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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is headed for Russia, setting the stage for a meeting with Putin

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:18:34 GMT

By KIM TONG-HYUNG (Associated Press)SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has departed for Russia where he is expected to hold a highly anticipated meeting with President Vladimir Putin that has sparked Western concerns about a potential arms deal for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday that Kim boarded his personal train from the capital, Pyongyang, Sunday afternoon, and that he will be accompanied by unspecified members of the country’s ruling party, government and military.State media photos showed Kim walking pass honor guards and crowds of civilians holding the national flag and flowers and waving his hand from his green-and-yellow armored train before it left the station in Pyongyang. A group of senior officials, including Cabinet Premier Kim Tok Hun, Kim Jong Un’s top economic official, were at the station to give the leader a “hearty send-off,” KCNA said. KCNA di...

Police defend strategy in hunt for escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante after he evaded searchers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:18:34 GMT

By MARC LEVY and CLAUDIA LAUER (Associated Press)Authorities in Pennsylvania who have been trying to capture an escaped murderer for nearly two weeks pushed back Monday against questions about whether they blew a chance to collar him, instead blaming the complex terrain in the initial search area for the fugitive’s success in getting clear of it.Top state and federal officials insisted that the blown perimeter around the area where hundreds had been searching for Danelo Souza Cavalcante includes heavy woods, underground tunnels and drainage ditches. They also said it took at least four hours for news to reach them that he had been spotted outside of the perimeter for the first time.At a news conference, they rejected the suggestion that they haven’t been using enough searchers and insisted that the effort — in its 12th day Monday — favors them, despite the fact that there is no longer a well-defined perimeter or any fresh sightings to report. Robert Clark, th...

Ticker: Cybersecurity ‘issue’ hits MGM; JetBlue trying to save Spirit deal

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:18:34 GMT

A “cybersecurity issue” led to the shutdown of some casino and hotel computer systems at MGM Resorts International properties across the U.S., a company official reported Monday.The incident began Sunday and the extent of its effect on reservation systems and casino floors in Las Vegas and states including Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York and Ohio was not immediately known, company spokesman Brian Ahern said.“MGM Resorts recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting some of the company’s systems,” the company said in a statement that pointed to an investigation involving external cybersecurity experts and notifications to law enforcement agencies.The nature of the issue was not described, but the statement said efforts to protect data included “shutting down certain systems.”JetBlue trying to save Spirit dealJetBlue Airways said Monday it has reached agreement to turn over Spirit Airlines’ oper...

US moves to advance prisoner swap deal with Iran and release $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:18:34 GMT

By MATTHEW LEE (AP Diplomatic Writer)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has cleared the way for the release of five American citizens detained in Iran by issuing a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of U.S. sanctions. In addition, as part of the deal, the administration has agreed to release five Iranian citizens held in the United States.Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed off on the sanctions waivers late last week, a month after U.S. and Iranian officials said an agreement in principle was in place. Congress was not informed of the waiver decision until Monday, according to the notification, which was obtained by The Associated Press. The outlines of the deal had been previously announced and the waiver was expected. But the notification marked the first time the administration said it was releasing five Iranian prisoners as part of the deal. The prisoners have not been na...

Portugal routs Luxembourg in record 9-0 win without suspended Ronaldo. Drone delays Armenia-Croatia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:18:34 GMT

Portugal didn’t need Cristiano Ronaldo to rack up its biggest-ever win in a competitive game.A 9-0 rout of Luxembourg in European Championship qualifying on Monday was achieved without Ronaldo, who was suspended because of an accumulation of yellow cards in earlier Group J games.In the absence of the five-time world player of the year and record scorer in men’s internationals, Goncalo Ramos, Goncalo Inacio and Diogo Jota all scored twice along with goals for Ricardo Horta, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix in the Algarve.“It was a satisfactory aspect that, being 4-0 or 5-0 up, the team kept playing the same way as if it was 0-0,” Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said. “When you get that, it shows you the values of the players and that the respect toward the team is essential — that was really good to see.”The 38-year-old Ronaldo missed a great chance to add to his haul of 123 international goals but there’ll be four more opportunities in a group that Portugal is ...

UN says Colombia’s coca crop at all-time high as officials promote new drug policies

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:18:34 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Coca cultivation reached an all-time high in Colombia last year, the U.N. said, as the administration of President Gustavo Petro struggles to reduce poverty in remote areas and contain armed groups that are profiting from the cocaine trade.The new findings on coca growing were published over the weekend by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime, which said 230,000 hectares (nearly 570,000 acres) of farmland in Colombia were planted with coca in 2022, a 13% increase from the previous year.The South American nation is the world’s largest exporter of cocaine, which is made from coca leaves. Colombia provides 90% of the cocaine sold in the United States each year.Colombia’s government said Monday that the amount of land planted with coca is increasing at a slower pace than in previous years. It hopes new programs that provide greater economic incentives for farmers to adopt legal crops will help reduce cocaine production in coming years. “We are flattening t...

UEFA hosts women soccer stars for expert advice. Then it thanks ousted Luis Rubiales for his service

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:18:34 GMT

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — One day after Spanish official Luis Rubiales finally resigned from his leadership jobs, European soccer body UEFA hosted a storied group of women players and coaches for a conference Monday to help shape a brighter future for their game. And when it was over, UEFA thanked its now-former vice president “for his many years of service” in its first major statement since Rubiales’ conduct at the Women’s World Cup final three weeks ago that is now under criminal investigation in Spain. Three Ballon d’Or winners joined the UEFA meeting in person or online. They included Alexia Putellas, one of Spain’s World Cup-winning team whose triumph has been tarnished by the furor since Rubiales kissed her teammate Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy ceremony. Hermoso said it was without her consent.At UEFA’s headquarters was Veró Boquete, who as Spain captain eight years ago joined a player revolt that removed the long-time and unpopular male coach of the national te...

Man charged with aiding Whitmer kidnap plot says he should have called police

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:18:34 GMT

A man charged with assisting the leaders of a plan to kidnap Michigan’s governor denied any role Monday but conceded he should have contacted police when talk turned to obtaining explosives.“It seemed to be getting serious,” William Null, 41, told jurors in a northern Michigan courtroom. “I don’t know if they were ever going to go through with it, but it was enough for me to not want to be involved.”Null, brother Michael Null and Eric Molitor are on trial in Antrim County, the last of 14 men charged in state or federal court since FBI agents broke up a kidnapping conspiracy against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer just weeks before the 2020 presidential election.Authorities said the men were anti-government extremists who were also furious over restrictions ordered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nulls and Molitor are charged with providing material support for terrorist acts, namely aiding leaders Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., who were convicted last year in federal court....

Women treated for cancer as a child face increased risk for breast cancer — and more

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:18:34 GMT

Medical Watch for Sept 11Risk for breast cancerWomen who were treated for cancer as a child face an increased risk for breast cancer.Certain types of chemotherapy drugs increased the threat for a secondary cancer according to results from a large scale international study of childhood cancer survivors.The results, published in the Journal Nature Medicine point to the need for earlier breast cancer screening for cancer survivors.Women treated with anthracycline chemotherapy including doxorubicin had a six times greater likelihood for breast cancer younger than 40.When the childhood cancer treatment also included radiation, women had the greatest chance for a breast cancer diagnosis.Anthracyclines are important for childhood cancer survival but doctors and patients need to know the potential future threat.Antidepressants & memoryAntidepressants do more than boost mood, they may enhance memory.While prescribing antidepressants to people suffering from depression helps quiet negativ...

NBA player accused of assaulting girlfriend in New York City hotel

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:18:34 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) — An NBA player has been accused of strangling his girlfriend at a Manhattan hotel Monday morning, according to police. Bryan Kevin Porter Jr., 23, allegedly put his hands around the 26-year-old woman's neck and hit her several times inside the Millennium Hilton Hotel on UN Plaza at around 6:45 a.m., according to the NYPD. The woman had cuts to her face and pain in her neck, police said. The Houston Rockets guard was arrested and charged with assault and strangulation, according to police. Escaped dog at Atlanta airport found after three weeks He remained in police custody as of Monday afternoon. It wasn’t immediately known if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. A message seeking comment was left for his agent.Additional details weren't immediately available. In a statement, the Rockets said: “We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr. We have no further comment at this time.”Porter, a 2019 first-rou...