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Court annuls EU approval of German billions for Lufthansa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:52 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — A top European Union court on Wednesday ruled the EU was wrong to approve a plan for Germany to come to the rescue of Lufthansa with billions of euros in state aid to help the airline deal with the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.In June 2020, Germany notified the EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, of its intention to provide 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion) in aid to Lufthansa. The 27 EU member countries must seek commission approval when supplying financial support to companies.The EU’s General Court ruled that the commission “committed several errors” in making its positive assessment of the move, following an appeal to the Luxembourg-based tribunal by low-cost carrier Ryanair.It was not immediately clear what impact the ruling might have on Germany, or on other state aid that was approved at the time with the aim of helping to keep Europe’s airlines afloat during the pandemic.Among the errors, a statement from the court said, was to consider “that Luft...

Reluctant critic China urges Afghan changes on women’s roles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:52 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China on Wednesday called on Afghanistan to reform its radical policies excluding women from education and public life and “adopt a more resolute attitude in combating terrorism.” The comments from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin came on the heels of a Pakistan-hosted mini-summit of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan that sought to promote trade and lower border tensions amid a surge of attacks inside Pakistan. Wang said China hopes the Taliban-appointed Afghan interim government will “take solid steps in the right direction, make practical efforts to gain the understanding and trust of the international community, and create favorable conditions for Afghanistan to further develop good neighborliness with its neighbors and integrate into the international community.” China generally refrains from commenting on the internal policies of nations with which it wishes to curry favor, or can use as leverage in its campaign to combat the dominance of global affairs by...

Myanmar military government offers cash rewards to defectors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:52 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government is urging people fighting against its rule to surrender their weapons, offering a cash reward if they do so along with the possibility of reduced sentences if they broke the law.The official announcement in Wednesday’s edition of the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said people involved in major resistance organizations, including the People’s Defense Forces, are “invited to return to the legal fold.” The PDF are the armed wing of the pro-democracy movement that was organized after the army’s 2021 takeover.The announcement accused anti-military organizations, which the army calls terrorist groups, of using fear and indoctrination to persuade “innocent people” to join them.It said people who surrender will have to face trial if they committed crimes including murder, rape and injury to others, but that the government would reduce the penalties depending on the offenses.The announcement said people would receive up to 7.5 million...

Imran Khan appears in court as Pakistan braces for violence

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:52 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan braced for more turmoil a day after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was dragged from court in Islamabad and his supporters clashed with police across the country. The 70-year-old opposition leader appeared in court Wednesday for a hearing in which a judge was asked to approve keeping him in custody for up to 14 days.Khan, who lost power last year but remains the country’s most popular opposition figure, is the seventh former prime minister to be arrested in Pakistan. His arrest deepened political turmoil and sparked violent demonstrations on Tuesday. At least one person was killed in the southwestern city of Quetta, and dozens were wounded in various parts of the country. The judge is expected to rule on the request for a 14-day detention later on Wednesday, officials said. Khan earlier in the day met with his legal team at the court in the capital, Islamabad.Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party called for demonstrators to remain peaceful, hou...

Biden showcases Dem coalition with campaign advisory board

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is aiming to showcase the Democratic coalition rallying around his reelection bid as he announces on Wednesday his campaign’s national advisory board of prominent elected officials who will assist his 2024 campaign.The diverse group of 50 officials includes representatives from nearly every facet of the Democratic firmament. It brings together three of Biden’s 2020 primary rivals — Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar — and at least two contenders who eyed the Oval Office had Biden decided not to run for another term, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. They’re joined by progressive favorite Rep. Maxwell Frost, new party rising stars including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and prolific fundraisers like Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is chair...

Biden ramps up pressure on House GOP in debt limit battle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fresh off a White House meeting with no serious breakthrough on the debt limit standoff, President Joe Biden is launching a new phase of his pressure campaign against House Republicans as he makes his case that lawmakers should lift the nation’s borrowing authority without any strings attached.Biden will travel to Valhalla, New York, on Wednesday to argue that a measure passed by House GOP lawmakers that would lift the debt limit for about a year while curbing some federal spending would impose cuts for veterans care, educators and other domestic priorities. The area is represented by first-term Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, whose district Biden won in 2020. The White House will use the trip to trumpet what it says is economic progress under the Democratic president — pointing to the number of jobs created during his term and a fresh focus on domestic manufacturing — while warning that an unprecedented debt default would threaten millions of jobs and raise the prosp...

Hackers aim to find flaws in AI – with White House help

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:52 GMT

No sooner did ChatGPT get unleashed than hackers started “jailbreaking” the artificial intelligence chatbot – trying to override its safeguards so it could blurt out something unhinged or obscene. But now its maker, OpenAI, and other major AI providers such as Google and Microsoft, are coordinating with the Biden administration to let thousands of hackers take a shot at testing the limits of their technology.Some of the things they’ll be looking to find: How can chatbots be manipulated to cause harm? Will they share the private information we confide in them to other users? And why do they assume a doctor is a man and a nurse is a woman?“This is why we need thousands of people,” said Rumman Chowdhury, lead coordinator of the mass hacking event planned for this summer’s DEF CON hacker convention in Las Vegas that’s expected to draw several thousand people. “We need a lot of people with a wide range of lived experiences, subject matter expertise and backg...

Man dies in overnight homicide in East Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police said a man is dead after officers found his body off Manor Road in East Austin late Tuesday night. Police said the man's death is being investigated as a homicide. This is the 28th homicide of 2023 in the City of Austin. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2023? According to APD, officers were called at 11:29 p.m. to a report of gunshots being fired at the intersection of Manor Road and Rogge Lane. APD said officers checked the area and additional calls and information came in, and officers went to the 6200 block of Breeze Way, where they found the man with "obvious trauma to the upper body." First aid was given to the man but he died at the scene, according to APD.At the time of the media briefing around 2 a.m. Wednesday, police were not sure if a suspect was in custody or detained. Police said homicide detectives are investigating.

Injured hiker rescued at Kaaterskill Falls

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:52 GMT

HUNTER, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A 69-year-old injured hiker was rescued by Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) forest rangers on Monday at Kaaterskill Falls. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Around 3 p.m. on Monday, a forest ranger was alerted by hikers of a reported injured hiker near the viewing platform at Kaaterskill Falls. Forest rangers say they found the injured hiker, a 69-year-old woman from Flushing, and provided her medical care for an ankle injury. She used crutches to get further along the trail but soon became tired and couldn't continue. Luckily, another group had a wheelie walker, which forest rangers borrowed to wheel the patient 200 feet back to their ranger truck. The DEC says a forest ranger brought the injured hiker to the Laurel House Trailhead, but she declined further care.

Gash picked 30th to the Whipsnakes in PLL College Draft

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:27:52 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – University at Albany defender Elijah Gash has been selected 30th overall to the Whipsnakes in the 2023 Premier Lacrosse League College Draft.  Gash is the first Great Dane drafted to a professional league since the 2022 NLL Draft. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Gash just finished his graduate year at UAlbany.  In 2023, he appeared in 14 of UAlbany's 16 games, scoring six goals while winning 31 ground balls and causing 18 turnovers.  Since joining the Great Danes ahead of the 2021 season, Gash has appeared in 40 games, scored 10 goals with two assists, won 75 ground balls and caused 36 turnovers.  Since 2004, Gash ranks seventh in program history in caused turnovers, and tied for second in caused turnovers per game.The Whipsnakes selected Georgetown's Tucker Dordevic, Virginia's Petey LaSalla, and Duke's Garrett Leadmon in the first three rounds of Tuesday's draft.&...