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Putin, Lukashenko hold talks on defense, economic ties

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:54:54 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart on Thursday discussed expanding the economic cooperation and bolstering the defense ties between their nations, which include a plan to deploy Russia’ nuclear weapons to Belarus amid the fighting in neighboring Ukraine.The Kremlin talks involved senior officials from both countries and followed Putin’s one-on-one meeting with President Alexander Lukashenko on Wednesday. Putin said there would be “close work” on boosting cooperation under a union agreement that envisions close political, economic and military ties between Belarus and Russia. Russia used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for invading neighboring Ukraine and has maintained a contingent of troops and weapons there.Last month, Putin declared that Moscow planned to put some of its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, an announcement that marked another attempt by the Russian leader to dangle the nuclear threat to discourage th...

9 suspects killed in shootout with South African police

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:54:54 GMT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Nine suspected armed robbers were killed in an early-morning shootout with police Thursday in South Africa, authorities said.Three other suspects were wounded, said Police Minister Bheki Cele, who visited the scene in the Sebokeng township south of Johannesburg. Two of the injured suspects were in critical condition in the hospital, Cele said.The suspects were believed to be responsible for armed heists on vans carrying money in the area and were about to launch another robbery, police said.Six firearms and explosives were recovered at the scene of the shootout and Cele said there were three cars outside the house “ready to roll” when police arrived at 4.30 a.m.The suspects shot at police and officers “responded,” Cele said.Source

Sweden: State actor likeliest culprit for pipeline sabotage

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:54:54 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — Swedish prosecutors said Thursday a state actor was the most likely culprit for the explosions that incapacitated the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea last year, an act deemed as sabotage. However, they cautioned that the identity of the perpetrator was still unclear and hinted that it was likely to remain so. Public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist from the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement that his office’s investigation is focused on examining if Swedish interests or Swedish security were threatened by the act. The Swedish authorities are also keen to find out whether the explosions were prepared on their territory. “Our hope is to be able to confirm who has committed this crime” but “it should be noted that it likely will be difficult given the circumstances,” Ljungqvist said.Last month, a German media investigation quoted unnamed officials as saying that five men and a woman used a yacht hired by a Ukrainian-owned company in Poland to carry ...

IMF chief says world economic growth likely to slow in 2023, risking higher poverty and hunger rates globally

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:54:54 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — IMF chief says world economic growth likely to slow in 2023, risking higher poverty and hunger rates globally.Source

Was your home damaged in a tornado? Here’s what to do next

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:54:54 GMT

Deadly storms in the past two weeks have unleashed dozens of tornadoes in the United States, mainly in the South and Midwest, killing at least 63 people and damaging or destroying hundreds of people’s homes. This year’s early severe weather, especially in the Midwest, is part of a trend seen over the past few years, according to Bill Bunting, chief of forecast operations at the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.“We are entering the time of the year where the potential for severe weather increases and much more of the U.S. becomes at risk,” Bunting said this week in a email.An average of 1,200 tornadoes hit the country yearly, and the United States will probably get more killer supercells spawning tornadoes and hail as the world warms, according to a recent study. That study also warns the lethal storms will edge eastward to strike more frequently in populous Southern states like Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. But tornadoes can happ...

More than 30 civilians killed by Islamic extremists in Congo

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:54:54 GMT

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — More than 30 people were killed in a string of attacks by extremist rebels in eastern Congo, a local human rights organization said.Men, women and children were killed by the Allied Democratic Forces — which has ties to the Islamic State group — between the Irumu and Mambasa territories in Congo’s Ituri province, Christophe Munyanderu, coordinator for the Convention for the Respect of Human Rights, told reporters. “In this area there are several farmers who were killed and the death toll of 31 people is only provisional because there are many bodies, which have not yet been found,” he said. The attacks occurred on Monday and Tuesday and were followed by subsequent fighting in other villages, he said. Violence has been simmering in eastern Congo for decades where some 120 armed groups have been fighting over land, resources, power and some to defend their communities.Attacks by rebel groups like ADF have increased recently. Since April last year, ADF atta...

Napoli faces new challenge: Responding to a heavy loss

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:54:54 GMT

ROME (AP) — Out of nowhere, Napoli is facing what might be its biggest challenge yet.Napoli has won so many games (30 of 37 across all competitions) and scored so many goals (91) to be the runaway leader in Serie A and a legitimate contender for the Champions League trophy, that one situation it hasn’t dealt with is responding to a heavy loss.Yet that’s what the Partenopei have to deal with following a 4-0 rout at home by defending Italian champion AC Milan on Sunday.“The concept of unbeatability is something you placed upon us. We know full well that we have defects,” coach Luciano Spalletti told the media on Thursday. “And now we know that from here on there are going to be very hard battles to bring home the scudetto (championship).”Until the Milan defeat, Napoli fans had been casting aside superstitions and painting the city blue as if the team had already won the scudetto — replete with flags featuring “3” on them to mark the team’s third Serie A title.Diego Maradona led Napoli...

Leipzig’s Henrichs publishes racist abuse from social media

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:54:54 GMT

LEIPZIG, Germany (AP) — Leipzig defender Benjamin Henrichs has published hateful messages, including racist abuse, that he received on Instagram following his team’s 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup.Henrichs posted a video on TikTok on Thursday in which he referred to Wednesday’s victory and says “I’ll show you what my DMs look like,” before displaying a series of messages of threats and abuse against him and his family.One message had only monkey emojis, another called him the N-word, while another threatened to “find you and your family.”The 26-year-old Henrichs, who is Black, was born in Germany and has made seven appearances for the country’s national soccer team.“We live in a society where everyone on the internet can spread hate and racism,” Henrichs wrote in German with a hashtag meaning “unfortunate truth.”Leipzig also denounced the abuse.“Leipzig condemns any form of racism, condemns antisemitism and does not tolerate any form of discrimination,”...

1 killed in crash between driver, pedestrian in alleyway

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:54:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Police in Denver are investigating a deadly crash involving a pedestrian in an alleyway in North Cap Hill. According to the Denver Police Department, officers were called to a crash in an alleyway of East 16th Avenue between Broadway and Lincoln Street. The alleyway is in between the Downtown Denver YMCA and the Bank of Oklahoma building. ‘It is unbearable’: This is the smelliest place in Denver, according to complaints DPD said a motorist and a pedestrian were involved in the crash. One person was killed, but DPD did not identify the person. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. FOX31 has reached out for more information.

Most commonly mispronounced Colorado locations

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:54:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Besides wearing a flashing sign that says "tourist" or "newcomer," there is one way to make it obvious to locals that you haven't been somewhere very long: Mispronounce locations.So, if you want to blend in with the Coloradans and look like you've never lived in any other state, you need to know how "not" to say things. New to Colorado? 20 facts you should know One rule is that you can't always depend on the way it is said in other states or countries, because Colorado has its own way of doing things.But here's how to correctly -- and incorrectly - say these Colorado locations:Colorado Even the name of the state is a contentious issue. There are a few ways that people can pronounce it, and they range from correct to egregiously wrong in the eyes of Coloradans.The most accepted way of pronouncing "Colorado" is "Caw-luh-rad-oh."Other ways of pronouncing it, from "Caw-loh-ray-doh" to "Caw-luh-rah-duh" -- and everything in between -- are not as well-liked by residents ...