Today: September 24, 2024
Today: September 24, 2024

World

World

German Cabinet approves a lower 2024 budget as it eyes a return to financial 'normality'

Germany’s Cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft 2024 budget that foresees lower spending, with defense among the exceptions, as Europe’s biggest economy sticks to rules limiting borrowing that were suspended during the coronavirus pandemic. The government’s plan calls for spending of 445.7 billion euros ($486 billion), down 6.4% from the 476.3 billion euros it expects to spend this year. Defense spending is set to rise by 1.7 billion euros to some 51.8 billion euros, some way short of what the defense minister initially sought. Germany plans to reach a NATO target of spending 2% of gross domestic

July 05, 2023
German Cabinet approves a lower 2024 budget as it eyes a return to financial 'normality'
World

France's Supreme Court rejects groups' request for slavery reparations in case from Martinique

France’s highest court has rejected a request by three groups seeking reparations for slavery in a case that originated on the French Caribbean island of Martinique. The court’s decision on Wednesday said that no individual produced evidence showing they had “suffered individually” any damage from the crimes that their ancestors had been subjected to. Slavery was abolished in France in 1848, but before that had a significant slave trade, shipping more than 1 million Africans to colonies in the Americas. The International Movement for Reparations and two other groups launched efforts in pursuit of reparations in 2005.

July 05, 2023
France's Supreme Court rejects groups' request for slavery reparations in case from Martinique
World

Environmental activists arrested at Wimbledon for throwing confetti and puzzle pieces on court

Two environmental activists were arrested at Wimbledon on Wednesday after getting on court and disrupting a match by scattering orange confetti and puzzle pieces on the grass. A woman and a man wearing T-shirts from Just Stop Oil — a protest group that wants the British government to stop new oil, gas and coal projects — made it onto the field of play at Court 18 before being taken away by security. The interruption happened as three-time Grand Slam semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, who is seeded 21st in the men’s bracket, was about to hit

July 05, 2023
Environmental activists arrested at Wimbledon for throwing confetti and puzzle pieces on court
World

Stalemate: UPS, Teamsters contract talks break down with each side blaming the other

Contract negotiations between UPS and the union representing 340,000 of the company’s workers broke down early Wednesday with each side blaming the other for walking away from talks. The Teamsters have imposed several deadlines for United Parcel Service negotiators to make their “last, best and final” offer to its unionized workers in recent days. Union officials said Wednesday that UPS “walked away from the bargaining table after presenting an unacceptable offer” to Teamsters members. UPS told a different story. The package delivery company said it was the Teamsters who abandoned negotiations, “despite UPS’s historic offer that builds on our industry-leading

July 05, 2023
Stalemate: UPS, Teamsters contract talks break down with each side blaming the other
World

Hockey Diversity Alliance feels betrayed, says NHL 'late to party' in launching inclusion coalition

Akim Aliu and his fellow members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance say they feel betrayed and confused by the NHL’s decision to launch — or as far as the HDA is concerned, re-launch — an inclusion committee to diversify the sport and make hockey more welcoming. Whatever happened, Aliu wondered, to the league announcing a partnership with the HDA to address the same issues three years ago? And why, the HDA wondered in releasing a scathing statement Wednesday, is the NHL essentially duplicating what they’ve been doing by funneling millions into programs at the grassroots level and introducing hockey to

July 05, 2023
Hockey Diversity Alliance feels betrayed, says NHL 'late to party' in launching inclusion coalition
World

Mass shootings claim lives at gatherings over the July Fourth holiday

Mass shootings broke out at festivals, block parties and other gatherings in a handful of cities this week as the U.S. celebrated the Fourth of July. Gun violence that flared in Washington, D.C, Louisiana, Florida, Philadelphia, Texas and Baltimore left more than a dozen dead and almost 60 wounded — including children as young as 2 years old. In Shreveport, Louisiana, at least three people were killed and 10 others wounded late Tuesday night, Shreveport police Sgt. Angie Willhite said. One of the injured was in critical condition Wednesday but the others were expected to survive,

July 05, 2023
Mass shootings claim lives at gatherings over the July Fourth holiday
World

Hong Kong police arrest 4 men accused of supporting people overseas endangering national security

Hong Kong police on Wednesday arrested four men they accused of providing financial support to people who fled overseas and are involved in activities endangering national security, escalating a high-profile crackdown on dissidents in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. Police said the four are suspected of using companies, social media and mobile applications to receive funds that they then provided to the people overseas. A police statement did not identify the four suspects or the people they allegedly supported. Local media, including the South China Morning Post, said the four are former members of the now-defunct pro-democracy

July 05, 2023
Hong Kong police arrest 4 men accused of supporting people overseas endangering national security
World

Suspect, 40, arraigned on murder charges in Philadelphia mass shooting that killed 5

A 40-year-old accused of killing a man in a house and then gunning down four others on the streets of a southwest Philadelphia neighborhood before surrendering to police officers has been arraigned on murder and other charges. Kimbrady Carriker was arraigned Wednesday on five counts of murder as well as charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons counts of possession without a license and carrying firearms in public, prosecutors said. A 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old youth were also wounded by gunfire and another 2-year-old boy and a woman were hit by shattered glass in the

July 05, 2023
Suspect, 40, arraigned on murder charges in Philadelphia mass shooting that killed 5
World

You can watch Wimbledon on TV outdoors in Brooklyn. It's part of a bid to blend the past and present

Tennis fans in New York can gather to see live TV coverage of the last three days of Wimbledon at an outdoor watch party at Brooklyn Bridge Park from July 14-16, featuring the women’s final and the men’s semifinals and final. Online registration for 1,500 free tickets for each day ends Thursday; walk-ins will be allowed, too. So much of that paragraph would have been incomprehensible to anyone around for the initial edition of the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament in 1877, from the television broadcast to the trans-Atlantic appeal to the online element to, even,

July 05, 2023
You can watch Wimbledon on TV outdoors in Brooklyn. It's part of a bid to blend the past and present
World

Hong Kong-born singer Coco Lee dies by suicide at age 48, her siblings say

Coco Lee, a Hong Kong-born singer and songwriter who had a highly successful career in Asia, has died by suicide, her siblings said Wednesday. She was 48. The star had been suffering from depression for several years, Lee’s elder sisters Carol and Nancy Lee said in a statement posted on Facebook and Instagram, with her condition deteriorating drastically over the last few months. “Although, CoCo sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her,” the statement read. Lee attempted suicide at home over the

July 05, 2023
Hong Kong-born singer Coco Lee dies by suicide at age 48, her siblings say
World

Wisconsin's Democratic governor scales back Republican tax cut, signs state budget

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed off on a two-year spending plan Wednesday after dramatically scaling back the size of a Republican income tax cut that would have moved the state closer to a flat rate. Evers, a Democrat, also used his partial veto power to increase funding for K-12 public schools for more than 400 years unless undone by a future Legislature and governor. The move will increase how much revenue schools can raise per student by $325 a year until 2425. Evers, a former state education secretary and teacher, had proposed allowing revenue limits to

July 05, 2023
Wisconsin's Democratic governor scales back Republican tax cut, signs state budget
World

Vegas Golden Knights are the first team to get the Stanley Cup engraved before their summer parties

The Vegas Golden Knights already made history winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, doing so in their sixth NHL season. Now they’re making some more with hockey’s hallowed trophy. The Golden Knights are the first team to have the Cup fully engraved with every champion’s name before the traditional summer of owners, staff, coaches and players each getting a day to celebrate with it. Keeper of the Cup Phil Pritchard and the Hockey Hall of Fame would love if this starts a trend. “Hopefully a tradition has begun!” Pritchard tweeted. The decision by Vegas’ front

July 05, 2023
Vegas Golden Knights are the first team to get the Stanley Cup engraved before their summer parties
World

Yankees pitcher Cordero is suspended for the rest of the season under MLB's domestic violence policy

Yankees pitcher Jimmy Cordero was suspended for the rest of the season by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on Wednesday for violating the sport’s domestic violence policy. MLB said the 31-year-old right-hander accepted the suspension and will miss the season’s final 76 games and the postseason. Cordero was 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA in one start and 30 relief appearances and has a $720,000 salary, the major league minimum. He missed the 2021 season after Tommy John surgery while with the Chicago White Sox organization and spent 2022 with the Yankees’ Triple-A team at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees

July 05, 2023
Yankees pitcher Cordero is suspended for the rest of the season under MLB's domestic violence policy
World

Quran burnings have Sweden torn between free speech and respecting minorities

A Quran burning and a string of requests to approve the destruction of more holy books have left Sweden torn between its commitment to free speech and its respect for religious minorities. The clash of fundamental principles has complicated Sweden’s desire to join NATO, an expansion that gained urgency after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but needs the approval of all current members. Turkey has blocked Swedish accession since last year, citing reasons including anti-Turkish and anti-Islamic protests in Stockholm. Then, last week, an Iraqi Christian immigrant burned Islam’s holy book outside a Stockholm mosque during the major

July 05, 2023
Quran burnings have Sweden torn between free speech and respecting minorities
World

Federal Reserve minutes: Some officials wanted to raise interest rates last month

Some Federal Reserve officials pushed to raise the Fed’s key interest rate by one-quarter of a percentage point at their meeting last month to intensify their fight against high inflation, though the central bank ultimately decided to forgo a rate hike. In a sign of growing division among the policymakers, some officials favored a quarter-point increase or said they “could have supported such a proposal,” according to the minutes of the June 13-14 meeting released Wednesday. In the end, the 11 voting members of the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee agreed unanimously to skip a hike after 10

July 05, 2023
Federal Reserve minutes: Some officials wanted to raise interest rates last month
World

Canada's government to stop advertising on Facebook and Instagram after Meta says it will block news

Canada’s government said Wednesday it would stop advertising on Facebook and Instagram, in response to Meta’s decision to block access to news content on their social platforms as part of a temporary test. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez announced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government’s decision at a news conference. Canada’s move is the latest episode in a dispute that started after Trudeau’s administration proposed a bill that would require technology companies to pay publishers for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online. Meta promised at the time to block Canadian news content on its Facebook and

July 05, 2023
Canada's government to stop advertising on Facebook and Instagram after Meta says it will block news
World

Missing 2-year-old girl is found dead in an overgrown Detroit alley, ending a massive search

A missing 2-year-old Michigan girl who disappeared during an attack on her mother was found dead nearly 100 miles (161 kilometers) away in Detroit, three days after she vanished. Wynter Cole Smith’s body was discovered Wednesday evening by FBI agents in an overgrown alley in a neighborhood on the east side of Detroit, ending a massive search along a major interstate between the city and the state capital. “I am deeply saddened to report that the search for Wynter Cole Smith has come to an end,” said Lansing police Chief Ellery Sosebee. “This investigation has moved

July 05, 2023
Missing 2-year-old girl is found dead in an overgrown Detroit alley, ending a massive search
World

Russian journalist sustained a brain injury and fractures during a brutal beating in Chechnya

A prominent Russian investigative reporter has received a brain injury and multiple fractures when she and a lawyer accompanying her were brutally beaten by unidentified assailants in the Russian province of Chechnya, her newspaper said Wednesday. Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov were attacked Tuesday soon after they arrived in Chechnya to attend the trial of the mother of two Chechen dissidents. Just outside the airport, their vehicle was blocked by three cars and a dozen unidentified masked attackers, who beat them with clubs and put guns to their heads. Milashina and Nemova were

July 05, 2023
Russian journalist sustained a brain injury and fractures during a brutal beating in Chechnya
World

FIA wonders how it can deny General Motors a spot on Formula One grid, president tells AP

The FIA has received “more than five” expressions of interest from teams interested in joining Formula One, the president of the governing body told The Associated Press on Wednesday, with a decision on expansion expected by the end of the month. The bid that stands out most to Mohammed Ben Sulayem is from Andretti Global and General Motors — a supportive sign that Michael Andretti may indeed get the F1 team he’s been chasing for more than two years. “People have to understand we are here to promote motorsport and we are here to be fair. The Expressions of Interest

July 05, 2023
FIA wonders how it can deny General Motors a spot on Formula One grid, president tells AP
World

Is MLB's pitch clock leading to better defense? Some players and coaches think so

The pitch clock may be bothering players as they step to the plate, but they like it a whole lot better once they put on their gloves and take the field. While the rule changes put in place this year to speed up the pace of play have garnered plenty of attention for how they’ve affected hitters and pitchers, some players and managers say the new guidelines also are positively impacting defense. The pitch clock in particular — an idea meant to make it easier for fans to stay focused on the field — may be keeping

July 05, 2023
Is MLB's pitch clock leading to better defense? Some players and coaches think so
World

Suspect in Ukraine detonates explosives at a courthouse, killing himself and wounding 2 officers

A criminal suspect died Tuesday when he detonated explosives inside a court building in the Ukrainian capital, and two police officers were wounded, officials said. The suspect, Ihor Humeniuk, detonated an explosive device inside the Shevchenkivskyi District Court, as he made an abortive attempt to escape, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko told reporters. It wasn’t immediately clear how Humeniuk received the explosives and managed to bring them inside the court building. The two wounded officers belong to a special police unit. Humeniuk has been in custody for eight years on charges of throwing a grenade during a

July 05, 2023
Suspect in Ukraine detonates explosives at a courthouse, killing himself and wounding 2 officers
World

LA County sheriff's department calls video of deputy tackling woman 'disturbing,' opens inquiry

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says a bystander’s cellphone footage showing a deputy violently tackling a woman while she filmed her husband being handcuffed and then pepper-spraying her in the face is “ disturbing,” and community groups on Wednesday called for the department’s new sheriff to hold his agency accountable. The June 24 incident in the city of Lancaster follows several cases that have drawn scrutiny to the department amid allegations of excessive use of force by its deputies. It’s also testing the reform efforts of the new sheriff, Robert Luna, a former Long Beach

July 05, 2023
LA County sheriff's department calls video of deputy tackling woman 'disturbing,' opens inquiry
World

JetBlue is dumping its partnership with American Airlines to salvage its purchase of Spirit

JetBlue says it won’t appeal a judge’s ruling against its partnership with American Airlines, effectively dropping the deal in an effort to salvage its purchase of Spirit Airlines. JetBlue Airways said Wednesday that it wind down the deal with American in New York and Boston in the coming months and “turn even more focus” on its proposed $3.8 billion purchase of Spirit. The U.S. Justice Department sued to block both the JetBlue-American deal and JetBlue’s purchase of Spirit on grounds that they would hurt competition. The government said consumers would suffer if Spirit — the nation’s biggest discount airline —

July 05, 2023
JetBlue is dumping its partnership with American Airlines to salvage its purchase of Spirit
World

US gives go-ahead for Orsted's New Jersey offshore wind farm to start construction

The federal government gave the go-ahead Wednesday for New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm to begin construction, clearing the way for the first of at least three — and likely many more — such projects in a state trying to become the East Coast leader in wind energy. The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved a construction and operations plan for Ocean Wind I, a wind farm to be built by Danish wind energy company Orsted between 13 and 15 miles off the coast of Atlantic City. The wind farm would power 500,000 homes.

July 05, 2023
US gives go-ahead for Orsted's New Jersey offshore wind farm to start construction
World

Blinken says a multinational force is needed to help Haiti's National Police restore order

United States State Secretary Antony Blinken said Wednesday that a multinational force is needed to help Haiti’s National Police restore order, echoing recent appeals made by United Nations officials who warn that the country’s insecurity is worsening. Blinken briefly spoke about Haiti and other issues during a one-day trip to Trinidad and Tobago, which hosted a three-day conference held by the 15-member Caribbean trade bloc known as Caricom. Caribbean leaders have been meeting regularly about the situation in Haiti. Caricom Chair and Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit noted that the group supports Haitian-led solutions

July 05, 2023
Blinken says a multinational force is needed to help Haiti's National Police restore order

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