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Poland’s zombie government shuffles into being

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:05:14 GMT

WARSAW — Polish President Andrzej Duda on Monday swore in a new government headed by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki — whose term in office is likely to be only a maximum of 14 days.That’s because Morawiecki and his Law and Justice (PiS) party lost the October 15 general election to a coalition of opposition parties. Even though PiS is the largest grouping in the new parliament, with 191 MPs, the three opposition parties that have promised to form a government led by former PM Donald Tusk have 248 seats — enough for a solid majority in the 460-member parliament.Still, Duda insisted that Morawiecki get the first chance at trying to form a government. “We are fulfilling a constitutional custom by appointing a government that represents the grouping that won the parliamentary election,” Duda said during Monday’s ceremony.However, despite several weeks of trying to hold talks with opposition MPs, Morawiecki was unable to show that any other parties were willing...

Tesla sues Sweden over blocked license plates

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:05:14 GMT

Tesla has filed a lawsuit against Sweden over blocked access to license plates for new vehicles, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri reported on Monday.According to the American electric car company, this seizure of license plates constitutes a discriminatory attack with no legal basis whatsoever against Tesla, the newspaper wrote.The press spokesperson for the agency, Mikael Andersson, told the Associated Press: “We at the Swedish Transport Agency do not share this view that the agency was blocking the distribution of license plates.” He added: “We have not yet seen the lawsuit and it is therefore difficult for us to give any direct comments. We need to look at the lawsuit and Tesla’s reasoning in it.”According to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by AP, Tesla demands that the district court fine the transport agency 1 million kronor ($95,383) to “oblige” the agency to allow Tesla “retrieve license plates” within three days from notification of the district court’s decision.

Israel-Hamas truce extended by 2 days, Qatari official says

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:05:14 GMT

Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have agreed to extend the temporary cease-fire in Gaza by two days, a spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry said Monday.“The State of Qatar announces, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip,” Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, said on X, formerly Twitter.Under a previous deal struck last week and brokered by Qatar — together with the United States and Egypt — Israel and Hamas had agreed to halt hostilities in Gaza.The agreement, which included a prisoner swap that has led to the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas as well as dozens of Palestinians in Israeli detention, was set to expire on Tuesday, at 7 a.m. local time (6 a.m. CET).

Skipped Black Friday? Today’s Cyber Monday sales offer second chance

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:05:14 GMT

By Tommy Tindall | NerdWalletIt’s the question of the holiday shopping season. Which is the more ‘dealtastic’ day: Black Friday or Cyber Monday?After a year of tracking sales, we finally know the answer: It’s a tie. Well, kind of.Retailers mostly recycle Black Friday deals on Cyber Monday, which means today could be your second chance at scoring low prices you missed on Friday. But, in some categories, Cyber Monday has an edge. For small kitchen appliances in particular, today’s deals are the lowest we’ve seen all year.How do we know? NerdWallet monitored prices on 10 popular products at Amazon, Target and Walmart during every major sale period of 2023. Here’s what we learned.Black Friday vs. Cyber MondayBlack Friday has taken on new meaning and length in recent years, with deals going on for weeks on just about anything you can think of.Actual Black Friday (Nov. 24) came and brought the best prices we’d observed on six of the 10 items we tracked. And on Cyber Monday (today), severa...

3 takeaways from Chicago Bulls’ historic collapse that led to 4th straight loss: ‘It didn’t feel like we would be at this point right now’

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:05:14 GMT

The Chicago Bulls entered Sunday’s 118-109 loss to the Nets in Brooklyn like a team eager to exorcise some demons.For weeks, the team had been plagued by sluggish starts, digging deficits that couldn’t be overcome by strong second halves. On Sunday, things were different — at least for the first quarter.The Bulls came out punching with an immediate play drawn up to give Zach LaVine a lob dunk. They opened the game on a 13-0 run and carved out a 21-point lead by the final two minutes of the frame.The offense moved the ball decisively while the defense forced the Nets to settle for long-bomb 3-pointers. At the end of the quarter, the Bulls led 36-19. It was too good to be true.Within minutes, the lead evaporated. The Nets erased the entire 21-point advantage midway through the second quarter. By the time the teams entered the locker room at the half, the Nets led by eight points — a 29-point swing.It was a cataclysmic collapse — the type that only comes a...

Sunday air travel set record: TSA

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:05:14 GMT

(The Hill) -- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that Sunday set an agency-wide record for the busiest air travel day ever. More than 2.9 million people were screened at airports across the United States on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the TSA said on X, formerly Twitter, marking “the busiest day ever for air travel.” The TSA also reminded customers to arrive at airports early amid the high demand for air travel during the holiday season.Earlier this month, the TSA forecasted the holiday season could break records for air travel across the country. Sunday’s numbers were in line with TSA’s initial estimates from earlier this month when the agency predicted 2.9 million people would pass through security checkpoints that day. Flight delayed or canceled? Here are your rights as a passenger The number of airline passengers on Sunday broke the record from June 30 — when nearly 2.9 million people were screened at airports across t...

RCMP say 12-year-old boy in B.C. killed himself over online sextortion

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:05:14 GMT

PRINCE GEORGE — Mounties in Prince George, B.C., say a 12-year-old boy killed himself in response to online sextortion. Police say they issued the statement weeks after the boy shot himself to warn parents about the dangers to other children.Police say they went to the boy’s home on Oct. 12 and found him with a gunshot wound. RCMP say in a news release that they are calling on parents and caregivers to “be honest” with children about the dangers of online activity, especially if they are engaging in chats with people they don’t know off-line. Cpl. Jennifer Cooper says while not every case of online sextortion will end in tragedy, the consequences of these things can follow a child for their entire life. Police say the Prince George detachment alone has received 62 reports of online sextortion so far this year, surpassing the 56 they had last year. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2023. The Canadian Press

National pharmacare bill can’t come soon enough: Canadian Labour Congress

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:05:14 GMT

A new report says the federal NDP is open to extending a crucial deadline with the minority Trudeau government, which would eliminate the risk of a possible election in the new year.With only three weeks left in the House of Commons calendar, it is unlikely the federal Liberals will meet the New Democrat demand in the supply-and-confidence deal that calls for a national pharmacare act to be passed by the end of this year.There have been questions about whether this would end the agreement and possibly see the Liberal government at risk of falling in 2024 with a federal election. However, an NDP source tells the Globe and Mail the party is willing to extend the deadline if it means getting a better quality bill before MPs.Siobhan Vipond, executive vice president of the Canadian Labour Congress, spoke on Parliament Hill Monday, urging the government to move quickly.“The clock is ticking and we need to see a delivery of a good … universal pharmacare system,” Vipond said, no...

Book Review: ‘Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars’ argues history repeats itself

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:05:14 GMT

“There is nothing new under the sun.” So goes the adage which conveys the tendency for history to repeat itself.It’s this unstated premise that drives Kliph Nesteroff’s latest book, “Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars.” In it, Nesteroff artfully seeks to demonstrate how current catchphrases like “cancel culture” and “political correctness” are just variations of the same generational and ideological divides which have undergirded American society throughout Hollywood’s history.Nesteroff turns his attention to comedians in particular, citing the ways in which they have historically been unique targets of the culture wars.His arguments are cogent and his histories entertaining – how is it possible that “vaguely defined spirit of the times” is not a quote about wokeness, but instead a denunciation of critiques levied on comedians more than half a century ago?Still, it’s worth noting that Nesteroff began his career as a comedian, which perhaps betrays an inherent symp...

Failed wheel bearing caused Kentucky train derailment, CSX says

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:05:14 GMT

LIVINGSTON, Ky. (AP) — A failed wheel bearing on a train car caused a derailment that sparked a chemical fire and prompted home evacuations in a small town in Kentucky, CSX said in a statement. The accident happened Wednesday just north of Livingston and crews were finishing up restoration of the site Sunday, the company said. All 16 railcars were removed from the site, and crews were able to remove the spilled chemical and 2,500 tons of impacted soil and replace it with clean material, CSX said. Crews were expected to finish repairs on the tracks and restore service on the rail line, the statement said.The CSX train derailed around 2:30 p.m. near the remote town with about 200 people in Rockcastle County. Residents were encouraged to evacuate just a day before the Thanksgiving holiday. Two of the 16 cars that derailed carried molten sulfur, which caught fire after the cars were breached. No other hazardous materials were released.State officials monitored the air after the derailme...