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And both peace and goodwill are sentiments celebrated annually when the city of Oslo donates a giant Christmas tree to London in recognition of our country’s efforts during World War 2. This year we’re celebrating that enduring tradition with a delivery of our own, transporting a Christmas tree the length of the country from Scotland’s west coast to the Autocar offices in London, bringing joy and festive merriment to the editorial team. Aston Martin DB11 review And what greater freighter for the task than our favourite British grand tourer, the Aston Martin DB11? It should provide some back-road thrills up north, then devour the motorway miles on the home run. Along the way, we’ll stop by Immingham Docks in Lincolnshire to see how the professionals do it as the big tree from Norway gets loaded up before heading south. Even without the detours and general wombling involved in photographing such road trips, that’s a respectable 550-mile journey. I know what you’re thinking, though: the DB11 only has a 270-litre boot – sapling territory at best – and Aston isn’t in the habit of selling roof racks. Online reviews of aftermarket ‘soft’ racks bear unwelcome titles such as “Stitching split” and “Kayak skidded down road”, so those are out, too. But with protective film on the roof, £20 worth of ratchet straps from Screwfix and some padding, we’re ready for action. We begin at Argyll Forest Park’s Glenbranter Estate, first leased to the Forestry Commission Scotland by chief gloaming-roamer Sir Harry Lauder. We’re met by visitor services manager Sue Morris, who invites us to follow tree-wise men Andy Kerr and Stevie Cooper in search of our star conifer. Aston Martin DB11 V8 review Our DB11 is the full-cheese 600bhp V12, whose £182,660 sticker price includes £3495 of Morning Frost White paint and £4740 worth of diamond-turned 20in alloy wheels. It couldn’t be more incongruous following Kerr’s van, smothering nature’s sweet chorus as we burble past a sparkling burn and up a muddy track into shaded woodland. Then it’s wellies on for a tramp into the trees, Kerr’s tiny dog, Ness, leading us between enormous Sitka spruce on a plush carpet of bouncy sphagnum. Unlike the manually shaped, farmed Christmas trees you’ll find in most homes, we’re searching for one of the naturally occurring, free-range examples dotted around the estate’s rugged expanse of almost 10,000 acres. In an improbably perfect, sunlit clearing, we find what we’re looking for: a fine, bushy, six-foot Norway spruce. I’m no expert, but this is one handsome tree. Its counterpart from Oslo is perennially known as ‘Queen of the Forest’, so for commensurate regalness, and in honour of a fellow Argyll resident, ours becomes ‘Robert the Spruce’.

We've watched plenty of Yule log videos for the holidays. There's the classic "just a burning log" video, which you can stream to your TV for hours if you don't actually have a fireplace of your own. And don't forget the ever-delightful "Lil BUB" variant, which trades annoying holiday music for the world's cutest cat. Even Nick Offerman has a Yule log video—though this writer would much prefer what's in his glass than the log. Not to be outdone, Blizzard's own Jeff Kaplan—creative director of the po[CENSORED]r first-person shooter Overwatch$59.99 at Best Buy—has been sitting in front of a fire for nearly four hours as of when we wrote this article. He's streaming the entire affair to Twitch, but you might find yourself looking for a bit more excitement if you tune in. Like Offerman, Kaplan is taking a strong, silent approach to his stream. Rarely does he chat with the camera (or anyone Blizzard roped in to film the stunt over its holiday break). He's not even drinking from the not-full coffee mug or eating any of the nearby (and delicious-looking) holiday cookies. He's just staring. Staring, thinking, and perhaps revisiting whatever bet he lost that places him in the holiday hot seat for an unknown amount of time. RELATED Blizzard Creates 'Incubation Teams' to Develop New IP Blizzard Creates 'Incubation Teams' to Develop New IP Some of our favorite moments of Kaplan's stream include the time the sound guy bopped him on the head with a boom mic—a classic holiday tradition—as well as the delivery of an Overwatch-themed present. We also enjoy the brief look of sadness on Kaplan's face when he realizes that he's only three hours into an (allegedly) 10-hour stream. He also considers a cookie at one point, but fails to follow through. We're not quite sure what Kaplan's ultimate goal is, aside from having the numbest bottom in the world come Christmas Day. If this is some kind of bet for charity, we commend him for his dedication. If he's just trying to drum up some enthusiasm for Overwatch, it seems unnecessary; in October of this year, Overwatch officially hit 35 million worldwide players, though its growth has slowed a bit from previous milestones. Regardless of reason, Kaplan is at least getting plenty of eyeballs for his stunt. The Overwatch Twitch channel is currently featured on the site's home page, and just around 43,000 viewers are watching Kaplan keep warm for the holidays.

Rescuers searched for survivors on Sunday after a fierce typhoon lashed the Philippines, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake as more than 200 were killed and about 70,000 were left homeless. Tropical Storm Tembin strengthened into a typhoon before moving into the South China Sea. Most of the dead and missing were reported in the hard-hit provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur and on the Zamboanga Peninsula. Intense rainfall in the mountains most likely caused landslides that blocked rainwater, said Marina Marasigan of the government's disaster-response agency. When the naturally formed dams broke from the pressure, torrents of rainwater smashed into the villages below. Mayor Bong Edding of Sibuco town blamed logging operations in the mountains for flash food that swept away houses with more than 30 residents. Five bodies have been recovered so far in the village and a search and rescue was continuing. “It happened very fast, the flood waters quickly rose filling our house,” farmer Felipe Ybarsabal, 65, told Reuters by telephone, saying he and his family had to run to higher ground. Authorities said 159 people were listed as missing while about 70,000 had been forced from their homes. A large number of dead and missing was also reported in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur provinces, where floodwaters from a mountain washed away several riverside houses. Marasigan asked the public to heed storm warnings and evacuation orders to avoid casualties. "We're really sad that we have this news especially because our countrymen were looking to celebrate Christmas," Marasigan told a televised news conference, according to The Associated Press. Thousands of villagers fled to emergency shelters and more than 500 passengers remained stranded in airports and seaports after the coast guard prohibited ferries from venturing out in the rough seas and several flights were canceled Saturday. The typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 145 kph (90 mph). An inter-island ferry sank off northeastern Quezon province Thursday after being lashed by fierce winds and big waves, leaving at least five people dead. More than 250 passengers and crewmen were rescued. Earlier in the week, another tropical storm left more than 50 people dead and 31 others missing, mostly due to landslides, and damaged more than 10,000 houses in the central Philippines. Among the areas battered by the latest storm was Marawi, a lakeside city in Lanao del Sur that is still recovering from a five-month siege by pro-Islamic State group extremists that left more than 1,000 people dead and displaced its entire po[CENSORED]tion of about 200,000 people. It was the latest disaster to hit the Philippines, which is battered by about 20 typhoons and storms each year, making the archipelago that lies on the Pacific typhoon belt one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.

Republicans could easily lose their congressional majorities in 2018, two retiring GOP lawmakers warned Sunday, pointing to a lack of diversity in the party and President Trump’s pattern of catering to his narrow conservative base as likely harbingers of bad news for their party. “When you look at some of the audiences cheering for Republicans sometimes, you look out there and you say, ‘Those are the spasms of a dying party,’ ” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said on ABC’s “This Week.” “By and large, we’re appealing to older white men, and there are just a limited number of them.” “Clearly the Republican Party, my party, is going to experience losses. It remains to be seen whether we’ll lose the majority,” Rep. Charlie Dent (Pa.) said, appearing on the same program. “I tell my colleagues, look, we’re going to be running into a head wind, you’ve got to be prepared for the worst. . . . It’s going to be a very tough year.” Flake and Dent are frequent critics of the president and his advisers, particularly former chief political strategist Stephen K. Bannon, who has promoted what Flake termed “ultranationalist, ethnonationalist, protectionist” politics in the GOP. Yet their criticism is taking on new significance in the wake of Democrat Doug Jones’s U.S. Senate victory in Alabama this month — a loss that many blame on Bannon and his allies insisting that the GOP base would secure a win for conservative Roy Moore in the deep-red state, despite allegations against him of sexual misconduct with teenage girls while he was in his 30s. “Let me just say this: The political genius on display of throwing away a seat in the reddest state in America is hard to ignore,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters on Friday when asked whether he blamed Bannon for the loss. Despite McConnell’s criticism, it is not clear that Trump will pivot the GOP away from Bannon’s brand of political strategy. [Will the tax bill help or hurt Republicans in 2018? It depends on who’s talking.] Trump finished off last week by signing a sweeping tax bill into law, the first significant legislative achievement of his presidency. But he interrupted his own victory lap over the weekend with tweets disparaging FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, after reports that McCabe would be retiring in the new year, while the White House scrambled to disavow a report in the New York Times that Trump had used racially charged language to describe Haitians, Nigerians and other ethnic groups in closed-door discussions about his immigration policies. In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, defended Trump’s tweets about McCabe and said the White House would “wish him well” as he retired next year. Trump, who is vacationing at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, also took to Twitter on Sunday to address the weekend’s news, touting the very thing that lawmakers like Flake and Dent have cautioned against relying on: his base. “The Fake News refuses to talk about how Big and how Strong our BASE is,” Trump tweeted.

Welcome to CSBD !!

It’s a rear-biased set-up, and sends 100 per cent of the engine’s power to the rear wheels in normal driving. However, it can also shuffle up to 50 per cent to the front axle when it detects slip – and as a result Alfa claims it can cover 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds and hit 176mph flat out. Those are serious numbers for a 1,830kg SUV. Climb inside and there are several neat touches to remind you that you are in something a bit more special. The Alcantara and carbon fibre steering wheel, red decorative stitching and carbon-backed bucket seats set the tone without being over the top. Our only cabin reservation is perhaps some of the switchgear doesn’t feel or operate with the slickness you’d expect in a near-£65,000 SUV. Alfa already has quite a driver focused SUV in the standard Stelvio, so it’s little surprise that a set of chassis tweaks and the addition of a thumping new engine has improved its dynamic makeup. The four-wheel drive powertrain ensures that all 503bhp and 600Nm of torque are fed to the road without any drama; deep chested wails from the engine are punctuated by violent pops and bangs from the exhaust. We know the 2.9-litre V6 and eight-speed auto combination from the Giulia Quadrifoglio is an excellent paring and it’s the same story in the Stelvio. A wide spread of torque, sharp throttle response and thumping gear changes make it one of the best powertrains in the business. It’s clever, too, as it can shut down a bank of its cylinders without detection to reduce fuel consumption when cruising at steady speeds of up to around 80mph. • Best performance cars available After the brutal acceleration you notice the steering, which is super sharp and accurate; the slightest twitch from your wrist is transmitted directly to the wheels. It instills the Stelvio with a greater sense of agility than its portly kerbweight would lead you to believe. Combined with the four-wheel drive system it makes for an incredibly fast and secure performance car. Flick the Stelvio through the various drive modes and up to its most aggressive Race setting, and the reins are loosened on the stability control. This allows for a bit more movement at the rear end before the four-wheel drive system gathers it all up and launches you down the road, but even here it’s incredibly surefooted. It’s a beautifully balanced SUV, but it has its limits. The Stelvio manages its weight shifting from side to side through high-speed corners, but you are always aware of the mass it’s hauling around – as it leans a little through corners. Of course, being an SUV means it also has to come with a modicum of practicality. The 525-litre boot is larger than that on the Macan and you can drop the rear bench to maximize carrying capacity. Legroom is at a premium in the back, though, especially if you opt for the bucket seats as tested here, which nibble away at rear knee room, too. UK buyers will have to wait a little while get to get their hands on one, too, as the Stelvio Quadrifoglio doesn’t arrive in the UK until next summer. Pricing and specs are yet to be announced but a figure around the £65,000 is to be expected, but if a performance SUV is on your wish list then this is one worth waiting for.

* It seems as though there’s a new SUV launching every week, and the latest model to hit the market is Vauxhall’s Grandland X. We’re testing it in po[CENSORED]r 1.2-litre turbo petrol form; priced from £24,595 in Sport Nav trim, it shows off what’s on offer in the brand-new range. However, given its relationship to the Peugeot, can the Grandland X beat its cousin? Because the Grandland X shares much of its engineering with the 3008, it offers a respectable level of comfort. However, it doesn’t have the 3008’s i-Cockpit set-up, which features a narrow-diameter steering wheel. This means the Vauxhall isn’t quite as agile or quick to turn in as the Peugeot. The light steering is also devoid of feel, so this is definitely no driver’s car – but then, neither are its rivals here. What the Grandland X does offer is relatively refined cruising, as the engine is quiet and the high-speed ride is smooth on this trim level’s 18-inch alloys. However, hit a sharp bump or an expansion joint, and the dampers struggle to control the energy fired up through the suspension. At low speeds the chassis feels less settled than the Peugeot’s, and while the Vauxhall doesn’t offer the Toyota’s focus or composure in corners, it’s no more comfortable in conditions where an SUV such as this spends most of its time. However, it was the quickest car in our test, sprinting from 0-60mph in 10.3 seconds – three-tenths faster than the 3008 and seven-tenths up on the C-HR. This full-throttle performance advantage wasn’t replicated during our in-gear tests, as the Grandland’s 100kg-heavier kerbweight compared with the 3008’s dulled acceleration. This was only by a few tenths in the lower gears between 30-50mph, while the same six-speed manual gearbox as its French competitor, which doesn’t change ratios particularly quickly, meant it was just two-tenths slower through the gears from 30-70mph, taking 10.1 seconds. Testers’ notes: “The Vauxhall’s rear three-quarter visibility could be better, but the 360-degree panoramic camera is only available on the top-spec Ultimate model.”

A few nights ago I got a phone call from the mother of one of my son's friends. She is a child psychologist, and her husband works in IT for a major bank. She had been discussing cryptocurrencies with her husband, and they decided it might be a good idea to consult with me before taking a flier on one or two of the lesser known cryptos that had not yet rallied as much as bitcoin, bitcoin cash, litecoin or ethereum. I expressed my long-held concerns about this "asset class" and suggested that if they decided to invest (speculate) in the one or two they were exploring that they should do it with money they could afford to lose. I looked at the two they were thinking of getting into, took $5,000 and decided that, what the hell, I probably should take a swing myself, knowing a few people personally who have made a fortune in bitcoin. The two currencies I examined were priced in the pennies. I thought if I bought one of the least expensive offerings, I could control 50,000 coins. If it were simply to rise to $100 per coin, I'd gross $5 million. A king's ransom for a few days', weeks', months' or even a year's work. Then I thought a little more. Having failed to make a Rip Van Winklevoss billion, as I slept through bitcoin's 10-year rally, I surmised that such a purchase on my part would absolutely mark a top in the cryptocurrency craze. I've seen this movie before. At the height of the internet bubble, some of my colleagues and I were trying to decide if we should remain as business journalists on cable television, or join some of our colleagues in start-up dot.com ventures that focused on web-delivered business news. Thankfully, many of us were bound to contracts and couldn't simply leave our posts to join the young and restless. One of our colleagues, from another service, had joined a start-up business site and was worth $9 million the very first day that dotcom went public. When he left a couple years later, that $9 million was worth about $100,000. In the interim, we had kept our jobs, gotten raises and bonuses and, most important, had dodged a bullet that all but killed those who ran to make their instant fortunes. As I write this, bitcoin has gone through its fifth 30-plus-percent correction this year. While prices remain fluid, the main cryptocurrency has lost as much as 45 percent of its value this week alone. In the "old days" we'd call that a crash. The key question, now that we know that litecoin's founder dumped his whole stash; now that futures have made the price of bitcoin move in more than one direction; and now that the margin buyer has entered the market, is whether the bubble has burst, or if this is just the big pause that refreshes. Certainly, the underlying blockchain technology is not only disruptive to financial systems, but also likely a transformational technology that will radically alter the speed, efficiency, cost and transparency around all manner of financial transactions. But will cryptocurrencies themselves be a required component of this new functionality? The Federal Reserve and the Treasury can borrow the technology to create "digital dollars," which have all the attendant prerequisites to be considered legal tender. As yet, bitcoin and other cryptos lack the three defining characteristics of money: a unit of account; a medium of exchange, and a storehouse of value. Cryptocurrency enthusiasts argued that bitcoin and the like, at the very least, represented the latter, calling bitcoin "millennial gold." Even that barbarous relic has had its share of speculative episodes, the most memorable in the 1970s and early '80s and then again in the mid-2000s. Nothing goes up forever. Trees don't grow to the sky, as they say on Wall Street. And the last person into a speculative frenzy never gets out before it's too late. Happily, I followed my own advice and didn't play this late in the game. I'm certainly more than a little miffed that I didn't follow the lead of one of my friends who bought bitcoin at $300. However, I'm also happy that I didn't follow another friend who got to the party just as the punch bowl was taken away.

\ Buckley Kuhn-Fricker was so disturbed by what she discovered about her teenage daughter’s boyfriend that she spent a tumultuous week pushing for a breakup. By Thursday, she texted a friend saying the “outspoken Neo Nazi” was out of their lives. But just hours later, the family said that the 17-year-old boyfriend had shot and killed Kuhn-Fricker, 43, and her husband, Scott, 48, in their Reston, Va., home. It happened around 5 a.m. Friday, while the couple’s children and relatives were inside. They had gathered to celebrate the Christmas holiday. The teen, who shot himself and is in critical condition at a hospital, was charged with two counts of murder Saturday after police spent Friday investigating at the large, single-family home decorated with Christmas wreaths and snowflakes. The Washington Post generally does not name juveniles charged with crimes unless they are charged as adults. The family of the teen, who is from Lorton, declined to comment. Fairfax County police would not offer a motive for the double slaying, but family members and friends tied it directly to the couple’s struggle to keep hate out of their home, as one friend put it. They agreed to talk about the efforts because they said it was important to expose what happened. Friends and family said Kuhn-Fricker, who owned an elder-care business, was tolerant and passionate about civil rights and social justice, so she put her foot down after discovering alarming tweets and Twitter messages she believed were connected to her 16-year-old daughter’s boyfriend after looking at the girl’s phone. She believed the messages were posted under an assumed name. On Sunday night, Kuhn-Fricker alerted the principal of the Fairfax County private school that her daughter and the boyfriend attend, attaching numerous images of the account that had retweeted missives praising Hitler, supporting Nazi book burnings, calling for “white revolution,” making derogatory comments about Jews and featuring an illustration of a man hanging from a noose beneath a slur for gay people. In private Twitter messages, the account Kuhn-Fricker attributed to the boyfriend responded to a photo of a candy shop that featured a display of a dreidel by writing, “ima run in there with my swastika armband right now.” “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” it read. Janet Kuhn thinks it was a reference to the situation with her granddaughter. Her daughter had also asked for recommendations of documentaries about World War II that the family could watch together. Janet Kuhn said that a detective revealed that her daughter and son-in-law went to check on her granddaughter in the early hours of Friday morning, after possibly hearing a sound. The parents discovered the boyfriend in their daughter’s bedroom, according to the detective’s account. Scott Fricker yelled at the boyfriend to get out of the house and to never return, Janet Kuhn said the detective told her. At that point, the boyfriend pulled out a gun and shot both parents, the detective told Janet Kuhn. The boyfriend then shot himself in the head, Janet Kuhn said. Police would not respond to the family’s comments. Janet Kuhn said her daughter grew up in McLean, Va. She attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, before getting a law degree from the University of Denver. Kuhn-Fricker became interested in elder issues because her mother was an elder-law attorney. She started Buckley’s, her elder-care company, in 2005 and wrote a book about the topic. Friends said she could have charged more for her services, but genuinely wanted to help the elderly. She was interested in politics and had served as a precinct captain for the Obama campaign, a friend said. Scott Fricker had a doctorate and worked at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Janet Kuhn said. Janet Kuhn described him as a “wonderful, loving and engaged father.” The pair were married in 2005. Kuhn said that her daughter had an adult son, who lives on his own. The teenage daughter and a 10-year-old son live in the Reston home. The two older children are from Kuhn-Fricker’s first marriage, Kuhn said.

MANILA — Fire crews battling an enormous blaze that tore through a shopping mall in a southern city in the Philippines, trapping at least 37 people, pulled one body from the building, the mayor said on Sunday. But the vice mayor said there was “zero” chance of survival for the other 36. Firefighters have been unable to enter the mall in Davao City after the fire started on Saturday morning, the vice mayor, Paolo Duterte, said. “Our firemen are still struggling to find a way in as the fire is still burning,” Mr. Duterte said. He said of those still trapped inside, “Their chances of survival is zero.” Mayor Inday Sara Duterte said that one body had been recovered and that rescuers’ priority was now to find all those who are missing. “Do not stop until you find the 37,” she said, calling the mall fire “an unfortunate incident.” The blaze erupted as city officials and emergency-relief workers were trying to rescue survivors of flash floods and landslides unleashed by Tropical Storm Tembin elsewhere in the region. The storm slammed into the eastern portion of Mindanao late Thursday, dumping torrential rains. By Saturday, more than 100 people had died. President Rodrigo Duterte, the father of Davao City’s mayor and vice mayor, visited the mall on Saturday night and met with family members of those inside. Photographs released by his office showed him consoling relatives and wiping tears from his eyes. The president, who was previously mayor of Davao City and was in town for the holidays, “assured the relatives of the victims that the government would extend help,” said Harry Roque, Mr. Duterte’s spokesman. The cause of the fire remains unknown. Officials said the blaze started near a furniture store on the building’s third floor. Many locals were doing their Christmas shopping, and employees were wrapping up their workweek before the holiday. Officials said many of the people trapped inside worked at a call center inside the mall. More than 24 hours later, the building remained on fire and was too dangerous to enter, the authorities said. “We are currently coordinating with the authorities,” said Thea Septaan Padua, a spokeswoman for the mall, adding that for now, no deaths had been confirmed. The authorities have been on heightened alert amid fears that Islamist militants could target shopping malls and other public areas. In September, when the president was visiting Davao, militants who claimed allegiance to the Islamic State bombed a night market in the city, killing 15 people.

Russian officials said Saturday that the U.S. decision to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons to combat Russian-backed separatists will cause new bloodshed, as long-standing tensions between Washington and Moscow escalated over the four-year-old conflict. Moscow's admonition came shortly after the State Department announced Friday evening it will provide heavy armaments to Ukraine for the first time, a step up from the support equipment and training it has offered so far. A statement by spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the weapons were defensive in nature, “as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity, to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression.” On Wednesday, Washington said it had approved an export license allowing the sale of light weapons and small arms to Ukraine from commercial U.S. manufacturers. The U.S. decision to provide lethal weapons brought a predictably sharp rebuke from Moscow, which has tacitly backed the separatists in eastern Ukraine while denying actively supporting them. “The United States has crossed a line by announcing its intention to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Saturday. “U.S. weapons are capable of leading to new casualties in our neighboring country and we cannot remain indifferent to that.” Moscow has long maintained that U.S. authorities organized and oversaw the Maidan protests in Kiev that led former president Viktor Yanukovych to flee to Russia in early 2014. Russian state television programs constantly portray Ukraine as a failed state with neo-fascist leaders bent on oppressing ethnic Russians in the eastern Donbas region. “The United States is clearly prompting them to a new bloodshed now,” Ryabkov said in comments posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry website. “Kyiv's revenge-seekers have already been shelling Donbas every day and are unwilling to hold peace talks, while dreaming about doing away with the disobedient po[CENSORED]tion. And the U.S. has decided to give them the weapons for it.” Moscow also blames deep-seeded anti-Russian sentiment for the deep freeze in U.S.-Russian relations. “Russophobia is obstructing the views of many of them so much now that they cheerfully applaud to punishers from Ukrainian nationalist battalions,” Ryabkov said. Moscow's admonition came shortly after a cease-fire went into effect between Ukraine and Russian-speaking rebels, in a bow to Christmas and New Year's holidays. Almost immediately, both sides accused the other of violating the cease-fire. The conflict in Ukraine began after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and then began supporting separatists in the eastern part of the former Soviet country. More than 10,000 people have died in the war, including about 450 in the first 11 months of this year. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed a recent uptick in violence during a phone call Friday with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, according to an account provided by the Ukrainian government. The State Department confirmed the call had taken place but provided no details. The Ukrainians said Poroshenko thanked Tillerson for continuing sanctions against Russia and for the “consistent support of Washington regarding the increase of Ukraine's defense capacity.” It also said Tillerson reassured him that U.S. support for Ukraine would continue. Russia has denied sending troops and heavy weaponry to eastern Ukraine, but the United States says Moscow is providing arms, training and troops to fight with the separatists. Tillerson has said the strained U.S.-Russia relations cannot improve and punishing sanctions will not be lifted until Moscow withdraws its support from the rebels in Ukraine and returns Crimea to Ukrainian sovereignty. Ukraine has asked the United States to provide it with lethal weapons for years. The Obama administration considered providing heavy weapons but balked, fearing it would further inflame the conflict. Among the equipment Kiev most seeks are Javelin antitank missiles. The State Department said the “U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself.” In Moscow, a leading Russian lawmaker also spoke out against the U.S. arms deal Saturday, saying that it signaled Washington’s intention to abandon the talks on regulating the Ukraine crisis established between its special envoy, Kurt Volker, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Ivanov.“By deciding to arm Ukraine with lethal weapons, the United States is giving a clear signal to Kyiv that it will support an attempt at a military solution,” Alexei Pushkov, a member of the defense and security committee of the upper house of the Russian parliament, tweeted on Saturday. “Volker might as well take a vacation.”

An iridescent streak lit up the sky over Southern California on Friday night, stopping traffic and leading some residents to marvel and others to worry about a UFO or even a nuclear bomb attack. In reality, it was a SpaceX rocket lifting off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, north of Santa Barbara, Calif., carrying 10 satellites for the Iridium constellation. They will be used in mobile voice and data communications. In a bid to ease the minds of worried witnesses, the Los Angeles Fire Department released a statement saying the "mysterious light in the sky is reported to be the result of [Vandenberg] Air Force Base launching rocket to put satellite into space." SpaceX CEO Elon Musk didn't help matters when he tweeted, "Nuclear alien UFO from North Korea." Despite the confusion, Friday's launch was not a novelty. It was one of more than a dozen launches SpaceX has completed this year from California as well as Cape Canaveral, Fla., for various missions including sending supplies to the International Space Station. The AP reports Friday's launch was perhaps especially dramatic since it occurred during sunset, helping illuminate the contrail. In another tantalizing move Friday, Musk posted a series of pictures to Instagram of an original Tesla Roadster to be used in a test flight of a brand new rocket.

Andrew McCabe, the FBI’s deputy director who has been the target of Republican critics for more than a year, plans to retire in a few months when he becomes fully eligible for pension benefits, according to people familiar with the matter. McCabe spent hours in Congress this past week, facing questions behind closed doors from members of three committees. Republicans said they were dissatisfied with his answers; Democrats called it a partisan hounding. McCabe, 49, holds a unique position in the political firestorm surrounding the FBI . He was former director James B. Comey’s right-hand man, a position that involved him in most of the FBI’s actions that vex President Trump and in the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while secretary of state, a matter that still riles Democrats. McCabe won’t become eligible for his full pension until early March. People close to him say he plans to retire as soon as he hits that mark. “He’s got about 90 days, and some of that will be holiday time. He can make it,’’ one said.

Three Miss America Organization leaders have resigned following an email scandal in which vulgar, offensive language was used to describe former Miss America contestants, USA TODAY confirmed Saturday. The resignation of executive chairman and CEO Sam Haskell, who was suspended from the organization Friday as he was put under investigation, will be effective immediately, according to statements from interim chairman Dan Meyers. More: Miss America CEO accused of slut-shaming, fat-shaming winners over email The board further accepted the resignation of chairman Lynn Weidner and president and COO Josh Randle. The two will remain in their current positions for several more weeks in order to "facilitate a smooth transition," according to Meyers' statements. The organization said its board of directors accepted Randle's resignation Saturday "in light of recent events and new developments." The Miss America organization was rocked following the release of internal emails published on the Huffington Post Thursday. The messages showed offensive language Haskell used to describe 2013 Miss America Mallory Hagan — describing her as "fat and gross" in one note. In another released exchange from August 2014, Haskell received an email that said Hagan’s hairdresser had been commenting on Hagan’s sex life, as well as her recent weight gain. Haskell forwarded the email to Miss America telecast lead writer Lewis Friedman and noted, “Not a single day passes that I am not told some horrible story about Mallory.” Friedman replied, “Mallory’s preparing for her new career … as a blimp in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. As she continues to destroy her own credibility, her voice will attract less and less notice while she continues her descent to an unhappy pathetic footnote.” Friedman ended the email with, “P.S. Are we four the only ones not to have (slept with) Mallory?” Haskell replied, “It appears we are the only ones!” Haskell had been suspended pending the investigation and released a statement saying, "Much of what was reported is dishonest, deceptive, and despicable. The material is based on private emails that were stolen three years ago by ex-employees. The story is so unkind and untrue, and hurts me, my family, and the stewardship of this non-profit." Hagan was among dozens of former Miss Americas who signed a petition Friday by Miss North Carolina Jennifer Vaden Barth calling on the group's leadership to step down. The petition called the emails by Haskell and others “despicable” and faulted officials who “sat by without objection while such derisive comments were passed around.” The Huffington Post reported that on Jan. 25, 2015, Haskell forwarded a photo of Hagan with three other former Miss Americas to Randle and said, “Look at MH in this photo...OMG." Randle reportedly replied, “She’s a healthy one!! Hahaha.” Randle told The Associated Press Saturday his comment responding to an email to his private account about Hagan's physical appearance came months before he started working for the Miss America Organization in 2015. But he said it was wrong. “I apologize to Mallory for my lapse in judgment,” Randle said. “It does not reflect my values or the values I worked to promote at the Miss America Organization. Although this terrible situation was not caused or driven by me, in light of recent events and new developments, I am no longer willing to continue in my capacity as president and earlier today offered my resignation to the MAO Board of Directors. “I feel terrible, but this is the right thing to do,” he said. Randle said his resignation was voluntary and had not been requested by the board of Miss America, which is based in Atlantic City. In May, Randle became the youngest president of the Miss America organization in its history at age 29. Haskell joined Miss America’s board in 2005 after retiring from the William Morris Agency (now called WME), where he was the worldwide head of television.

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The Mercedes S-Class Coupe and Cabriolet get a series of design tweaks and engine upgrades with two AMG models also available. Mercedes has announced pricing for its new S-Class Coupe range, its available to order now with prices starting from £103,715. The entry level S560 replaces the outgoing S500 as the base model and it's propelled by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 similar to the engine that powers the Aston Martin DB11, however it's been detuned to 463bhp from the Aston's 503bhp. The other two coupe S-Class models are AMG editions, with the 604bhp S 63 AMG coming in at £127,515 and the V12-powered S 65 AMG costing £189,615, over £60,000 more than the S 63. Options for the S-Class Coupe include the Premium equipment line for an extra £4,995, which is only available on the S560. It comes fitted with Nappa leather, a 360 degree camera and heated seats. Another option is the £2,580 Driving Assistance package that enables more autonomy. With the Premium interior package, the Driving Assistance pack will cost just £1,695. While coupe prices have been confirmed, nothing is yet known about pricing for the 2018 S-Class Cabriolet, but it will likely be soon as first deliveries for the new S-Class Coupe take place early next year. • Watch Mercedes-Benz's Frankfurt media night right here At the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show last month, the German manufacturer introduced a number of design tweaks and performance upgrades across the S-Class Coupe and Cabriolet ranges, with both models making their public debuts at the exhibition. The biggest visible exterior change is the addition of Mercedes-AMG’s ‘Panamericana’ vertical slatted grille – first used on the updated AMG GT - added to the S 63 and S 65 Coupe and Cabriolets. A three-dimensional front splitter also debuts to reduce lift at speed. Non-AMG variants use a more familiar grille design, but all models gain new OLED rear lamps, enlarged front air intakes and a chrome-plated front splitter. Two new alloy wheel designs complete the look. The most important revisions are under the bonnet, however. The outgoing S 500 is dropped in favour of the S 560, with a 463bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 replacing the old 4.7-litre unit. It uses cylinder deactivation tech allowing an eight per-cent improvement in efficiency. Both the hardtop or roofless S 560 manage 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds. • Best luxury cars on sale The AMG S 63 ditches the 5.5-litre V8 for the same 4.0-litre lump as the S 560, albeit with power boosted to 604bhp and 900Nm of torque. It also now uses Mercedes’ nine-speed automatic transmission, although the brand only quotes a 0-62mph time for the not-for-UK all-wheel drive version of 3.5 seconds. The flagship S 65 with the 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 remains unchanged. Chassis tweaks are minor, but include a more rigid subframe mount and higher wheel camber for the S 63 models, plus improvements made to the Magic Body Control system. The Race start function for AMG models has also been made easier to operate. Inside, the digital dashboard has been updated with two new 12.3-inch screens joined together under one glass panel, like the E-Class. The driver can now view additional info on the digital instruments, too. A new, easier to use steering wheel design sees the cruise control stalk removed and replaced by wheel-mounted buttons. New tech includes enhanced voice control, and an ‘Energising comfort control’ system that sets up the seats, lighting, temperature and music in six programmes designed to enhance the occupants’ wellbeing. Apple CarPlay and Wireless smartphone charging also feature, while the two-door S-Classes also benefit from the same updates to the car’s autonomous driver assist systems as the 2018 S-Class saloon.

A Florida man walking to church to feed the homeless is believed to have become the fourth victim of a serial killer terrorizing Tampa. Ronald Felton was fatally shot just blocks from a memorial honoring three people who were killed within days of one another in the neighborhood of Seminole Heights in Tampa. Tampa Police Department Public Information Officer Steve Hegarty said it is not known if the death is connected to the three October murders, but said it will be treated as such until authorities can rule it out. As police scoured the area for a suspect, residents were told to lock their doors and stay in place. "We need folks to think about everything they heard last night and everything the saw this morning," Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said during a press conference Tuesday morning. " ... We need to catch this killer before we have to notify one more family that their loved one is dead." Felton, a father of three adult children, was on his way to feed the homeless at New Seasons Apostolic church when he was shot, his brother told NBC News. James Felton said when his 60-year-old sibling wasn't at his construction job, he spent every Tuesday and Thursday morning at the church. Ronald Felton was on the phone with his twin brother just moments before the shooting took place. "The people he works with were already there and they heard four shots," James Felton told NBC News. "His twin brother didn't hear it." At approximately 5 a.m. on Tuesday, police patrolling the area received a call of shots fired and were at the scene within a minute, police said.

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