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Serbia releases 3 Kosovo police officers whose arrest fueled tensions between the Balkan foes

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:09:13 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A Serbian court on Monday ordered the release of three police officers from Kosovo who were detained earlier this month as tensions escalated between the Balkan foes and following U.S. and European Union demands that they be set free.A court in the central Serbian town of Kraljevo said it was releasing the police officers, who will be allowed to return to Kosovo. The court said in a statement that the three were charged with illegal possession of weapons and explosive devices. It wasn’t immediately clear if the case would continue in their absence.Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti tweeted that “we confirm that the 3 kidnapped police officers have been released. Even though we are joyous that they get to return to their families, this abduction consists of a serious human rights violation & must be reprimanded. The Serbian aggression must be held accountable.”The three were detained in mid-June. Serbia has said they had crossed into the country from ...

Australia’s High Court dismisses Russia’s bid for injunction to halt its embassy’s eviction

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:09:13 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s highest court on Monday dismissed Russia’s request for an injunction that would have halted the eviction of its embassy from a site in the capital, Canberra. A man who had been occupying the block in a portable cabin for more than a week in an apparent act of Russian defiance left soon after.High Court Justice Jayne Jagot described Russia’s challenge of a law terminating the lease as weak. “I do not perceive (Russia’s) case … to be a strong one. Indeed, it is difficult to identify a serious question to be tried,” Jagot said.Parliament passed emergency legislation on June 15 that terminated Russia’s lease on the largely empty block on security grounds because the new embassy would have been too close to Parliament House.Government lawyer Tim Begbie said Russia appeared to be applying for the injunction to protect its own security and intelligence interests.“It’s not just that they haven’t made a compelling case for constitutional inv...

Stock market today: Global shares decline after armed rebellion quelled in Russia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:09:13 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares mostly fell Monday after a short-lived armed rebellion in Russia added to uncertainties over the war in Ukraine. France’s CAC 40 dipped 0.4% in early trading to 7,135.23. Germany’s DAX slipped 0.2% to 15,797.27. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.8% to 7,403.10. The futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 futures were down 0.2%. The rebellion by mercenary soldiers who briefly took over a Russian military headquarters on an ominous march toward Moscow was over. But the brief weakened President Vladimir Putin just as his forces were facing a fierce counteroffensive in Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner troops were some of Russia’s most effective fighters in Ukraine. Their aborted takeover of the capital also left their fate uncertain.Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, said such geopolitical uncertainties have set off a cautious mood. “On the back of recent hawkish central bank moves amid high inflation and lo...

Live Updates | Fallout from Russian mercenary armed revolt

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:09:13 GMT

The latest on the aftermath of the armed rebellion declared by Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin:___Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has made his first public appearance since a mercenary uprising demanded his ouster. Shoigu appeared in a video Monday inspecting troops in Ukraine, apparently in a bid to project a sense of order after a weekend that saw armed rebels seize a Russian city and march seemingly unopposed on the capital.Shoigu is one of three powerful Russian military leaders whose diverging interests erupted into mutiny on Friday when thousands of Wagner Group mercenaries headed from Ukraine deep into Russia, before turning around Saturday after less than 24 hours.He is the first of the leaders to appear publicly since then, in video released by the Defense Ministry that was widely picked up by Russian media. It was unclear when it was filmed.Neither Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin nor Russia’s General Staff chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov — like Shoi...

Calgary-based Suncor Energy says it suffered a cyber security incident

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:09:13 GMT

CALGARY — A Canadian oil company is the latest to report it experienced a cyber security incident. Calgary-based Suncor Energy says it has already notified the proper authorities and is working with third-party experts to investigate and resolve the situation.A statement from the company says it is not aware of any customer, supplier or employee data being compromised or misused as a result of the intrusion.The company is also warning that some transactions with customers and suppliers may be impacted, as efforts continue to resolve the incident.Last Friday, Suncor saw a 1.08 per cent pull back on the TSX.The stock dropped 40 cents, down to $37.51 on 6.5 million sharesThis report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2023.(TSX:SU)The Canadian Press

Prince William launches 5-year project to end long-term homelessness in the UK

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:09:13 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Prince William is launching a five-year project to end long-term homelessness in the United Kingdom, saying he wants to make sure that instances of people being left without a roof over their heads are “rare, brief and unrepeated.”The heir to the throne will announce details of the program over the next two days as he visits six pilot projects around the country that have received grants of up to 500,000 pounds ($637,000) each from the Royal Foundation, the charity that supports the work of William and his wife.“It’s a big task, but I firmly believe that by working together it is possible to make homelessness rare, brief, and unrepeated, and I am very much looking forward to working with our six locations to make our ambition a reality,” William said in a statement.The six projects supported by the initiative, known as Homewards, involve collaborative efforts by local organizations, individuals and businesses to combat homelessness in their communities. Homewards also ...

Denmark to start the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:09:13 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s government said Monday that the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 jets has started and the retirement of Scandinavian country’s fleet of aging U.S. fighters has been moved up two years.The replacement fighters, F-35s, will be operative by 2025, acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said. Initially, the switch was planned for 2027. Lund Poulsen said that NATO-member Denmark “has taken the step of starting a training and further education effort for the Ukrainian pilots.”“We will also consider whether we should make a concrete donation to Ukraine of the Danish F-16 fighters, and how many there should be,” he said. Ukrainian pilots must spend six to eight months of training before a possible donation of Danish F-16 aircraft can become a reality, Lund Poulsen told Danish broadcaster DR.“This does not mean that you cannot make a decision beforehand. But (the F-16 planes) will be in Denmark until 2024,” Lund Poulsen sai...

Sarah, Duchess of York, undergoes breast cancer surgery after diagnosis

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:09:13 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Sarah, the Duchess of York, underwent surgery after being diagnosed with breast cancer, according to a spokesperson.The 63-year-old was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer following a routine mammogram. The surgery was a success and Sarah's prognosis is good, the duchess’s spokesperson said. She was released from King Edward VII’s Hospital in London on Sunday to recuperate at home in Windsor. Trump takes aim at EV industry during speech to Michigan Republicans Sarah, the former wife of Prince Andrew and the mother of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, spoke about the diagnosis on her new podcast, “Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah," set to be released Monday. She recorded the segment before her operation.Once a favorite target of Britain's tabloids, the former Sarah Ferguson has previously published her memoirs and authored a number of children’s books as well as a historical romance for adults.

Turmoil in Russia: Reactions from foreign governments

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:09:13 GMT

The following are reactions from foreign governments to the news from Russia, where President Vladimir Putin vowed on Saturday (24 June) to crush what he called an armed mutiny after rebellious mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had taken control of a southern city and then barrelled toward Moscow.UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY"Anyone who chooses the path of evil destroys themselves."For a long time, Russia used propaganda to mask its weakness and the stupidity of its government. And now there is so much chaos that no lie can hide it."Russia's weakness is obvious. Full-scale weakness. And the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain and problems it will have for itself later."US SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN"The United States will stay in close coordination with Allies and partners as the situation continues to develop," Blinken wrote on Twitter.Blinken said he spoke with G7 foreign ministers and the EU high representative ...

Ask Amy: I can’t stop thinking about the wonderful life that I lost

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:09:13 GMT

Dear Amy: I had a fabulous life – a big successful career, handsome husband, and gorgeous kids. I was well-known and acclaimed in my field. I felt I had it all and that I was living the feminist dream.My husband did not work. He had a drinking problem. His behavior became increasingly violent. When he harmed the children, I left him.My life changed radically. As a single working mother of two small boys, I could no longer be a superstar at the office.My special-needs child required frequent hospitalization, which meant hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical debt. Then my father had a lingering death from pancreatic cancer.I couldn’t afford not to work, so I dialed in a very sketchy job performance, and my professional reputation suffered.Meanwhile, my ex-husband was committing acts of violence, which meant round after round of restraining orders. It was chaos.Fast-forward 10 years. The boys and I have a loving relationship. They’re excelling in college. After many years a...