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Scholz to NATO: Focus on boosting Ukraine’s military power, not membership

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:00:56 GMT

BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Thursday that next month’s NATO summit should focus on strengthening Ukraine’s military power instead of opening a process for the country to join the transatlantic alliance.In a speech to lawmakers in the Bundestag, Scholz urged fellow NATO leaders to look “soberly” at Ukraine’s bid to join the alliance and argued that Kyiv itself had said “that joining NATO is out of the question” as long as Russia’s war against the country continues to rage on.“Therefore, I advocate that we focus in Vilnius on what is now an absolute priority: Namely, to strengthen the real fighting power of Ukraine,” the chancellor said in reference to a NATO leaders’ summit in the Lithuanian capital on July 11-12.He added that EU and G7 countries would work in parallel on “effective and long-lasting security guarantees” for Ukraine, which should be ensured by continued supplies of modern Wes...

Search for the missing Titanic submersible nears the critical 96-hour mark for oxygen supply

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:00:56 GMT

The race against time to find a submersible that disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site entered a new phase of desperation on Thursday morning as the final hours of oxygen possibly left on board the tiny vessel ticked off the clock.Rescuers have rushed more ships and vessels to the site of the disappearance, hoping underwater sounds they detected for a second straight day might help narrow their search in the urgent, international mission. But the crew had only a four-day oxygen supply when the vessel, called the Titan, set off around 6 a.m. Sunday.Even those who expressed optimism warned that many obstacles remain: from pinpointing the vessel’s location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface — assuming it’s still intact. And all that has to happen before the passengers’ oxygen supply runs out.The full area being searched was twice the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut in waters as deep as 13,200 feet (4,020 meters). Captain J...

Battenfeld: Michelle Wu anything but most ‘transparent’ mayor in history

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:00:56 GMT

Progressive darling Michelle Wu, who promised transparency and honesty when she was elected mayor, is emerging as the least transparent mayor in recent Boston history.She’s got nothing on Marty Walsh and Tom Menino, both old-school mayors who may have had flaws but at least followed public records laws. The late Menino was probably Boston’s most accessible mayor ever.The latest evidence of Wu’s shady relation to the truth is her reaction to the disturbing news that a 32-year-old woman posed as a Boston high school student while enrolled in at least three schools.“We don’t have any evidence at this point of any harm or risk to the young people. Thank goodness,” the ever-smiling Wu said.Really? A woman in her 30s with possible criminal intent enrolls as a student and there’s no “risk” to the kids?How could Wu possibly determine that? Did you ask alarmed parents for their input? The incident clearly raised concerns about the safety and security of students and teachers in B...

The Orioles haven’t been swept in over a year. They credit their culture as the reason.

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:00:56 GMT

Two weeks ago, the Orioles woke up early for a day game, coming off two of their worst losses of the season. The previous day, Baltimore was clobbered by the Milwaukee Brewers, a defeat made worse by the extra-inning, walk-off loss the night before.A sweep looked inevitable as the Orioles trailed 3-0 in the seventh inning of the series finale. But they rallied late, as they have many times this year, for the comeback win.The seemingly ordinary victory in early June was more than that, though. It was emblematic of the type of team the Orioles have been since they turned the corner last season and transformed from a rebuilding club into a playoff contender.It’s been more than a year since Baltimore was swept in a series — the longest active streak in the major leagues. Orioles players and manager Brandon Hyde credit their culture, mentality and developing maturity as the reasons why, but there’s one other obvious explanation.“Well, we’re a better team,...

Live updates | Search for the missing Titanic submersible

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:00:56 GMT

Follow along for live updates on the submersible that vanished while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. ____THE SEARCH FOR THE SUBMERSIBLE IS NEARING THE CRITICAL 96-HOUR MARKThe search is nearing the critical 96-hour mark when breathable air is expected to run out, reaching a vital moment in the intense effort to save the five people aboard.The Titan submersible was estimated to have a 96-hour supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic. That means the deadline to find and rescue the sub is roughly between 6 a.m. (1000 GMT) and 8 a.m. (1200 GMT) on Thursday based on estimates the U.S. Coast Guard and company behind the expedition have provided.Experts say that the oxygen supply number is an imprecise estimate and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And it’s not known if they survived since the sub disappeared Sunday morning.Officials have expanded the coverage area to thousands of miles...

Russia-backed officials say explosion damages bridge linking Ukraine’s mainland to Crimea

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:00:56 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — An explosion damaged a bridge that is one of the few links between Crimea and Ukraine’s mainland, Russia-backed officials said Thursday, as the early stages of a Ukrainian counteroffensive unfold.Russian forces in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, use the Chongar bridge to reach southern Ukraine’s Kherson province. Russia and Ukraine control different sides of the province, which is a focus of fighting and attacks as Ukrainian troops try to reclaim Russian-occupied territory.Ukrainian authorities have said that for the country’s nearly 16-month war to end, Moscow must withdraw its forces from Crimea as well as from areas they seized during last year’s full-scale invasion. The damage to the bridge was not severe and likely will be repaired within several days, Vladimir Konstantinov, chairman of the parliament of Crimea, said. Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed head of the occupied parts of Kherson province, said the explosion appeared to h...

Climate activist Nakate urges rich countries to cancel debt, grant climate finance at Paris summit

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:00:56 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Facing an audience packed with world leaders and finance officials in suits, Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate silenced the room, then made everyone listen to some uncomfortable facts.Speaking at a two-day summit aimed at seeking better responses to tackle poverty and climate change issues by reshaping the global financial system, the UNICEF ambassador and campaigner was in a somber mood and asked for a moment of silence.Dressed in a black with the slogan “Divest Now” on her t-shirt, Nakate said the silence was for “people around the world who are already suffering, starving, being displaced, jumping out of school, being forced into child marriages, losing their cultures and history, those who are already helpless, hopeless and dying due to the devastating impact of the climate crisis.”Speaking right after French President Emmanuel Macron, who hosted the summit, Nakate then urged delegates to put people first instead of profits, to make polluters pay, to can...

Iconic Hong Kong dragon boat races are back in full force as thousands of spectators gather

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:00:56 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Thousands gathered Thursday in southern Hong Kong to watch the iconic dragon boat races, a highlight of the annual Chinese Dragon Boat festival.The dragon boat races were back in full force after years of cancellations, postponements and social-distancing restrictions during the pandemic. Dragon boat teams in Hong Kong range from 8 to 50 people, depending on the size of the boat. A standard boat in Hong Kong typically has a crew of 20 people who race between about 250-500 meters (820-1640 feet).The Dragon Boat festival, also known as “Tuen Ng” in Cantonese, is associated with a story of a righteous official in ancient times who drowned himself after falling out of favor with his leader.According to the lore, villagers rushed out to the river with boats to try and save him, and threw rice dumplings into the water to prevent fish from eating his body and to ward away evil spirits. Thus the tradition of dragon boating and eating rice dumplings, which are called zongzi ...

UAE leader welcomes Iranian foreign minister in latest softening of Persian Gulf tensions

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:00:56 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The president of the United Arab Emirates met with Iran’s visiting foreign minister on Thursday in the latest sign of improving relations between Arab Gulf countries and the Islamic Republic.The UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have long harbored suspicions about Iran because of its nuclear program and support for militant groups across the region, and have cultivated close defense ties with the U.S. But in recent months they have charted a more independent path, reaching out to U.S. adversaries as Washington increasingly focuses on Russia and China.Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian “discussed the importance of building on positive developments to benefit the people of the region and enhance regional stability and prosperity,” the UAE’s state-run WAM news agency reported.Iranian state TV said the two met for 90 minutes and discussed further cooperation in different fields....

Yellen says it’s ‘critical’ to maintain U.S.-China ties after Biden’s ‘dictator’ remarks

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:00:56 GMT

PARIS (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday that it’s “critical” the U.S. and China maintain a relationship so they can “work together” on global challenges, coming just after President Joe Biden’s remarks calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping a “dictator” drew condemnation from Beijing.Speaking at a news conference in Paris, Yellen said that “with respect to the comments, I think President Biden and I both believe it’s critical to maintain communication … to clear up misperceptions, miscalculations. We need to work together where possible.”“But we have disagreements, and we are also forthright in recognizing we do have disagreements,” she added.Yellen has recently advocated for improving relations between the U.S. and China, arguing cooperation is needed for the sake of maintaining global stability.Biden’s remarks at a fundraiser Tuesday, when he also said China had “real economic difficulties,” opened a new rift just after U.S. Secretary of State Antony...