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Biden praises Denmark for ‘standing up’ for Ukraine in war with Russia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:25:25 GMT

By AAMER MADHANI (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden thanked Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Monday for Denmark’s role in a Western alliance “standing up” for Ukraine as it tries to fend off Russia’s 15-month-old invasion.The Oval Office visit kicked off the first of a pair of critical meetings Biden is holding with European allies this week that will focus heavily on what lies ahead in the war in Ukraine —including the recently-launched effort to train, and eventually equip, Ukraine with American-made F-16s fighter jets. Biden on Thursday will meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.Both Britain and Denmark are playing a pivotal role in the nascent joint international plan that Biden recently endorsed after months of resisting calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for U.S. aircraft.“There’s a shared commitment to the core values and that gives us our strength — at least that’s what...

Apple unveils sleek ‘Vision Pro’ goggles. Will it be what VR has been looking for?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:25:25 GMT

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE (AP Technology Writer)CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple on Monday unveiled a long-rumored headset that will place its users between the virtual and real world, while also testing the technology trendsetter’s ability to popularize new-fangled devices after others failed to capture the public’s imagination.After years of speculation, Apple CEO Tim Cook hailed the arrival of the sleek goggles — dubbed “Vision Pro” — at the the company’s annual developers conference held on a park-like campus in Cupertino, California, that Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs helped design. “This marks the beginning of a journey that will bring a new dimension to powerful personal technology,” Cook told the crowd. Apple didn’t immediately reveal the goggles’ price, although they are expected to cost in the $3,000 range, likely limiting their appeal to a fairly narrow band of video-game enthusiasts and affluent te...

Mets DFA catcher Tomas Nido to make room for Omar Narvaez

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:25:25 GMT

The Mets’ roster crunch has finally arrived, and it has resulted in a tough decision to part ways with a homegrown catcher.The Mets reinstated Omar Narvaez from the 60-day injured list Monday and designated Tomas Nido for assignment in a corresponding transaction. This means the Mets are rolling with Narvarez, who signed with the club as a free agent over the winter, and rookie backstop Francisco Alvarez for the foreseeable future.Alvarez has forced his way onto the roster with his bat, hitting .292 with seven home runs, 17 RBI and a 1.029 OPS in the month of May. His eight total home runs are tied for the fourth-most among all qualified rookies. His defense has also improved, with Alvarez making some key plays on the basepaths and gaining the respect of the pitching staff behind the plate.The plan was to go with Nido and Narvaez this season to be able to give Alvarez time to develop in Triple-A. But the Mets called up the 21-year-old Alvarez after Narvaez strained his left ca...

Ukraine trying to end battlefield stalemate; Russia says it repelled some attacks

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:25:25 GMT

By SUSIE BLANN (Associated Press)KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces were making a major effort to end months of a battlefield stalemate and punch through Russian defensive lines in southeast Ukraine for a second day, with Russian officials saying on Monday that Moscow’s forces have foiled at least one assault. Kyiv authorities said their forces were indeed increasing offensive operations and making gains, but suggested some of the Russian announcements were misinformation as speculation grows about a widely anticipated counteroffensive after more than 15 months of war. Vladimir Rogov, an official in the Russia-backed administration of Ukraine’s partly occupied Zaporizhzhia province, said fighting resumed on its border with the eastern Donetsk province on Monday after Russian defenses beat back a Ukrainian advance the previous day.“The enemy threw an even bigger force into the attack than yesterday (Sunday),” and the new attempt to break through the f...

Another landslide in San Clemente suspends rail service from Oceanside again

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:25:25 GMT

Rail service has once again been halted from Oceanside to Irvine after land under the historic Casa Romantica in San Clemente continued to slide Monday morning.The slide occurred sometime between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan told Nexstar's KTLA. There was significant movement on the slope and boulders and rocks remained on the tracks in the 10 a.m. hour, the mayor added.As of 11 a.m. , all train service been Oceanside and Irvine has been interrupted as a result and tracks near the San Clemente Pier are closed, shutting down both the Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner. Alternate transportation is being provided, according to Amtrak. Hillside collapses under historic building in San Clemente; rail travel halted The hillside had previously collapsed in late April, causing the landmark, located at 415 Avenida Granada, to close.The house, which sits on a bluff just north of the pier, had suffered cracks to its terrace before the collapse occurred. During the A...

‘It was tough’: World War II veterans return to Utah Beach to mark D-Day’s 79th anniversary

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:25:25 GMT

ON UTAH BEACH, France (AP) — World War II veterans shared vivid memories of D-Day and the fighting as dozens returned to Normandy beaches and key battle sites to mark the 79th anniversary of the decisive assault that led to the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi control.Looking at the vastness of Utah Beach, its sand blowing in strong wind and bright sunshine, 99-year-old Robert Gibson remembered: “it was tough.”Gibson landed there on June 6, 1944 alongside more than 150,000 other Allied troops.He said there were “lots of casualties. We had almost run over bodies to get in the beach. Never forget we were only 18, 19 years old. … I’m glad I made it.”The first job of his battalion, he said, was “to guard an ammunition dump and the first night it got struck. You didn’t know where you were to go. Bullets were going all over the place. But we ducked it.” On Monday, veterans have been greeted to the sound of bagpipes at the Pegasus Memorial, where they attended ...

Wildfires in Quebec force mining companies to suspend work and pull staff out

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:25:25 GMT

TORONTO — Mining companies in Quebec pulled employees out and suspended exploration work as forest fires forced thousands of people from their homes.Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd. said Monday it has temporarily evacuated the camp at its Fenelon Gold project and suspended all exploration activities on its Detour-Fenelon Gold Trend property in Quebec’s northern Abitibi region.The company made the decision after an emergency order from the Quebec government prohibiting access due to the forest fires.Wallbridge CEO Marz Kord said all of the company’s employees and contractors have been safely withdrawn and that it has worked to secure and mitigate risk to the Fenelon camp site. “Exploration activities at Fenelon and our other projects will resume as soon as practicable,” Kord said in a statement. There were 164 forest fires burning in Quebec on Monday, up from 155 the day before.At least 114 of those fires were out of control, according to the province’s forest fire pr...

Hoskin wins another 4-year term as chief of Cherokee Nation, country’s most populous tribe

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:25:25 GMT

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) — Cherokee Nation’s Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. won reelection to another four-year term as leader of the nation’s most populous tribe, according to unofficial results posted Monday on the tribe’s website.Those results, which are expected to be certified later Monday by the tribe’s Election Commission, show Hoskin won nearly 63% of the vote in the four-way race for chief, a position similar to the governor of a state. Hoskin’s running mate, Bryan Warner, won reelection to deputy chief with about 62% of the vote. Both needed to secure more than 50% to avoid a runoff.“Today, we celebrate not only a victory but a renewal of our shared commitment to the principles that have guided our nation for centuries,” Hoskin and Warner said in a joint statement. “Together, we will confront the challenges that lie ahead, united in our determination to uplift and empower every member of our Cherokee family.”Hoskin, a 38-year-old attorney, ran on a platform of p...

Correctional Service of Canada to review Bernardo’s medium-security prison transfer

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:25:25 GMT

The Correctional Service of Canada said its commissioner has ordered another review of the decision to move serial killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison.The Correctional Service of Canada confirmed it wants the review to ensure it was appropriate, evidence-based, and considerate of Bernardo’s victims.“We want to acknowledge that our decisions have an impact on victims. These were horrific crimes, and we regret any pain and concern this has caused,” the statement read. “We want to assure Canadians that this offender continues to be incarcerated in a secure and controlled institution — with every precaution in place to maintain public safety.”Last week, officials with the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers confirmed to CityNews that Bernardo was transferred from Millhaven Institution just outside Kingston to La Macaza Institution northwest of Montreal.A spokesperson with the Correctional Service of Canada would not comment specifical...

With new video, Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota edges closer to Republican presidential race

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:25:25 GMT

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum took another step toward entering the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, posting a YouTube video on Monday touting his rise from a small town boy to a self-made software entrepreneur and a successful governor who has cut red tape and taxes.Although the video doesn’t mention it, Burgum has signed several new laws this year that restrict abortion rights and the rights of transgender people. One law bans schools and government agencies from requiring their employees to refer to transgender people by the pronouns they use. Another law — among the strictest in the nation — bans abortions throughout pregnancy with only slim exceptions up to six weeks’ gestation.Burgum is expected to announce his candidacy on Wednesday at a midday event in Fargo, two GOP operatives who had knowledge of Burgum’s plans told The Associated Press last month. The 66-year-old would enter an increasingly crowded field dominated by ex-President Donald Trump and Flor...