| Christmas across the globe: Tradition and tensions amid turbulent times Posted: 25 Dec 2018 11:23 AM PST  At the Vatican, the pope called for unity. In the U.S., a federal government shutdown cast a pall. So dawned Christmas Day 2018.
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| Under duress, Israel's Netanyahu still election front-runner Posted: 25 Dec 2018 04:58 AM PST  JERUSALEM (AP) — A day after snap elections were called in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged as the overwhelming early front-runner Tuesday, with rivals and commentators alike pinning their primary hopes of unseating him on a potential corruption indictment.
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| Tokyo stocks dive more than 5% on fears over US economy Posted: 24 Dec 2018 07:43 PM PST  Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged more than five percent in morning trade Tuesday amid rising doubts about the US economy and fears sparked by a US government funding crisis. At the midday break, the Nikkei index was down 5.05 percent or 1,018.74 points at 19,147.45, after dipping to as low as 19,138.88 -- the lowest level since April 2017. The dollar fetched 110.13 yen in midday Tokyo time, down from 110.43 yen in New York on Monday and 111.38 yen in Asian trade on Friday.
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| 'Run to the hills': Tsunami fears spark chaos in Indonesia town Posted: 25 Dec 2018 03:48 AM PST  Hundreds of panicked residents, many sobbing and clutching small children, tried to flee Sumber Jaya village Tuesday as word spread that another tsunami was about to smash into the shattered Indonesian community. Police and search-and-rescue workers tried to help get people out, but the local mosque soon calmed the chaos over its loudspeaker: the rising waterline was just a regular tidal surge, not a repeat of Saturday's killer tsunami. The desperate exodus underlines the level of fear along Indonesia's gutted coastline after the volcano-triggered tsunami struck without warning, killing over 400 people.
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| North Korea ordered to pay parents, estate of student $500M Posted: 24 Dec 2018 09:05 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge ordered North Korea to pay more than $500 million in a wrongful death suit filed by the parents of Otto Warmbier, an American college student who died shortly after being released from that country.
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| U.S. Wrangling to Destroy Christmas Calm Across Emerging Markets Posted: 23 Dec 2018 07:03 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- If emerging markets had their way, this Christmas week would be like any other: quiet, with just a handful of economic releases and low trading volumes. But political dramas playing out in the U.S. are keeping investors on tenterhooks.
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| Pope Francis issues plea for peace in the Middle East in Christmas Day address Posted: 24 Dec 2018 05:15 PM PST  Pope Francis has used his traditional Christmas Day address urging people to overcome their religious and cultural differences to end conflict in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East. Delivering his sixth "Urbi et Orbi" address to 50,000 people gathered in Saint Peter's Square on Tuesday, the pope said Jesus Christ had given the world "fraternity" and differences should not be seen as a "detriment or a danger" but "a source of richness". "My wish for a happy Christmas is a wish for fraternity," the pope said. "All of us are brothers and sisters in humanity." Just days after Donald Trump, the US president, announced he would withdraw American troops from Syria and urged Saudi Arabia to help rebuild the country, the pope called for an urgent political solution that would allow millions of Syrian refugees to return home. "May the international community work decisively for a political solution that can put aside divisions and partisan interests, so that the Syrian people, especially all those who were forced to leave their own lands and seek refuge elsewhere, can return to live in peace in their own country," the pope said. "Urbi et Orbi" means "to the city and the world". Pope Francis waves after delivering the "Urbi et Orbi" message from the main balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica Credit: REUTERS/Max Rossi The 82-year-old pontiff delivered his message as thousands of pilgrims gathered in brilliant sunshine to celebrate the birth of Christ amid tight security at the Vatican. Last week police in southern Italy arrested a Somali man suspected of having been a member of Islamic State and who had threatened to bomb churches in Italy, including St. Peter's Basilica. After appealing for peace in Syria, the pope also called for a resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians and a political solution in Yemen. Members of the Swiss Guard were present during the "Urbi et Orbi" message at the Vatican Credit: REUTERS/Max Rossi "My thoughts turn to Yemen, in the hope that the truce brokered by the international community may finally bring relief to all those children and people exhausted by war and famine," the pope said. Francis also turned his attention to other hotspots in the world, calling for further rapprochement on the Korean Peninsula and peace in Ukraine which he said was "yearning to regain a lasting peace that is slow to come". He also appealed for "social harmony" in Venezuela and reconciliation in Nicaragua. The pope's concern for migrants and refugees was not overlooked. He called for an end to conflict in Africa "where millions of people are refugees, or displaced or in need of humanitarian assistance and food security". Pope Francis prays in front of a Nativity scene Credit: Gregorio Borgia/AP On Christmas Eve the pope expressed his concern about the widening gap between rich and poor and the damage caused by "insatiable greed". "An insatiable greed marks all human history, even today, when, paradoxically, a few dine luxuriantly while all too many go without the daily bread needed to survive," the pope said.
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| Donald Trump, Walled Off From Reality Posted: 24 Dec 2018 07:28 AM PST  What will it take for Republicans in Congress to conclude that President
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| Stores open Christmas Eve, government shutdown: 5 things you need to know Monday Posted: 23 Dec 2018 09:00 PM PST  From stores still open to the shutdown and the stock market, here's what to know on Christmas Eve.
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| Poker player turns $5 bet into $1 million at Borgata in Atlantic City Posted: 24 Dec 2018 07:37 PM PST  A man playing poker at an Atlantic City casino won $1 million on a $5 bet.
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| Syrian army reinforced close to front with Turkish-backed forces Posted: 25 Dec 2018 10:42 AM PST ![Syrian army reinforced close to front with Turkish-backed forces]( "Syrian army reinforced close to front with Turkish-backed forces") Syrian government troops backed by Russian forces have sent extra troops toward the city of Manbij in coordination with the militia that controls it, a militia spokesman said, as Turkish-backed Syrian rebels said they were preparing to attack it. The deployment was coordinated with the U.S.-backed militia in Manbij, the spokesman for the Manbij Military Council said. "The battle will soon start," Major Youssef Hamoud, spokesman for the National Army, the main Turkish-backed rebel force in the area, told Reuters.
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| 'My second family': French protesters band together for Christmas Posted: 25 Dec 2018 02:42 AM PST  The protests against President Emmanuel Macron may have eased in the run-up to Christmas, but dozens of demonstrators camped out at roundabouts across France are vowing to keep up the pressure, with no plans to head home for the holidays. Devilled eggs, foie gras and a traditional buche de Noel cake for dessert: "We wouldn't have all this if we celebrated Christmas at home," said Xavier, a 44-year-old at a roundabout in Somain, northern France.
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| Winter storm in the West could hamper post-Christmas travel Posted: 24 Dec 2018 06:13 PM PST  The low pressure system is bringing snow and rain to the West but then continues across the nation throughout the week
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| Report: Israeli attack near Syrian capital wounds 3 soldiers Posted: 25 Dec 2018 03:05 PM PST  BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near the Syrian capital of Damascus late Tuesday, hitting an arms depot and wounding three soldiers, Syrian state media reported, saying that most of the missiles were shot down by air defense units.
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| Pope Francis Calls for Stronger Bonds of Brotherhood Across the World in Christmas Message Posted: 25 Dec 2018 07:05 AM PST  Pope Francis offered a Christmas wish for fraternity among people of different nations, cultures, faiths, races or ideas.
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| Still believe in Santa at your age? Trump ignites Twitter storm Posted: 25 Dec 2018 10:16 AM PST  President Donald Trump set off a Christmas social media storm when he asked whether a 7-year-old was too old to believe in Santa Claus, capping a week of plunging stocks, a government shutdown and the U.S. defense chief's unceremonious departure. Twitter lit up like a Christmas tree after Trump made his remark during a holiday event with first lady Melania Trump, taking calls from children calling the North American Aerospace Defense Command Santa tracker.
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| Why the Ferrari F50 is the most underrated supercar Posted: 25 Dec 2018 03:00 AM PST  The Ferrari F50 often lives in the shadow of the F40 and Enzo, but this lightweight supercar deserves its own place in history
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| Drone detectors now deployable across UK: minister Posted: 24 Dec 2018 10:58 AM PST  British Security Minister Ben Wallace said Monday the government can now deploy drone detection systems nationwide, after days of device sightings caused chaos at Gatwick Airport and criticism of the government response. "We are able to now deploy detection systems throughout the UK to combat this threat," Wallace said in a statement.
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| Mega Millions drawing could deliver biggest Christmas lottery gift ever Posted: 25 Dec 2018 01:28 PM PST  Americans who included Mega Million tickets on their holiday shopping lists have a shot at winning more than $300 million in Tuesday's drawing, the largest Christmas Day jackpot in the history of the multi-state lottery. The grand prize has grown to $321 million after a nine-week spell without a winner. Combined with a $294 million Powerball jackpot up for grabs on Wednesday, the holiday week could deliver prizes worth more than $600 million.
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| Central US to be slammed by heavy, wind-swept snow in wake of Christmas Posted: 25 Dec 2018 01:07 PM PST  As people hit the road and take to the sky in the days following Christmas, a snowstorm is expected to take shape over part of the central United States.
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| Russia: Hole drilled from inside Int'l Space Station capsule Posted: 24 Dec 2018 08:11 AM PST  MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian cosmonaut who explored a mysterious hole in a capsule docked to the International Space Station said Monday that the opening was drilled from inside the spacecraft and Russian law enforcement agencies are investigating what caused it.
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| Delta flight makes emergency landing on Alaskan island due to 'a potential engine issue' Posted: 25 Dec 2018 02:45 PM PST ![Delta flight makes emergency landing on Alaskan island due to 'a potential engine issue']( "Delta flight makes emergency landing on Alaskan island due to 'a potential engine issue'") Delta Air Lines passengers faced a Christmas Eve scare when a Seattle-bound flight made an emergency landing on a small Alaskan Island.
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| Trump says he hopes to have over 500 miles of renovated and new border fence by 2020 election Posted: 24 Dec 2018 09:33 PM PST  President discusses the logistics of the border wall and the funding standoff in Congress during his Christmas Day message from the White House.
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| Dow, stocks end sharply lower on Christmas Eve after weekend of Washington, D.C., turmoil Posted: 24 Dec 2018 11:09 AM PST  The Standard & Poor's 500 is now 19.77 percent off its Sept. 20 high. A bear market is when an index falls 20 percent or more from its recent high.
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| Nissan executive linked to Ghosn case released on bail Posted: 25 Dec 2018 07:07 AM PST  Japanese authorities Tuesday released on bail a Nissan executive accused of a key role in the financial misconduct case involving auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn, who remains in detention. Greg Kelly, wearing a casual zip-up jacket and looking tired, walked out of the Tokyo Detention Centre more than a month after his arrest and got into a waiting taxi without speaking to the media.
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| Analysts Say Brace for a Steeper Plunge as Shutdown Drags On Posted: 24 Dec 2018 06:49 AM PST  Analysts and strategists say investor sentiment is weakening further amid the federal government shutdown, with no quick end in sight. Mattis's resignation could be a "material negative event" for 2020 budget negotiations, Credit Suisse analyst Robert Spingarn said on Dec. 21, noting that Mattis enjoyed broad bipartisan support.
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| Elon Musk promises Tesla will pay customers who miss federal tax credit Posted: 24 Dec 2018 07:15 AM PST  'Tesla will cover the tax credit difference' on cars not delivered before Jan. 1.
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| Pope urges more 'sharing and giving' in Christmas mass Posted: 24 Dec 2018 01:24 PM PST  Pope Francis on Monday assailed the "insatiable greed" of today's consumerism, calling on people in his Christmas homily to make "sharing and giving" more a part of their lives. "Mankind became greedy and voracious," the leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics said in an address to thousands of followers in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. "In our day, for many people, life's meaning is found in possessing, in having an excess of material objects," he said.
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| Scientists find galactic fossil of the Big Bang Posted: 24 Dec 2018 05:46 AM PST ![Scientists find galactic fossil of the Big Bang]( "Scientists find galactic fossil of the Big Bang") Mexico, Dec. 24 (Notimex).- A group of astronomers discovered one of the only three known fossil clouds in the Universe, which will offer new data on the formation of the first galaxies. The cloud of orphan gas that formed after the Big Bang was discovered in the distant Universe, through the optical telescope of the WM Keck Observatory in Maunakea, Hawaii. The discovery of the galactic fossil was carried out by PhD student Fred Robert and Professor Michael Murphy at the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia. "Everywhere we look, the gas in the universe is contaminated by the waste of heavy elements from exploding stars," Robert said. However, he explained, this particular cloud seems pristine, not polluted by stars, even 1,500 million years after the Big Bang. "The most convincing explanation is that it is a true relic of the Big Bang," he said. According to the WM Keck Observatory, the other two known fossil clouds were discovered in 2011, however, it is now possible to inspect these fossil relics, said Michael Murphy. "That will tell us exactly how rare they are and will help us understand how some stars and galaxies formed gas in the early universe and why some do not," he said. NTX/ICB/MAG/JCG
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| The top iPhone and iPad apps on App Store Posted: 25 Dec 2018 03:35 PM PST ![The top iPhone and iPad apps on App Store]( "The top iPhone and iPad apps on App Store") App Store Official Charts for the week ending December 23, 2018:
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| President Trump tells 7-year-old child it's 'marginal' to still believe in Santa Claus Posted: 24 Dec 2018 07:55 PM PST  "Are you still a believer in Santa?" President Trump said to a child calling in to the federal government's official "Santa Tracker".
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| Minnesota Attorney General sues Comcast for allegedly overcharging customers Posted: 24 Dec 2018 08:07 PM PST ![Minnesota Attorney General sues Comcast for allegedly overcharging customers]( "Minnesota Attorney General sues Comcast for allegedly overcharging customers") We know this will come as a shock to many of you, but the cable giant Comcast has become synonymous among the general public with price hikes that squeeze customers for every extra cent available, and then some. Indeed, the company has even been raising prices as much as it can at what you could argue is exactly the wrong time -- a period when a growing number of customers are cutting the cord, saying goodbye to traditional pricey cable packages and going all-in on Internet-based TV. And now, along comes Minnesota's attorney general, who on Friday filed a lawsuit against Comcast/Xfinity that lays a host of allegations at the company's feet, like the notion that it's overcharged thousands of customers for TV packages and even failed to come through on promised gift cards. ABC News reports that the state's attorney general Lori Swanson took more than two years to investigate the company before filing the suit because of what she says was a lack of cooperation from Comcast. Also, Swanson contends that Comcast started doing business as Xfinity some years ago to get out from under the poor reputation among customers that the Comcast brand enjoys. Her suit, among other things, asks a court to force Comcast to stop what Swanson contends are deceptive business practices. From ABC's reporting: Swanson "said Comcast often promises customers fixed prices for a year or two for cable packages, then tacks on 'an array of undisclosed fees' that can jack up the bill by 30 percent or more. Comcast then raises those fees, Swanson said, pointing out that a fee charged to most customers for regional sports has gone up 700 percent since 2015, from $1 a month to $8 this year. That's an additional $84 a year. "'It's hard to shop around for cable services if the company is playing hide-the-ball on fees,' Swanson told reporters." The report goes on to note Swanson pointing to other customers who got charged for equipment and services they didn't order -- some who got charged for those things even after turning them down. And that Comcast had failed to give thousands of customers promotional gift cards worth up to $300 in exchange for signing up with the company. Comcast, of course, disputes the allegations in the suit. Explains company spokeswoman Jill Hornbacher in a statement: "We fully disclose all charges, fees and promotional requirements. The facts do not support the Minnesota Attorney General's allegations and we'd like nothing more than to work collaboratively with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office; however, they've raised complaints about matters that date back several years and have largely ignored our efforts to work together to address them." As the ABC report notes, Comcast also recently agreed to settle a case with similar allegations in Massachusetts. Comcast agreed as part that settlement to take steps including absorbing $950,000 in refunds or debt cancellations for more than 20,000 subscribers.
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| Introducing the World's Most Secretive Nuclear Weapons Program (Not North Korea) Posted: 24 Dec 2018 07:39 PM PST  Who could that be?
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| Tokyo stocks plunge in Christmas rout Posted: 25 Dec 2018 01:35 AM PST  Tokyo stocks plunged on Tuesday as the few Asian markets open on Christmas suffered a holiday rout on fears about the US economy and a government shutdown in Washington. Tokyo markets, which were closed on Monday for a national holiday, plummeted at the open on Tuesday, with the Nikkei closing down five percent -- over 1,000 points. It was the worst finish since April 2017 and followed a brutal holiday-shortened session on Wall Street that saw US stocks sink for a fourth straight session.
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| Here Are All the Stores Open and Closed on Christmas 2018 Posted: 24 Dec 2018 02:45 AM PST  Including Walgreens and CVS
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| Every Dog at Missouri Animal Shelter Finds Forever Home in Time for Christmas Posted: 24 Dec 2018 11:54 AM PST  Every dog at St. Charles City Animal Control was adopted over the weekend, clearing the shelter just in time for Christmas.
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| Vistazo de la NBA Posted: 23 Dec 2018 08:22 PM PST ![Vistazo de la NBA]( "Vistazo de la NBA") G P Pct Dif.
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| China accuses Britain, EU of hypocrisy over Canada detention concerns Posted: 24 Dec 2018 04:49 AM PST  Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Saturday Canada will maintain a high-level campaign in the coming days to seek support from allies as it pressures China to free the two detained Canadians, who China says are suspected of endangering state security. Freeland spoke a day after the United States joined Canada in calling on Beijing to release the pair, who were held after Canadian authorities arrested a senior Chinese executive on a U.S. extradition warrant. Britain and the European Union have also expressed support for Canada.
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| Government shutdown, day 3: Trump complains he's 'all alone' waiting for Democrats to deal Posted: 24 Dec 2018 11:04 AM PST  Markets slumped on a shortened Christmas Eve trading day as investors grappled with the shutdown and the lack of progress toward a solution.
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| Video: Watch a Tesla on Autopilot slam on the brakes and avoid a crash Posted: 24 Dec 2018 11:31 AM PST ![Video: Watch a Tesla on Autopilot slam on the brakes and avoid a crash]( "Video: Watch a Tesla on Autopilot slam on the brakes and avoid a crash") More often than not, stories involving Tesla's Autopilot feature tend to make the news when something goes awry. Whether it's a Model S on Autopilot crashing into a stationary car or a Tesla on Autopilot almost careening into a highway divider, there's no question that activating the feature still requires drivers to pay close attention to surrounding road conditions at all times. All the same, Tesla's Autopilot feature has improved considerably over the past few years. And truth be told, there are many instances where Tesla's Autopilot feature works exactly as designed. The only thing is, we don't often hear about the crashes Autopilot prevents, unless of course it happens to be caught on video. With that said, a newly uploaded video to YouTube shows a Tesla on Autopilot automatically apply the brakes and avoid what was certain to be a rear-end collision. Notably, the video below was captured using Tesla's Dashcam feature which records video via the car's front-facing camera. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrTCG-mIv1Y Of course, this isn't the first time Tesla's Autopilot managed to save the day. Just a few months ago, a Model 3 owner uploaded footage which showed Tesla's Autopilot feature preventing what could easily have been a very serious crash, video of which can be seen below. https://youtu.be/9cFJI6Qf9GA The truth is, Tesla's Autopilot feature tends to get a lot of bad press because Elon Musk, in characteristic fashion, hyped up its capabilities early on. If we can put aside some of Musk's sensational claims for a second, there's no denying that Tesla has done a rather impressive job of bringing this somewhat futuristic technology into the mainstream. As a final note, you may recall that Musk last year promised that a Tesla on Autopilot would drive itself from California to New York with no user interaction whatsoever before 2018. That obviously hasn't come to pass and there's no indication it will anytime soon.
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| US Treasury chief to confer with top market regulators Posted: 24 Dec 2018 03:40 AM PST  US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is to hold a telephone conference on Monday with top market regulators, after the Dow and the Nasdaq suffered their worst week since 2008. The call with the President's Working Group on financial markets, announced in a Treasury Department statement, comes after Mnuchin on Sunday phoned top executives of the nation's six largest banks. "The CEOs confirmed that they have ample liquidity available for lending to consumer, business markets, and all other market operations," the Treasury said in the unusual statement posted on Mnuchin's Twitter account.
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