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COP28 climate talks enter last day with no agreement in sight on fossil fuels

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A stark standoff between countries that want a dramatic phase-out to fossil fuels causing damaging warming and those that don’t crushed hopes for an on-time finish to a critical climate summit Tuesday.The United Nations-led summit known as COP28 was scheduled to end around midday after nearly two weeks of speeches, demonstrations and negotiations. But the climate talks almost always run long, and Monday’s release of a draft agreement angered countries that insist on a commitment for rapid phase-out of coal, oil and gas.Instead, the draft called for countries to reduce “consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner.” Majid al-Suwaidi, COP28 Director-General, said Monday night’s draft was meant to get countries to start talking and presenting what are deal-killers for them, which are called “red lines.”“The text we released was a starting point for discussions,” he said at a news conference midd...

New Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says his government will mobilize to keep the world committed to helping Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — New Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says his government will mobilize to keep the world committed to helping Ukraine.Source

A missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels strikes a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels slammed into a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen near a key maritime chokepoint, the rebels and authorities said Tuesday.The assault on the oil and chemical tanker Strinda expands a campaign by the Iranian-backed rebels targeting ships close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into apparently now striking those that have no clear ties to Israel. That potentially imperils cargo and energy shipments coming through the Suez Canal and further widens the international impact of the Israel-Hamas war now raging in the Gaza Strip. Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree issued a video statement saying the rebels only fired on the vessel when it “rejected all warning calls.”The U.S. military’s Central Command issued a statement Tuesday saying an anti-ship cruise missile “launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen” hit the Strinda. “There were no U.S. ships in the vici...

Air Force disciplines 15 as IG finds that security failures led to massive classified documents leak

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force has disciplined 15 personnel in connection with the massive classified documents leak by an airman earlier this year, concluding that multiple officials intentionally failed to take required action on his suspicious behavior, the Air Force inspector general reported Monday.Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira is accused of leaking highly classified military from the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts where he worked.The punitive actions range from relieving personnel from their positions, including command positions, to non-judicial punishment under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.Teixeira, who’s 21, has been behind bars since his April arrest on charges stemming from the most consequential intelligence leak in years. He is charged under the Espionage Act with unauthorized retention and transmission of classified national defense information. He has pleaded not guilty, and no tr...

Exclusive: Former Mar-a-Lago employee-turned-witness repeatedly contacted by Trump and associates before documents charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

West Palm Beach, FL (CNN) — Three months after the FBI seized classified records from Mar-a-Lago last August, a longtime employee of Donald Trump’s private club quit his job.Within days, the former president did something he rarely did – Trump called the former employee on his cell phone to ask why he was leaving after two decades of working at the resort, according to two sources and material seen by CNN.The employee told the former president he had another business opportunity he wanted to pursue. The message later got back to the former employee that Trump thought he was a “good man.”But he wasn’t just any staffer at the club – the former employee was a witness to several episodes special counsel Jack Smith included in his federal criminal indictment charging the former president with mishandling classified documents.He had moved several boxes for Trump and was also privy to conversations referenced in the indictment between Trump and his two co-defendants, Mar-a-Lago proper...

Asylum seeker aboard UK’s Bibby Stockholm barge dies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

A person has died aboard the Bibby Stockholm barge, used by the British government to house asylum seekers.Two care groups working to support migrants on the vessel — moored in Portland, Dorset — confirmed to POLITICO Tuesday that one of the people aboard had died. The U.K.’s Home Office said: “We are aware of reporting of an incident involving an asylum seeker on the Bibby Stockholm.  “It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”Steve Smith, CEO of refugee charity Care4Calais, said the group’s “thoughts are with the person who has lost their life, their family and their friends. It is also with all those stuck on board the Bibby Stockholm who will be experiencing a deep feeling of grief and worry today.”The U.K. government deployed the Bibby Stockholm over the summer amid deep controversy.It argued the use of the barge would cut the mounting cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels while their claims are processed, and would deter people from making dange...

Alexey Navalny fails to attend trial after his team loses contact with jailed Russian opposition leader

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

(CNN) — The trial of Alexey Navalny was postponed on Tuesday, one day after his team said it had lost contact with the jailed Russian opposition leader, who was believed to be imprisoned in a penal colony about 150 miles east of Moscow.Concern was sparked on Monday after spokesperson Kira Yarmysh put out several social media posts, highlighting that her team had lost contact with Navalny, who was supposedly being held in the IK-6 penal colony.The spokesperson for Navalny, who was jailed for 19 years on extremism charges in August in addition to a previous sentence, cited a prison employee who claimed the 47-year-old had “left their colony” but still could not confirm his whereabouts on Tuesday.Ivan Zhdanov, the director of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, said in a post on X that the politician’s trial was postponed again on Tuesday. When the judge asked a question regarding Navalny’s whereabouts, he was redirected to the Federal Penitentiary service, Z...

Georgia election workers ask court to warn Rudy Giuliani after he repeats claims judge ruled were defamatory

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

(CNN) — After his first day in a Washington, DC, courtroom where a jury will determine how much he owes two former Georgia election workers for defamation, former Donald Trump election attorney Rudy Giuliani still insists everything he said about the two women was true.The federal judge overseeing the case has already ruled that Giuliani spread false information about Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss in the wake of the 2020 election.The defamation damages trial began Monday with jury selection and opening statements, but when court ended for the day, Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor and New York City mayor, continued to attack Freeman and Moss.“Everything I said about them is true,” Giuliani told reporters.“Of course I don’t regret it,” Giuliani then said when asked if he regretted his actions. “I told the truth. They were engaged in changing votes.”When a reporter responded there was no proof of such an allegation, Giuliani said: “O...

Seasonable With Some Sun

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

We’re off to a much easier start weather-wise today as mainly clear skies and seasonable temps are back in place. While there’s a slight chill with a bit of a breeze, the wind gusts around 12-20mph today aren’t too strong overall. With temps bouncing back into the low to mid 40s this afternoon, it’ll be a solid seasonable December day. Ditto for tomorrow. With partly to mainly clear skies prevailing mid to late week, we’ll even have a chance to catch some shooting stars Wednesday night, as the Geminids meteor shower nears peak. Best viewing time is near/after 10pm Wednesday, through at least 2am Thursday. If you are star gazing Wednesday night, there will be a bit of a chill in the air that will last through Thursday. Temps Thursday struggle to get much above the freezing mark. With that said, the bounce back Friday is quick, to near 50 by the afternoon. While the weekend looks mostly dry, Sunday will see increasing clouds. At that point, we’ll lo...

Tricia Tuttle appointed as the next director of the annual Berlin film festival

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Tricia Tuttle, a former director of the London Film Festival, will become the new director of the Berlin International Film Festival next year, the German culture minister announced Tuesday.Tuttle, who is American, will take over in April from the outgoing leadership duo of executive director Mariette Rissenbeek and artistic director Carlo Chatrian. They will lead the upcoming 74th edition of the annual event, which runs from Feb. 15-25.Rissenbeek and Chatrian took the helm in 2019, replacing long-serving festival director Dieter Kosslick. After Rissenbeek decided last year not to renew her contract, Culture Minister Claudia Roth said the festival should revert to being led by one person, and Chatrian announced that he would step down too. Roth announced Tuttle’s appointment Tuesday, German news agency dpa reported.The Berlin festival is one of the major European film festivals — though, falling in winter in the German capital, it doesn’t match the glamor o...