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Zelenskyy to join G7 at Hiroshima summit as leaders prepare to unveil new Russia sanctions

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:47 GMT

HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Leaders of the world’s most powerful democracies huddled Friday to discuss new ways to punish Russia for its 15-month invasion of Ukraine, days before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joins the Group of Seven summit in person on Sunday.Zelenskyy will be making his furthest trip from of his war-torn country as leaders are set to unveil new sanctions on Russia for its invasion. Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, confirmed on national television that Zelenskyy would attend the summit.“We were sure that our president would be where Ukraine needed him, in any part of the world, to solve the issue of stability of our country,” Danilov said Friday. “There will be very important matters decided there, so physical presence is a crucial thing to defend our interests”. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats against Ukraine, along with North Korea’s months-long barrage of missile tests and China’s rapidly expanding...

Macao further restricts political freedoms with revisions to national security law

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:47 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Echoing the crackdown on freedoms in neighboring Hong Kong, the former Portuguese colony of Macao has revised its legal system to face “new adverse challenges in terms of national security.” The government of the tiny enclave, heavily dependent on its gambling industry, said changes to the Law on Safeguarding National Security were needed as an upgrade to legislation first enacted in 2009, a decade after Macao’s handover to Chinese rule. “As the country presently faces new adverse challenges in terms of national security, the revision of Macao’s Law on Safeguarding National Security is a compulsory step to respond effectively to risks and threats,” the government said.It gave no details of the changes passed Thursday by the special administrative region’s rubber-stamp legislature. However, the Global Times newspaper published by China’s ruling Communist Party said Friday that the changes target espionage, “foreign interference” and Taiwan independenc...

WestJet pilots, airline reach tentative deal ahead of strike: union

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:47 GMT

The union representing WestJet pilots says it has reached an agreement “in principle” with the company on a new contract.The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) represents around 1,800 members, including some working for WestJet’s subsidiary airline, Swoop.The agreement comes at the 11th hour, as members of the ALPA were set to be in a position to begin strike action as of 3 a.m. MT Friday.The ALPA says the deal with WestJet followed “more than 9 months of negotiations on a new pilot contract.”Capt. Bernard Lewall, chair of the WestJet ALPA, says the deal “goes a long way to recognizing the value and expertise” of the union’s pilots.“This contract will also help solve many of WestJet’s pilot attraction and retention issues, benefiting everyone involved from our company to our passengers and fellow employees,” he said.Related articles: WestJet cancellations announced ‘in anticipation of’ strikeWestJet customers ho...

France's Sarkozy, defending his 'honour', awaits corruption appeal verdict

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:47 GMT

On Wednesday (17 May), the Paris Court of Appeals was expected to rule on Nicolas Sarkozy’s (pictured) attempt to overturn a verdict of bribery, influence peddling and corruption. This is one of many legal battles that the former French president has fought over the past decade.In 2021, a lower court found Sarkozy guilty for trying to bribe an ex-judge and selling influence in exchange of confidential information regarding an investigation into the 2007 campaign finance of Sarkozy.In a shocking fall from grace, he was sentenced to three years in prison with two of those suspended.Sarkozy has always denied all wrongdoing. He served as French president for one term, from 2007 to 2012.In a separate case, the financial prosecutors demanded that Sarkozy be tried on charges of corrupting and financing an election campaign illegally in relation to the alleged Libyan funding for his 2007 presidential campaign.The case that was the subject of Wednesday's ruling by the appeals court -Indirect...

Two more victims of volcano eruption found in Roman ruins of Pompeii

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:47 GMT

Two skeletons were found on Tuesday (16 May) in the ruins at Pompeii. The ancient Roman city was wiped out in AD 79 by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.A ministry statement stated that the skeletons recovered from the building, known as the House of the Painters at Work, were probably of two men who were in their 50s and died in the earthquake that occurred along with the eruption.The Director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, said that they were not killed by volcanic ash. Instead, their bones were fractured by wall fragments.The German archaeologist stated that "modern excavation techniques helps us better understand the inferno which completely destroyed Pompeii city over two days and killed many residents".Pompeii was located 23 km (14miles) south of Naples. It was the home of 13,000 people in 79 AD when it was submerged under ash and pumice stones.According to the Culture Ministry, "at least 15-20% of population" were killed. Archaeologists recovered more t...

L.A. Pride No Longer Part Of Dodgers LGBTQ+ Night

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:47 GMT

The L.A. Pride organization announced it would no longer partake in the Dodgers LGBTQ+ celebration after the team’s decision to exclude the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.Pride had partnered with the Dodgers for nine seasons, helping put together the stadium event that typically included special guests from the LGBTQ+ community.A statement was put out by L.A. Pride, explaining their decision made in support of the drag organization:“As a longstanding partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, we are very disappointed in their decision to rescind their invitation to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to be honored at the 10th annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night. As a result and in solidarity with our community, LA Pride will not be participating in this year’s Dodgers Pride Night event.“Pride is a fight for equality and inclusion for the entire LGBTQ+ community and we’re not going to stop now. Let’s make this year’s Pride celebration louder than ever.”...

KMFDM is Harder Than the Rest

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:47 GMT

KMFDM is Harder Than the Rest: The mood is dark in Los Angeles this week, what with the Sisters of Mercy in town and Cruel World Fest going on this weekend. The Damned are playing on Sunday too. That’s a whole lot of goth and dark punk and, as a result, a whole lot of black clothes.Stacking the pile further are Germany-based industrial troupe KMFDM (pronounced Kemferdem if you want to really annoy their fans between songs at this Belasco gig). That said, the industrial and goth crowds certainly have some crossover, but the general vibe is very different. At the Sisters of Mercy’s Hollywood Palladium show, the clothes were black but flowing, pre-Raphaelite in influence, romantic. The fashion on display at KMFDM had a different vibe. More rubber, more BDSM, more long rubber jackets. Both cool, both dark, but different.KMFDM have a ton of great songs. They’ve released 22 studio albums since 1984, which is slightly more than one every two years. That’s remarkably...

Family searching for answers one year after owner of popular Oakland Filipino restaurant was killed

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:47 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) – An Oakland family is still searching for answers in the deadly shooting of their loved one. It’s now been exactly one year since the co-owner of a popular Filipino restaurant was killed. Still, no one has been arrested.Eleven-year-old Kiah Anabo witnessed the shooting that took the life of his father Jun Anabo. With no arrests made, the family is desperate for closure and justice. “What I miss most about my dad is how he used to care for the community, care for everyone before himself,” he said. Kiah has spent the last year without his father after witnessing his killing. He’s still coming to terms with a life without him.  Oakland Popeyes workers strike, claim child labor violations Jun Anabo was the co-owner of the restaurant Lucky Three Seven. He was shot on the night of May 18 last year near his restaurant on Brookdale Avenue."Kiah watched the whole thing… in front of him. That's not for any 11-year-old,” said Jun’s sister Analyn Novenario.&n...

NASCAR 75: Many would welcome a NASCAR return to Rockingham

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:47 GMT

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR is returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time in 27 years for this weekend’s All-Star race.Could Rockingham Speedway be the next track to be revitalized and brought back from near extinction?Driving legends Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon and Lyn St. James are among those who said they would like to see NASCAR take another walk down memory lane and return to racing at Rockingham, which last hosted a Cup Series event in 2004 but has began a repave after receiving $9 million from North Carolina as part of a federal economic effort.Petty, Gordon and James were among 12 veteran industry contributors The Associated Press polled on topics ranging from the greatest drivers, most memorable races to key challenges ahead as part of the celebration of NASCAR’s 75th season.Terry Labonte wasn’t among those interviewed for the poll, but recently said he’d push for a return to Rockingham, a one-mile track where he won twice during his Hall...

Takeaways of AP’s report on Chinese loans pushing poor countries to brink of collapse

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:47 GMT

A dozen poor countries are facing economic instability and even collapse because of a common, undeniable factor: their struggle to pay back hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign loans, much of them from the world’s biggest and most unforgiving government lender, China. Here are the key takeaways:TOO MUCH DEBTAn Associated Press analysis of a dozen countries most indebted to China — including Pakistan, Kenya, Zambia and Laos — found the debt is consuming an ever-greater amount of tax revenue needed to keep schools open, provide electricity and pay for food and fuel. And it’s draining the foreign currency reserves such economies depend upon to pay interest on the loans and stave off collapse, leaving some with just months before the money is gone.Behind the scenes is China’s reluctance to forgive debt and its extreme secrecy about how much money it has actually loaned and on what terms, which has kept other major lenders from stepping in to help. On top of that is the discovery t...