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The Latest: Italian journalist among the dead in Strasbourg

STRASBOURG, France (AP) — The Latest on France attack aftermath and death of suspect (all times local):

Seven-year-old Guatemalan girl dies in US custody: report

A seven-year-old Guatemalan girl died in American custody after being detained by US border police in New Mexico, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. The girl who illegally crossed the border from Mexico along with her father and dozens of others died last week of "dehydration and shock," the newspaper reported, citing US Customs and Border Protection. The father is in El Paso, Texas awaiting a meeting with Guatemalan consular officials, the Post said, quoting CBP, which said it is investigating the incident.

Turkey will enter Syria's Manbij if U.S. doesn't remove YPG fighters, Erdogan says

Turkish forces will enter the Syrian town of Manbij if the United States does not remove YPG Kurdish fighters, and it will also target Kurdish-controlled areas further east, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. Erdogan said this week that Turkey would launch a new operation within days against the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish YPG militia which controls swathes of Syria's northern border region, in what will be Turkey's third military campaign in Syria in two years.

Pacific Life Yanks Ads After Tucker Carlson's Dig That Immigrants Make U.S. 'Dirtier'

Prominent insurance company Pacific Life has pulled its commercials from

NASA's InSight lander snaps first selfie from Mars

Want more proof of NASA's InSight lander arriving safely on Mars? The spacecraft captured a selfie while on the Red Planet.

Federal judge in Texas declares Affordable Care Act unconstitutional

A federal judge in Texas ruled President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act "invalid" Friday, the eve of the sign-up deadline for coverage next year.

Family of dead migrant girl says she was healthy before being detained at US border

The family of a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl who died in US Border Patrol custody is disputing an account from American officials who said she had not been given food or water for days. In a statement released by lawyers, the parents of Jakelin Caal said the girl had been given food and water and appeared to be in good health as she travelled through Mexico with her father, 29-year-old Nery Gilberto Caal Cuz. Border Patrol officials did not immediately respond to the family's comments. The family's statement was released on Saturday during a news conference in El Paso, Texas, at an immigrant shelter where Jakelin's father is staying. Her family did not attend and has asked for privacy. Jakelin and her father were seeking asylum in the US and were among a large group of migrants arrested on December 6 near a remote border crossing in New Mexico. Hours later they were placed on a bus to the nearest Border Patrol station, but Jakelin began vomiting and eventually stopped breathing. She later died at a Texas hospital. Border Patrol officials on Friday said agents did everything they could to save the girl but that she had not had food or water for days. They added that an initial screening showed no evidence of health problems, and that her father had signed a form indicating she was in good health. Claudia Maquin, 27, shows a photo of her daughter, Jakelin, at her home in Raxruha, Guatemala  Credit: Oliver de Ros/AP But the family took issue with that form, which was in English, a language her father doesn't speak or read. He communicated with border agents in Spanish but he primarily speaks the Mayan Q'eqchi' language. "It is unacceptable for any government agency to have persons in custody sign documents in a language that they clearly do not understand," the statement said. Jakelin's family is urging authorities to conduct an "objective and thorough" investigation into the death and to determine whether officials met standards for the arrest and custody of children. A cause of death has not yet been released. A private prayer service was held in Texas on Friday so her father could see Jakelin's body before it is taken to Guatemala, said Ruben Garcia, director of the Annunciation House shelter where her father is staying. "All of us were moved by the depth of his faith and his trust that God's hand is in all of this," Garcia said. Family members in Guatemala said Caal decided to migrate with his favorite child to earn money he could send back home. Jakelin's mother and three siblings remained in San Antonio Secortez, a village of about 420 inhabitants. 

Florida tale of infidelity and homicide ends with conviction

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — After a spellbinding five-day trial that featured tales of infidelity and a multimillion dollar insurance payout, a jury on Friday convicted a Florida woman of helping mastermind the killing of her husband nearly two decades ago.

CBS Pledges $20M From Les Moonves' Severance To Combat Sexual Harassment

Scandal-ridden CBS is shelling out $20 million to more than a dozen

Nancy Pelosi: House Democrats to seek Trump tax returns next month

Nancy Pelosi says Democrats will look to obtain President Donald Trump’s tax returns as they as they take control of the House of Representatives in January. Ms Pelosi, who is likely to win the House speakership next month, said the Ways and Means Committee will “take the first steps” towards getting the tax documents, Reuters reported. “There is popular demand for the Congress to request the president’s tax returns,” Ms Pelosi said.

Rebels hail Yemen ceasefire accord a 'success', despite skirmishes

Huthi rebels on Saturday hailed a ceasefire accord for a vital Yemeni port agreed at UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden, although the deal's implementation remained fragile. The breakthrough agreement at the first round of negotiations since 2016 was a "success", said Daif Allah al-Shami, information minister for the rebels' unrecognised national salvation government. Reached Thursday between the Huthis and a delegation for the internationally recognised government, the accord called for an "immediate" ceasefire in Hodeida city and its lifeline port, a key gateway for aid and food imports in a country where 14 million people stand on the brink of famine.

Brazil take first step in program to join nuclear-powered sub club

President Michel Temer and his right-wing successor, President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, both pressed the button that lowered into the sea the 1,700-ton submarine named Riachuelo at a Rio de Janeiro naval base. Temer's wife, Marcela, had christened the vessel, by smashing a champagne bottle against its hull. The submarines being built by the Brazilian Navy in partnership with France's defense company Naval Group, formerly known as DCNS, are a modified version of the Scorpene class diesel-powered submarine.

The Hyundai Kona Electric Has a Longer Range than the Chevy Bolt and Costs the Same

Hyundai's little crossover scores a big win with its mileage rating and value equation.

First new Mustang Shelby GT500 to be sold by Barrett-Jackson

The buyer gets to pick the color and the options for their special muscle car

Indiana State University group to honor Jamal Khashoggi

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — A journalism group at Indiana State University is taking steps to honor alumnus and slain Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Montana man pleads guilty to killing 2, putting them in acid

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana man pleaded guilty Friday to stabbing two people to death, including a teenage girl, dismembering their bodies and then trying to dissolve them in tubs filled with acid in the basement of a home.

White House says probe of inauguration funding has 'nothing to do with the president'

The White House is brushing off reports that federal prosecutors are investigating the over $100 million that was raised from donors for President Trump’s inauguration last year.

Delaying Brexit Beyond March Is Easier Than You Might Think

(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Theresa May is struggling to save her Brexit deal and the danger of the U.K. crashing out of the European Union is on the rise. How hard would it be to delay Britain’s departure date?

Palestinians slam Australia's move on Jerusalem

The Palestinian leadership on Saturday described as "irresponsible" Australia's recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying it violated international law. The country became one of just a few to follow US President Donald Trump's lead and recognise the contested city as Israel's capital, saying. Australia said it would open a defence and trade office in the west of the holy city and Prime Minister Scott Morrison also committed to recognising a future state of Palestine with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Rocco The Cheeky Parrot Keeps Using Amazon's Alexa To Order Snacks

A mischievous parrot who was booted from an animal sanctuary for his foul

Starbucks' Happy Hour brings three days of buy-one-get-one free espresso drinks

There's a buy-one-get-one free deal on hot chocolate and espresso drinks from Dec. 14-16 for Starbucks' Happy Hour event.

Best Air Fryers of 2018

Crispy fries without all the oil? That's the golden promise of air fryers, and it probably explains why roughly 4 million were sold over a recent 12-month period in the U.S. That represents a ten...

Infiniti's Next Concept Car Previews a New All-Electric Crossover

It will pay homage to the pioneering FX45 while looking to Infiniti’s electrified future.

Remains of sailor killed at Pearl Harbor identified

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Full military honors will be given to a Louisiana sailor whose remains have been identified more than 75 years after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Man who sexually assaulted woman on flight while she slept is jailed for nine years

Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 34, was also sitting next to his wife on the overnight flight in January. Ramamoorthy had molested the victim while unbuttoning her blouse and unzipping her trousers as she slept. US attorney Matthew Schneider said: “Everyone has the right to be secure and safe when they travel on aeroplanes.

Fresno Police Chief Dyer says injuries Arambula caused to daughter were beyond spanking

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer is publicly contradicting Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula's version of events that led to the lawmaker's recent child abuse arrest.

Walker signs measures critics call a Republican power grab

The Wisconsin GOP has held control of the governorship and both chambers of Wisconsin's Legislature — what’s known as a trifecta — for most of the last decade. This may help to account for the outgoing governor's attempt to pass this package of bills before a Democrat takes over.

Israeli army kills Palestinian in West Bank clashes

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Israel arrested dozens of Hamas activists in the West Bank, and a Palestinian was killed in clashes with troops, as the Israeli military pressed ahead on Friday with a crackdown following a pair of deadly shootings blamed on Hamas militants.

You Can Now Build Your Own 2020 Jeep Gladiator without Any Regard to Price

We don't know how much the new Jeep pickup costs, which makes the online configurator even more fun to play with.

What the New Court Ruling Striking Down the ACA Means for Your Health Insurance

Just as the sign-up window for individual health insurance for 2019 is closing, a legal ruling is creating new uncertainty about the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and could potentially ...

Russian Orthodox church calls on UN for help in Ukraine

MINSK, Belarus (AP) — The Russian Orthodox Church on Friday called on the United Nations, the leaders of Germany and France, the pope and other spiritual leaders to protect believers in Ukraine in the face of pressure on Moscow-affiliated clerics.

What Is The Deadline for Christmas Shipping? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Deadlines for USPS, UPS, FedEX and Amazon

Connecticut school evacuated for bomb threat on sixth anniversary of massacre

Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, where 26 children and educators were killed in 2012, received a threatening phone call around 9 a.m. EST, said police Lieutenant Aaron Bahamonde. "It was a bomb threat over the phone," Bahamonde said. Bahamonde said the threat was unrelated to a Thursday incident in which hundreds of schools, businesses and buildings across the United States and Canada receive email bomb threats demanding payment in cryptocurrency.

Our Plastic Addiction Has Reached A New Crisis Level

This is not a good look. Humans are using more oil-based plastic than ever,

Erdogan, Trump agree 'more effective' coordination on Syria

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Donald Trump agreed Friday to "more effective coordination" between their countries' operations in Syria, according to Turkish presidential sources, after Ankara threatened to launch a new offensive in the war-torn nation. The two leaders spoke by telephone and "agreed to ensure more effective cooperation on the subject of Syria", according to the source. The conversation came after Erdogan on Wednesday warned Turkey was planning to launch a new operation within the "next few days" against the US-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in northern Syria.

Inside the threatened Kurdish proto-state that holds the keys to defeating Isil

On one end of Qamishli’s main street flies the two-starred Syrian national flag. On the other, that of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party. “One flag represents our past oppression, the other our freedom,” says Mahmoud, who owns a clothing shop which sits between the two.   Before the civil war, it would have been unthinkable for the Kurdish minority to openly pledge allegiance to anything other than the President Bashar al-Assad's Syrian Arab Republic. But seven years into Syria's interminable conflict the Kurds appear to have carved out something of a proto-state in this corner of northeastern Syria, thanks in part to their efforts to flush out Isil. While they have been crushing the Caliphate to a tiny sliver of territory - taking the last town held by the Islamist on Friday morning - their separatist ambitions have largely been overlooked. Until now. Kurdish-held northern Syria The city of Qamishli has become the centre of the Kurds’ ambitious self-administration project. While a few government buildings and statues of President Assad remain, Qamishli and the surrounding areas are now firmly under the control of the Democratic Union Party (PYD). Mahmoud is a proud supporter of the PYD, but still he declines to give his full name to the Telegraph for fear of reprisal should the regime one day return. Assad has repeatedly promised to retake every inch of Syria, including the third currently in Kurdish hands. The prospect looked more likely than at any other time in the war this week after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered Turkish troops and Ankara-backed Syrian rebels to ready for an assault on Syria’s Kurds. Turkey views the PYD’s military arm, the Popular Protection Units (YPG), as a terrorist organisation because of its links to an insurgent group inside Turkey, and has watched with growing concern at Kurdish expansionism on the other side of its border. In recent years, Turkish forces have already swept into Syria pushing the YPG out of territory west of the Euphrates river. But past offensives have stopped at its banks, partly to avoid direct confrontation with US troops that back the Kurds. "Turkey has lost enough time in terms of intervening to clean the terror swamp east of the Euphrates. We don't have the patience to wait one more day," Mr Erdogan warned on Friday. Men queue up to buy bread outside a bakery on the outskirts of Qamishli Credit: Sam Tarling The Kurds, who have so far relied on the US for support in their battles against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), have threatened to abandon the fight if they are left to fend for themselves in the face of a Turkish onslaught. But Washington has sent mixed signals on whether it would be behind them in any fight against Nato ally Turkey. “We don’t rely on any government, we just have strategic alliances,” Salih Muslim, a prominent political player in Rojava who until recently co-chaired the PYD, told the Sunday Telegraph. “The Kurds have expected a move from Turkey for a while now and will not easily back down.” Whatever they might say, it is clear is that the Kurds cannot stave off Turkish aggression alone. In the absence of a reliable ally in the US, they may soon be forced to decide whether to risk their chances, or eek out an unfavourable deal with Assad to secure long-term survival. “We have to take Assad at his word,” Khalaf Dahowd, head of the foreign committee of the Democratic Change Movement, told the Sunday Telegraph from his office in Qamishli, refering to the president's pledge to take back all Syria's territory. “If he gets the chance to take Rojava he will,” said Mr Dahowd, using the Kurdish name for the area of self-rule which covers some 15,000 square miles. A convoy of American Special Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces fighters makes a stop during a patrol near the Turkish border in northern Syria Credit:  Sam Tarling “Even when he was at his weakest point, before Russia intervened and it looked like he was going to lose everything, Assad refused to work with the Kurds,” he said. “Now he is winning, and as the saying goes - the winner takes all.” Kurdish officials who were part of the first delegation to Damascus over the summer say the Syrian government was not prepared to make a single concession. Despite this, the Kurds - who are just about the only side in the multi-faceted war not to have had a full-scale military conflict with the regime - still hold out hope for a political solution. The Kurds, who number more than two million in Syria, have made great sacrifices for their “democratic experiment”, as they call their pseudo-state in the north. Islamic State losing its grip on Syria The YPG has suffered considerable losses in the battles against Isil in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor in the east. Officials estimate up to 8,000 fighters have been killed and 5,000 injured. Fierce battles are still ongoing for the last sliver of jihadist territory in Deir Ezzor. At least 5,000 IS fighters remain holed up in the pocket of territory, including some 2,000 foreign fighters, mostly Arabs and Europeans along with their families. The YPG has also made significant gains, including control of the country’s borders with Turkey and Iraq, its most lucrative oil fields and the freedom to once again speak their native language after decades of repression. “There are basic things we cannot give up; we need our democratic rights and our culture and language to be protected,” said Fawza al-Youssef, the co-chair of the executive body of the North Syria Federation. “But there are other things that are negotiable.” Mahmoud Mohammad Serhan, 59, a a retired trader who now keeps a farm, gets a cutthroat shave at a barber shop in Qamishli Credit:  Sam Tarling Relinquishing control of the borders and folding the YPG, into the national army, would be among the demands she says the self-administration would consider in return for a decentralisation of government. It would also be willing to do a deal on the oil fields in eastern Deir Ezzor province, which account for more than 80 per cent of the country’s pre-war production and currently lie within their control. “We aren’t saying all of this is rightfully ours, but the people here should benefit,” Ms Youssef said.  The next few days will prove pivotal for the Kurds as they face the greatest existential threat to their autonomy project since the war began. “We can’t go back to where were were before 2011, when we had nothing,” said Ms Youssef. “We have not fought this hard for it all to be destroyed.”

The 2019 BMW X5 Is the Brand's Most Accomplished SUV Yet

Its G05 codename may never rank with E46 or E39, but the latest X5 is still plenty good.

Death row executions remain near historic lows in 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three states resumed executions of death row inmates in 2018 after long breaks, but nationwide, executions remained near historic lows this year, according to an annual report on the death penalty released Friday.

Buy a gift card, get a freebie at these restaurants, businesses

This holiday season, when you purchase gift cards at many popular restaurant chains including Applebee's and the Cheesecake Factory, get a bonus.

GM says it has 2,700 jobs for workers slated to be laid off

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors' plans to lay off 14,000 salaried and blue-collar workers might not be as bad as originally projected.

Gun Deaths in the U.S. Are at Their Highest Rates in Decades, CDC Says

The problem is driven in part by suicides

Superintendent Praises Response of Students, Staff Day After Shooting at Indiana School

The superintendent of Richmond Schools said students and staff at Dennis Intermediate School did everything they`d been trained to do during a school shooting.

China's Xi declares an 'overwhelming victory' over graft: state media

Chinese President Xi Jinping has declared an "overwhelming victory" in his fight against graft within the ruling Chinese Communist Party, while still vowing that the campaign to weed out deep-seated corruption will continue, state media reported. Xi has pledged to wage war on graft until corruption of all kinds has been expunged at all levels of the Communist Party, from high-level "tigers" to low-level "flies".