A November report by a British thinktank noted a rise in close military encounters between Russia and the west this year, including "violations of national airspace, emergency scrambles, narrowly avoided mid-air collisions, close encounters at sea, simulated attack runs and other dangerous actions happening on a regular basis over a very wide geographical area".
Unlike some of its rivals it avoided major costs for litigation and legal expenses.
All of this is gripping for the reader, but make no mistake: even if every one of those missteps had been avoided, Labour would still have lost.
It also meant I avoided all of the crowds.
Stephen Dank has avoided the three crucial charges relating to the administration of banned peptide Thymosin Beta 4, but could still face a life-time ban from the sport after a ruling by the AFL's anti-doping tribunal in Melbourne, Friday.
Having avoided jail time, he said he was looking forward to moving on with the next phase of his life, "and continuing to serve our great nation as a private citizen".
UTMB organisers say they have avoided the use of around 100,000 disposable beakers since they introduced a rule forcing runners to carry their own.
You can see more details in our live blog, and have your say Here's what economists are saying: "Today's figures show continued very sluggish growth in the eurozone, but it has avoided lapsing back into recession.
They didn't seem to care about making money from anyone stupid enough to back Douglas, but even the most punch-drunk gamblers in Vegas would have avoided those teasing odds.
The phrase is best avoided, given its (understandable) unpopularity in the Irish Republic.
The slightly more secular UUP avoided lecturing individuals on issues affecting the bedroom.
