Hurricane Sandy and Washington, D.C.: Detailed storm timeline, maps, and frequent questions

The National Weather Service has increased its peak wind gust estimate to 70 mph for the region and upped rainfall totals to 5-10”. See: A fiercer forecast for Hurricane Sandy’s effects on Washington, D.C. Today, forecasts have converged on one scenario for Hurricane Sandy’s impact on Washington, D.C., and it’s severe. In short,...

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Scary snaps: How to shoot frighteningly good photos this Halloween

If you want to capture some truly eerie images this Halloween then you must master the dark arts of light and shadow. (CNN) -- Taking photographs means drawing with light, even at times like Halloween when it's all about the dark. Spooky shadows and glowing pumpkins can be a challenge, but most smartphones and compact cameras will...

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Explanation: How Brain Training Can Make You Significantly Smarter

As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what they used to be.  We suddenly can't remember where we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance's name, or the name of an old band we used to love.  As the brain fades, we euphemistically...

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Earthquake strikes off Canada coast

A tsunami warning was issued after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of western Canada today. There were no immediate reports of damage.The US Geological Survey in Colorado said the quake hit the Queen Charlotte Islands and was centred 96 miles south of Masset, British Columbia.The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of British Columbia and southern Alaska. It said the...

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Swedish princess to wed American 'soulmate'

Princess Madeleine pictured on July 14, 2012 in Borgholm, Sweden. (CNN) -- Sweden's royals will soon be welcoming an American into the family, after the royal court announced Thursday the engagement of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill, a wealthy New York financier. The brown-haired, blue-eyed princess described O'Neill...

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Man hurt on nightclub noose prop

A man was left in a critical condition after accidentally hanging himself on a noose that had been set up as a Halloween prop at a nightclub.The 25-year-old was taken to hospital from Pink Punters in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire just after 11pm yesterday, Thames Valley Police said.His condition has since improved at Milton Keynes Hospital and he is now talking to staff. Officers said they will work with the local council...

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NY mayor orders evacuations ahead of storm's arrival

28/10/2012 - 16:32:39New York City is closing schools and ordering some residents in low-lying areas to leave ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Sandy.Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the 1.1 million-student New York City school system will be closed tomorrow. The closing follows the suspension of the city’s transit system.He...

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Mass transit grinding to a halt as Sandy nears the East Coast

People stand on the beach watching the heavy surf caused by the approaching Hurricane Sandy, on Sunday, October 28, in Cape May, New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy is expected to hit the New Jersey coastline sometime on Monday, bringing heavy winds and floodwaters. New...

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Shatter goes on attack after Sindo statement

The Minister for Justice has issued a second statement urging the Sunday Independent to apologise for an article claiming that the Taoiseach asked him to intervene in a family law court case.Minister Alan Shatter also says the paper should issue a correction without delay to what he says is the "wholly inaccurate claim" made...

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Retired Taiwan naval officer arrested on suspicion of spying for China

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry says a retired naval officer has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China. A statement released by the ministry on Monday says Chinese intelligence made contact with Cmdr. Chang Chih-hsin through unidentified Taiwanese intermediaries. The ministry denies media reports that Chang had leaked secretive submarine nautical charts or war plans to the Chinese. The ministry says...

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Coast Guard official: Hurricane Sandy 'could be bad, or it could be devastation'

People stand on the beach watching the heavy surf caused by the approaching Hurricane Sandy, on Sunday, October 28, in Cape May, New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy is expected to hit the New Jersey coastline sometime on Monday, bringing heavy winds and floodwaters. (CNN)...

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'ETA leader' arrested

Spain’s Interior Ministry says an alleged leader of the Basque separatist group ETA has been arrested in eastern France.The ministry said Izaskun Lesaka and another suspected member of the violent armed band were arrested in a hotel in Macon. The suspects had been tracked by a special operations tactical unit of the French National Police and were both armed at the time of their arrest.ETA is considered a terrorist...

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NY mayor orders evacuations ahead of storm's arrival

28/10/2012 - 16:32:39New York City is closing schools and ordering some residents in low-lying areas to leave ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Sandy.Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the 1.1 million-student New York City school system will be closed tomorrow. The closing follows the suspension of the city’s transit system.He...

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Former IMF deputy contradicts Burton's bailout claim

28/10/2012 - 14:34:18A former deputy director of the IMF has warned that it is unlikely Ireland will be in a fit state to exit its bailout programme next year.His comments completely contradict suggestions made by the Social Protection Minister Joan Burton, who said yesterday that Ireland is well-placed to exit the bailout...

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Dragon ship back on Earth after space station trip

An unmanned space capsule carrying medical samples from the International Space Station splashed down in the Pacific Ocean Sunday, completing the first official private interstellar shipment under a billion-dollar contract with NASA. The California-based SpaceX company gently guided the Dragon into the water via parachutes at 12:22 p.m., a couple hundred miles off the Baja California coast. Astronauts...

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Third arrest in connection with McKay murder

28/10/2012 - 16:24:13Police investigating the murder of Danny McKay in Co Antrim last Thursday have arrested a third person. A 28 year old man was detained for questioning this afternoon. Two men aged 41 and 50 who were arrested yesterday in connection with the murder remain in custody. Mr McKay was shot dead in his home in the...

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Shatter demands apology from Sindo following 'dishonest' front page story

28/10/2012 - 14:46:38The Justice Minister is calling for the Sunday Independent to publish an apology and correct the record, regarding the papers front page story this morning.In a statement this afternoon, Alan Shatter says the Taoiseach is wrongly accused in the report of having asked Minister Shatter "meddle" or "intervene"...

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Is Barack Obama still Kenya's favorite son?

Barack Obama's father is from Kenya -- and in 2006, then-Senator Obama visited his relatives there. In this photo, Obama greets his grandmother Sarah Obama at their rural home west of Nairobi. Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- No one at the Railway Golf Club in the heart of Nairobi quite remembers...

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Big picture of China lost in the debates

The real issue is not over China's currency, but the power transition as its economy is expected to surpass the U.S. (CNN) -- The Communist Party leaders inside the Zhongnanhai compound in Beijing may have found solace in the Obama-Romney debates: Though China was mentioned 53 times, both presidential candidates avoided harsh rhetoric...

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The doormen policing Egypt's morals

By Tom Dinham Cairo Residents of Cairo cannot simply live as they please - they must always take into account the judgement that will be made of them by the man who sits at the front door of their building. One of the many things any fresh-faced arrival in Cairo is likely...

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