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Blinken visits Kyiv in show of support for Ukraine’s counteroffensive

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:21:33 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Ukraine’s capital Wednesday for an unannounced visit hours after Russia launched a missile attack on the city, in a trip intended to show confidence in Kyiv’s forces amid a grinding counteroffensive.Blinken’s trip aimed to assess Ukraine’s 3-month-old counteroffensive and signal continued U.S. support as some Western allies are expressing worries about Ukraine’s progress driving out Russian forces after 18 months of war, according to U.S. officials.After arriving in Kyiv, Blinken laid a wreath at the city’s Berkovetske cemetery to commemorate members of the Ukrainian armed forces who lost their lives defending the country.“We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, not only to succeed in the counteroffensive but has what it needs for the long-term, to make sure that it has a strong deterrent,” Blinken said during the visit. “We’re also determined to continue to work with our partners as the...

Armenia will hold exercises with the US in a period of tensions with Russia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:21:33 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Armenia announced Wednesday that its forces will hold military exercises this month with the United States as tensions rose with longtime ally Russia. Armenia’s Defense Ministry said the exercises that begin Monday are aimed at preparing units for international peacekeeping operations. It did not say how many troops would take part or specify activities in the exercises. “As regards the exercise, certainly, the news raises alarm, especially in today’s circumstances,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said after the announcement. Landlocked Armenia has close military ties with Russia, including hosting a Russian military base and participating in the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization alliance. However, Armenia has become increasingly disillusioned with Russia since the 2020 war with Azerbaijan. The armistice that ended the war called for a Russian peacekeeping force to ensure passage on the road leading from Armenia to the Nagorno-Karabakh...

Pakistan shuts key border crossing with Afghanistan after guards exchange fire

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:21:33 GMT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani authorities closed a key border crossing with landlocked Afghanistan on Wednesday shortly after border guards from the two sides exchanged fire, officials and residents said, in a sign of increasing tensions between the two neighbors.There were no reports of casualties, and it was not immediately known why the border guards from the two sides exchanged fire, said Nasrullah Khan, an official in Torkham, a town in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.He said Pakistani government and military officials were in contact with their Afghan counterparts to defuse tensions. Abdul Mateen Qani, the Afghan Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Interior Ministry, confirmed the clash between Afghan and Pakistani forces. He said officials from both sides were attempting to find out what caused the clash and ways to prevent such incidents in the future.Pakistani authorities said dozens of trucks carrying perishable items, including vegetables and fruits, we...

This summer was a global record breaker for the highest heat ever measured, meteorologists say

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:21:33 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Earth has sweltered through its hottest Northern Hemisphere summer ever measured, with a record warm August capping a season of brutal and deadly temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization.Last month was not only the hottest August scientists ever recorded by far with modern equipment, it was also the second hottest month measured, behind only July 2023, WMO and the European climate service Copernicus announced Wednesday.August was about 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than pre-industrial averages. That is the threshold that the world is trying not to pass, though scientists are more concerned about rises in temperatures over decades, not merely a blip over a month’s time.The world’s oceans — more than 70% of the Earth’s surface — were the hottest ever recorded, nearly 21 degrees Celsius (69.8 degrees Fahrenheit), and have set high temperature marks for three consecutive months, the WMO and Copernicus said.“Th...

Indo-Pacific leaders see a partner in Canada, elevating its status within ASEAN-bloc

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:21:33 GMT

JAKARTA — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is welcoming Canada as its latest strategic partner.The 10-nation bloc made the symbolic gesture today during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to the host city of Jakarta. The new partnership reflects Canada’s expanded presence in the Indo-Pacific region and reflects the progress being made on a Canada-ASEAN free-trade agreement. Indonesian President Joko Widodo welcomed Canada into the partnership today. Widodo says he hopes Canada will become an anchor of peace and stability in the region that respects international law and encourages co-operation. Trudeau spoke in front of the leaders for the bloc, saying the moment marks a historic milestone in their relationship. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2023. The Canadian PressNote to readers: ASEAN is pronounced AHZ-ee-in

Toronto rapper critically injured, shot while driving in Scarborough: Police

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:21:33 GMT

A local Toronto rapper is fighting for his life in hospital after he was shot while driving in Scarborough on Tuesday.Emergency crews responded to Dolly Varden Boulevard, in the area of Markham and Ellesmere roads, around 4:50 p.m. for reports of a shooting.Police say the victim was driving in the area when he was shot by a suspect from another vehicle. Investigators believe the two vehicles were driving side by side before the shot was fired.Images from the scene show a black sedan that appears to have struck a tree surrounded by police tape. Witnesses tell CityNews the victim was in the black car.Toronto police investigating after a shooting in Scarborough on Sep. 6, 2023 that left a man with critical injuries. Police say the victim was a local Toronto rapper who was shot while driving a black car that ended up crashing into a tree. CITYNEWS/Rick HelinskiParamedics confirm a man in his 20s was rushed to hospital where he remains in critical condition. Police have identified the vi...

Denmark ends height requirements for soldiers best known for ceremonial unit outside royal palaces

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:21:33 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The Danish defense said Wednesday that they are abolishing the height requirements for people serving with the Danish Royal Life Guards, mainly known for being a ceremonial unit outside Denmark’s royal palaces.Joining the Danish defense “is not about whether you are male or female or tall or short. It is about the ability to solve the task,” the armed forces said.Until now, it was required for men had to be at least 175 centimeters tall (5-foot-9) and women 169 centimeters (5-foot-6) to serve in the unit. The Danish Royal Life Guards is a mechanized infantry regiment of the Danish Army, founded in 1658 by Danish King Frederik III.“The previous height requirements at the Royal Life Guard do not make operational sense,” Maj. Gen. Gunner Arpe Nielsen, chief of the Army Command, said in the statement. “There must be no special requirements for height if it is not operationally justified.”Arpe Nielsen told Danish broadcaster DR he hoped that the abolition...

A four-story apartment building collapses in Egypt’s capital and at least 4 are killed

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:21:33 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — A four-story apartment building collapsed Wednesday in the Egyptian capital, leaving at least four people dead, authorities said, as rescuers continued to search through the rubble.Cairo’s governate said in a statement that the building collapse occurred in the Hadaeq el-Qubbah neighborhood, roughly 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the city center. At least three others were injured, it said.It’s unclear what caused the collapse. Egypt’s public prosecutor was investigating the incident, Cairo’s governate said.In a separate statement, Egypt’s Ministry of Social Solidarity said it would give 60,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,941) to the families of the dead. Fatal building collapses are common in Egypt. In recent years, the government has tried to crack down on illegal buildings after decades of lax enforcement. Authorities are also building new cities and neighborhoods to rehouse those living in areas that are at risk of collapse. Many cities across the cou...

Edmunds: The best affordable performance cars

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:21:33 GMT

There’s often a point when car enthusiasts are looking to purchase their first new performance car or sports car. Inflation and price creep have pushed many desirable models out of reach, but fortunately, a handful of automakers remain committed to offering thrill-making machines with wallet-friendly price tags. Edmunds’ car experts have rounded up six of the best with starting prices under $33,000. These vehicles have a high Edmunds rating and are listed by the manufacturer’s suggested retail price and include the destination charge. MAZDA MX-5 MIATA The Miata has long been the quintessential affordable convertible sports car thanks to its winning formula of rear-wheel drive, low weight and manageable power. The Miata’s 181-horsepower four-cylinder engine won’t impress your muscle car friends, but it’s good enough for a respectable 0 to 60 mph sprint of 6.4 seconds when Edmunds tested it.In addition to being a smile-making machine, the Miata is fuel-effi...

Sri Lanka will investigate allegations of intelligence complicity in 2019 Easter bombings

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:21:33 GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s government will appoint a parliamentary committee to investigate allegations made in a British television report that Sri Lankan intelligence had complicity in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 269 people. A man interviewed in the Channel 4 videos released Tuesday said he arranged a meeting between a local Islamic State-inspired group and a top state intelligence official to hatch a plot to create insecurity in Sri Lanka and enable Gotabaya Rajapaksa to win the presidential election later that year.On Wednesday, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa called for an international inquiry into the bombing attack. “A large majority of the people are of the view that a fair local investigation has not been conducted into this attack,” Premadasa said in Parliament. The lack of a proper local investigation has led to confusion, he added.Premadasa stressed that justice should be delivered to the victims of the attack and therefore, there is ...