| US conducts medical checks on children after 2 deaths Posted: 26 Dec 2018 11:08 AM PST  HOUSTON (AP) — U.S. immigration authorities said Wednesday that they have done new medical checks on nearly every child in Border Patrol custody after the death of a second youngster in the agency's care in the span of less than three weeks.
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| Indonesia rescuers scramble to reach isolated tsunami-struck towns Posted: 26 Dec 2018 07:05 AM PST  Indonesian search and rescue teams Wednesday plucked stranded residents from remote islands and pushed into isolated communities desperate for aid in the aftermath of a volcano-triggered tsunami that killed over 400. The disaster agency cautioned residents to stay clear of the coast, as fresh activity at the Anak Krakatoa volcano, which sits in the middle of the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, threatened to spark another tsunami. The agency also said that wind was blowing "ash and sand" from Anak Krakatoa to the nearby towns of Cilegon and Serang on Java, and advised residents to wear masks and glasses if they had to venture outdoors.
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| From delivery to eco-friendly packaging and tons of recalls: A look at 2018's food trends Posted: 26 Dec 2018 07:22 AM PST  Food recalls, green packaging and fast-food delivery were big industry news this past year, according to experts.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused of playing politics with Christmas after drawing comparison between Jesus and refugees Posted: 26 Dec 2018 05:20 PM PST  The incoming Democratic congresswoman tweets out a series of jabs at what she calls 'anti-immigrant pundits'; reaction from Fox News contributor Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas.
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| Wall Street falls at open after Dow's record-breaking surge Posted: 27 Dec 2018 07:05 AM PST  Stocks fell sharply at open on Thursday following a major rally a day earlier that helped the Dow surge more than 1,000 points for the first time ever.
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| More holiday travel troubles: Airlines waive fees ahead of winter storm. Posted: 27 Dec 2018 03:46 AM PST  Airlines are waiving ticket change fees for travelers due to fly to, through or from several airports in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota
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| German police probe curious case of 9-year-old's unwelcome Christmas gifts Posted: 26 Dec 2018 05:09 PM PST  Many children know the heart-sinking moment when they tear off the bright wrapping of their coveted Christmas gift to reveal the wrong colour trainers or an ill-favoured toy. Having dialed the emergency services hotline on Tuesday, the child explained to police that he had not received any of the gifts he had requested for Christmas. "The officers arrived and found a very angry little boy," said a spokesman from the local police in Zetel, in northwestern Germany, according to the Nordwest Zeitung newspaper.
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| Deadly accident reported on I-70 as blizzard blasts Kansas to Minnesota Posted: 26 Dec 2018 08:10 AM PST  Snow and strong, cold winds will continue to create blizzard conditions over parts of the central and northern Plains to a sliver of the Upper Midwest into Friday. At least one fatality has been reported.
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| How to Avoid Sneaky Car Rental Fees Posted: 26 Dec 2018 02:14 PM PST  When Stan Carpenter picked up his car from Dollar Car Rental during a trip earlier this year, he thought he knew what he'd have to shell out. But two months later, he received a letter from Dolla...
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| What does it mean if the hole in the ISS was drilled from the inside? Posted: 26 Dec 2018 11:36 AM PST ![What does it mean if the hole in the ISS was drilled from the inside?]( "What does it mean if the hole in the ISS was drilled from the inside?") There isn't much contest for the most bizarre space news story of the year. If anyone were to give away such an award it would definitely be handed to the bizarre saga of the leak that spontaneously appeared in the hull of a Soyuz spacecraft that was attached to the International Space Station several months ago. Now, with the ship itself safely back on Earth and the portion of the spacecraft that held the hole jettisoned during reentry, it's up to Russia to determine how the hole was created, when, and by whom. The country's investigation into the strange incident has seemed messy to any outside observer, with statements from officials coming fast and furious in the days following the hole's discovery and then tapering off rapidly with no resolution. This week, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Prokopyev told reporters that the hunt for the truth was in the hands of the Russian space program, but he also stated definitively that the hole was created from the inside. Okay, so the hole was drilled from inside the spacecraft and wasn't drilled into the interior from the exterior, but what does that mean and is it important? Well, at the moment it doesn't mean a whole lot, especially if you place any weight on early statements from Russian officials who believed the damage was created during the spacecraft's manufacturing process. Ships like Russia's Soyuz go through extensive testing and inspection before they're allowed to be strapped onto a rocket and shot into space. Everything has to be pretty much perfect for a ship to be cleared to take human passengers, and the fact that the hole wasn't addressed during the inspection and verification process is obviously peculiar. Early on, rumblings out of Russia suggested that maybe one of the ISS crew members (a NASA astronaut, perhaps) had drilled the hole in order to cut a mission short so a sick crew member could return. Those assertions were quickly shot down by the crew and Russia rapidly denied suggesting that anyone aboard the ISS was responsible. Assuming the damage was created when the ship was still on Earth, the fact that it was drilled from the inside might not mean all that much. The hole, which was apparently hidden with a low-quality patch job, ultimately posed no threat the crew, but it's still a nasty mark on Russia's Soyuz program which NASA and other international space groups have relied on to get scientists into space.
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| Israeli army says it destroys another Hezbollah tunnel Posted: 26 Dec 2018 11:40 AM PST ![Israeli army says it destroys another Hezbollah tunnel]( "Israeli army says it destroys another Hezbollah tunnel") JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military on Wednesday destroyed another cross-border tunnel it says was built by Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, sending a loud explosion throughout the volatile area.
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| UK defence minister says he has grave concerns about Huawei: Times Posted: 27 Dec 2018 05:23 AM PST  British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said he had "grave concerns" about Chinese company Huawei providing technology for Britain's planned 5G telecoms networks, the Times newspaper reported on Thursday. Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecoms equipment, is facing intense scrutiny in the West over its ties to the Chinese government and concerns its equipment could be used by Beijing for spying. Williamson said a closer examination of security threats was needed before Huawei could be allowed to participate in the upgrade of Britain's mobile network, becoming the first senior British minister to have aired such concerns, the Times said.
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| A dream destination for every month in 2019 Posted: 26 Dec 2018 05:02 AM PST ![A dream destination for every month in 2019]( "A dream destination for every month in 2019") Whether you're seeking warmth, airfare deals or a can't-miss event, there's a perfect vacation for you to go on any time of year.
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| #Shutdownstories: federal employees reveal impact of government closure Posted: 25 Dec 2018 10:00 PM PST  The area next to the National Christmas Tree is closed in Washington DC on 24 December as part of the partial government shutdown. Federal employees affected by the partial shutdown of the US government have been voicing their frustrations of spending the holidays worrying about their next paycheck. Donald Trump marked Christmas Day by insisting the shutdown will last until his demand for funds to build a wall on the US-Mexico border is met.
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| Guatemalan boy, 8, dies at border while in government custody, second to die this month Posted: 26 Dec 2018 03:45 AM PST  An 8-year-old boy is the second child to die this month after crossing the border and being apprehended by border agents.
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| Nissan's Carlos Ghosn, Still in Jail on Financial Irregularity Charges, Faces New Claim Involving Payments to a Saudi Businessman Posted: 27 Dec 2018 10:03 AM PST  New charges in Japan mean the former Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi chief has now been arrested three times.
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| Black Man Records White Neighbor Telling Him He Doesn't Belong in His Own Apartment Building Posted: 26 Dec 2018 04:59 PM PST  "I felt violated," said Chika Okafor, who had been waiting with a friend in the lobby of own apartment building
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| In-Depth Photos of the 2019 Mazda CX-5 2.5T Signature Model Posted: 27 Dec 2018 10:23 AM PST |
| Putin says Russia is ready to deploy new hypersonic nuclear missile Posted: 26 Dec 2018 06:57 AM PST  President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would deploy its first regiment of hypersonic nuclear-capable missiles next year.
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| 8 Ways to Earn Miles Without an Airline Credit Card Posted: 26 Dec 2018 11:44 AM PST ![8 Ways to Earn Miles Without an Airline Credit Card]( "8 Ways to Earn Miles Without an Airline Credit Card") Airline credit cards are a great way to earn miles with your favorite frequent flyer program. You can get miles if you provide your frequent flyer number when you book your trip and pay out of pocket. Each airline has a different rate for which you'll earn miles, and how much you earn can depend on your status with the airline, the type of fare, the ticketing airline and the operating airline.
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| US government shutdown will last into 2019 as Congress struggles for deal Posted: 27 Dec 2018 01:40 PM PST  The House will not vote on the spending bill this week, and the Senate is expected to follow suit. The partial government shutdown will continue into 2019, with leaders in the House of Representatives advising members on Thursday that no votes would be held this week. The Senate was expected to follow suit.
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| Stock market re-opens, Kwanzaa begins: 5 things to know Wednesday Posted: 26 Dec 2018 12:41 AM PST  The struggling stock markets re-open, Kwanzaa begins and we start to say goodbye to the Christmas season.
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| Nations count cost of 2018 climate disasters Posted: 27 Dec 2018 09:30 AM PST  Climate change-induced disasters cost nations at least $100 billion in 2018, a watchdog said Thursday, warning the spate of deadly wildfires, floods and superstorms was "a shadow" of things to come if greenhouse gas emissions aren't slashed. This year is set to be the fourth hottest on record and as planet-warming carbon and methane levels in the atmosphere continue to rise, extreme weather events such as the devastating blazes that destroyed swathes of California are likely to become far more common. "2018 showed the catastrophic threat that climate change presents the world.
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| 'Aquaman' Jason Momoa crashes newlyweds' Hawaiian wedding photo shoot Posted: 26 Dec 2018 12:12 PM PST  Katie Meyers and her groom were posing for these stunning photos in Hawaii, when Aquaman strolled into the background.
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| The Latest: Philanthropists die in South Dakota plane crash Posted: 26 Dec 2018 02:57 PM PST  SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The Latest on a small plane that crashed in a South Dakota city (all times local):
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| Was Grace Kelly's Rover P6 really sabotaged? Posted: 27 Dec 2018 02:54 AM PST  While it remains well documented that Princess Grace of Monaco died after her Rover P6 3500 plunged off a mountain pass, what's less well-known are the mysterious circumstances thereafter. Some claim the Rover was sabotaged, but is there evidence of such a claim?
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| Tesla's Musk says cave rescuer's defamation case should be dismissed Posted: 27 Dec 2018 09:47 AM PST  In a filing on Wednesday with the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Musk's lawyers said their client's comments about Vernon Unsworth were free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment even if they lacked any factual basis. Musk on July 15 called Unsworth a "pedo guy" in a tweet to more than 22 million Twitter followers, a comment for which he later apologized.
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| Russia's Su-35 Fighter Needs an Enemy to Kill Posted: 26 Dec 2018 05:47 PM PST  You don't sell fighter jets unless you can prove their worth in the sky.
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| How your holiday travel plans will be impacted by the partial federal government shutdown Posted: 26 Dec 2018 09:16 AM PST  Federal workers at the nation's airports and borders remain on duty even as the partial government shutdown enters its fifth day with no end in sight.
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| Queen Elizabeth's Christmas Day address causes controversy Posted: 26 Dec 2018 03:36 PM PST  QUEEN OF CONTROVERSY: Every year Queen Elizabeth delivers her annual Christmas Day address, but this year's address is creating a stir online.
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| Japan to resume commercial whaling next year after pulling out of IWC Posted: 25 Dec 2018 10:00 PM PST  Japan said on Wednesday it was withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission and would resume commercial whaling next year, in a move expected to spark international criticism. The announcement had been widely expected and comes after Japan failed in a bid earlier this year to convince the IWC to allow it to resume commercial whaling. "We have decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission in order to resume commercial whaling in July next year," top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters. "Commercial whaling... will be limited to Japan's territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. We will not hunt in the Antarctic waters or in the southern hemisphere," Mr Suga added. Tokyo has repeatedly threatened to pull out of the body, and has been regularly criticised for catching hundreds of whales a year for "scientific research" despite being a signatory to a moratorium on hunting the animals. Mr Suga said Japan would officially inform the IWC of its decision by the end of the year, which will mean the withdrawal comes into effect by June 30. 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 IWC. 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. The withdrawal means Japan joins Iceland and Norway in openly defying the IWC's ban on commercial whale hunting. Whale sashimi is pictured at Japanese whale meat restaurant in Tokyo Credit: Reuters Japan has hunted whales for centuries, and the 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. Whale hunting has become a rare thorny subject in Japan's otherwise largely amiable foreign policy, with international opposition only serving to make conservatives dig in deeper in support of the tradition. Many members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's conservative Liberal Democratic Party are supporters of whaling, and he himself comes from a constituency where whale hunting remains popular. Tokyo argues that whaling is an important part of Japan's traditions, and Mr Suga said the withdrawal would allow fishermen to "pass our country's rich whaling culture onto the next generation." In September, Tokyo sought to convince the IWC to allow it to resume commercial whaling, arguing that stocks of certain species were now sufficient to support renewed hunting. A minke whale is unloaded at a port after a whaling for scientific purposes in Kushiro Credit: AP But the bid failed, with strong opposition from anti-whaling nations - led by Australia, the European Union and the United States. Activist groups slammed the decision, with Greenpeace calling it a "sneaky" announcement. "The declaration today is out of step with the international community, let alone the protection needed to safeguard the future of our oceans and these majestic creatures," said Sam Annesley, executive director at Greenpeace Japan. The IWC, established in 1946 to conserve and manage the world's whale and cetacean population, introduced a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986. Tokyo has long exploited a loophole allowing whales to be killed for "scientific research" and says it is trying to prove the population is large enough to sustain a return to commercial hunting. It makes no secret of the fact that meat from the expeditions ends up on dinner tables. "There have been no concessions from countries who only place importance on the protection of whales," Mr Suga said. "At the IWC general meeting in September this year, it became evident once again that those supporting the sustainable use of whale stocks and those supporting protection cannot co-exist, leading us to this conclusion."
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| Clashes in Yemen's Hodeida ahead of UN truce team meeting Posted: 26 Dec 2018 12:16 AM PST  Sporadic clashes erupted Wednesday in Yemen's flashpoint city of Hodeida, an AFP correspondent said, as a UN-led truce monitoring team was scheduled to convene for the first time. Government forces -- backed by a Saudi-led coalition -- and the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels exchanged gunfire in the latest breach of the ceasefire. A truce in Hodeida and its surroundings went into effect on December 18 but has remained shaky, with the two sides accusing each other of violations.
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| Wrong About Franken, Right About Trump in 2018 Posted: 27 Dec 2018 06:30 AM PST  1. I predicted that Special Counsel Robert Mueller would complete his investigation in the fall of 2018, and that although there would be further indictments, no one would be charged with a substantive offense related to the reason Mueller was appointed. Evaluation: Pretty much false.
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| Sanofi's pediatric hexavalent vaccine approved by U.S. FDA Posted: 26 Dec 2018 01:13 PM PST  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Sanofi's new pediatric vaccine immunizing children against six diseases, the French pharmaceutical lab said on Wednesday. Sanofi developed the new vaccine, dubbed Vaxelis, in partnership with Merck. Vaxelis is designed for children aged 6 weeks to 4 years old and is designed to keep them from contracting diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, and invasive disease due to haemophilus influenza type B. Sanofi and Merck are now working on the production and supply of Vaxelis aiming to make it available on the market in 2020 or later.
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| NASA wants you to celebrate New Years with its New Horizons space probe Posted: 26 Dec 2018 07:05 PM PST  NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has been speeding through space since early 2006 and it's about to make what might be its most interesting flyby to date. After speeding past Jupiter and Pluto in the 12 years since its launch, the probe is about to have a very close encounter with a mysterious object in the outer Solar System called Ultima Thule. As luck would have it, it's going to meet its target on New Year's Day, and it's a pretty big deal for NASA. As we approach the probe's arrival at Ultima Thule, NASA is announcing its schedule of events related to the probe's flyby. The big show will begin on the afternoon of Monday, December 31st, and it'll kick off three days of news and briefings that will give us our best look yet at an extremely distant Solar System object. Here's the schedule of events that NASA has planned: As you can see, anyone who is staying up for the big ball to drop and kick off the new year on the East Coast will only have to wait a little while to catch live coverage of the New Horizons spacecraft's close approach to Ultima Thule. NASA will provide simulations of the flyby happening in real-time, but since a live feed from the spacecraft just isn't possible we'll have to wait a little while to see the actual images the probe captures. Later on New Years Day NASA will broadcast the signal acquisition from New Horizons, confirming that it gathered the data it was instructed to and building up some serious hype for the eventual reveal of the first images of the distant object. At 11:30 a.m. EST, NASA will hold a press briefing to show off whatever images and information the spacecraft has managed to send back, but that will really only be the tip of the iceberg for scientists. In the months to come, New Horizons will beam back a wealth of data that won't be available on day one. NASA will announced a"data download schedule" that will give us all a better sense of when to expect even more news about Ultima Thule.
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| 2nd man nears end of historic solo trek across Antarctica Posted: 27 Dec 2018 11:54 AM PST  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.
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| Christmas Day migrant drop off: ICE leaves at least 100 migrants in city's downtown Posted: 26 Dec 2018 06:32 AM PST  About 100 migrants were dropped off Christmas Day in Downtown El Paso, Texas by immigration authorities.
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| Tributes to British couple who died within hours of each other in Australia Posted: 26 Dec 2018 10:00 PM PST  Thousands of dollars have been raised to help the families of a British couple who died within hours of each other in Australia just days before Christmas. Jason Francis was hit by a car, reportedly driven by a pizza delivery worker, near the home he shared with his partner Alice Robinson in Perth. Following his death, Ms Robinson, who was said to have been left "heartbroken", was found dead. More than A$30,000 (£16,000) has been raised for the bereaved families of the couple, believed to be from Shropshire, since a fundraising page was set up on Christmas Eve. Mr Francis had been on a day out with some other friends from the rugby club who organised a taxi home for him on Saturday evening. The 29-year-old was on the carriageway in the beachside suburb of Scarborough when he was hit by a white VW Jetta, driven by an 18-year-old man, Western Australia Police said. Following on from our tragic news of Jason and Alice, a go fund me page has been set up to raise funds to bring our friends home so that the families can lay them to rest #gofundme#donatehttps://t.co/0pTHtPvrZ4— Newport Salop RUFC (@NewportSalopRFC) December 24, 2018 Sam Diamond, president of Cottelsoe rugby club, which Mr Francis had joined at the beginning of the year after moving to the area, said he understood Ms Robinson had gone outside to investigate when she saw the flashing emergency lights. He said: "She was told by first responders that it was Jason they were working on." He said she had been left "heartbroken" by her partner's death, which was confirmed at Royal Perth Hospital. He said: "We don't know what happened to her after this. I know the police have launched an inquiry into it. She has gone missing after notifying some of our friends of what's happened (to Mr Francis) and hasn't been found until the next morning." A police spokesman said: "Police will investigate this matter and prepare a report for the coroner, which will include the full circumstances leading to the woman's death." They have also appealed for witnesses to the collision in Scarborough's Stanley Street at around 8pm on Saturday. Mr Diamond said the couple had made a big impression on the community in their short time there. "They were two of the finest people you could meet. They well and truly ingrained themselves in our club. Both Jase on the field and Alice off the field. "They were an integral part (of the club)." He described Alice, who worked for a digital marketing company but was also a talented pencil sketch artist, as having "an infectious laugh" and being "very bubbly". He added: "Jason was the sort of person that's always got the time of day for everyone. Loved talking, loved working out, loved staying fit and healthy. "They were just genuine, down-to-earth, fantastic people." He said the mothers of both Mr Francis, who was in the process of becoming a firefighter in Australia, and Ms Robinson had expressed their appreciation for the funds raised. He said: "(They) thanked us for the support and have shown their appreciation for what the club and the community here is trying to do for them and Jase and Alice." Mr Diamond said the club hopes to hold a memorial service for the couple at a later date. The captain of Market Drayton Town football club in Shropshire, which Mr Francis had played for, also paid tribute. Paul McMullen said: "You young man were such a fine piece of our puzzle at MDTFC during our success and it was a pleasure to be part of it playing along side of you."
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| Israeli raids inside Syria since 2013 Posted: 26 Dec 2018 11:57 AM PST  Israel has carried out numerous raids inside war-torn Syria since 2013, targeting regime forces and their allies Iran and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah. In January 2013 Israeli planes hit a surface-to-air missile site and military complex near Damascus suspected of holding chemical agents, according to a US official. Israel later implicitly confirms the strike -- its first since the start of the Syrian war in 2011.
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| Can You Trust Your Car Repair Shop? Posted: 27 Dec 2018 03:00 AM PST  Sitting in the customer lounge waiting to hear the potentially expensive news about your car can be nerve-wracking. That's probably because you feel like you're at the mercy of the mechanic. But ...
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