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Germany orders closure of four out of five Russian consulates in tit-for-tat move

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:21 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany says it has told Russia to close four out of five consulates in Germany in a tit-for-tat move after Moscow set a limit for the number of German embassy staff and related bodies that can operate in Russia.Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christofer Burger told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday that the measure is intended to create a “parity of personnel and structures” between the two countries.The Russian government recently said that an upper limit of 350 German government officials, including those working in cultural bodies and schools, can remain in Russia. Burger said this means Germany will have to shut three consulates in Russia by November.He said Russia will be allowed to continue operating the embassy in Berlin and one further consulate after the end of the year.The Associated Press

Myanmar court convicts journalist injured by army on 2nd charge, extending jail term to 13 years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:21 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — A court in military-ruled Myanmar has convicted a 34-year-old journalist of violating the country’s counter-terrorism law, adding 10 years to the three-year prison sentence she was handed last December for filming an anti-military protest, according to her lawyer and a family member.The conviction of Hmue Yadanar Khet Moh Moh Tun, a video journalist for the online Myanmar Pressphoto Agency, was the latest move against press freedom by the country’s ruling military, which has cracked down on independent media since seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.Myanmar is one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists, second only to China, according to Reporters Without Borders, and it is ranked near the bottom of the watchdog’s World Press Freedom Index – 173rd out of 180 countries this year.“By imposing this additional 10-year sentence on Hmu Yadanar, the military junta led by Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has yet again demonstrated t...

North Korea’s failed satellite launch triggers public confusion, security jitters in neighbors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:21 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s launch of a spy satellite on Wednesday ended in an embarrassing failure, but still prompted public confusion and security jitters in neighboring South Korea and Japan, which are wary of the North’s growing weapons arsenal.About 14 minutes after the launch at 6:27 a.m., authorities in Seoul, South Korea’s capital, sent text messages to all mobile phones in the city urging people to prepare to move to safer places, without explaining the reason. In some areas, the warning was broadcast over loudspeakers.Then, about 22 minutes later, the Interior and Safety Ministry sent messages to Seoul residents saying the earlier warning was sent in error. Ministry officials said it was only intended for people living on a front-line island off the west coast that is closer to the rocket’s flight path, and that a warning had been sent to them at 6:29 a.m.Seoul, a city of 10 million people, is only an hour’s drive from the heavily fortified border ...

Al Jazeera says Qatar’s prime minister met with Taliban’s supreme leader in Afghanistan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:21 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The supreme leader of the Taliban met in Afghanistan with Qatar’s prime minister this month, the first-such publicly known meeting between the Taliban’s reclusive leader and a foreign official, the Al Jazeera satellite news network reported Wednesday. Haibatullah Akhunzada met Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on May 12 in Afghanistan’s southern city of Kandahar, the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban, Al Jazeera said. Sheikh Mohammed also is the foreign minister of Qatar, an energy-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula. The state-owned network did not specifically discuss what the two officials spoke about, though it described the meeting as aimed at ways to end the Taliban’s international isolation. Qatari government officials declined to discuss the meeting, which Reuters first reported. The Taliban did not respond to requests for comment regarding the meeting. The U.S. State Department did not immedi...

Master business skills without paying for an MBA

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:21 GMT

Lindsay Mack earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 2005. Nearly 15 years later, when she considered the best way to grow her business acumen, an MBA was not it.Mack, who is from Philadelphia, grew her career without an MBA. When ready to advance her skills in platform strategy, she opted for a faster, lower-cost cohort program instead.For students like Mack, the cost of a top MBA — averaging $225,605 in the U.S., according to a 2022 report by BusinessBecause, an online publisher of graduate business content — is daunting, and the value is questionable.“I didn’t see how making such a significant investment (in an MBA) would really leapfrog me to the next level,” says Mack, now Comcast ’s executive director of product management.Cost isn’t the only barrier to attaining a graduate business degree. BusinessBecause reports that the average acceptance rate for the most competitive U.S. business schools is 16%, based on its analysis of data from U.S. News & World R...

4 shot outside store in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:21 GMT

CHICAGO — Police are searching for the person who shot four people outside a store in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood.The shooting happened in the 7000 block of South Halsted around 8:35 p.m. Tuesday. Police said a group of people were on the sidewalk outside a store when an unknown person began shooting in their direction from a grey Dodge Durango.Four people were struck. A 36-year-old man was shot in the head and transported to University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition. A 34-year-old man was shot twice in the buttocks and once in the abdomen and was also transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition. North Lawndale family seeks justice for woman killed in hit-and-run A 43-year-old man was shot twice in the left leg and transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition. A woman suffered a graze wound to the arm and received medical attention on the scene.It is unknown if the victims were the intended target. No further details hav...

Wednesday Forecast: Temps near 90 with chance for scattered storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:21 GMT

CHICAGO — Temperatures near 90 Wednesday with partly cloudy conditions. A 30 percent afternoon storm chance, cooler lakeside. Winds: SSE 5-10 G15. High: 89/81. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Partly cloudy tonight with a 20% storm chance. Winds: SE 0-5. Low: 68.Thursday Forecast: Partly cloudy with a 30% storm chance, cooler lakeside. Winds: SSE 5-10 G15. High: 88/80.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Free food available for families this summer break

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Although summer is a celebration for countless kids, it's also a very tough time for plenty of parents.Many are attempting to make ends meet while ensuring that their families have enough food on their plates.With school out of session for summer break, food is not as readily available.According to Feeding America, 1 in 6 children in Texas are facing hunger. Many of these kids depend on free food from school breakfasts and lunches.To help out, the Central Texas Food Bank is bringing back its summer meals program.Starting on June 5th, the nonprofit will partner with 60 sites citywide, distributing about 5,000 meals a day to families in need. RELATED: Pflugerville ISD offering free meals through summer break "We are doubling our output of meals,” Central Texas Food Bank president and CEO Sari Vatske said. “We want to make sure that kids have access to food when school is not in session."She also mentioned that summer brings more challenges for low-income families."We...

Easy-to-remember license plates introduced for Texas drivers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The makers of specialty license plates in Texas just launched a series of easy-to-remember customizable license plate messages. My Plates said on May 22 the new 2 Plus 2 Personalized Plate Combinations would feature the combinations of two letters plus two numbers.The company said buyers could use any combinations from initials, state abbreviations, to favorite schools or teams. My Plates did warn that "once a combination is gone, it may not ever be available again.""We are excited to offer this new series of 2 Plus 2 special personalized license plate combinations to our customers," said Steve Farrar, CEO of My Plates. "These plates are a great way to express your individuality and make your vehicle stand out from the crowd."The license plates are available for purchase online.

Veterans Affairs Secretary tours Central Texas facilities

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Secretary of Veterans Affairs said Tuesday Central Texas is the third-fastest growing region in the country for veterans. Secretary Denis McDonough toured the VA clinic in Cedar Park Tuesday morning to talk about the importance of the region."That's why last year we opened new facilities in Killeen and Copperas Cove. That's why we are, why we've arranged funding of new facilities in San Marcos and Pflugerville. These are all opportunities for us to reach our veterans, who have earned and deserved world-class healthcare," Secretary McDonough told a press conference at the clinic. McDonough and Congressman John Carter, R-Texas, also revealed while the VA dealt with a record number of claims in 2022, the nation is already on pace to break that in 2023.McDonough also visited facilities in Austin and San Antonio, according to a press release from the Department of Veterans Affairs.