, were less concerned with the U.S. president’s visit. “We won’t get anything from America,” said Baghdad resident Mohammad Abdullah. “They’ve been in Iraq 16 years, and they haven’t given anything to the country except destruction and devastation.”</s>BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi lawmakers are seizing on President Donald Trump's surprise visit to demand U.S. forces leave the country. Politicians from both sides of Iraq's political divide are calling on parliament to vote to expel U.S. troops. Approximately 5,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq as part of the coalition against the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) group. Foreign influence has become a hot-button issue in a year that saw supporters of populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr win the largest share of votes in May elections. Al-Sadr has called for curbing U.S. and Iranian involvement in Iraqi affairs. Mr. Trump spent three hours at a U.S. air base meeting with American troops on an unannounced visit Wednesday. He left without meeting any Iraqi officials. Lawmakers decried the visit as arrogant and a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

Iraqi politicians from both parliamentary blocs in the Council of Representatives of Iraq demand the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country, following U.S. President Donald Trump's unannounced visit to troops stationed at Al Asad Airbase. An extraordinary session to debate the matter is planned.

Congo orders European Union ambassador to leave within 48 hours after sanctions prolonged against ruling party candidate KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo orders European Union ambassador to leave within 48 hours after sanctions prolonged against ruling party candidate.</s>DR Congo on Thursday told the EU to recall its envoy in retaliation for sanctions against 14 officials, including President Joseph Kabila’s champion in elections three days away. Don’t turn Ilorin to battle ground, union urges politicians “The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo urges the European Council to proceed without fail in recalling its head of mission within 48 hours,” Foreign Minister Leonard She Okitundu said. On December 10, European Union foreign ministers extended a travel ban and asset freeze on 14 figures over “the obstruction of the electoral process and the related human rights violations.” The 14 include Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a hardline former interior minister chosen by Kabila to be the candidate for his succession in elections on Sunday. Kabila took office in 2001 at the age of just 29 after succeeding his assassinated father, Laurent-Desire Kabila. He was due to step down at the end of 2016 after reaching his constitution-limited two terms in office. But he stayed on, invoking a caretaker clause in the constitution that enables a president to stay in office until a successor is elected. Protests broke out that were bloodily repressed, leading to scores of deaths. She Okitundu made the announcement from the foreign ministry, where he earlier called in western diplomats, including EU head of mission Bart Ouvry, a Belgian national. He said the DRC had “patiently” sought to persuade the EU to either drop or suspend the sanctions “until the elections in the DRC had been held.” But this had failed, leading to “unilaterally-taken measures” by Brussels, he said. “This measure (by the DRC) on one side punishes the reprehensible behaviour (of the EU) and on the other comes under the framework of reciprocity,” he said.

The DRC government gives the European Union 48 hours to recall its envoy in the country after the EU imposed sanctions on 14 Congolese officials.

Five monks were tied up and held for hours in incident that left one seriously hurt This article is more than 8 months old This article is more than 8 months old Five monks have been injured, one seriously, during a robbery at a monastery church in a suburb of Vienna, Austrian police have said. Two suspects fled the scene after ambushing the church in the northern suburb of Floridsdorf at around 1:30 pm (1230 GMT), tying the monks up and holding them for a number of hours, police said in a statement. The robbery lasted for hours, they reported, adding that police have also found “tied and [in some instances] heavily injured” monks only three hours later. The officers also asked local residents to avoid the area and “let [our] colleagues do their job.” In a follow-up statement, the police said that at least one of the attackers “demanded valuables and cash” from the monks. “The exact motive is still unclear at the moment, but a possible terror motive can be ruled out,” they claimed. A large-scale manhunt was launched following the incident as major police forces were deployed to the scene as the area around the church was cordoned off. In a separate incident earlier on Thursday, Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral was evacuated following a bomb alarm, but re-opened about an hour later after no explosives were found.</s>BERLIN (AP) — Austrian police say that five monks have been assaulted at a Vienna church by two people, at least one of whom apparently demanded money and valuables. Vienna police said in a tweet that two unknown perpetrators attacked several monks in Maria Immaculata church in Strebersdorf district. Police were notified three hours later and found the five clerics — the youngest aged 56 — tied up. They were aged between 56 and 68, and it appeared that the others had tried to intervene after one of the assailants — described as speaking with a foreign accent — attacked the oldest monk, the Austria Press Agency reported. Police wrote on Twitter that, while the precise motive remains unclear, “a possible terror motive can be ruled out” in the incident at the Maria Immaculata church.. Officers were searching for the perpetrators, including in the complex where the incident took place.

Five Christian monks are tied up and then left injured, one of them seriously, after a robbery at a church in Vienna, Austria.

Energy, dynamism and rhythm radiate from the work of Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann. I think of my work as landscape oriented or having to do with landscape painting,” says Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann of her complex, visually arresting paintings. The work is abstract, but Mann’s use of botanical imagery, glimpses of what looks like sky, orientation and the general ebb and flow of mass across the picture plane both reference and evoke the natural world. Being in nature and capturing it are vital to Mann’s practice, and she often paints en plein air near her home in Basye, in Shenandoah County. “I’m not as interested in thinking about landscape in terms of perspectival space. I like thinking of landscape in terms of teeming masses of life and the systems that make them work together. In the Shenandoah Valley for example, I’m not just looking at the mountains in the distance, I am actually looking at what is immediately below my feet. Weeds and bugs and how those are combining and melding together.” Mann, 35, who is half Taiwanese, spent her early childhood and the summers of her teenage years in Taiwan. During those latter visits, she studied the traditional Chinese shan shui (“mountain-water”) school of painting, which uses a brush and sumi ink to depict mountains, rivers and waterfalls. Although Mann is very much a product of both Eastern and Western traditions—she majored in studio art at Brown University and pursued an MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art Hoffberger School of Painting, where she is currently an adjunct professor—this rigorous early training and approach formed the foundation of her practice and is evident in most of her work today. Mann starts every work with what she refers to as a “pour.” After laying her paper—this can either be a plain sheet or collaged or woven paper—on the floor of her studio, she haphazardly pours buckets of watered-down acrylic or ink onto it. She likes the lack of control of the pour; not planning or knowing what she’ll end up with is both freeing and challenging. It takes several days, or sometimes even weeks for the water to evaporate leaving a bloom of pigment staining the paper. The stain, a product of what Mann refers to as a “chance operation” becomes the starting point for the work. It’s an interesting turn of phrase, almost oxymoronic, containing both accident and determination. It could refer to Mann’s approach as well as to the fusion of Western and Eastern painting traditions. Mann’s works are large. Her intention is to create an immersive experience for the viewer where they don’t just see something, they also experience it, or at least get a whiff of its essence. In looking at Mann’s work, one is struck by how it is charged with energy. It radiates outward in explosive splinters or undulates across the surface in sensuous mounds, or swirls around like bits of confetti. In “Fable” (2014), Mann combines painting, silkscreen, collage and etching to create a ravishing work of extraordinary complexity and visual power. An abstract tour de force of composition, juxtaposed texture and color, spatial dynamism and rhythm, the painting exudes confidence and nerve. From a formal standpoint, it’s visually dazzling. It’s also curious looking, and we can’t help wondering if what is there is an actual thing, and so our interest is piqued twice. It’s as if Mann is provoking us to think in two different directions at the same time. “Double Bed” (2017) also thrums with energy, but of a quieter kind. The painting takes its compositional elements from murals in the ancient Roman villa of Livia. The diptych composition is suggestive of traditional space with a repeated shape that conveys arched portals, or perhaps these are the beds of the title. Earth and sky can be read into the left side, but Mann pulls us back into abstraction on the right with overlapping vertical bands of color and pattern. The pine tree at the center evokes nature as do the greenish, blue and yellow hues. These are punctuated by patches of gaudy multicolored pointillist daubs. The swirling ribbons and funny little squiggles add a lightness to the piece—the visual equivalents of a soft, spring breeze. Mann’s work is a virtuosic balancing act between formal elements, technique, images and movement. There is a lot going on, but Mann never loses control. She flirts with chaos, allowing it into the work like a dash of piquant seasoning to add spice to the more placid areas, but it never takes over. “I like combining something that is inherently and easily, naturally beautiful, like a pour of paint with something that feels a little more ham-handed or clumsy.” This visual yin and yang enlivens and enriches the work and keeps the viewer on their toes. This article originally appeared in our October 2018 issue.</s>Hackers met in Leipzig to push tech’s boundaries in the name of creating a better society. Personal privacy, big data and sexual harassment were the hot topics. (Source: dpa) Lit in Leipzig. It’s been a year of reckoning for the tech industry. The Wannacry virus locked up 200,000 computers for bitcoin ransom at the start of the summer. Women in the tech industry are increasingly speaking up about harassment and the pay gap. Growing interest in the ethics of big data and artificial intelligence is spawning a new generation of tech criticism. Our lives are increasingly centered around our data. Trafficking in personal data has become big business, both legal and illegal. As much as good things can come from quantified lives — improved health treatment, more efficient production — bad actors are also at the ready to eavesdrop, manipulate and repress. The theme of the Chaos Computer Club’s 34th annual gathering is #TuWat, or “do something” in English. That theme extends to issues like protecting data, but also, as with so many other industries this year, to confronting sexual harassment. The largest hacker convention in Europe will draw about 15,000 attendees through Saturday to Leipzig, a city in eastern Germany, about a two-hour train ride south from Berlin. The technologists have taken over the city's main conference hall, creating a wonderland of crazy projects and collective actions. Almost every year, the official and self-organized sessions of the convention reveal tech vulnerabilities that make news, many of which are available to watch on the Chaos Computer Club website. In 2015, it was details on how exactly Volkswagen cheated emissions tests. One revelation at this year's hacker convention, also known by its acronymn 34c3, was the insecurity of online banking applications. Vincent Haupert, a doctoral candidate at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, demonstrated how he compromised 31 mobile banking services, including apps by Commerzbank and German savings banks, known as Sparkassen. The security hole was found in the services of Norwegian cybersecurity company Promon, which has since updated its software. No banks have reported any instances of misuse as of yet. Mr. Haupert's suggested solution is to use two separate devices when enabling two-factor authorization for sensitive apps. (Source: dpa) Hack the planet. Germans are perhaps less likely to give up their personal data in exchange for convenience. European privacy law is also much stricter than in the United States, which has led to increasing frustration with the overwhelmingly American tech giants, such as Google and Facebook. While protecting personal data sometimes feels like a Sisyphean task, internet privacy activists and cybersecurity experts at the congress don’t want people to give up the fight. Hackers, who are by their nature a rule-defying people, are also looking inwards, scrutinizing the community's spirits of “fight the power” and “anything goes” with well-known female technologists taking a stand against the congress’ lack of a code of conduct. If a conference wants to be welcoming to people of color, women and gender nonconforming people, it is expected that they codify a zero-tolerance discrimination policy and hold people accountable for their actions. The CCC’s official policy “welcomes all lifeforms” and encourages them to “be excellent to each other,” which critics see as a cop-out. This year, a person asked 34c3 organizers to prohibit a man who assaulted them from attending the conference, even providing evidence of the pending charges and hospital records. The request was denied, and backlash on social media is ongoing. (Source: dpa) From Moscow with love. Nor does the congress shy away from political controversy. Like South by Southwest in the United States, the tech event draws attendees from industry and government as well. This year, exiled American whistleblower Edward Snowden, a controversial but popular figure in Germany, made an appearance at 34c3 via videocall from Russia. “This year proved how important our skepticism is,” he told the audience. “Our work has never been more important.” When Mr. Snowden first brought the revelations about NSA spying capabilities to light in 2013, he was housed for a time in Hong Kong by a number of refugees, who are now seeking asylum themselves in Canada. Green Party politician Hans-Christian Ströbele, who was part of Germany’s own inquiry into the NSA, was also at 34c3 and expressed his support for Mr. Snowden. Mr. Ströbele is hardly the only outspoken German politician advocating greater protections for data privacy. It is all but certain that the question of what the digital future looks like, and what governments and hackers alike can do about it, will carry on into 2018. Video: Sönke Iwersen, the Handelsblatt reporter who spoke with the refugees who hid Edward Snowden, introduced the whistleblower and his protectors. He explained that since then, they have faced persecution so Mr. Snowden set up a fund to provide support. For more information: https://fortherefugees.com. Grace Dobush is an editor with Handelsblatt Global in Berlin. Ina Karabasz writes about telecommunications, IT and security issues for Handelsblatt. To contact the authors: [email protected] and [email protected].

The Chaos Computer Club holds their 35th Chaos Communication Congress, a hacker convention, in Leipzig, Germany.

This morning, the official Kurdish YPG twitter account tweeted: "We invite the Syrian government forces to assert control over the areas our forces have withdrawn from, in particular Manbij, and to protect these areas against a Turkish invasion." Syrian Army Amasses Outside Kurdish-Held Manbij, As Turkish Force Looms Over Border Syria's army is grouping at the outskirts of Manbij, a hotly contested town near the Turkish border, in a move that is apparently coordinated with the pending withdrawal of Kurdish militants who have long held the city. All of them report that Syrian army troops have not entered the town, saying that while government troops have moved up to the borders with Manbij, they have not entered the city. After a Syrian army announcement declaring government troops had entered Manbij, Turkey-backed Syrian rebels stationed in nearby territory said they had begun moving together with Turkish forces toward the town in readiness for “the start of military operations to liberate” it. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi Manbij, which U.S.-backed forces captured from Islamic State in 2016, has emerged as a focal point of new tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces whose presence has effectively deterred Turkey. U.S. military support for the Kurdish fighters has infuriated Turkey, a fellow member of the NATO alliance, which sees the YPG as an extension of the PKK movement that has been waging an insurgency inside Turkey for decades. The military statement said troops had raised the national flag in Manbij on Friday and would guarantee security “for all Syrian citizens and others present.” A resident inside the town said nothing had changed and he had not seen any such flags. The YPG, the main Kurdish militia in Syria, asked government forces to deploy in Manbij, an area it withdrew from earlier this year to fight Islamic State jihadists in eastern Syria. Slideshow (5 Images) “We invite the Syrian government, to which we belong, as people, land and borders, to send its armed forces to take over these positions and protect Manbij in the face of Turkish threats,” it said.</s>ANKARA/WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump’s declaration in a phone call with Tayyip Erdogan that he was pulling US troops from Syria has stunned Turkey and left it scrambling to respond to the changing battlefield on its southern border. 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 cross-border attack targeting US-backed Kurdish forces in northeast Syria, US officials say. Instead, during the conversation Trump reshaped US 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. He said Erdogan replied that Turkish forces were up to the task. “Then you do it,” Trump told him abruptly. To his national security adviser John Bolton, also on the call, Trump said: “Start work for the withdrawal of US troops from Syria.” “I have to say it was an unexpected decision. The word ‘surprise’ is too weak to describe the situation,” said the official, one of five Turkish sources who spoke to Reuters about the 14 December call between the two leaders. Trump’s decision was also a shock in Washington, where senior administration officials, including Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis, tried for days to change the president’s mind, US officials said. When Trump made clear he would not back down, Mattis and a senior official coordinating the fight against Islamic State, Brett McGurk, both resigned. On a visit to a US air base in Iraq this week, Trump said that military commanders had repeatedly requested extensions for the 2,000 US troops in Syria - requests that he finally turned down because he said Islamic State was largely beaten. “We’ve knocked them silly. I will tell you I’ve had some very good talks with President Erdogan who wants to knock them out also, and he’ll do it,” he told American troops. Ankara has complained bitterly for years that the United States, a Nato ally, had chosen the Kurdish YPG militia as its main partner on the ground in Syria against Islamic State. Turkey says the YPG is a terrorist group, inseparable from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has waged an insurgency in southeast Turkey in which 40,000 people have been killed. The US withdrawal potentially frees Turkey’s military to push the YPG back from 500km of the border without risking a confrontation with American forces. It also removes the main cause of this year’s diplomatic crisis between the two countries. But it also opens up an area of Syria far larger than anything Turkey had expected to fill, potentially pitting it against not just Kurdish forces but also the Damascus government - which is committed to regaining control of all of Syria - and its Russian and Iranian backers. The YPG on Friday asked the Syrian government to take over the town of Manbij, which the Kurdish militia currently controls with US support, to protect it from Turkish attack. And if Turkish forces are to take on Islamic State in its last pocket of Syrian territory near the Iraqi border, they would first have to cross 250km of territory controlled by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces. “Erdogan got more than he bargained for,” said Soner Cagaptay, Director of the Turkish Program at the Washington Institute. “He had asked the US to drop the YPG, but not withdraw from Syria”. Erdogan has for years backed rebels who once hoped to topple Bashar al-Assad, but the Syrian president’s survival has been assured by support from Tehran and Moscow even though the north and east - including Syrian oilfields - remain beyond Assad’s control for now. As it takes stock of the new challenge, Turkey is launching intensive talks with Washington and Moscow. Ankara expects US military officials to visit within days, as well as Bolton and possibly the US special Syria envoy, James Jeffrey. Turkey’s intelligence chief and defence and foreign ministers are also due in Moscow on Saturday, the spokesman for Erdogan’s AK Party said. “Of course it will be difficult. The whole issue needs to be planned again from the start,” a Turkish security official said. A US official said military planners were drafting plans that could see a withdrawal over the course of several months. One of the proposals under consideration is a 120-day withdrawal period, according to a person familiar with discussions. Washington is also grappling with what to do with weapons it provided to the YPG militia and promised to take back after the campaign against Islamic State ended. Turkey says the weapons must be collected so they are not used against Turkish troops, but US officials say they cannot disarm their own allies when the fight is not yet over. Erdogan announced last week Turkey is postponing its planned military operation against the YPG in light of Trump’s decision. The Turkish military has already carried out two incursions into northern Syria, backed by pro-Turkey Syrian rebels. In 2016 they targeted Islamic State and Kurdish fighters, and earlier this year took control of the YPG-held Afrin region. But Ankara and its Syrian rebel allies alone do not have the capacity to take over the whole region which the United States is abandoning, Cagaptay said. Turkey’s priority, therefore, may be to secure its southern frontier. “Distancing the YPG from the border and wiping out these elements is of critical importance,” the security official said. He stressed the need for careful coordination over who should fill other areas which departing US forces will leave and warned of problems ahead if an agreement could not be reached. “Is it a big victory for Turkey?” another official said. “I’m not sure right now.”

The Kurdish YPG calls on Syrian government troops to protect Manbij against what it calls a "Turkish invasion".

CAIRO: Egyptian security forces have killed 40 suspected militants in three separate incidents in North Sinai and Giza, the ministry of interior said on Saturday (Dec 29), a day after a deadly bombing on a Vietnamese tourist bus in Giza killed four people. Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit their tour bus on Friday less than 4 km (2.5 miles) from Egypt's world-famous Giza pyramids. Egypt's military and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya.</s>CAIRO (Reuters) - Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a bomb blast hit their bus on Friday less than four km (2.5 miles) from Egypt’s world famous Giza pyramids, authorities said. The blast is the first deadly attack against foreign tourists in Egypt for more than a year and comes as the tourism sector, a vital source of foreign currency revenue, was recovering from a sharp drop in visitor numbers since the country's 2011 uprising. No immediate claim of responsibility was reported. Islamist extremists, including militants linked to Islamic State, are active in Egypt and have targeted foreign visitors in the past. At least nine Vietnamese tourists were injured, as well as the Egyptian driver, according to official statements. The tourists were heading to a sound and light show at the pyramids, which they had visited earlier in the day, said Lan Le, 41, who was also aboard the bus but unhurt. “We were going to the sound and light show and then suddenly we heard a bomb. It was terrible, people screaming,” she told Reuters, speaking at Al Haram hospital, where the injured were taken. “I don’t remember anything after.” The interior ministry said the bus was hit by an explosion from an improvised device hidden near a wall on Marioutiya street at around 1815 (1615 GMT). About two hours later, the vehicle could be seen behind a police cordon with one of its sides badly damaged and the windows blown out, a Reuters reporter said. Dozens of police, military and firefighters were at the site, on a narrow side street close to the ring road, where traffic was moving normally. Shortly afterwards, workers brought a pick-up truck to tow the bus away. An investigator at the scene said the device had likely been planted near the wall. The interior ministry confirmed the death of two of the tourists, and the state prosecutor’s office later said a third had died. In total, 14 Vietnamese tourists had been travelling on the bus, it said. “Vietnam requests that Egypt promptly launch an investigation into the case and track down those responsible.” Egypt’s prime minister, Mostafa Madbouly, told media from Al Haram hospital that the bus had taken an unexpected route. “The bus deviated from the route secured by the security forces,” Madbouly told Extra News channel, an assertion also made by the owner of the company that organised the bus tour. “We have been in contact with the embassy of Vietnam to contain the impact of the incident, and what is important now is to take care of the injured,” the prime minister said. The bus driver later told local media he had followed a standard tourist bus route. Egypt’s army and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya. The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the “Arab Spring” protests of 2011. Those events and the bombing of a Russian airliner shortly after it took off from Sharm el Sheikh in 2015 caused tourist numbers to plunge. The last deadly attack on foreign tourists in Egypt was in July 2017, when two Germans were stabbed to death in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

An explosion caused by a roadside bomb hits a tourist bus in Cairo, Egypt, near the Giza pyramid complex. Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian tour guide are killed, while 12 others are injured.

A British adventurer was close to becoming the second person to traverse Antarctica completely unassisted just a few days after an American became the first to conquer the feat, which was previously said to be impossible. O’Brady, 33, took 54 days to complete the nearly 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometer) crossing of the frozen continent from north to south. “While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced.” The endurance athlete decided at the last minute to attempt to complete the last 80 miles in one final push over 32 hours, starting on Christmas Day. He’d pushed really hard all the way across and done extremely well, so congratulations to him.” Rudd wrote that he never felt like he was in a race and that “it’s always been about completing the journey.” It’s been an emotional trek for Rudd, who decided to do the solo in honor of his close friend and fellow British explorer Henry Worsley, who died near the end of his attempt at an unassisted solo trek across Antarctica in 2016. O’Brady’s wife Jenna Besaw told the AP he will wait for Rudd to complete the challenge so that they can celebrate their achievement together.</s>A British adventurer was close to becoming the second person to traverse Antarctica completely unassisted just a few days after an American became the first to conquer the feat, which was previously said to be impossible. Louis Rudd's expedition blog on Thursday showed that the 49-year-old has only has about 50 miles (80 kilometers) left on the journey across the continent and is expected to finish Saturday. If Rudd — a Hereford, England, resident and captain in the British Army — completes the journey, he'll become the second man to do so after Colin O'Brady of Portland, Oregon, became the first on Wednesday. The more than 900-mile (1448-kilometer) trek took O'Brady 54 days. O'Brady and Rudd were competing to become the first to travel across Antarctica without getting new supplies or help from the wind. It's been an emotional trek for Rudd, who decided to do the solo in honor of his close friend and fellow British explorer Henry Worsley, who died near the end of his attempt at an unassisted solo trek across Antarctica in 2016.

After a 56-day trek, British Army captain Lou Rudd becomes the second person to cross Antarctica alone and unaided, over two decades after the first solo crossing by Norwegian Børge Ousland.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to reopen its embassy in Damascus on Thursday, the Assad regime's information ministry said, a move that would mark a big diplomatic boost for Bashar al-Assad from an Arab state that once supported his opponents. The reopening of the embassy comes after the Dec. 16 visit to Damascus by Sudan's President Omar Bashir, who became the first Arab head of state to visit Syria since the civil war began. The country was also expelled from the Arab League in 2011, as Riyadh and Doha backed anti-government Sunni forces trying to topple the Alawite-dominated government in Damascus.</s>Bahrain to resume work at embassy in Syria after UAE move DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Bahrain says it will resume operations at its embassy in Syria some seven years after it shuttered its embassy in Damascus in the early days of the civil war. The move, announced one day after the United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in Damascus, reflects an effort by Gulf Arab states to improve relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad as his forces win a series of military victories with the help of Russia and Iran. Early in the civil war, Gulf Arab states supported Sunni fighters seeking to oust Assad. In a Foreign Ministry statement Friday, Bahrain said it affirms the importance of continued relations with Syria, emphasizing "the Arab role" in preserving Syria's independence and preventing dangerous regional intervention in its affairs — an apparent reference to Iran's strengthened foothold.

Bahrain announces it will reopen its embassy in Damascus, Syria, a day after the UAE made the same decision.

Three men in Britain have been found guilty of murdering five people in an explosion as part of a plot to claim over 300,000 pounds ($380,000) from an insurance policy. Shopkeeper Aram Kurd, 34, and his friends Arkan Ali, 37, and Hawkar Hassan, 33, plotted to destroy the Polish supermarket in order to claim £300,000 in insurance because the business was failing. Aram Kurd, Arkan Ali and Hawkar Hassan killed five people with the blaze and were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, as they had hoped to benefit from a £330,000 insurance payout. Shop worker Viktorija Ijevleva, 22, Mary Ragoobeer, 46, along with her teenage sons Shane and Sea and Shane’s girlfriend Leah Beth Reek, 18, were killed in the blast on Hinckley Road, Leicester in February. Prosecutor David Herbert QC told the trial: "In other words, the devastation that they caused was carried out with the intention to kill.” Mary Ragoobeer lived in the flat above which was completely destroyed. Three men have been found guilty of murder after setting fire to 26 litres of petrol in the basement of a shop in Leicester.</s>Three men have been convicted of murder after deliberately starting a fire at a Leicester shop that killed five people, including a woman and her two sons, in a plot to claim a £300,000 insurance payout. Arkan Ali, 38, Hawkar Hassan, 33, and Aram Kurd, 34, used dozens of litres of petrol in an arson attack on a Polish supermarket, triggering a huge explosion which tore through the shop and destroyed the flat above it. Leicester Crown Court heard how some residents living near the Polish supermarket on Hinckley Road, Leicester, thought a bomb had reduced the property to rubble. They left Viktorija Ijevleva, a 22-year-old shopworker, to die in the building because she was aware of the insurance policy, which had been taken out less than three weeks earlier, Leicester crown court heard during the five-week trial. Brothers Sean Rajoobeer, 17 (left) and Shane Rajoobeer, 18, and their mother Mary, three of the five victims of the Hinckley Road explosion in Leicester (Leicestershire Police) Opening the Crown’s case at the start of the trial, prosecutor David Herbert QC told a jury of seven women and five men the defendants intended to maximise the damage to the premises and “would have known” people would have been in the two-storey flat above. Photograph: Leicestershire police/PA Ali, Hassan and Kurd were unanimously found guilty of five counts of murder on Friday after they had denied murder and alternative counts of manslaughter. But they were unanimously found guilty of five counts of murder after 11 hours and 26 minutes of deliberations. Viktorija Ljevleva was among the victims (Leicestershire Police) The trio were also convicted of conspiring with Ms Ijevleva to make a gain, by dishonestly pursuing an insurance claim in respect of the fire. In a statement issued by police after the verdict, Jose Ragoobeer, the husband of Mary, and father of Shane and Sean Ragoobeer, said: "Mary was a hard-working, loving mother and wife who was devoted to her family. In fact, about 26 litres of petrol had been used to start the fire in the supermarket’s basement, causing the explosion just after 7pm. CCTV and traffic camera footage released by police at the end of the trial shows people escaping from a nearby takeaway moments after the explosion, and rubble being blasted into the roadway as cars pass by. Other footage police recovered from a neighbouring business showed Ali three days before the blast, moments before the angle of the camera was moved. Further images from the same CCTV unit a day before the fire showed a gloved hand moving the camera angle again – at a time when all three defendants were nearby. Kurd was also recorded on a security camera as he escaped from the scene at the rear of the shop. Ali, of Drake Close, Oldham, Hassan, of Eld Road, Coventry, and Kurd, of Hillary Place, Leicester, were remanded in custody and will be sentenced in mid-January. During his opening address, Mr Herbert told jurors: “The explosion and the proceeding fire demolished a building and killed five people in the building – one person who was in the shop and four who were in the flat above enjoying a peaceful night in.” Mr Herbert said: “Even on camera 50 metres away you can see the explosion and the enormity of what happened. "It was not an accident, the prosecution say, that the petrol used caused such devastating damage." “The explosion and the fire that followed was deliberately caused by these defendants who intended to profit from loss of stock, contents and future loss of business from the shop. “It was not an accident, the prosecution say, that the petrol used caused such devastating damage.” Describing the unlawful killing of Ms Ijevleva, Mr Herbert added: “The defendants thought she knew too much and decided to leave her to die in the explosion that they created. In other words, the devastation that they caused was carried out with the intention to kill.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Viktorija Ijevleva was left to die because she was aware of the insurance policy, the court heard.

The three men suspected of causing an explosion at a shop in Leicester in February are convicted of murder. The explosion destroyed the shop and the flat above it, killing five people. The three men were also convicted of conspiracy with one of the victims to commit insurance fraud.

Thirty alleged “terrorists” were killed in separate raids in Giza governorate, home to Egypt’s famed pyramids and the scene of yesterday’s deadly bombing, while 10 others were killed in North Sinai, the interior ministry said without directly linking them to the attack. A security source said the raids took place early this morning, hours after yesterday’s roadside bombing which officials said hit a tour bus in the Al-Haram district near the Giza pyramids killing the three Vietnamese holidaymakers and their Egyptian guide. The Ministry of Interior did not explicitly link the killing of the suspected militants to the attack on the tour bus on Friday, in which an improvised device hidden in a wall less than 2.5 miles from the pyramids at Giza exploded and killed three Vietnamese tourists and their Egyptian guide.</s>Egyptian security forces have killed 40 suspected militants in three separate incidents in North Sinai and Giza, the ministry of interior said on Saturday, a day after a deadly bombing on a tourist bus in Giza killed four people. The ministry did not say whether the suspected militants were connected to Friday’s attack, but said its forces killed 30 people during raids on their hideouts in Giza where it said “terrorist elements” were planning a series of attacks targeting state institutions and the tourism industry. Security forces also killed 10 suspected militants in North Sinai, where the country is fighting an insurgency led by Islamic State, also known as Isis. State news agency Mena said that the suspects were killed in a gun battle. The ministry did not give any details about the suspects’ identity or whether there had been any casualties or injuries among the security forces. The statement said the three raids took place simultaneously. The ministry published photos of bloodied bodies with their faces concealed and assault rifles and shotguns lying on the floor beside them. Three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed and at least 10 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit their tour bus on Friday less than 4 km (2.5 miles) from Egypt’s world-famous Giza pyramids. Egypt’s military and police launched a major campaign against militant groups in February, targeting the Sinai Peninsula as well as southern areas and the border with Libya. The government says fighting Islamist militants is a priority as it works to restore stability after the years of turmoil that followed the “Arab Spring” protests of 2011.

In response to a roadside bombing that killed three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian tour guide the previous day, Egyptian police kill 40 suspected militants.

HODEIDA, YEMEN: Yemeni rebels have begun to withdraw from the port of Hodeida, the country’s key aid lifeline, under an agreement reached in Sweden earlier this month, a UN official said Saturday. The official, who requested anonymity, said the Huthi rebels began to pull back from the Red Sea port at midnight (2100 GMT Friday). The rebel withdrawal from the port, which is the point of entry for food aid to some 14 million Yemenis UN agencies say are on the brink of famine, is a key part of a ceasefire that went into effect on December 18. Pro-government forces are also supposed to pull back from parts of the city they recaptured in an offensive they launched with the backing of a Saudi-led coalition on June 13. The Huthis began “the first phase of redeployment from the Hodeida port”, a rebel official told the Huthi-run Saba news agency. The rebels held a ceremony to mark the occasion, an AFP correspondent reported. The UN Security Council last week unanimously approved a resolution authorising the deployment of observers to oversee a hard-won truce for Hodeida that was agreed by the Saudi-backed government and the rebels in Sweden this month. Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert is heading a joint truce monitoring committee, which includes both government and rebel representatives, and chaired its first meeting this week. The UN-led panel addressed “the first phase of the implementation of the agreement... based on ceasefire, confidence building measures to deliver humanitarian assistance and redeployment”, a UN statement said. It added that the panel would convene again on January 1 to discuss “detailed plans for full redeployment”. The UN also said that a humanitarian convoy was expected later Saturday to leave Hodeida port and travel along the main road that links it to the rebel-held capital Sanaa. Its destination was not immediately clear. “As a confidence building measure, the parties have agreed to begin opening blocked humanitarian corridors, starting with the Hodeida-Sanaa road, followed by other routes, in a phased manner,” said the statement. The truce has remained shaky, with the two sides accusing each other of violations. A resident reached by telephone on Saturday told AFP pro-government and rebel forces had exchanged fire briefly overnight. The resident added that coalition jets were heard overhead on Saturday morning. In addition to the withdrawal of fighters from Hodeida, the agreement included a planned prisoner swap involving some 15,000 detainees. A “mutual understanding” was also reached to facilitate aid deliveries to Yemen’s third city Taiz — under the control of loyalists but besieged by rebels. The two sides have agreed to meet again in late January for more talks to define the framework for negotiations on a comprehensive peace settlement. The war between the Shiite Huthi rebels and troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi escalated in March 2015, when he fled into Saudi exile and the Saudi-led coalition intervened. Since then, the war has killed some 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, although human rights groups say the real death toll could be five times as high. More than 22 million people — three quarters of the population — now depend on humanitarian assistance to survive. Yemenis struggling to survive such conditions are also confronted with a collapsed economy, leaving civil servants and teachers without pay for months. On Thursday, Hadi instructed the government to pay the salaries of civil servants in the rebel-held city of Hodeida starting this month, a move that was welcomed by the UN. “President Hadi’s decision is an important step towards improving the economic situation, and alleviating the humanitarian suffering of the Yemeni people,” the office of the UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths tweeted.</s>SANAA, YEMEN—Yemen's Shiite rebels on Saturday handed over control of the main port in the Red Sea city of Hodeida to the country's navy and coast guard under U.N. supervision, security officials said, in a significant step in the implementation of a deal reached during peace talks in Sweden earlier this month. Shiite Houthi rebels have begun to withdraw from the key port in the Red Sea city of Hodeida as part of a deal reached in peace talks in Sweden earlier this month, a United Nations official said Saturday. Houthi rebels control most of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, whereas their rivals govern much of the country's south, including the Arabian Sea port city of Aden, where the exiled government is located. The handover was supposed to be the first in a series of confidence-building measures agreed to in Sweden that could pave the way for a political settlement of Yemen’s 4-year-old war pitting the rebels known as Houthis against the internationally recognized government backed since 2015 by a Saudi-led coalition. The government and rebels also agreed in Sweden to exchange prisoners of war in a deal involving thousands captured from both sides.

Yemen's Shiite rebels say they have given control of the port of Hodeida to the coast guard and local administrators. The Yemeni government disputes this claim.

BALTIMORE, Md – A “partial equipment failure” involving a jet bridge at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) in Maryland on Saturday left six people injured. Southwest Airlines said the flight arrived at BWI from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, with a request for paramedics to meet it to check out a passenger’s “onboard medical situation.” While medics were helping the passenger outside the aircraft, the airline said the jet bridge “experienced a failure.” The remaining passengers got off the plane using stairs. As the medics were helping the passenger outside the plane, the jet bridge - which connects the aircraft to the terminal - is said to have "experienced a failure" and collapsed. BWI Fire Chief Victor Ferreira said on Twitter that “personnel involved were taken to area hospitals to be evaluated for minor injuries as a precaution.” The remaining passengers on the flight deplaned using the air stairs, the Southwest spokesperson said. The airport says the plane has been moved and the incident has not caused further impacts to the airport's operations. The bridge will remain closed until the investigation is over, the tweet said.</s>BALTIMORE (AP) — Officials say six people have been injured after an “equipment failure” involving a jet bridge at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The airport tweeted Saturday night that six people had been taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries due to the incident at Gate E-10. A jet bridge is the hallway structure leading to the plane that passengers use to both board and exit the aircraft. No further information was immediately available.

An equipment failure causes a jet bridge at the Baltimore–Washington International Airport to collapse, injuring seven people.

Newspapers that are part of the Tribune Publishing group were hit by an apparent cyberattack this week, which affected printing and distribution of their editions over the weekend. The Los Angeles Times reported that Tribune Publishing was affected by a cyberattack originating outside of the U.S., which caused service disruptions for the Saturday editions of major newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, and the Baltimore Sun. The print edition of the Chicago Tribune was published Saturday without paid death notices and classified ads, while in other markets a similarly slimmed-down version of the Saturday newspaper will be delivered on Sunday. [NEW YORK] The Los Angeles Times says an unusual cyberattack that disrupted its printing operations and those at newspapers in San Diego and Florida over the weekend came from outside the United States, but it stopped short of accusing a specific foreign government. Anonymous sources cited by The Los Angeles Times suggested that the malware may have been a form of ransomware — a pernicious attack that scrambles computer programs and files before demanding that the victim pay a ransom to unscramble them. According to a statement from Marisa Kollias, a spokeswoman for Tribune Publishing Company, the company's computer alert systems detected the presence of malware that impacted some back-office systems which are primarily used to publish and produce the newspapers. Others included the Ventura County Star, San Diego-Union Tribune, Baltimore Sun, New York Daily News, The Chicago Tribune and more.Distribution was also affected for the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, which are both printed at the Los Angeles Times' printing plant in downtown Los Angeles, the paper reported.An anonymous source provided information on the malware attack to the L.A. Times, saying the attack was conducted by a "foreign entity. Kollias said there is no evidence customers' personally identifiable information or credit card had been impacted, nor was the information of subscribers, advertisers and online users.</s>(Reuters) - A cyber attack caused major printing and delivery disruptions on Saturday at the Los Angeles Times and other major U.S. newspapers, including ones owned by Tribune Publishing Co (TPCO.O) such as the Chicago Tribune and Baltimore Sun. A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration The cyber attack appeared to originate outside the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a source with knowledge of the situation. The attack led to distribution delays in the Saturday edition of The Times, Tribune, Sun and other newspapers that share a production platform in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reported. Tribune Publishing, whose newspapers also include the New York Daily News and Orlando Sentinel, said it first detected the malware on Friday. The West Coast editions of the Wall Street Journal and New York Times were hit as they are also printed on the shared production platform, the Los Angeles Times said. Tribune Publishing spokeswoman Marisa Kollias said the virus hurt back-office systems used to publish and produce “newspapers across our properties.” “There is no evidence that customer credit card information or personally identifiable information has been compromised,” Kollias said in a statement The Wall Street Journal and New York Times did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Most San Diego Union-Tribune subscribers were without a newspaper on Saturday as the virus infected the company’s business systems and hobbled its ability to publish, the paper’s editor and publisher Jeff Light wrote on its website. A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security said it was studying the situation. “We are aware of reports of a potential cyber incident affecting several news outlets, and are working with our government and industry partners to better understand the situation,” said DHS spokeswoman Katie Waldman in a statement. Representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation were not immediately available for comment.

A cyberattack disrupts distribution of newspapers published by Tribune Publishing.

ST. CHARLES, Mo. (KMOV.com) -- St. Charles City police have identified the victims in the overnight quadruple homicide on Whetstone Drive which include a 8 and 10-year-old. News 4 will stream the press conference on the KMOV News App and Facebook page. Police took the suspect, a 46-year-old male, in custody when they found him at a St. Charles QuikTrip. Workers at the convenience store called police when a man covered in blood went into the bathroom. St. Charles police confirmed that three people were shot and killed at the home on Whetstone, and a fourth victim later died at the hospital from gunshot wounds sustained at the home. The Major Case Squad has been called in to assist with the investigation. According to police, the suspect fled the scene on foot and attempted to carjack a woman, and stabbed her in the process. Police will only describe the suspect as a white male in his 40s. Police say they were called to the scene of a shooting in the 100 block of Whetstone Drive just before midnight Saturday and discovered multiple gunshot victims. Upon arrival an officer was involved in gun battle with the suspect. At 7:26 a.m., however, the suspect was apprehended inside a St. Charles QuikTrip after calls came in that the suspect was inside bleeding. They, along with St. Charles PD, will hold a press conference at 9 a.m. News 4 will stream that event on the KMOV News App and on Facebook. No information on the suspect or the victim's identity has been released as authorities work to notify next of kin.</s>___ This version of the story corrects the direction of St. Charles from St. Louis in the second paragraph ST. CHARLES, MO.—Authorities say four people have been fatally shot inside a St. Louis-area home and a suspect has been taken into custody after seeking shelter hours later in a convenience store. Police in St. Charles, Missouri, said the suspect also had a gun battle with officers just after midnight Saturday as he attempted to drive away from the home. Authorities said Emery, 46, abandoned his own pickup and tried unsuccessfully to steal a woman’s car while on the run, attacking her as well. Officers found the fourth victim, a 39-year-old woman, in the home’s master bedroom, suffering from gunshot wounds but still alive, Lohmar said. (AP) — The Latest on the fatal shootings of four people in a St.-Louis area home (all times local): Authorities have identified three of the four fatal shooting victims in a St. Louis-area home as a young sister and brother and their grandmother. Emery remained in a local hospital with two gunshot wounds that authorities said did not appear self-inflicted and most likely came from the shootout with officers. Authorities did not name the suspect or the victims or provide details about the suspect’s potential motives.

Four people are killed in a shooting in St. Charles, Missouri, United States. Another person was stabbed but survived. A suspect was arrested soon after.

President Donald Trump on Friday issued an executive order freezing pay for 2.1 million federal workers in 2019, blocking a 2.1 percent pay raise that was set to go into effect across the board in January (file photo). The move, which nixes a 2.1% across-the-board pay raise that was set to take effect in January, comes as hundreds of thousands of federal employees are expecting to begin the new year furloughed or working without pay because of a partial government shutdown. The move comes as some 800,000 workers remain furloughed or working without pay as a result of the partial government shutdown that began last week In addition to blocking the blanket raise, the order cancelled locality pay increases -paycheck adjustments made based on the region of the country where workers are posted. “It is shocking that federal employees are taking yet another financial hit.” The freeze does not affect the 2.6 per cent pay raise for U.S. troops that was part of a large defense spending bill Trump signed in August and will take effect next year. He had earlier said he would do so in August in a letter to Congress, saying the raise was “inappropriate.” “We must maintain efforts to put our nation on a fiscally sustainable course, and federal agency budgets cannot sustain such increases,” Trump said in August. They even saw pay bumps when other federal workers were subjected to a three-year pay freeze in the wake of the Great Recession.</s>WASHINGTON – In his first visit to U.S. troops in a conflict zone, President Donald Trump drew cheers when he told troops he won them their first raise in 10 years and suggested it was a whopping one. Neither is true. TRUMP: “You just got one of the biggest pay raises you ever received. Unless you don’t want it. Does anybody here? Is anybody here willing to give up the big pay raise you just got? I don’t see too many hands. Ah, OK. don’t give it up. It’s great. You know what? Nobody deserves it more. You haven’t gotten one in more than 10 years. More than 10 years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one.” – remarks prompting cheers Wednesday at al-Asad Air Base in Iraq. THE FACTS: He’s wrong about there being no pay increase for service members in more than 10 years and about their raise being especially large. U.S. military members have gotten a pay raise every year for decades. As well, several in the last 10 years have been larger than service members are getting now – 2.4 percent this year and 2.6 percent in 2019. Raises in 2008, 2009 and 2010, for example, were all 3.4 percent or more. Pay increases shrank during the following years as the administration struggled with congressionally mandated budget caps. Trump, aided by congressional action, did reverse the subsequent six-year trend that began in 2011 of pay raises that hovered between 1 and 2 percent. In 2017, service members got a 2.1 percent raise. Trump has repeatedly told service members that they’re getting the biggest or only pay raise that they have received in 10 years or more. In May, for example, he told graduates of the United States Naval Academy: “We just got you a big pay raise. First time in 10 years.” More: Trump defends signing MAGA hats for service members during visit to Iraq, Germany TRUMP: “You had plenty of people, they came up, they said, you know we could make it smaller. We could make it 3 percent, we could make it 2 percent, we could make it 4 percent. I said, ‘no, make it 10 percent – make it more than 10 percent.’” – remarks Wednesday at al-Asad base. THE FACTS: Whatever he might have said at the time, the 2.6 percent for 2019 obviously falls far short of the 10 percent or more that he implied was achieved. Associated Press writer Amanda Seitz in Chicago contributed to this report. EDITOR’S NOTE: A look at the veracity of claims by political figures. Read more AP Fact Checks or follow @APFactCheck on Twitter.

U.S. President Donald Trump issues an executive order freezing federal workers' pay raise in 2019, excluding that of military personnel.

The talks were held with the knowledge of Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and were intended to set parameters for negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Monday. Iran says a Taliban delegation held talks with Iranian officials in Tehran on Sunday. They had comprehensive negotiations with the Iranian deputy foreign minister,” Bahram Qasemi said in a news conference broadcast live on state television. Moreover, at least two weeks ago, the US and Taliban as well as some regional countries representatives gathered in Abdu Dhabi to discuss a political settlement to end the long-standing conflict in Afghanistan.</s>Afghan Taliban hold talks with Iranian official in Tehran TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran says a delegation of the Taliban has discussed efforts to bring peace and end Afghanistan's 17-year war during a rare visit to Tehran. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi says the Taliban delegation arrived on Sunday and met with Iran's deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi. Ghasemi says they discussed “security issues aimed at driving the peace process in Afghanistan.” He says the Afghan government was aware of the talks. He says the Afghan government was aware of the talks. The talks were not the first between the Taliban and Iranian officials. Ali Shamkhani of Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirmed last week in Kabul that such talks have taken place in the past and would continue. The Taliban have recently held talks in several regional countries amid U.S. plans to withdraw up to half the 14,000 American troops from Afghanistan.

The Taliban reject peace talks with the Afghan government.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Video footage has emerged showing a ball of flame where the helicopter crashed A rescue helicopter has crashed near the world's longest zipline in the UAE, killing its crew. An official added: “The accident happened at 5:50pm on Saturday and the helicopter was on a mission to airlift an injured man from Jebel Jais. Tourism authorities told local media they could not comment on the matter while an investigation. The plane was on a rescue mission in the Jebel Jais mountainous area in Ras Al Khaimah, the country's General Civil Aviation Authority said. The ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, ordered an investigation into the crash. It officially opened in February and can reach speeds of 93mph.</s>Four dead after rescue helicopter 'clips world's longest zipline' in United Arab Emirates crash A rescue helicopter has crashed after clipping the world's longest zipline, killing its entire crew in Ras al-Khaimah in the north-eastern region of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to local media. The National Search and Rescue Centre said four crew members were onboard the helicopter when it crashed on Saturday on the UAE's highest mountain, Jebel Jais, which is 1,934 metres high at its peak. The Civil Aviation Authority said the Agusta 139 helicopter crashed during a rescue mission at around 5:50 p.m. local time on Saturday near the UAE’s highest mountain of Jebel Jais in Ras al-Khaimah. Videos posted online by stunned onlookers show the helicopter diving into a tailspin before crashing and bursting into flames in the valley of a rocky mountain Ras al-Khaimah’s ruler Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi ordered an immediate investigation into the crash, which occurred near the site of the world’s longest zip line measuring 2.83 kilometres (1.76 miles) long. The Jebel Jais zipline opened in February as part of an effort by the smaller, lesser-known emirate of Ras al-Khaimah to attract more tourists and residents from neighbouring emirates including Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

A rescue helicopter crashes near the world's longest zipline in the United Arab Emirates, killing four people.