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Putin says Russia is ‘united as never before’ at meeting of Russia-China led security group

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:49:23 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — President Vladimir Putin claimed Tuesday that the Russian people were “united as never before,” as he sought to project confidence in the wake of a short-lived revolt during a meeting of a rare international organization where he can find a sympathetic audience.The Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting, hosted via videoconference by India, offered Putin one of the few remaining platforms in international politics where he can get a sympathetic hearing. It was his first multilateral summit since an armed rebellion rattled Russia.The Asian security grouping founded by Russia and China to counter Western alliances also welcomed Iran as a new member, bringing its membership to nine nations. Speaking via video link from the Kremlin, Putin praised the SCO for “playing an increasingly significant role in international affairs, making a real contribution to maintaining peace and stability, ensuring sustainable economic growth of the participating states, and strengtheni...

Hungary passes contentious education law despite protest from teachers unions

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:49:23 GMT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Lawmakers in Hungary passed a controversial bill on Tuesday affecting the country’s teachers, cementing a new regime in public education that has elicited months of protests and strikes by teachers and their students. The law, approved by the governing Fidesz party in a 136-58 vote along party lines, revokes teachers’ status as public employees, increases allowable weekly working hours and allows for educators to be transferred to other schools that are experiencing teacher shortages. Students, teachers unions and sympathizers staged an all-day protest Tuesday in front of Hungary’s parliament building in Budapest as lawmakers assembled inside. It was the latest in a series of demonstrations that, on one occasion, saw student protesters dispersed with tear gas and rubber batons. Protesters spelled out the word JÖVŐ (future) using 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of ice on the ground in front of the parliament to symbolize their belief that the future of...

Helicopter crashes during landing in Switzerland, all 5 aboard unharmed

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:49:23 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A helicopter crashed during landing in the Swiss Alps on Tuesday, but all five people aboard were unharmed, local media reported.The helicopter, belonging to Swiss airline Air Zermatt, was caught in turbulence during the approach and hit the ground hard. The rotor blades touched the ground and the helicopter tipped onto its side, public broadcaster SRF reported.The accident happened near the Gnifetti peak, close to the Italian border. According to Air Zermatt, the helicopter was carrying three glaciologists, a pilot and a flight assistant.The Associated Press

Meta is set to take on Twitter with a rival app called Threads

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:49:23 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Meta is poised to unveil a new app that appears to mimic Twitter in a direct challenge to the social media platform owned by Elon Musk. A listing for the app, called Threads, appeared on Apple’s App Store, indicating it would debut as early as Thursday. It is billed as a “text-based conversation app” that is linked to Instagram, according to the listing, which teased a Twitter-like microblogging experience. “Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,” it said. Instagram users will be able to keep their user names and follow the same accounts on the new app, according to screenshots displayed on the App Store listing. Meta declined to comment on the app, and Twitter sends a crude automated reply to most media queries.Threads could be the latest headache for Musk, who acquired Twitter last year for $44 billion and has been making changes to the platform that have...

France’s Macron is weakened by crisis over teen killed by police

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:49:23 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Even in normal times Emmanuel Macron needed the help of allies in governing France. To get some things done the French president worked with the traditional right. The center-left helped him accomplish others. The challenge was bigger than any faced by a French leader in more than two decades: He had to convince politicians across the country’s national assembly to support even minor domestic projects. Now, governing his already-polarized country has gotten close to impossible for Macron because a suburban police officer stopped a yellow Mercedes and fired a fatal shot into the 17-year-old driver’s chest, setting off six days of tumult across the country.Macron’s far-right rivals, meanwhile, are emboldened. A controversial extreme-right figure started an online fundraising campaign for the family of the police officer who shot the teen, praising him as someone who “did his job and is paying a high price for it.’’ The campaign quickly raised more than 1...

Fourth of July forecast: Hot and muggy, storms possible

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:49:23 GMT

Happy Fourth! Tuesday will be hot and muggy with a chance of isolated afternoon thunderstorms. Air quality: Unhealthy, most of this is locally produced bad air with the likely suspect being fireworks. High near 90, low 80s lakeside. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Tuesday night will have scattered clouds, warm, hazy and humid. S 5-10 mph. Low 72Wednesday will have a sunny start, hot and humid with building clouds. A chance of strong to severe afternoon storms. S 10-15 mph. High near 90Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog Extended outlook has more clouds on Thursday with a chance of morning showers and highs in the mid to upper 70s. Back to sunshine to finish out the week for Friday and Saturday with highs near 80. Late Saturday showers/t'storms look likely and a chance of showers on Sunday with mostly cloudy skies. 

Hot July 4th with only an isolated storm chance

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:49:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Happy 4th of July from the First Warning Weather Team! We'll have partly sunny skies for Independence Day with the weather generally cooperating for your outdoor festivities.That being said, it will still be a hot day with highs just below 100º, but feels-like-temperatures reaching 100-105º during the late afternoon and early evening.The location of high pressure to our west means we can't completely rule out a spotty storm or shower this afternoon and early evening, but rain coverage looks to reach 10% at most. Stay weather aware in case a storm pops near you, but generally we're rain free!The slim chance of rain fades at sunset for fireworks.4th of July evening forecastOur "best" chance of rain for the next week comes Wednesday and Thursday, but rain chances only rise to 20%.Friday and beyond sees a return of triple digit heat, more sunshine and an end to our limited rain chances.We are tracking another heatwave brewing late this week into next week. High temperat...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Should You Check Your Work Email When You Go On Vacation?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:49:23 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma came from Maggie, but it's one I can relate to because I'm heading out on vacation in a few weeks. This is the email: Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime. I'm currently having an argument with my husband and I'm hoping you can help us solve this by using it as a social dilemma. We are going on vacation the last week in July. We head to the beach every year. My husband gets furious with me because I check my work email everyday that I'm away on vacation. I don't really do much work, I just like to stay in touch with what's going on back at the office. It makes it easier for me when I return from vacation. My husband gets really mad at me because he wants vacation to be vacation, completely unplugging from work. I don't think it's a big deal to check my email everyday. I take maybe 20 minutes a day to check and perhaps respond to a couple of them. He says...

Ask Amy: Parent wants grandparents to back off

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:49:23 GMT

Dear Amy: I’m a parent to a fantastic adult son who is caring, intelligent, hardworking, and financially comfortable. Due to the nature of his job, he is able to work a fraction of the hours his peers work.He enjoys his work, and is very good at it.He has much more free time than the average working adult and uses it to his advantage.I’m glad he figured this all out on his own and isn’t being crushed by student loans. I am extremely proud of him.The problem is my parents. Every opportunity they get, they bring up how he needs to get a degree, or go into a specific in-demand field he’s not interested in. The return on investment hardly seems worth it to my son. He has told them as much on several occasions.My sister and I have also told them on numerous occasions that he is happy, healthy, and financially independent, and that we are proud of him.They don’t seem to get it. They are “worried about him” and are critical of his lack of education. He has a substantial amount of money sav...

EU weighs concession to Russian bank over Black Sea grain deal

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:49:23 GMT

The European Union is considering a proposal for Russian Agricultural Bank to set up a subsidiary to reconnect to the global financial network as a sop to Moscow, the Financial Times said on Monday (3 July).With the bank, also known as Rosselkhozbank, under sanctions, the move aims to safeguard the Black Sea grain deal that lets Ukraine export food to global markets, the newspaper said.The step comes after Russia said last week it saw no reason to extend the grain deal beyond July 17, as the West had acted in an "outrageous" way over the agreement, though it assured poor countries that Russian grain exports would continue.Moscow's plan, proposed through UN-brokered talks, would let the bank unit handle payments related to grain exports, the paper said, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.The new unit would be allowed to use the SWIFT global financial messaging system, which was closed to the largest Russian banks after the invasion of Ukraine last year, it added.As two of th...