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G7 ends with Ukraine in focus as Zelenskyy meets world leaders, Russia claims a battlefield victory

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:46 GMT

HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy huddled with some of his biggest backers as the Group of Seven summit closed in Hiroshima on Sunday, building momentum for his country’s war effort even as Russia claimed a symbolic victory on the battlefield.The Ukrainian leader’s in-person appearance in his trademark olive drab underscored the centrality of the war for the G7 bloc of rich democracies. It also stole much of the limelight from other priorities, including security challenges in Asia and outreach to the developing world, that the leaders focused on at the three-day gathering. “G7 reaffirmed our commitment to continue our strong backing for Ukraine from every possible dimension,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. Zelenskyy held two major rounds of meetings Sunday, one with G7 leaders and a second with them and a host of invited guests including India and South Korea. He also held one-on-one talks with several of the leaders.Hanging ov...

Zelenskyy says ‘Bakhmut is only in our hearts’ after Russia claims control of Ukrainian city

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:46 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Bakhmut was “only in our hearts,” hours after Russia’s defense ministry reported that forces of the Wagner private army, with the support of Russian troops, had seized the city in eastern Ukraine. Speaking alongside U.S. President Joe Biden at the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Zelenskyy said the Russians had destroyed “everything.” “You have to understand that there is nothing,” he said.“For today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts,” he said. “There is nothing in this place.”The Russian ministry statement on the Telegram channel came about eight hours after a similar announcement by Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin. Ukrainian authorities at that time said that fighting for Bakhmut was continuing. The eight-month battle for Bakhmut has been the longest and probably most bloody of the conflict in Ukraine.Zelenskyy’s comments came as Biden announced $375 million more in aid for Ukraine, which incl...

Sinn Fein becomes largest party in Northern Ireland local elections

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:46 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein made sweeping gains in Northern Ireland’s local elections, repeating its success from last year’s assembly elections, when it became the largest party for the first time. With counting completed late Saturday, Sinn Fein, which seeks unification of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland, took 144 of 462 local government seats. Its main rival, the Democratic Unionist Party, captured 122 seats, while the centrist Alliance Party had 67. Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Fein’s vice president, said the results were “momentous.” She added that her party’s success was a message from voters that Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government, which has been paralyzed for over a year, must get back to business. The semi-autonomous Belfast government has been suspended since the DUP, which wants to keep Northern Ireland part of the United Kingdom, walked out more than a year ago to protest a post-Brexit customs border between Northern...

Alabama police: 4 people wounded in exchange of gunfire outside Birmingham bar

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:46 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Four people were shot and wounded outside an Alabama bar early Sunday in what police described as an exchange of gunfire.Birmingham Police Lt. Ron Harless said three men and a woman were shot outside Tin Roof in the city’s Lakeview District, AL.com reported.The shooting was reported around 12:45 a.m. to an off-duty Birmingham police officer who was working inside Tin Roof.Police and Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service responded and found a man who had been shot and a woman who was grazed by a bullet in the parking lot.An SUV reportedly fled the scene and was pulled over nearby. Two seriously wounded men, including one with life-threatening injuries, were in the vehicle.All four gunshot victims were transported to UAB Hospital.The shooting was under investigation, police said.The Associated Press

Other voices: Electric vehicles alone can’t solve climate change

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:46 GMT

Arresting climate change requires, among other things, the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. But managing the transition from gas-powered cars won’t be easy. President Joe Biden’s administration has proposed new rules to sharply limit tailpipe emissions, with the aim of compelling automakers to devote at least two-thirds of new sales to EVs within the next decade. For this policy to work, the government will have to get a lot of other things right.The logic behind the plan is straightforward: To eliminate carbon emissions by 2050, the US needs to slash pollution from cars and trucks. Getting more electric vehicles on the road will help. But without supporting policies, EVs are unlikely to cut carbon emissions as much as advocates envision. Policymakers owe the public an honest accounting of costs and benefits.Worldwide, EVs account for 13% of new car sales, up from 0.2% a decade ago. Their market share in the U.S. has nearly doubled over the last year, to 5.8%, t...

Ask Amy: What happened to make Gen Xers so rude like this?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:46 GMT

Dear Amy: You and I are about the same age, and I’m wondering if some of our peers did something wrong raising their kids?When I walk in my suburban neighborhood (I’ve done this every day for years), I say hello to everyone, whether they are sitting on their porch, or out walking the same or opposite way as me.Most everyone the same age as me (or older) returns the greeting.Everyone from approximately age 50 and below will either glare at me or act like I’m not there.Amy, what is up with that? Why is it acceptable to be so rude?These are not children, so “not talking to strangers” is not the problem!What is your take on this?Perplexed in SuburbiaDear Perplexed: During my travels, I’ve noted general regional differences regarding how outwardly “friendly” strangers are to one another.I was raised in an area that is overall on the far less-friendly side of the spectrum (whereas I tend to be more outgoing). It has never occurred to me that this behavior might be generational, however.I’...

Ucrania desmiente la última afirmación de Wagner de que las fuerzas rusas han capturado Bakhmut

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:46 GMT

(CNN) — El presidente de Ucrania, Volodymyr Zelensky, negó que Bakhmut haya caído en manos de Rusia, después de que el jefe del grupo mercenario Wagner afirmara que sus fuerzas habían tomado el control total de la ciudad del este ucraniano tras meses de combates brutales.“La operación para capturar Bakhmut duró 224 días”, dijo Yevgeny Prigozhin en un video publicado en Telegram el sábado, buscando declarar una victoria final en la ciudad.CNN no pudo verificar de forma independiente la afirmación de Prigozhin, que ha sido rebatida por la parte ucraniana.“El presidente ha negado que Bakhmut haya sido tomada”, declaró posteriormente a CNN Sergiy Nykyforov, portavoz de Zelensky.Zelensky se reunió el domingo con el presidente de EE.UU., Joe Biden, al margen de la cumbre del Grupo de los Siete (G7) en Japón, donde los periodistas le preguntaron si Rusia había tomado la ciudad.“Creo que no”, respondió, pero reconoció que quedaba poco.“No qued...

John Cena dice que se arrepiente de su pelea con Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson cuando volvió a la WWE

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:46 GMT

(CNN) — John Cena admitió que se siente “miope y egoísta” por haber iniciado una disputa con Dwayne Johnson hace una década, cuando se enfrentaron como grandes estrellas de la WWE.En el episodio del jueves del podcast “Happy Sad Confused”, Cena dijo que “le gustaría pensar” que la pareja —ambos se han convertido en grandes estrellas de Hollywood, compartiendo créditos en la pantalla en “Fast X” de este año— “siempre ha estado bien, excepto por un pequeño parche en el que realmente me equivoqué”.Cena se refería al momento en 2011 cuando Johnson, ya una estrella de cine, regresó a la WWE después de haberla dejado casi una década antes. En aquel momento, Cena se lo tomó como una provocación y una oportunidad para “llamarle la atención” por volver, y retarle a luchar.El actor de “Trainwreck” explicó que “egoísta”. “El hecho de que yo viviera en la WWE en ese momento y no tuviera n...

UN chief backs reform of Security Council, global financial system

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:46 GMT

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres backed the reform of the U.N. Security Council and the international financial system to align them with the “realities of today’s world.”Both the U.N. body and the financial architecture reflect the power relations of 1945 and need to be updated, Guterres told a press conference Sunday on the margins of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, according to Reuters.“The global financial architecture is outdated, dysfunctional and unfair,” Guterres said. “In the face of the economic shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has failed to fulfill its core function as a global safety net.” Guterres made the same point on Saturday, writing in a tweet that it was “time to think seriously about the reform” of the international financial architecture. The U.N. Security Council came under fire in April when Russia assumed the rotating presidency of the 15-member body despite the fact that 141 countries condem...

Swifties rock out in the rain for 2nd night of Taylor Swift

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:46 GMT

Taylor Swift fans were rocking their ponchos on Saturday as they too in the musician’s second of three sold-out “Eras Tour” shows at Gillette Stadium.In total, the shows are expected to bring some 200,000 people to the venue through Sunday night.Police officials have reminded motorists that only those with tickets will be able to get near the stadium during the shows and people should prepare for traffic and seek alternate routes around the area during the concert if possible.All three Swift concerts, featuring Phoebe Bridgers and GAYLE for two shows and Bridgers and Gracie Abrams on Sunday, are set to kick off at 6:30 p.m.