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Kosovo accuses Serbia of direct involvement in deadly clashes and investigates possible Russian role

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:47 GMT

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo’s interior minister on Thursday accused Serbia of direct involvement in weekend clashes and was investigating the possibility of Russian involvement in the violence that left four people dead and further strained relations between the former wartime foes.One Kosovo police officer and three gunmen were killed in Sunday’s shootout between Serb insurgents and Kosovo police. Eight people were initially arrested, but four of them have been released from custody because of a lack of evidence.Kosovo Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla told The Associated Press in an interview that investigators were looking at evidence linking Russia, an ally of Serbia, to the armed assault. Russian weapons, other equipment and documents suggesting Russian involvement were discovered after the daylong gunbattle, he said.In one of the worst confrontations since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, about 30 masked men opened fire on a police patrol near the...

Germany and Israel sign an agreement for Berlin to buy a US-Israeli missile defense system

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:47 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany and Israel on Thursday signed an agreement for Berlin to buy the sophisticated Arrow 3 missile defense system, designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles. The development is the latest step in Berlin’s bid to strengthen its air defenses following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Germany aims to integrate the system into wider NATO air defense efforts. Last year, Berlin launched the European Sky Shield Initiative, which now includes 19 countries.Israel secured U.S. approval in August for the $3.5 billion deal, which was needed because the system was jointly developed with the United States. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant signed a memorandum of understanding in Berlin on Thursday for the purchase of Arrow 3. “It is, without exaggerating, a historic day for both our countries,” Pistorius told reporters, describing Arrow as “one of the best systems, if not the best.” “We see from the daily Russian a...

Ringo Starr on ‘Rewind Forward,’ writing country music, the AI-assisted final Beatles track and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:47 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — There are rock stars, and then there is Ringo Starr — drummer for the Beatles, award-winning soloist, photographer, narrator, actor, activist. To call him prolific would almost shortchange his accomplishments. But it also feels right.“Rewind Forward,” out October 13, is his fourth extended play release in three years.“I’ve loved EPs since they first came out in the ’60s,” he says of the format. “And then I heard the kids are making EPs and thought, ‘That’s good!’”The title is a classic “Ringoism,” as John Lennon used to refer to his malapropisms, an unusual phrase ripped from the same mind that came up with “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Tomorrow Never Knows.” Assigning profundity to it came later. “I think it means that, you know, you’re sitting still for a while. You rewind and you find out ‘I was a much better person then,’ or ‘this was working for me better then,’ he says. You don’t have to ever live in the past, but just check it occasionally.”“Of course, I’m maki...

Netflix’s DVD-by-mail service bows out as its red-and-white envelopes make their final trip

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:47 GMT

The curtain is finally coming down on Netflix’s once-iconic DVD-by-mail service, a quarter century after two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs came up with a concept that obliterated Blockbuster video stores while providing a springboard into video streaming that has transformed entertainment. The DVD service that has been steadily shrinking in the shadow of Netflix’s video streaming service will shut down after its five remaining distribution centers in California, Texas, Georgia and New Jersey mail out their final discs Friday.The fewer than 1 million recipients who still subscribe to the DVD service will be able to keep the final discs that land in their mailboxes.Some of the remaining DVD diehards will get up to 10 discs as a going away present from a service that boasted as many as 16 million subscribers. That was before Netflix made the pivotal decision in 2011 to separate the DVD side business from a streaming business that now boasts 238 million subscribers and genera...

Lebanese singer and actress Najah Sallam dies at age 92

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:47 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese singer and actress Najah Sallam, who surged to fame in the mid-20th century in the Middle East for her songs promoting pan-Arabism, has died, her family said Thursday. She was 92. Her family did not disclose the cause of her death. Sallam was born on March 13, 1931, and became popular as a singer in the 1950s, especially in Egypt during the 1956 Suez Canal when then-President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal and broke Egypt from its colonial past. The move angered Britain, France, and Israel, which invaded the country, sparking the second Arab-Israeli war. Nasser later granted Sallam an honorary Egyptian citizenship. Sallam was also a well-known actress and was involved in about a dozen Arabic-language films in the 1950s and 1960s.In 2018, then-Lebanese President Michel Aoun honored Sallam and other iconic artists in a celebration marking the 80th anniversary of Radio Lebanon, one of the region’s oldest radio stations.“The journey has ended,” her...

69-year-old woman killed in Aurora hit-and-run

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:47 GMT

AURORA, Ill. — A 69-year-old woman was killed in a hit-and-run Wednesday morning in Aurora.At around 1:55 a.m., authorities responded to the area of Galena Boulevard west of Barnes Road on the report of a person in the road.When police arrived they found a 69-year-old woman, later identified as Annie Kpa, of Aurora, dead at the scene.Following a preliminary investigation, police determined the woman was walking in the roadway when she was struck by a vehicle that left the scene. 2 Aurora city workers credited with saving 1-year-old boy Authorities have not released a description of the vehicle at this time.Anyone with information can call police at 630-256-5330.

Hundreds of employees at CSL Behring in Bradley on strike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:47 GMT

BRADLEY, Ill. — Hundreds of workers at a medical plant in Kankakee County are walking off the job.The contract for union workers at CSL Behring in Bradley, Illinois expired Wednesday night. A large number of employees are rallying outside the main entrance to the facility Thursday.They are calling for a new three-year deal — negotiating sessions were held Monday and Tuesday.In a statement, CSL Behring said it offered an excellent contract proposal that includes an 11% raise over three years, plus other benefits on holidays and healthcare.But unlike many strikes, the two sides are not necessarily at odds over money and benefits, instead it's about outsourced work to non union workers.CSL Behring is Kankakee County's largest manufaturing facility. There are more than 1500 workers at the bio pharmaceutical company, more than 700 are members of the union. Larry Snelling confirmed as CPD superintendent The two sides have been negotiating for a while. The company said it is ready to res...

Cathay Pacific direct flights from O'Hare Hong Kong returns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:47 GMT

CHICAGO -- Hong Kong's home airline, Cathay Pacific, resumes direct flights from O'Hare since the pandemic, the Chicago Department of Aviation announced Thursday.Flights will resume again Tuesday, Oct. 3 and will depart Chicago at 4:05 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, arriving in Hong Kong at 8:45 p.m. the following day. Suburban English teacher helps students grow through writing, seeking truth Return fights will leave Hong Kong at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays, arriving in Chicago at 2:25 p.m. the same day.“From one world-class global hub to another, I’m proud to welcome direct Hong Kong service back to Chicago,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement.

WATCH: First congressional hearing on Maui wildfire to focus on island's sole electric provider and grid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hawaii's top public utility officials and the president of Hawaiian Electric are expected to testify Thursday in a congressional hearing about the role the electrical grid played in last month's deadly Maui wildfire.Members of a U.S. House Energy and Commerce subcommittee are expected to question the utility officials about how the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century began — and whether the electrical grid in Lahaina was safe and properly maintained.The fire killed at least 97 people and destroyed more than 2,000 buildings, mostly homes. It first erupted at 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 8, when strong winds appeared to cause a Hawaiian Electric powerline to fall, igniting dry brush and grass near a large subdivision.Among those expected to testify are Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Chair Leodoloff Asuncion Jr. and Hawaii Chief Energy Officer Mark Glick. How a shutdown would impact key health care programs Energy and Commerc...

WATCH: House Republicans are set to make their case for Biden impeachment inquiry at first hearing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have insisted for months that they have the grounds to launch impeachment proceedings against President Joe Biden. On Thursday, they will begin formally making their case to the public and their skeptical colleagues in the Senate.The chairmen of Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means will hold the opening hearing of their impeachment inquiry by reviewing the constitutional and legal questions surrounding their investigation of Biden and what they say are links to his son Hunter's overseas businesses."Based on the evidence, Congress has a duty to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden's corruption," Rep. James Comer, the Oversight chairman, said in a statement this week.Comer added that the committee plans to "present evidence uncovered to date and hear from legal and financial experts about crimes the Bidens may have committed as they brought in millions at the expense of U.S. interests." More SNAP changes coming Oct. 1 It's a high-stakes ...