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White House: US soldier who crossed into North Korea 2 months ago is in American hands

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:55:15 GMT

By MATTHEW LEE, KIM TONG-HYUNG and LOLITA C. BALDOR (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. soldier who sprinted into North Korea across the heavily fortified border between the Koreas two months ago was released into American custody, the White House announced Wednesday.Earlier, North Korea had said it would expel Pvt. Travis King — though some had expected the North to drag out his detention in hopes of squeezing concessions from Washington at a time of high tensions between the two countries.“U.S. officials have secured the return of Private Travis King from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement. “We appreciate the dedication of the interagency team that has worked tirelessly out of concern for Private King’s wellbeing.” Officials said they did not know exactly why North Korea decided to expel King, but said they suspected that Pyongyang determined th...

Major I-5 closure set for northbound lanes this weekend

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:55:15 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Six miles of the northbound Interstate 5 freeway will be squeezed into one lane this weekend for the second of two major Caltrans closures to the roadway this month for maintenance.The closure will start Friday, Sept. 29 at 9 p.m., running until Monday, Oct. 2 at 5 a.m. During that time, crews are going to be making repairs to the bridge deck over State Route 163.Officials are working to get the word out to the public about the closures due to the large impact that it is expected to have on drivers. Driver killed in North County rollover crash A stretch of I-5 from 18th Street in National City to the SR-163 overpass will have limited access throughout the duration of the 56-hour closure. As an alternative, locals are advised to use either the Interstate 805 or the Interstate 15 to beat the delays.Southbound I-5 lanes will not be impacted by the maintenance work.A map of this weekend's closure and alternate routes can be found below:Map showing the closure to northboun...

Mobs of masked teens ransacked Philadelphia stores. Police have made over a dozen arrests

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:55:15 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Groups of teenagers swarmed into stores in several areas of Philadelphia in an apparently coordinated effort, stuffing plastic bags with merchandise and fleeing, authorities said. Police arrested 15 to 20 people.The flash mob-style ransacking Tuesday night at stores including Foot Locker, Lululemon and Apple came after a peaceful protest over a judge’s decision to dismiss murder and other charges against a Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed a driver, Eddie Irizarry, through a rolled-up window. Those doing the ransacking were not affiliated with the protest, Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford said at a news conference, calling the group “a bunch of criminal opportunists.” Video on social media showed masked people in hoodies running out of Lululemon with merchandise and police officers grabbing several and tackling them to the sidewalk. Photos of a sporting goods store at a mall showed mannequins and sneakers scattered on the sidewalk. The thef...

Who’s being listened to on the global stage? Increasingly not who you might think

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:55:15 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Togo’s foreign minister wasn’t having any of it. He talked of an accelerating “African awakening,” of a resolve to “fight our own battles,” of a refusal to be banished to the children’s table while the musclebound great powers of the 20th century moved chess pieces around the board.“Nobody is at the center of the world,” Robert Dussey said in French, his voice emphatic. “We don’t want to be relegated to the background as the world develops.”Africa was Dussey’s subject. But he might have been one of any number of leaders speaking at the United Nations this past week — the voices of smaller nations that typically command less attention. They come, they air grievances and concerns, and then the oxygen is gobbled up by others — often the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.This year, though, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s high-profile presence notwithstanding, things felt different. Top leaders of four of the five permanen...

Canada’s troubled war criminal past needs to be confronted: immigration minister

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:55:15 GMT

OTTAWA — Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Canada could revisit calls to declassify Canadian documents about the presence of Nazi war criminals in Canada. That could include making public the names of former soldiers who fought with the Nazis during the Second World War and were allowed to later immigrate to Canada.His comments come as fallout continues for Canada and the federal government after the House of Commons gave a standing ovation to a Ukrainian veteran they later discovered had fought alongside Nazis during the Second World War. Speaker Anthony Rota, who invited the man to witness Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech in Parliament last week, is to step down later today after acknowledging the invitation was a grave mistake.B’nai Brith Canada said on Tuesday that Rota’s resignation was the right move, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must now show that Canada is willing to confront its decision to admit former Nazi soldiers by making publ...

Ontario records $5.9B deficit for the last fiscal year

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:55:15 GMT

TORONTO — Ontario ended the last fiscal year with a smaller deficit than projected in the 2022 budget, but it was several billion dollars higher than in a fiscal update from the province six weeks ago.Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy released the province’s public accounts for 2022-23 on Wednesday – which looks at the final numbers for the last fiscal year – and it showed the province ended the year with a $5.9 billion deficit.That was lower than the $19.9 billion deficit projected in the government’s 2022 budget for that fiscal year. The ministers said the decrease was mainly due to higher taxation revenues, particularly in corporate taxes and sales tax, reflecting higher-than-expected inflation and strong economic growth.In mid-August, however, Bethlenfalvy had released the province’s first-quarter finances, which pegged the 2022-23 deficit at $2.2 billion.He said Wednesday that the change in those figures was ...

Plans for Poland’s first nuclear power plant move ahead as US and Polish officials an sign agreement

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:55:15 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish and U.S. officials signed an agreement Wednesday in Warsaw for the construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant, part of an effort by the Central European nation to move away from polluting fossil fuels.Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called the deal to build the plant at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Pomerania region near the Baltic Sea the beginning of a new chapter for Poland, and described nuclear energy as a stable and clean energy source.“The only clean, stable energy source that is technologically proven and verified in terms of safety is nuclear energy, which is having its big day today,” he said at the ceremony.Last year, Morawiecki’s government announced that it had chosen the U.S. as its partner for the project.A consortium made up of Westinghouse and Bechtel signed the agreement with the Polish state-owned utility overseeing the nuclear program, Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ).The planned site is about 280 kilometer...

Man wanted for slashing victim in face in Danforth altercation

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:55:15 GMT

A man is wanted for allegedly using a weapon to slash another man in the face during an altercation two weeks ago.Toronto police were called to the Coxwell Avenue and Strathmore Boulevard area in the Danforth at around 10 p.m. on September 13 for reports of an assault.Investigators said an altercation between two men led to the suspect using an unknown weapon to slash the victim’s face.The victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.After releasing a photo of the suspect, police have since identified the wanted man as 35-year-old Jemar Allen of Toronto.Allen is wanted for aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, and breach of recognizance.

Montana judge blocks enforcement of law to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:55:15 GMT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A law to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors in Montana is temporarily banned, a state judge ruled Wednesday, just four days before it was to take effect.District Court Judge Jason Marks agreed with transgender youth, their families and healthcare providers that a law passed by the 2023 Montana Legislature is unconstitutional and would harm the mental and physical health of minors with gender dysphoria.The temporary restraining order blocking the law would remain in effect until a full trial can be held on the issue, but Marks has said he expects his decision on the injunction will be appealed to the Montana Supreme Court.Montana is one of at least 22 states that have enacted bans on gender-affirming medical care for minors and most face lawsuits. Some bans have been temporarily blocked by courts, while others have been allowed to take effect.All the laws ban gender-affirming surgery for minors. Such procedures are rare, with fewer than 3,70...

The Czech government has approved a defense ministry plan to acquire two dozen US F-35 fighter jets

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:55:15 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic’s government on Wednesday approved a Defense Ministry plan to acquire two dozen U.S. F-35 fighter jets in a deal worth around 150 billion Czech koruna ($6.5 billion).Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that the F-35s “will solve the future of our tactical air forces for dozens of years to come.”Fiala said the purchase for the Czech military sends “a message to our allies that we take the defense of our country seriously and that they can rely on us.” The first of the 24 fighter jets should be delivered in 2031, with the rest by 2035, Fiala said. The American aircraft will replace the 14 JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden that are currently used by the Czech army.The Czechs will pay almost $5 billion to the U.S. for the aircraft, training of pilots, ammunition and other costs, Defense Minister Jana Cernochova said. The remaining money will be used to finance an upgrade of the Caslav air force base in central Czech Republic, fuel and training of s...