General news

• Syria ceasefire holds as Russia and Turkey seek UN support

  30-12-2016 23:49 via theguardian.com
  
  Russia to ask security council to endorse bilateral pact with Turkey amid concerns over reports of fighting near DamascusA ceasefire across Syria appeared to be holding on Friday as its brokers, Russia and Turkey, sought support at the UN security council for the plan it hopes will trump failed peace proposals and end the six-year conflict.Despite violations blamed on both sides in parts of the country, there were no reported civilian casualties by Friday night and diplomats were hopeful that th
  
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• NFL rejects reinstatement bid for Raiders defender

  30-12-2016 23:49 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Oakland Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith was rejected in his bid for reinstatement after a year-long NFL suspension for multiple substance-abuse violations, the league announced Friday. Smith, 27, has been suspended for the past 22 games, and Sunday's regular-season Raiders finale against the Denver Broncos will add to that string. Smith, whose suspension was due to end November 17, had sought reinstatement in October.
  
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• Everton's Barkley denies Hull crucial win

  30-12-2016 23:45 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Everton's mercurial talent Ross Barkley's header secured them a 2-2 draw with struggling Hull in their Premier League clash on Friday. Barkley, who has lost his place in the England squad and been in and out of the Everton first team under manager Ronald Koeman, allowed the visitors to level for the second time. Hull skipper Michael Dawson and then Robert Snodgrass, with his eighth of the season, had given Hull the lead on two occasions.
  
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• World markets end volatile year mostly in the black

  30-12-2016 23:40 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Most world stocks markets finished 2016 in positive territory despite shock votes in Britain and the United States, but the outlook for 2017 is clouded by looming European elections and Brexit. The year witnessed a wave of anti-establishment populism, which saw Britain vote to leave the EU and maverick billionaire businessman Donald Trump elected as US president. Both unexpected outcomes sparked a brief tumble on global equity markets, but many have since staged a stunning recovery to finish 201
  
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• 'Turbocharged' storm clobbers northern New England with snow

  30-12-2016 23:39 via news.yahoo.com
  
  PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The most powerful nor'easter in nearly two years brought heavy snow, powerful winds and even thunder and lightning to northern New England, leaving tens of thousands of people in the dark Friday and burying some towns under 2 feet of snow.
  
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• The Latest: Missing pilot's company calls it a difficult day

  30-12-2016 23:30 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The Latest on the search for a missing plane in Lake Erie near Cleveland (all times local): 5:30 p.m. An executive with the Columbus, Ohio-based beverage distributor where the pilot of a plane carrying ...
  
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• Russia, brushing off Obama, looks to friendlier Donald Trump

  30-12-2016 23:30 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Stung by new punishments, Russia is looking straight past President Barack Obama to Donald Trump in hopes the president-elect will reverse the tough U.S. stance toward Moscow of the last eight years. In ...
  
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• LeBron turns 32 with NBA Cavaliers looking for title repeat

  30-12-2016 23:24 via news.yahoo.com
  
  LeBron James celebrated his 32nd birthday Friday with his defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers looking like a strong bet to deliver him a seventh consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. After a 124-118 home victory Thursday over Boston, the Cavaliers stood 24-7 with the best record in the Eastern Conference and third-best overall behind Golden State (28-5) and San Antonio (26-6). Enjoy it brother!" Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving posted on Instagram.
  
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• Peach Bowl: Alabama dynasty vs. playoff outsider Washington

  30-12-2016 23:21 via news.yahoo.com
  
  ATLANTA (AP) — Alabama is very familiar with this role.
  
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• Trump praises Putin for holding back in U.S.-Russia spy dispute

  30-12-2016 23:18 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Richard Cowan and Polina Devitt PALM BEACH, Fla./ MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for refraining from retaliation in a dispute over spying and cyber attacks, in another sign that the Republican plans to patch up badly frayed relations with Moscow. Putin earlier on Friday said he would not hit back for the U.S. expulsion of 35 suspected Russian spies by President Barack Obama, at least until Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
  
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• Senator McCain says Russia must pay price for hacking

  30-12-2016 23:18 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Republican U.S. Senator John McCain said on Friday that Russia must be made to pay the price for cyber attacks on the United States and that it was possible to impose many sanctions, including on financial institutions. McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has scheduled a hearing for Thursday on foreign cyber threats. "When you attack a country, it's an act of war," McCain said in an interview with the Ukrainian TV channel "1+1" while on a visit to Kiev.
  
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• Georgia rallies to beat TCU 31-23 in Liberty Bowl

  30-12-2016 23:17 via news.yahoo.com
  
  MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — No matter how difficult it was to find running room early on, Georgia kept trying to establish its ground attack.
  
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• No, 2016 wasn't the worst year for celebrity deaths -- and we'll prove it

  30-12-2016 23:16 via cnn.com
  
  There's been much hand-wringing about 2016 killing off so many of our beloved celebrities: Bowie. Ali. Prince. Carrie. Yes, it was bad. But was it really the deadliest year for famous people? There's no scientific way to measure this, but we took a crack at it anyway.
  
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• Children scream 'just stop' in 911 call from lawmaker's home

  30-12-2016 23:14 via news.yahoo.com
  
  AIKEN, S.C. (AP) — Children can be heard screaming "just stop daddy" on a 911 call made from the home of a South Carolina legislator accused of beating his wife and pointing a gun at her, local media reported Friday.
  
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• Sia files to divorce filmmaker husband after 2-year marriage

  30-12-2016 23:09 via news.yahoo.com
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Grammy-nominated singer Sia has filed for divorce from her husband of two years.
  
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• Prosecutor decides no charges after 2nd look at Gophers case

  30-12-2016 23:07 via news.yahoo.com
  
  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ten suspended Minnesota football players will not face criminal charges for their involvement in an alleged sexual assault that happened off-campus.
  
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• US stocks end modestly lower on final trading day of 2016

  30-12-2016 23:05 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Investors capped a year of solid gains on Wall Street Friday in a selling mood, sending the major U.S. stock indexes modestly lower on the final trading day of 2016. Technology and consumer-focused stocks ...
  
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• Obama's spat with Moscow is latest in long line

  30-12-2016 22:56 via news.yahoo.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. relations with Moscow during and after the Cold War have been marred by diplomatic dustups ranging from espionage scandals to an Olympics boycott.
  
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• Former Oklahoma sheriff will not face more charges

  30-12-2016 22:46 via news.yahoo.com
  
  TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Prosecutors said Friday that they won't file new criminal charges against a former Oklahoma sheriff who has faced scrutiny since a reserve deputy fatally shot an unarmed black man last year.
  
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• Aaron Rodgers the Prophet: Packers 1 win away

  30-12-2016 22:39 via news.yahoo.com
  
  A victory in Detroit on Sunday gives Green Bay another NFC North title and makes Aaron Rodgers a prophet.
  
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• Zsa Zsa Gabor's life, glamour, honored at funeral Mass

  30-12-2016 22:38 via news.yahoo.com
  
  BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Zsa Zsa Gabor was remembered Friday during a funeral Mass for being the epitome of Hollywood glamour, an elegant and attention-seeking actress who paved the way for future generations of celebrities.
  
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• US stocks end 2016 on weak note as tech stocks hit

  30-12-2016 22:38 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Wall Street stocks finished a torrid year on a tepid note, with Apple and other large technology companies leading the market lower following a sluggish session Friday. Some analysts said investors also were skittish over bad memories of January 2016, when global stocks stumbled badly amid fears over slowing Chinese growth. The broad-based S&P 500 lost 0.5 percent to close at 2,238.83, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 0.9 percent to 5,383.12.
  
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• Putin refuses to expel US diplomats, Trump applauds

  30-12-2016 22:37 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ruled out tit-for-tat expulsions of Americans in response to US sanctions over alleged cyberattacks, a move that won plaudits from President-elect Donald Trump. Putin's decision came despite the foreign ministry asking him to send home 35 US diplomats after President Barack Obama had turfed out the same number of Russian staff. Trump's intervention -- in a tweet -- however illustrated the shifting political tide in Washington barely three weeks before t
  
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• Man charged with false unemployment claims in 3 states

  30-12-2016 22:37 via news.yahoo.com
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A California man has been charged with setting up fake businesses in three states, then using names taken from temporary visas issued to student visitors on a cultural exchange to obtain more than $355,000 in unemployment benefits for nonexistent workers, federal prosecutors in Iowa said in court documents.
  
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• One-sentence draft bills criticized for lack of transparency

  30-12-2016 22:34 via news.yahoo.com
  
  AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — With the annual return of legislators to the Maine Statehouse comes the predictable pile of one-sentence draft bills that give an idea of what legislators want to do, just not how they're going to do it.
  
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• A history of Russia, US expelling operatives

  30-12-2016 22:33 via cnn.com
  
  It's a Cold War-era dance of spies that continues, even in 2016.
  
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• Facebook temporarily bans author after he calls Trump fans 'nasty fascistic lot'

  30-12-2016 22:22 via theguardian.com
  
  Temporary ban of Kevin Sessums, well known for celebrity profiles and memoirs, is latest example of social media platform’s censorship of journalistsA journalist was temporarily banned from Facebook after a post in which he called Trump supporters “a nasty fascistic lot”, in the latest example of the social media platform’s censorship of journalists.Facebook “reviewed and restored” the post by Kevin Sessums after being contacted by the Guardian and dropped the
  
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• Some power restored to North Carolina's gov.-elect _ for now

  30-12-2016 22:17 via news.yahoo.com
  
  RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina judge granted a small victory to the state's incoming Democratic governor on Friday, temporarily blocking a law by Republican lawmakers stripping him of control over elections in a legislative power play just weeks ago.
  
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• Court reinstates Kennedy cousin Skakel's murder conviction

  30-12-2016 22:16 via news.yahoo.com
  
  HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A divided Connecticut Supreme Court on Friday reinstated Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel's murder conviction in the 1975 killing of Martha Moxley, rejecting a lower court ruling in an appeal that his trial lawyer didn't adequately represent him.
  
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• Trump meets with candidates for agriculture secretary

  30-12-2016 22:15 via news.yahoo.com
  
  PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump and his staff are meeting with candidates for one of the last cabinet positions he needs to fill: agriculture secretary.
  
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• UN chief Ban Ki-moon bids colleagues, staff farewell

  30-12-2016 22:00 via news.yahoo.com
  
  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Ban Ki-Moon joked to hundreds of diplomats and U.N. staff as he left United Nations headquarters Friday for the last time as secretary-general that he feels "like Cinderella — tomorrow at midnight, everything changes."
  
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• UConn finishes up 2016 surprisingly undefeated

  30-12-2016 21:51 via news.yahoo.com
  
  COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — As 2016 comes to a close, Geno Auriemma and his UConn Huskies finished the year unbeaten.
  
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• Mormon choir member quits rather than sing for Trump

  30-12-2016 21:50 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which runs the choir, would not comment on Chamberlin's decision. A spokesman said performing at the inauguration was voluntary and that only a limited number of singers would participate due to limited space.
  
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• Trump praises 'very smart' Putin for not expelling US diplomats

  30-12-2016 21:44 via theguardian.com
  
  Russian leader declines to retaliate after US expels 35 Russian diplomats, saying further action will depend on Trump’s policiesVladimir Putin has refused to engage in tit-for-tat diplomacy after the US expelled 35 Russian diplomats amid a row over cyber-hacking.Just hours after the Russian foreign minster said he was recommending a symmetrical response, Putin said his country had every right to make such a move but that he would not “drop to this level of irresponsible diplomacy&rdq
  
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• Business exec was pilot of plane that vanished with 6 aboard

  30-12-2016 21:41 via news.yahoo.com
  
  CLEVELAND (AP) — The chief executive of a beverage distribution company was piloting a plane carrying his wife, two sons and two other people when it quickly lost altitude after takeoff from Cleveland's lakeshore airport and vanished from radar, according to his family and a flight-tracking service Friday.
  
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• Connecticut's highest court has reinstated murder conviction of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel

  30-12-2016 21:39 via news.yahoo.com
  
  HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut's highest court has reinstated murder conviction of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel.
  
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• Actors seek posthumous protections after big-screen resurrections

  30-12-2016 21:39 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Lisa Richwine and Jill Serjeant LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tuesday's death of actor Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in "Star Wars," set off waves of remembrance among fans - but also speculation over her character's return in yet-to-be-filmed episodes. Filmmakers are tapping advances in digital technology to resurrect characters after a performer dies, most notably in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." The film, in theaters now, features the return of Grand Moff Tarkin, originally
  
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• Greek envoy feared killed in 'crime of passion' in Brazil

  30-12-2016 21:38 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Brazilian police suspect Greek Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis was killed in a "crime of passion," a source close to the investigation said Friday, as detectives interrogated his wife and a policeman who was reportedly her lover. Amiridis went missing while vacationing with his family in Rio de Janeiro, a picturesque but crime-plagued city where he served as Greece's consul general from 2001 to 2004, before being named ambassador to Brasilia this year. Francoise Amiridis and two other people -- all
  
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• Putin says Russia won't expel diplomats; Trump offers praise

  30-12-2016 21:36 via news.yahoo.com
  
  MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin castigated the United States on Friday for trying to punish Russia but said his country will not immediately retaliate and instead will wait for a new U.S. approach by Donald Trump. The president-elect praised Putin's move and called him "very smart."
  
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• Aircraft carrier group returns from the Middle East

  30-12-2016 21:34 via news.yahoo.com
  
  NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Sailing on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lara Runge placed a rare phone call to her wife Jessica in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Election Day.
  
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• US deportations of illegal immigrants up 2 percent

  30-12-2016 21:32 via news.yahoo.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration has deported 240,255 immigrants over the past 12 months, a 2 percent increase over 2015.
  
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• Trump praises 'very smart' Putin for holding off on reprisals against US

  30-12-2016 21:32 via news.yahoo.com
  
  US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for not quickly hitting back at Washington for the punitive measures imposed over alleged interference in the November election. "Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!" Trump tweeted. Earlier, the Russian leader ruled out any immediate tit-for-tat expulsions of American officials in the row over what Washington says were "efforts to harm US interests" in connection with the November
  
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• Last day for fabled New York 'outcry' commodity trading

  30-12-2016 21:30 via news.yahoo.com
  
  It's the end of an era and another sign of digital dominance: Friday is the final day screaming, gesturing traders can buy and sell commodities, including oil, on a trading floor in New York. The death knell for "open outcry" trading in New York came in April when the CME Group announced it planned to close the physical trading floor at the end of 2016, saying volumes for the old-fashioned method represented just 0.3 percent of overall energy and metals trading. "I can confirm that all open outc
  
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• Publisher to put out Yiannopoulos book despite backlash

  30-12-2016 21:26 via news.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — In the face of heavy criticism, Simon & Schuster is moving forward with plans to publish a book by the conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos.
  
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• Russians leave country retreats in the U.S., ordered out by Obama

  30-12-2016 21:16 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Yeganeh Torbati, Joel Schectman and Emily Flitter CENTREVILLE, Md./UPPER BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Reuters) - In small convoys of vehicles, Russians departed two countryside vacation retreats outside Washington and New York City without fanfare on Friday, ordered out by U.S. President Barack Obama who said the premises were linked to spying. The Russians were given until noon ET (1700 GMT) on Friday to vacate the compounds in Centreville, Maryland, and in Upper Brookville on Long Island in New York s
  
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• The Latest: Consulate's chef among expelled Russians

  30-12-2016 21:14 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The Latest on the tensions between the United States and Russia over hacking attacks in the U.S. elections (all times EST): 3:10 p.m. An official says a chef is among the Russians being expelled from the ...
  
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• NFL defers decision to reinstate Raiders LB Aldon Smith

  30-12-2016 20:39 via news.yahoo.com
  
  ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Suspended Oakland Raiders pass rusher Aldon Smith will not be reinstated by the NFL this season.
  
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• US stocks move lower in afternoon trading; oil heads down

  30-12-2016 20:32 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Technology companies led U.S. stock indexes modestly lower Friday afternoon on the final day of trading for the year. Real estate stocks and banks were on track to eke out small gains. Trading was subdued ahead of the New Year's Day holiday.
  
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• Fiesta Bowl: Swinney looks to put a rare L on Meyer's record

  30-12-2016 20:30 via news.yahoo.com
  
  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Urban Meyer was giving the abridged version of the core values he has instilled in Ohio State football, the pillars upon which he has built the Buckeyes.
  
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• Elton John pays tribute to George Michael at Las Vegas show

  30-12-2016 20:30 via news.yahoo.com
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elton John teared up while paying tribute to his friend George Michael during a concert in Las Vegas this week.
  
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