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North Korea stays silent on its apparent detention of a US soldier who bolted across the border

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:21 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Wednesday was silent about the highly unusual entry of an American soldier across the Koreas’ heavily fortified border as some observers say North Korea is unlikely to repatriate him anytime soon amid heightened animosities between the former wartime foes.A day after the soldier bolted into North Korea during a tour in the border village of Panmunjom on Tuesday, there was no word on the fate of Private 2nd Class Travis King, the first known American detained in the North in nearly five years. Earlier Wednesday, North Korea test-fired two ballistic missiles into the sea in an apparent protest at the deployment of a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea the previous day.“It’s likely that North Korea will use the soldier for propaganda purposes in the short term and then as a bargaining chip in the mid- to long term,” said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in South Korea.King, 23, was a cavalry scout w...

UK homeowners get some respite as UK inflation falls by more than anticipated to 15-month low

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:21 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Inflation in the U.K. has fallen by more than anticipated to a 15-month low, official figures showed Wednesday, a development that may ease the pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates sharply over the coming months to the potential relief of struggling households.The Office for National Statistics said that inflation, as measured by the consumer prices index, fell to 7.9% in the year to June from 8.7% the previous month. Most economists had expected a more modest decline to 8.2%.The statistics agency said the falling of fuel prices was the biggest driver behind the drop, while food price inflation also pared back, though remained historically high. Despite the decline, inflation is still running far higher than the Bank of England’s target rate of 2%. As a result, the central bank is expected to raise its main interest rate further at its upcoming meeting in early August. However, analysts said the bigger-than-expected fall may mean it only raises...

Emhoff will become the highest-profile US official to visit Samoa as US makes a Pacific islands push

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:21 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, next week will become the highest-profile U.S. official to visit Samoa, as the Biden administration steps up its outreach to Pacific island nations.Emhoff will meet with government officials, community leaders and female entrepreneurs during his July 23-24 visit to Samoa’s capital, Apia. His communications director, Liza Acevedo, said he will be the first White House principal to visit the country. His visit comes as the U.S. is aiming to deepen diplomatic and economic ties to Samoa and other countries in the region. The renewed focus on the Pacific islands is part of a yearslong strategic shift in U.S. focus toward the area. It is meant in part to counter China’s efforts to significantly expand its military, economic and diplomatic influence across the Pacific.Emhoff will visit Samoa after he leads the official U.S. delegation to the opening of the Women’s World Cup in Auckland, New Zealand. The...

Biden’s White House is taking on corporate mergers, landlord junk fees and food prices

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:21 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed new guidelines for corporate mergers, took steps to disclose the junk fees charged by landlords and launched a crackdown on price-gouging in the food industry.The announcements will be discussed as part of President Joe Biden’s scheduled meeting with the White House Competition Council, a group of officials established under a 2021 executive order. The council has focused on creating more transparency for consumers and finding ways to limit the concentration of industries in ways that the Biden administration says lead to higher prices and hurt the ability of start-ups and small businesses to grow. Republican lawmakers and some business group critics counter that the Democratic president’s effort will lead to greater regulatory costs that leave the economy worse off.The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission are proposing revised guidelines for how they evaluate mergers. Their goal is to pro...

China prepares for naval drills with Russia in sign of continuing support amid Ukraine conflict

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:21 GMT

China said Wednesday it has dispatched navy ships in preparation for joint exercises with Russia’s sea forces, in a sign of Beijing’s continuing support for Moscow’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The move comes despite the growing economic and humanitarian repercussions of the bloody 16 month-old air, sea and ground assault. China claims to be neutral in the conflict, but has accused the U.S. and its allies of provoking Russia and has maintained robust economic, diplomatic and trade ties with Moscow. The exercise involves more than 10 ships and 30-plus aircraft, according to China’s Xinhua News Agency. The ministry and Xinhua gave no details, but the exercises are believed to be set for parts of the Sea of Japan in coming days. China has reliably backed Russia in opposing U.S. condemnation of the Ukraine invasion in international forums, but says it won’t provide arms to either side in the war. The Defense Ministry said in a news release Wednesday that Chinese ships had lin...

15 die by electrocution after transformer explodes in northern India

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:21 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Fifteen people including six policer officers died Wednesday by electrocution after a transformer exploded near a sewage treatment plant in northern India, police said.Several other people were injured in the accident, which occurred on the banks of the Alaknanda river, and were sent to a hospital in Uttarakhand state’s Chamoli district, police officer Parmendra Doval said.The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, and the state’s chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, ordered an investigation into the incident.The accident occurred as water levels in most rivers in northern India have risen due to record monsoon rains. Heavy floods have killed more than 100 people in the region in the past three weeks.In April, 11 people were electrocuted when their truck touched an overhead power line during a Hindu festival procession in southern India.Associated Press, The Associated Press

Stock market today: World shares track Wall Street rally as Britain reports inflation fell in June

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:21 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares opened higher in Europe on Wednesday, taking their cues from gains in Asia and on Wall Street. U.S. futures were little changed and oil prices fell. Britain reported inflation fell to 7.9% in June, a 15-month low. Economists had forecast inflation would decline to 8.2%, but it did better than that thanks to falling fuel prices and milder food price increases.It’s a relief for struggling consumers and is a further welcome sign that upward price pressures are abating. That has raised hopes among investors that central banks might begin winding down the latest cycle of interest rate hikes.Britain’s FTSE 100 advanced 1.3% to 7,552.03 and Germany’s DAX was up 0.2%, at 16,165.07. In Paris, the CAC40 gained 0.6% to 7,360.78. The future for the S&P 500 edged less than 0.1% higher and that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.1%. In Asian trading, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.3% to 18,952.31, partly due to selling of property shares ...

No one wins Mega Millions. Jackpot reaches $720 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:21 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - The Mega Millions jackpot has risen to an estimated $720 million after no winning ticket was sold — again. It’s now one of two national lotteries with enormous jackpots but equally enormous odds against winning them.No ticket for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing matched the white balls 19, 22, 31, 37, 54 and the gold Mega Ball 18.The new jackpot is Mega Million's 7th largest-ever, the lottery said in a news release. On Monday, the nation’s other big lottery game — Powerball — also went without a winner, and its jackpot now stands at an estimated $1 billion, the third-largest ever for that game. If you win $1.2B Powerball, perhaps consider not taking cash For Mega Millions, the estimated $720 million jackpot in the next drawing would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Nearly all grand prize winners opt to take a cash payout, which for Tuesday night’s drawing was an estimated $369.6 million.You may want to think twice before collect...

AFL announces 16 teams; Albany not included

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:21 GMT

ALBANY, NY (NEWS10) -- The Arena Football League is gearing up for it's return. The rebooted AFL announced the first 16 teams with a promo video on social media Tuesday, and it was filled with Albany Empire highlights. The only problem? It appears Albany will not be back in the AFL this season.Albany was not listed as one of the 16 host cities or states in the announcement. A full list of AFL locations can be found below: Austin Boise California Chicago Colorado Minnesota Louisiana Ohio Orlando Oregon Philadelphia St. Louis Tallahassee Tennessee Washington West TexasTravelle Gaines, who is a principal of the AFL, sent out a tweet addressing AFL and Albany fans. He wrote that the AFL tried to bring Albany into the league, but it did not work out, "not by our efforts." The offical AFL twitter account retweeted that tweet. MVP Arena General Manager Bob Belber told NEWS10 Sports Director Griffin Haas earlier this summer that there will be arena football in Albany next season. It appears...

EU-CELAC: Parliamentarians call for defence of multilateralism, promote trade 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:21 GMT

The EU, Latin America and the Caribbean should revitalize rules-based multilateralism, in order to ensure peace, respect for human rights and international security, DEVE.President Roberta Metsola will attend the summit on behalf of the European Parliament, together with the Co-Chair of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLat) MEP Javi López (S&D, Spain).President Metsola will meet with Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso, and Uruguay’s President Luis Lacalle Pou.Ahead of the gathering, President Metsola underlined: “We are committed to boosting parliamentary democracy around the globe. Strengthening the partnership between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean is critical for both regions. Today’s summit is a chance for us to boost our trade agreements, increase cooperation to meet our environmental targets and ensure respect for human rights is placed at the centre of our talks. Europe must keep engaging with r...