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King Charles III’s triumphal state visit hits French hurdle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:43:27 GMT

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III’s first state visit as monarch was scaled back Friday, dashing hopes for a triumphal tour to win hearts and minds abroad just as his mother did so successfully during her 70 years on the throne.The visit by Charles and his wife, Camilla, to France was postponed amid mass protests in the country over President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to reform the pension system. The German leg of the trip will take place as planned.Charles’ initial plan to visit France and Germany, the two biggest countries in the European Union, was meant to rebuild ties with Britain’s closest neighbors after six years of squabbling over Brexit. But French domestic troubles put paid to that.“The king and queen consort’s State Visit to France has been postponed,” the British prime minister’s Downing Street office said in a statement. “This decision was taken with the consent of all parties, after the president of France asked the British government to post...

Philippines confronts Chinese diplomats over sea disputes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:43:27 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Filipino diplomats issued a slew of protests over China’s aggressive behavior in the South China Sea, including targeting a Philippine coast guard ship with a military laser, when they met Chinese officials Friday, an official said.Territorial disputes in the busy waterway have long loomed as a potential flashpoint in Asia and have become a sensitive front in the regional rivalry between China and the United States.Washington lays no claims in the contested waters but has challenged Beijing’s extensive claims including by deploying its warships and fighter jets and repeatedly warning that it would help defend the Philippines — a treaty ally — if Philippine forces, ships and aircraft are attacked. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the seaway, which sits atop vast deposits of oil and gas.A Chinese delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong held two days of talks starting Thursday with Philippine counterparts ...

Russian strikes in Ukraine kill 10 civilians, wound 20 more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:43:27 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian long-range strikes killed at least 10 civilians and wounded 20 others in several areas of Ukraine on Friday, Ukraine’s presidential office said, as a senior Moscow official warned that the Kremlin’s forces were prepared for an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive in the coming weeks.Five people died in Kostiantynivka, a town in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province, when a Russian missile hit an aid station. Ukrainian authorities last year established hundreds of so-called “points of invincibility,” where residents hard-pressed by the war could warm up, charge their cellphones and get snacks.Local prosecutors said the Russians attacked Kostyantynivka with S-300 anti-aircraft missiles. The civilians who died were refugees, according to Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko.As the mostly artillery war of the recent winter months stretched into its second spring, Russian forces also used air-launched missiles, exploding drones and gliding bombs in their atta...

EU leaders grapple with bank risks as economy weakens

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:43:27 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders gathered Friday to gauge the risk of a banking crisis developing from recent global financial turbulence and hitting the economy even harder than the energy crunch tied to Russia’s war in Ukraine.The deliberations by EU government heads in Brussels follow U.S. regulators shutting down two U.S. banks, including Silicon Valley Bank, and a Swiss-orchestrated takeover of troubled lender Credit Suisse by rival UBS.The emergency actions on both sides of the Atlantic revived memories of the 2008 global financial meltdown and the ensuing EU sovereign debt crisis, which almost broke apart the euro currency now shared by 20 European countries.“For the moment, we see no reason to be worried,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told reporters on his way to the EU meeting. “But we monitor it really closely, almost on a daily basis, because no one knows what can happen.”The European economy has been slowing rapidly since Russia invaded Ukraine 13...

Protests continue in France; British king’s visit postponed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:43:27 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Protesters angry at French President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms continued with scattered actions on Friday, as the unrest across the country led officials to postpone a planned state visit by Britain’s King Charles III.Although no major protests were planned on Friday, train traffic was slowed, rows of trucks blocked access to Marseille’s commercial port and debris still littered the Paris streets following the previous day’s mass demonstrations. Over 450 protesters were arrested in Paris and beyond on Thursday as some 300 demonstrations drew more than a million people nationwide to protest against unpopular pension reforms.Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Friday that some 441 police and gendarmes were injured as violence marred some marches. He added that 1,000 trash bins were set on fire in the French capital during the previous day’s action. Amid a weeks-long refuse collectors strike, trash bins have become a symbol of the protest...

In Your Debt: Doing the bare minimum with debt can cost you

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:43:27 GMT

When you’re carrying a credit card balance, paying at least the minimum due each month is certainly a start. If those payments aren’t making your overall budget feel squeezed, you have all the more reason to put payments on autopilot and not think about the total cost of your debt.“Our pace of life has gotten really busy,” says Delia Fernandez, a certified financial planner and the founder and president of Fernandez Financial Advisory LLC in Los Alamitos, California. “There’s always something that’s more important, particularly for these people who are not in a financial crisis.”But that inertia can cost you, especially with average credit card interest rates reaching 20.4% as of November 2022, according to the Federal Reserve. NerdWallet’s 2022 American Household Credit Card Debt Study, conducted by Harris Poll, found that U.S. households with revolving credit card debt are paying an average of $1,380 in interest this year.There is good news, though: Dedicating even a small amount ...

Charges pending after 3 juveniles crash stolen vehicle on South Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:43:27 GMT

CHICAGO — Three male juveniles were injured in a crash involving a stolen vehicle on the city's South Side.The incident happened around 9:18 p.m. Thursday in the 8300 block of South State Street in the Chatham neighborhood.Upon arrival, officers observed two vehicles involved in the crash. According to police, further investigation revealed that a red sedan traveling northbound struck a vehicle heading eastbound on 83rd Street. 4 hospitalized after car crashes into Crystal Lake restaurant Police said the striking vehicle was later identified as stolen. The three male juveniles inside that vehicle were placed into custody and transported to Comer Children’s Hospital and St. Bernard Hospital in good condition with minor injuries. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured. Charges are pending.

Winter Weather Advisory issued early Saturday morning

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:43:27 GMT

CHICAGO — Cloudy conditions Friday with temperatures in the mid-40s. Winds: ENE 5-10 G15. High: 44. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Rain tonight with early morning rain and snow possible. Winds: ENE 10-15 G25. Low: 34.A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday for Kane, DeKalb, Lake, McHenry counties.Breezy conditions are expected with a mix of rain and accumulating snow. Snowfall totals range from one to six inches in some places. Winds: WNW 10-15 G30. High: 37.Full forecast details at the WGN Weather Center

Rain this morning, sunshine this afternoon

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:43:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The weather was quiet during the overnight hours. Mason and San Saba Counties were under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 6 a.m. No severe weather ever affected these two counties. Thunderstorms moved in to western San Saba County around 5:30 a.m. with no severe weather, just lightning.Gusty south winds have howled across the area during the overnight hours with some gusts between 20 and 25 mph. Gusty west winds will be noted this afternoon drying out the air. The warming wind will send today's highs soaring to the low to mid 80s with very low humidity.Strong west winds will help result in highs in the low to mid 80s todayA bright and warm weekend is ahead for all of the area. Highs will be in the upper 70s to low 80s both days. Saturday will be sunny. Sunday will start out partly cloudy but end mostly sunny.Low rain chances will be in the Monday to Wednesday forecast with an increasing chance of showers and thunderstorms Thursday. Highs will average the middle 70s...

QUIZ: Do you know Texas' official state symbols?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:43:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Did you know that peach cobbler is the official state cobbler of Texas?Or that Texas blue topaz is the official state gem? Or that petrified palmwood is the official state stone of Texas?Texas has no less than 76 state symbols or designations, according to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, everything from state cooking implement to state hashtag (by the way, there are three - one for the state as a whole, one for tourism and one for the Texas Legislature). ‘It’s a Texas thing’: Why do Texans love Texas so much? Put your #Texas knowledge to the test in our quiz to see if you know your state flower from your state plant. You'll find out if you're Texan through and through or someone who just crossed the state line. Sorry, you are using an unsupported browser. This page will not display correctly. Please click here to upgrade to a newer browser. /**/Here's the full list of state symbols, as determined by the state legislature. No peeking before ta...