Syria's Assad authorizes Iraqi forces to strike IS in Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad authorized Iraqi forces on Sunday to attack the Islamic State group inside Syria without waiting for permission from authorities in Damascus, the state news agency SANA said, as the two allies coordinate their fight against extremists ahead of a planned U.S. withdrawal from Syria.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Amjt6S

Afghan presidential election delayed until July 20

Afghanistan's presidential election will be postponed until July 20, an official said Sunday, as US-led efforts to end the 17-year war with the Taliban gather steam. The three-month delay, announced by the Independent Election Commission (IEC), comes after weeks of speculation that the vote would be put off to create more space for peace talks with Afghanistan's largest militant group. The presidential ballot was originally scheduled for April 20, which many observers had considered unrealistic given the IEC was still finalising results of October's shambolic and bloody parliamentary elections.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2SyqDMN

Boy whose Yemeni mom fought US travel ban to see him dies

LODI, Calif. (AP) — The father of a 2-year-old boy who was separated from his Yemeni mother until she successfully fought the Trump administration's travel ban to see him in the United States laid his body to rest Saturday, a day after the child was taken off life support at a hospital.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2RjXIP7

Police teargas 'yellow vest' protesters in Paris

Police fired tear gas at "yellow vest" demonstrators in Paris on Saturday but the turnout for round seven of the popular protests that have rocked France appeared low. Several hundred people wearing the symbolic hi-visibility vests had gathered near the offices of several state-run television stations and the BFM TV channel in the centre of the capital shouting "Fake news" and calling for the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron. Protesters spilled onto tram lines and lobbed projectiles at police who replied with tear gas grenades and detained several people.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2SqUruA

Trump, holed up in White House amid shutdown, will skip New Year's gala at Mar-a-Lago

The president's incoming chief of staff says Trump will be 'very heavily engaged' on federal shutdown negotiations instead.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Q9bBuH

China’s New Submarine-Launched Nuclear Missile Can Hit the U.S.

With just an estimated 300 nuclear warheads compared to the approximately 7,000 fielded by both the U.S. and Russia, China’s nuclear arsenal is comparatively small. But even a few Chinese H-bombs could wreak tremendous damage to the United States.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2StZ4E7

Two-year-old, whose Yemeni mother was initially denied a visa under Trump's travel ban, dies in California hospital

After an international outcry, the mother was allowed to travel from Egypt to be with her dying son at California hospital.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2s1om0O

Afghanistan to delay presidential election to July: election body

The announcement follows heavy criticism of October's chaotic parliamentary election, which saw problems ranging from roadside bomb attacks to malfunctioning biometric voter verification equipment, incomplete voter lists and huge delays at polling sites. The timing of the election has also been complicated by talks under way between U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and representatives of the Taliban aimed at launching a full peace process to end the war in Afghanistan. The election was originally scheduled for April 20 but Gula Jan Abdul Bade Sayad, chairman of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) said mounting problems had forced a delay.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2ApuaFZ

San Quentin inmate who walked away from prison may be headed toward Los Angeles area, authorities say

Officials say an inmate who walked away from San Quentin State Prison earlier this week was seen in the city of San Miguel on Friday, and investigators believe he is heading toward the Los Angeles area.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2EVM6ff

6 people injured in jetway collapse at Baltimore-Washington International Airport

At least 6 people were injured, according to a Tweet sent out by BWI airport. However, none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2EY9EiE

Cyberattack hits U.S. newspaper distribution

The cyberattack 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.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2CFVEsE

Putin Says Russia, Turkey Will Play a ‘Decisive’ Role in Syria Peace

In a New Year’s message to Erdogan published by the Kremlin on Sunday, Putin said that “Moscow and Ankara are making a decisive contribution to the fight against terrorism in Syria, as well as to the promotion of a political settlement in that country.”His comment came a day after the Russian and Turkish foreign and defense ministers, as well as the countries’ intelligence chiefs, held talks in Moscow on Syria as they move to fill the void left by U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to order a military pullout. “We reached an agreement on how Russian and Turkish military representatives on the ground will continue to coordinate their actions in these new conditions, with the goal of decisively defeating the terrorist threat in Syria,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters after the talks.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2BNw4zX

Bangladesh opposition leader expects victory if vote is fair

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — When the founding leader of Bangladesh, father of current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was assassinated in 1975 after helping achieve independence from Pakistan, then-Foreign Minister Kamal Hossain abandoned a state visit in Europe to rush to her side.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2TcoMNk

PG&E could face murder charges in California wildfires, attorney general says

California's attorney general said it's possible the power utility could face charges up to murder if investigators find reckless operation of power equipment caused any deadly wildfires.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2LGMJKm

Does the U.S. Navy Have Another Carrier-Killer Missile to Worry About?

Here comes the YJ-12.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2CHaAqg

Hannover airport closed for over four hours after car drives onto runway

The airport in the German city of Hannover was closed for over four hours after a car drove onto the runway. The unnamed driver has been arrested, and all flights were diverted from 3:30pm until 8pm. A police spokesman said a car with a Polish license plate managed to get on to the runway just after a plane had landed. “Officers from the Federal Police were able to stop the car and overwhelm the man,” said Hannover police, in a statement. The incident comes after the airport increased security over the Christmas period. Passengers inside Hannover airport wait for updates “The security areas are currently vacated, currently there is no clearance," police said, immediately after the incident. "Flight operations are currently suspended. The investigation continues.” Eurocontrol, the organisation responsible for air traffic management, said there were no flights due to land or take off until 8pm. “Zero rate applied for arrivals and departures due to an ongoing security issue on the airfield,” Eurocontrol said. “Delays are high.” Flights resumed at 8:06pm, the airport announced on its website.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2LEEa2u

Despite regime troops nearby, Syrians in Manbij still fear Turkey

Syrian forces have deployed around the city of Manbij at the request of the Kurds, but Abu Azeez Jaber still fears a US military withdrawal will see Turkish troops enter. Since 2016, the strategic northern city on the Turkish border has been controlled by an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters backed by the US-led coalition. On Friday, Syria's army announced it had sent troops to the region, after Kurdish forces said they had requested the regime's help.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2RlQwSx

Putin tells Trump that Moscow is open for dialog

Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Trump in a letter on Sunday that Moscow was ready for dialogue on a "wide-ranging agenda," the Kremlin said

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2rZpzpl

Former independent counsel Ken Starr on Rudy Giuliani indicating Robert Mueller's investigation should be investigated

President Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani accused Mueller's office of destroying evidence by allowing text messages from Peter Strzok and Lisa Page to be erased.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2VgUB9D

Cyber-attack hits US newspaper deliveries: report

A malware attack that appears to have originated outside the US delayed the hardcopy distribution of several major newspapers, according to a report. The LA Times said Saturday that the attack, which was first assumed to have been a server outage, hit a computer network at Tribune Publishing which is connected to the production and printing process of multiple newspapers around the country. As a result, the delivery of the Saturday editions of the LA Times and San Diego Union Tribune were delayed.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2LFnQ1s

Fears of intimidation, violence as Bangladesh set to vote

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — As Bangladeshis get set to vote in Sunday's parliamentary elections, there are fears that violence and intimidation could keep many away from the polls, including two opposition candidates who said police had barricaded them inside their homes.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Tlqnkd

Washington Parses Trump’s Wall Semantics in Search for Compromise

Trump’s demand for a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico actually refers to “steel slats” as well as the technology that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers have said they need to intercept the illegal flow of goods and people, according to Kellyanne Conway, a senior White House adviser. “It is a silly semantic argument because people who just want to say ‘wall, wall, wall’ want that to be a four-letter word,” Conway said on “Fox News Sunday,” one of two appearances on a day parts of the federal government are shut for a ninth day.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GJSqrW

Origin of virus that hobbled newspapers still unclear

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The origins of a suspected computer attack that disrupted the Los Angeles Times and Tribune Publishing newspapers remained unclear Sunday after causing delivery delays and being brought to the attention of federal investigators.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2SyWlcN

California officer's killing reignites sanctuary law fight

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The shooting death of a California police officer has reignited the debate over sanctuary laws, with a sheriff all but blaming the statewide immigration policy for the killing as he announced the arrest of a man living in the U.S. illegally.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2EU32C2

Cyberattack hits U.S. newspaper distribution

The cyberattack 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.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2CFVEsE

Bangladesh opposition calls for fresh election as Sheikh Hasina wins amid violence and vote-rigging claims

Bangladesh's main opposition called for a fresh vote on Sunday as the country's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, and her ruling Awami League were declared the winners of an election tainted by violence and vote-rigging allegations. At least 17 people were said to have been killed in election day clashes, while reports flowed in of alleged vote manipulation and people being blocked from entering polling stations by ruling party supporters. As Mrs Hasina's alliance sailed past the 151 seats needed to form a government and headed for a landslide third consecutive term, the country's main opposition leader called for the "farcical" election to be declared void.  Kamal Hossain, head of the Jatiya Oikya Front (JOF), the largest opposition alliance, told a press conference in Dhaka that votes had been "rigged on a massive scale across the country".  He urged Bangladesh's election commission to dismiss the result and call "fresh elections under a non-partisan caretaker government as soon as possible".  Salahuddin Ahmed, a candidate for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the largest single party in the opposition alliance, was stabbed in Dhaka as the election unfolded Credit: Reuters Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed finished delivering the results of the voting early on Monday. Ahmed said the ruling Awami League-led alliance won 288 seats while the JOF, led by former president H.M.Ershad, had 20 seats. An opposition alliance led by Mr Hossain had only seven and others got three out of 300 seats. The poll followed a campaign that had been marred by violence and a crackdown on freedom of speech. Human Rights Watch and other international groups had decried repressive measures which they said had created a climate of fear. Some 600,000 security personnel had been deployed for the election, while authorities ordered the shutdown of high speed internet to prevent the spread of "rumours" that might spark unrest. Vehicles in Dhaka burn after an opposition rally which ended with police using tear gas and batons after the election was announced Credit: AFP On Sunday, polling agents alleged that they had stayed away out of fear. Others claimed they had been beaten up and forced out of voting centres. Rumana Mahmood, a JOF candidate in Sirajganj, 68 miles northwest of Dhaka, claimed that 90 percent of her supporters had been prevented from voting for her. "In most cases they were not allowed to enter the voting centres. Police and the ruling Awami League party cadres blocked them,” she alleged to the Telegraph, claiming that supporters of the ruling party had stuffed ballot boxes in favour of the government. Supporters of Bangladesh Awami League march along a street as they take part in a rally ahead of December 30 general election vote Credit:  MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP One 65-year-old woman in Ms Mahmood’s constituency claimed that the police had not allowed her to vote freely. "We were around 20 or 25 women from the same locality. The policemen at the gate of the centre said that he would allow us inside if we voted for the boat (symbol of the Awami League),” she said."In my locality there are hundreds of people who have not been allowed in any voting centre today."  Bangladesh has become increasingly authoritarian under Mrs Hasina’s rule, moving closer towards a de-facto one-party state while Begum Khaleda Zia, her arch-rival, and leader of the largest opposition party, the Bangladesh National Party, serves a lengthy prison sentence on corruption charges. 

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2EXlR86

Does the U.S. Navy Have Another Carrier-Killer Missile to Worry About?

Here comes the YJ-12.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2CHaAqg

Afghanistan to delay presidential election to July: election body

The announcement follows heavy criticism of October's chaotic parliamentary election, which saw problems ranging from roadside bomb attacks to malfunctioning biometric voter verification equipment, incomplete voter lists and huge delays at polling sites. The timing of the election has also been complicated by talks under way between U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and representatives of the Taliban aimed at launching a full peace process to end the war in Afghanistan. The election was originally scheduled for April 20 but Gula Jan Abdul Bade Sayad, chairman of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) said mounting problems had forced a delay.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2ApuaFZ

Anti-India protests erupt in Kashmir after 4 rebels killed

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Anti-India protests and clashes erupted in disputed Kashmir on Saturday after a gunbattle between militants and government forces killed four rebels, police and residents said.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2rZZ7ff

Syria conflict: Trump 'slowing troop withdrawal', says Lindsey Graham

A top Republican says the president remains determined to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SrBV5i

Bangladesh election: PM Sheikh Hasina wins landslide in disputed vote

Sheikh Hasina wins a third consecutive term in a vote marred by violence and claims of vote rigging.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2EWFJbC

Angela Merkel: Germany to take on greater global responsibility

Germany will assume greater international responsibility, Angela Merkel says in her New Year address.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SzaEhv

Mexico wall: Trump aide says concrete wall idea was dropped early on

Outgoing chief of staff John Kelly appears to contradict the US president on the border wall plan.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2EXMmcP

'Dangerous orange pill' prompts Australia festival warning

Festival-goers are told that a "dangerous" drug is circulating in Australia, following a man's death.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2AmSDfb

Californian law change means pet shops can sell only rescued animals

The state bans retailers from selling animals sourced from breeders, to cut down on "puppy mills".

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2EXbrFC

American college football: Huge bald eagle lands on fans

A bird named Clark goes rogue in front of 90,000 fans at a college game.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Tg7r6c

UAE helicopter crash kills four crew on rescue mission near zipline

Four die in a helicopter crash near the world's longest zipline, in the UAE's northern-most emirate.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2QXx536

France to help combat Channel smuggling

Six Iranian migrants are found on the Kent coast as the home secretary cuts short a holiday to deal with the issue.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Ak3q9S

DoubleTree Portland hotel fires staff who evicted black guest

Police escorted Jermaine Massey out of the DoubleTree Portland after he called his mum in the lobby.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Tist3Y

What it’s like to be Black and Argentine

Afro-Argentines often feel like they’ve been written out of history and are mistaken for foreigners in their own country.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2s2fJ6c

Bangladesh election: Voting disrupted by violence

Clashes between ruling party and opposition supporters have resulted in 17 deaths.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Sv4fni

Spoken word poet Dylema: On a stroll through Africa in 2018

Dylema leads us through key events on the continent this year in a specially commissioned poem.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2BZzjVp

Lederhosen love among Austria's millennials

Lederhosen and dirndl dresses are making a comeback in Austria.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2AmkSL1

Female fightback... 2018 in hashtags

A look at the year's most influential hashtags used by women on social media.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2RntUB7

The 90-year-old back-flipping daredevil

This Canadian man is being called the world's most extreme grandpa.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2AntDnS

In search of Leonard, my martyred ancestor

Eli Melki looks for traces of a relative who was killed at 33 during a wave of attacks against eastern Turkey's Christians.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2BMln0I

2018 in news: The alternative end-of-the-year awards

From the ridiculous to the more ridiculous, here are the weird stories that caught our eye this year.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2s3oDAp

Why legalising gay sex in India is not a Western idea

India's decision to decriminalise gay sex has taken the country back to its roots, some historians say.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2ApBWzF

Remembering the entertainment and arts figures we lost in 2018

Remembering some of the figures from music, film, TV, radio and literature who died in 2018.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2F03HlD

Bangladesh clothing factories: Are they safe now?

Are garment factories in Bangladesh safe five years after the Rana Plaza disaster?

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2s3oVat

Africa's year in pictures 2018

A selection of the best photos from across and about Africa this year.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2GIKAyK

C.I.A.’s Afghan Forces Leave a Trail of Abuse and Anger

By MUJIB MASHAL from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2EZjOjT

‘The Train Was So Packed That It Was Difficult For Me to Do What I Always Did’

By Unknown Author from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/2SrN1ar

2 of New York’s Most Influential Offices Are About to be Held by One Person

By J. DAVID GOODMAN from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/2Tllzvc

With U.S. departure, Syria's Manbij braces for upheaval

U.S. forces have underpinned stability in Manbij since Islamic State's defeat here in 2016. Some 30 km (20 miles) from the Turkish border, it occupies a critical spot in the map of the Syrian conflict, near the junction of three separate blocks of territory that form spheres of Russian, Turkish and - for now - U.S. influence. While U.S. forces have yet to leave, the consequences of Trump's decision are already playing out in Manbij.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GLTewv

California authorities seek motive in triple slaying

ORCUTT, Calif. (AP) — California authorities are trying to determine why a Central Coast man stabbed and beat his sister, mother and a third person to death in their home.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2BP0SR6

6 people injured in jetway collapse at Baltimore-Washington International Airport

At least 6 people were injured, according to a Tweet sent out by BWI airport. However, none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2EY9EiE

Two right-wing ministers form new party ahead of Israel polls

Two right-wing Israeli government ministers on Saturday launched a new party aimed at winning over secular voters ahead of snap elections in April. Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said they were quitting the far-right Jewish Home party to found the New Right party. Nationalist Jewish Home -- of which Bennett was the head and Shaked deputy leader -- has been part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition with eight seats in parliament.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2EUtcEM

How F-22 and F-35 'DNA' Will Make the 'New' F-16 Viper a Real Killer

Here is all we know. 

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2LFnR5w

Origin of virus that hobbled newspapers still unclear

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The origins of a suspected computer attack that disrupted the Los Angeles Times and Tribune Publishing newspapers remained unclear Sunday after causing delivery delays and being brought to the attention of federal investigators.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2SyWlcN

UK to spend over $130 million on ferries to cope with no-deal Brexit

Just three months before the United Kingdom is due to leave the world's largest bloc, the risk of a no-deal Brexit is rising -- the nightmare scenario for many businesses, which are now planning for an economic shock. To ease a potential backlog, the government has awarded three contracts to provide additional freight capacity on routes from English south-coast ports including Poole, Portsmouth and Plymouth.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2RngW69

Egypt kills 40 'terrorists' in crackdown after Giza attack

Egyptian police killed 40 suspects in a crackdown on Saturday after a roadside bomb hit a tour bus claiming the lives of three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian guide. Thirty alleged "terrorists" were killed in separate raids in Giza governorate, home to Egypt's famed pyramids and the scene of Friday's deadly bombing, while 10 others were killed in the restive North Sinai, the interior ministry said without directly linking them to the attack. A security source said the raids took place early Saturday morning, hours after Friday evening'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.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2RoYJW6

UK trade minister says '50-50' chance Brexit may be stopped: paper

Britain's trade minister Liam Fox said there is a "50-50" chance that Brexit may be stopped if parliament rejects the government's divorce deal with the European Union next month. "If we were not to vote for that, I'm not sure I would give it (Brexit) much more than 50-50," Fox, a leading supporter of leaving the EU, told the Sunday Times newspaper. With three months left until the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29, May's Brexit deal is floundering, opening up a range of possibilities from a Brexit without a trade deal to calling Brexit off.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2EY7NKY

Syria's Assad authorizes Iraqi forces to strike IS in Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad authorized Iraqi forces on Sunday to attack the Islamic State group inside Syria without waiting for permission from authorities in Damascus, the state news agency SANA said, as the two allies coordinate their fight against extremists ahead of a planned U.S. withdrawal from Syria.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Amjt6S

Sherman, T-34 and Cromwell: These Three Allied Tanks Won World War II

Allied tanks were engineered for mass production and to handle routine battlefield tasks well, rather than being over-engineered to survive the heaviest guns or penetrate the thickest armor.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Rnqqyj

Most popular Yahoo News photo galleries of 2018 — the countdown

Check back in because we’ll be counting down the top 10 until New Year’s Eve.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Q0ry6d

Heads up: Israeli woman stumbles upon Roman busts

An Israeli woman walking near ancient ruins noticed a head sticking out of the ground, leading to the uncovering of two Roman-era busts, archaeologists said Sunday. The life-size sculptures, carved in limestone, were found in the northern city of Beit Shean earlier this month, with the Israel Antiquities Authority dating them to the late Roman period, some 1,700 years ago. The well-preserved busts are of men, one of them bearded, sculpted in the Oriental style that was becoming fashionable at the end of the Roman period, according to Eitan Klein, deputy head of the IAA's theft prevention unit.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2QXCpTZ

Bali's Agung volcano spews ash in fresh eruption

A volcano on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali erupted Sunday, belching ash high into the air and over nearby villages as officials warned tourists to keep clear of the area. Mount Agung has been erupting periodically since it rumbled back to life in 2017, when it grounded hundreds of flights and left 120,000 visitors stranded. "Residents near Mount Agung as well as climbers and tourists should not carry out any activity in the danger zone or within four-kilometre radius from the crater," the centre said in a statement.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2LHA8WZ

Partial government shutdown hitting some Bay Area National Parks hard

If you're visiting any National Parks in the near future, plan ahead! You don't want to show up to find out the attractions are closed...

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2StsfHw

The Economists, Military, Moralists & Politicians Running Brazil

(Bloomberg) -- Traditionally, Brazilian presidents offered ministerial positions to politicians in return for their parties’ support in Congress. But with politics-as-usual deeply discredited in the wake of successive corruption scandals, Jair Bolsonaro is trying a different tack. The new government consists of roughly four separate groups, only one of which is explicitly political.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2AxjC7Z

Putin says Moscow is open for dialogue with the US in New Year letter to Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump in a New Year letter on Sunday that Moscow was ready for dialogue on a "wide-ranging agenda", the Kremlin said following a series of failed attempts to hold a new summit. At the end of November, the US president abruptly cancelled a planned meeting with Mr Putin on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Argentina, citing tensions about Russian forces opening fire on Ukrainian navy boats and then seizing them. Mr Trump and Mr Putin also failed to hold a full-fledged meeting in Paris on the sidelines of the centenary commemoration of the Armistice. The two leaders held their one and only summit in Helsinki in July. "Vladimir Putin stressed that the (Russia - United States) relations are the most important factor for providing strategic stability and international security," a Kremlin statement said. "He confirmed that Russia is open for dialogue with the USA on the most wide-ranging agenda." Mr Putin also wished "well-being and prosperity to the British people" Credit: TASS / Barcroft Images  Moscow has said one of the key issues it wanted to discuss with the United States is Washington's plans to withdraw from a Cold War era nuclear arms pact. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying that now it was up to the United States whether to hold a new meeting in 2019. "The issue should be addressed to Washington. Both our president and his representatives have said that we are ready for the talks when Washington is ready for it," TASS news agency quoted Mr Lavrov as saying in televised remarks. In a separate letter to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Mr Putin pledged continuation of aid to the Syrian government and people in the "fight against terrorism, in defence of state sovereignty and territorial integrity". Credit: TASS / Barcroft Images  Mr Putin also sent New Year greetings to other world leaders including Theresa May and Shinzo Abe of Japan, as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mr Putin wished "well-being and prosperity to the British people", the Kremlin said. Russia's embassy in London said on Friday Moscow and London had agreed to return some staff to their respective embassies after they expelled dozens of diplomats early this year. Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats over accusations the Kremlin was behind a nerve toxin attack in March on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury. Russia, which denies any involvement in the poisoning, sent home the same number of British embassy workers in retaliation.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2BPXBB3

Low mileage 1976 Subaru Brat sells for high dollar price

With only 2500 miles on the clock, this classic BRAT is in great condition and has just changed hands for more than $46,000

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2R2W4C7

Ask the Captain: What airplanes did you fly in your career?

Prior to becoming an aviation safety consultant, and USA TODAY columnist, John Cox flew a wide variety of commercial airplanes.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2So6icU