Tuesday, 31 July 2018

36 women, children kidnapped by IS last week in Syria's Sweida: monitor

36 women, children kidnapped by IS last week in Syria's Sweida: monitorThe Islamic State group kidnapped dozens of Druze women and children when it attacked their villages last week in Syria's southern province of Sweida, a monitor said Monday. More than 250 people were killed on Wednesday when IS carried out a string of suicide attacks and shootings in the provincial capital Sweida and villages to the north and east. "At least 36 Druze women and children were abducted after the attacks," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor with a network of sources inside Syria.




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California wildfire: Firefighters gain ground on devastating inferno as victims' families reel from loss

California wildfire: Firefighters gain ground on devastating inferno as victims' families reel from lossFirefighters in northern California have finally begun gaining ground on the massive wildfire that has claimed at least six lives after doubling over the weekend – fuelled by hot, dry conditions and swift winds that pushed the flames. The family of a 70-year-old woman and two children killed by the massive fires, for instance, described the final moments of their loved ones, with the woman trying in vain to save her two great-grandchildren using a wet blanket at their house outside of Redding. The victims were identified by relatives as James Roberts, five, his sister Emily, four, and their great grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, 70.




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Zimbabwe Votes in Historic Election Without Robert Mugabe

Zimbabwe Votes in Historic Election Without Robert MugabeThe make-or-break polls could bring much-needed economic assistance




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How inhaling wildfire smoke can wreak havoc on your health

How inhaling wildfire smoke can wreak havoc on your healthFueled by the tremendous threat of wildfires raging in parts of the United States each year is the growing concern for adverse health effects resulting from smoke exposure.




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Trump says ‘many’ border crossers use children for ‘their own sinister purposes’

Trump says ‘many’ border crossers use children for ‘their own sinister purposes’President Trump said many parents crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally are using their children for “their own sinister purposes” and threatened to shut down the government if Congress doesn’t support his wall on the U.S. border with Mexico.




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Stolen shark returned to aquarium

Stolen shark returned to aquariumThe young horn shark was abducted on Saturday.




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Former FEMA Executive Investigated For Sexual Misconduct

Former FEMA Executive Investigated For Sexual MisconductA former personnel chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is being




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Shocking Paris Video: Harasser Slaps Woman After She Tells Him To Shut Up

Shocking Paris Video: Harasser Slaps Woman After She Tells Him To Shut UpAn explosive video shared by a French architecture student shows a man walking




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Family Of Duck Boat Drowning Victims Files $100 Million Lawsuit

Family Of Duck Boat Drowning Victims Files $100 Million LawsuitRelatives of two drowning victims are seeking $100 million in damages after 17




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MH370 investigators say they can't rule out 'unlawful interference' as final report leaves relatives disappointed

MH370 investigators say they can't rule out 'unlawful interference' as final report leaves relatives disappointedInvestigators released a report on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Monday, saying the Boeing 777's controls were likely deliberately manipulated to take it off course but they were not able to determine who was responsible. The 495-page report draws no conclusion about what happened aboard the plane that vanished with 239 people on board en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, leaving one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries unsolved. "The answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found," Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, told reporters. On May 29, Malaysia called off a three-month search by US firm Ocean Infinity, which spanned 112,000 sq km (43,243 sq miles) in the southern Indian Ocean and ended with no significant findings. It was the second major search after Australia, China and Malaysia ended a fruitless A$200 million (£112.06 million) search across an area of 120,000 sq km (46,332 sq miles) last year. Sarah Nor, the mother of Norliakmar Hamid, a passenger on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, cries as she arrives for the final investigation report Credit:  MOHD RASFAN/ AFP Malaysian and international investigators have been looking into why the jet veered thousands of miles off course from its scheduled route before eventually plunging into the Indian Ocean. The last communication from the plane was from the Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah who signed off with “Good night, Malaysian three seven zero”, as the plane left the Malaysian airspace and later turned off course. A 440-page final report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) last year showed that Zaharie had flown a route on his home flight simulator six weeks earlier that was "initially similar" to the one actually taken by MH370. The Malaysian police previously concluded there were no unusual activity on the home simulator. Kok said the investigators examined the history of the pilot and the first officer, and they were satisfied with their background and training and mental health. "We are not of the opinion it could have been an event committed by the pilots," he said, but added they were not ruling out any possibility since the in-air turn back was done manually and the systems in the plane were also manually turned off. "We cannot exclude that there was an unlawful interference by a third party," Kok said. He added all the passengers of the 15 countries had their backgrounds checked by their respective countries and all came back with a clean bill of health. Conspiracy theories The inability to locate MH370's crash site has fuelled conspiracy theories and online debates over the last four years. Theories range from mechanical error or a remote-controlled crash, to more bizarre explanations like alien abduction and a Russian plot. Kok said they looked into each theory and rumour raised on social media. "We had over 60 allegations...we removed them one-by-one and saw what remained behind," Kok said. Rayan Gharazeddine scans the water in the southern Indian Ocean off Australia from a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion during a search for the missing plane in 2014 Credit: Rob Griffith/AP The report said there was no sign the plane was evading radar detection or that it was taken over by remote control. No irregularities were found in the on-board cargo, which included items like lithium batteries and about 2,500 kgs of mangosteen. Mistakes made In all, 27 pieces of aircraft debris have been collected from various places around the world but only three wing fragments that washed up along the Indian Ocean coast have been confirmed to be from MH370. Malaysia's newly elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said Malaysia would consider resuming the search only if new clues come to light. Investigators highlighted some mistakes made by the Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control centres and made safety recommendations to ensure such incidents do not occur again. Transport Minister Antony Loke said in a statement that the Malaysia would investigate any misconduct committed based on the findings. Families of passengers on board the flight said on Monday that the report failed to give closure Credit:  Joshua Paul/AP The next-of-kin of the passengers were briefed on the final report by investigators earlier on Monday. "We hope that these mistakes will not be repeated and that measures are put in place to prevent them in the future," said Grace Nathan, a lawyer whose mother, Anne Daisy, was on the plane. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing had paid close attention to the MH370 investigation. "We hope that all sides can continue to remain in close contact and coordination, to properly carry out relevant follow-up work," he told a daily news briefing, without elaborating. The majority of passengers on board were Chinese.




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Firefighters gain on sprawling California wildfire, six dead

Firefighters gain on sprawling California wildfire, six deadBy Bob Strong REDDING, Calif. (Reuters) - California firefighters on Monday gained ground on a massive wildfire that has killed six people and destroyed hundreds of homes, while rescuers searched for at least seven missing people. The Carr Fire ignited a week ago outside Redding, about 150 miles (240 km) north of Sacramento, and doubled in size over the weekend, charring an area half the size of New York City and forcing 38,000 people to flee their homes. Two firefighters, a 70-year-old woman and her two young great-grandchildren were among the dead.




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Northern California wildfire forces thousands to evacuate

Northern California wildfire forces thousands to evacuateCalifornia firefighters on Monday were gaining ground on a massive blaze that has killed six people and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, while rescuers searched for seven people unaccounted for in the wildfire. The Carr Fire, outside Redding, California, ignited a week ago and doubled in size over the weekend, charring an area the size of Detroit, forcing 38,000 people to flee their homes and claiming lives of two firefighters and another person, as well as a woman and her two young great-grandchildren. Centered 150 miles (240 km) north of Sacramento, it is the deadliest of the 90 wildfires burning across the United States.




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Palestinian teen says no regrets after release from Israeli prison

Palestinian teen says no regrets after release from Israeli prisonPalestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi said Monday she was deeply changed by her eight-month sentence in an Israeli jail for slapping two soldiers, but does not regret any of her actions. Tamimi, who was 16 when she was arrested in December for hitting and kicking soldiers in front of her house in the occupied West Bank, was released Sunday and swarmed by media from across the globe. In one day you age 100 years," she said in the backyard of her home in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh.




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Minneapolis Police Release Bodycam Video From the Fatal Blevins Shooting

Minneapolis Police Release Bodycam Video From the Fatal Blevins ShootingFootage shows the man shot from behind after a frenetic foot chase




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Trump says he’ll meet with Iran leaders with ‘no preconditions’

Trump says he’ll meet with Iran leaders with ‘no preconditions’President Donald Trump has said that he would meet with the leaders of Iran without preconditions “whenever they want”. “I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet,” Mr Trump said during an event at the White House. Mr Trump, who has previously taken tough stances towards Iran and pulled the US out of the seven-party 2015 deal established to try and limit its nuclear weapons ambitions, continued: “No preconditions.




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The Ugliest Concept Cars Ever Made

The Ugliest Concept Cars Ever Made




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'Not Just A Paper Pusher': Former White House Staff Secretaries Weigh In On Kavanaugh Fight

'Not Just A Paper Pusher': Former White House Staff Secretaries Weigh In On Kavanaugh FightWASHINGTON ― Republicans say the Senate does not need to see documents related




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Thomas Markle Attacks Meghan Markle, Royal Family In Brutal Interview

Thomas Markle Attacks Meghan Markle, Royal Family In Brutal InterviewDespite assurances he would stop giving interviews about his daughter Meghan,




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Twitter's Lock On Users With Elon Musk's Name Means A Nazi Ban Is Possible

Twitter's Lock On Users With Elon Musk's Name Means A Nazi Ban Is PossibleIf you're on Twitter and you change your unverified account's display name to




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Missing Iowa Jogger Mollie Tibbetts Was Doing Homework Late on the Night She Disappeared

Missing Iowa Jogger Mollie Tibbetts Was Doing Homework Late on the Night She DisappearedIt is unclear whether she returned home after her run.




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Space photos show fires tormenting bone-dry California

Space photos show fires tormenting bone-dry CaliforniaTriple-digit temperatures and parched land have left much of California's expansive forests vulnerable to any spark or flame. The Carr Fire, which started on July 23 after a vehicle caught fire, has spread to nearly 100,000 acres as of July 30. From hundreds of miles above, satellite images show a state besieged by an imposing plume of smoke, with a vast part of the region blanketed in a thick, brown haze.  SEE ALSO: Redding newspaper lost power amid extreme fire, but still found a way to print the news Vegetation in the drought-ridden terrain around the City of Redding, where the Carr Fire has prompted thousands to flee and has taken at least six lives, is now exceptionally dry.  NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of the California fire's smoke spreading to Utah.Image: NASAIn fact, it's likely approaching either near-record or record dryness levels in Northern California, said Brenda Belongie, lead meteorologist of the U.S. Forest Service's Predictive Services in Northern California, who works and lives in Redding. NOAA's #GOES17 satellite saw smoke from the #wildfires in northern #California late yesterday, note the high white clouds blowing over the brown-colored smoke beneath. This week a dangerous heatwave with triple digit temps is expected to exacerbate the situation. pic.twitter.com/NhroaD3RuB — NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) July 30, 2018 While any fire is the result of a confluence of weather events — notably gusty winds, human carelessness, and lack of rain — California's forests have been subjected to both heat waves and sustained periods of notably hot temperatures, both of which are enhanced by climate change.  Check out this airplane view of the #CarrFire. https://t.co/eXPNS1wnh8 — NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) July 27, 2018 "In California, persistent heat and dryness increased fire danger," wrote the U.S. Drought Monitor on July 24, the day after the Carr fire began.  In particular, the area around Redding is experiencing conditions worse than "abnormally dry," and is now listed as experiencing "moderate drought."  As temperatures heat up this afternoon across #NorCal, we're seeing an increase in fire activity. Here's the latest #GOES16 Fire Temperature product #CarrFire #RiverFire #RanchFire #MendocinoComplex #cawx pic.twitter.com/TaikChKmSo — NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) July 29, 2018 Much of the entire heat-stricken Northern Hemisphere has recently experienced record heat waves or above-average summer temperatures.  Redding could be experiencing its warmest July on record, according to KRCR News meteorologist Rob Elvington. Northern Hemisphere temperature anomalies during summertime (land-only)...[1900-2017 June/July/August 2-m T data from @BerkeleyEarth] pic.twitter.com/rkmLUwJPQS — Zack Labe (@ZLabe) July 29, 2018 Redding's scorching 2018 summer isn't an anomaly. Each of the city's last June-July average temperatures for the last five years have been among the five hottest on record, noted Elvington. These conditions have helped further dry out the land and spawn a fire that leapt over the Sacramento River last week. Those conditions also stoked a towering vortex that propelled the Carr Fire's own violent weather system. "This is a large and dangerous plume dominated fire in which spreading is not driven by the wind, but rather the fire itself," the National Weather Service wrote over the weekend. Smoke plume is now breaking through the nocturnal inversion. Fire activity will likely increasing with more venting. #CarrFire pic.twitter.com/rqr1gSqsBG — Rob Elvington (@RobElvington) July 27, 2018 During the day, satellite images have picked up the fire's towering plume, which exploded to over 20,000 feet in around 40 minutes. Here is another radar rendering of the #CarrFire plume during the destructive vortex. The plume undergoes rapid vertical development, growing from 6 to 12 km (19->39Kft) in 40 min. Thats a lot of stretching and a possible explanation for vortex intensification. #CAwx #CAfire pic.twitter.com/1CTHAvl6Di — Neil Lareau (@nplareau) July 29, 2018 The Carr Fire can also be seen easily from space at night, where it appears as bright as the Golden State's sprawling cities. The #SuomiNPP satellite captured this image of smoke from the #California wildfires this morning - including the large #FergusonFire, which has grown to 43,000 acres and closed parts of #Yosemite National Park. pic.twitter.com/wCfCkUTO4b — NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) July 26, 2018 Man the #CarrFire is scary. New infrared imagery now that GOES-16 is back up. #CAfire pic.twitter.com/Mw4IQ7EVYQ — Rob Elvington (@RobElvington) July 27, 2018 California's dramatic 2018 fire season, which forced a smoke-filled Yosemite National Park to close its iconic valley and brought flames back to the region's wine country, follows the state's harrowing 2017 season — its worst fire season on record. WATCH: Ever wonder how the universe might end?




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Mugabe to hold press conference on eve of Zimbabwe election: spokesman

Mugabe to hold press conference on eve of Zimbabwe election: spokesmanZimbabwe's former president Robert Mugabe, 94, is to give a surprise press conference Sunday on the eve of the country's first election since he was ousted from office last year, a spokesman said. "He is giving a press conference at Blue Roof (his private residence in Harare)," the spokesman, who requested not to be named, told AFP. Zimbabwe goes to the polls Monday in its first election since Mugabe was forced to resign last November after 37 years in power, with allegations mounting of voter fraud and predictions of a disputed result.




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Family of Branson Duck Boat Victims Seeks $100 Million for Deadly Sinking

Family of Branson Duck Boat Victims Seeks $100 Million for Deadly SinkingThe suit alleges "decades of unacceptable, greed-driven, and willful ignorance"




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Rudy Giuliani Stuns Fox News Hosts With Rambling Account Of Trump Tower Meetings

Rudy Giuliani Stuns Fox News Hosts With Rambling Account Of Trump Tower MeetingsRudy Giuliani baffled Fox News hosts Monday when he attempted to clarify




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U.S. Treasury's Mnuchin says he sees at least 3 percent growth for next 4-5 years

U.S. Treasury's Mnuchin says he sees at least 3 percent growth for next 4-5 yearsWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Sunday that he believes the quickening pace of growth in the nation's economy in the second quarter will persist for the next few years. "I don't think this is a one- or two-year phenomenon. I think we definitely are in a period of four or five years of sustained 3 percent growth at least," Mnuchin said in an interview with 'Fox News Sunday.' The U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in nearly four years in the second quarter - at a 4. ...




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Argos catalogue reveals unannounced DJI Mavic drone

The store's literature has photos and technical details of the as yet unannounced Mavic 2 Pro drone.

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Overwatch League: London Spitfire triumph in first final

London Spitfire scored a solid victory over its opponent, Philadelphia Fusion, in the e-sports final.

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US military draws up 'do not buy' list for software

US military programs and agencies will be stopped from using code that could compromise their work

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BT loses TV rights for 'ultimate fighting' and NBA basketball

The firm is understood to have lost the rights to broadcast NBA basketball and UFC ultimate fighting.

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Idaho inmates hack prison system and steal $225,000 in credits

The scheme was discovered after the prisoners boosted their accounts with artificial credits.

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A Migrant Boy Rejoins His Mother, but He’s Not the Same


By MIRIAM JORDAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2LVfOnX

If an N.B.A. Workout Isn’t on Instagram, Does it Even Count?


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Lassie Got Help, Would Your Dog?


By JAMES GORMAN from NYT Science https://ift.tt/2AmCrwE

After Doctors Cut Their Opioids, Patients Turn to a Risky Treatment for Back Pain


By SHEILA KAPLAN from NYT Health https://ift.tt/2v3sI9D

Brexit, Russia, Mars: Your Tuesday Briefing


By REMY TUMIN from NYT Briefing https://ift.tt/2v4wMX7

What’s on TV Tuesday: ‘Please Like Me’ and ‘Frontline’


By GABE COHN from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2KbQhBC

Ceramics Aren’t Enough. Bring on the Spaceships, Italian Town Says.


By JASON HOROWITZ from NYT World https://ift.tt/2vonAfu

Philippine Bombing Kills 10, Showing Insurgents Remain a Problem


By FELIPE VILLAMOR from NYT World https://ift.tt/2KhkD5Q

How Trump Allies Shifted Their Defense as Evidence of Contacts With Russians Grew


By MARK MAZZETTI from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Kbq7Pz

Former FEMA Official Accused of Sexual Misconduct That Spanned Years


By MATT STEVENS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2LGBip2

Quotation of the Day: Why Global Greening Isn’t as Great as It Sounds


By Unknown Author from NYT Today’s Paper https://ift.tt/2M0WLFu

Review: In a New Orleans ‘House,’ Wealthy Women Are Haunted by Slavery’s Ghosts


By BEN BRANTLEY from NYT Theater https://ift.tt/2mVsj4v

With Trades, Yankees Pitching Staff Remains a Work in Progress


By BILLY WITZ from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2Kc6uqw

Corrections: July 31, 2018


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The Third-Party Option


By DAVID BROOKS from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2KhiuaA

New York City Is Thriving. Why Is Transport Such a Nightmare?


By THE EDITORIAL BOARD from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2v2dWjd

Four People, Including a 5-Year-Old Boy, Are Shot and Killed in Queens


By BENJAMIN MUELLER and HANNAH WULKAN from NYT New York https://ift.tt/2v3idmO

Murder Suspect Used Dating Apps to Prey on Women, Police Say


By ASHLEY SOUTHALL from NYT New York https://ift.tt/2KbEEL8

More to Come


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Bob Woodward’s New Book Will Detail ‘Harrowing Life’ Inside Trump White House


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N.Y. Times publisher implores Trump to stop calling journalists 'enemy of the people'

N.Y. Times publisher implores Trump to stop calling journalists 'enemy of the people'A.G. Sulzberger, the publisher of the New York Times, warned President Trump during a meeting at the White House that his anti-press rhetoric is “contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence.”




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Anger as MH370 report offers no new clues to aviation's greatest mystery

Anger as MH370 report offers no new clues to aviation's greatest mysteryInvestigators said Monday they still do not know why Malaysia's Flight MH370 vanished four years ago in aviation's greatest mystery, sparking anger and disappointment among relatives of those on board. In a long-awaited report the official investigation team pointed to failings by air traffic controllers, said the course of the Malaysia Airlines plane was changed manually, and refused to rule out that someone other than the pilots had diverted the jet. "The team is unable to determine the real cause for the disappearance of MH370," concluded the largely technical 400-page report, noting that investigators were hindered in their probe as neither the plane's wreckage nor its black boxes had been found.




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Shocking Paris Video: Harasser Slaps Woman After She Tells Him To Shut Up

Shocking Paris Video: Harasser Slaps Woman After She Tells Him To Shut UpAn explosive video shared by a French architecture student shows a man walking




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Six people killed as California wildfire spreads

Six people killed as California wildfire spreadsBy Alexandria Sage REDDING, Calif. (Reuters) - A 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren were among six people killed when a wildfire engulfed entire communities in northern California, officials and family members said. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told a news conference near the city of Redding at the edge of the blaze on Sunday one more person had been killed in a residence consumed by fire, bringing the total to six, including two firefighters.




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Zimbabwe Votes in Historic Election Without Robert Mugabe

Zimbabwe Votes in Historic Election Without Robert MugabeThe make-or-break polls could bring much-needed economic assistance




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