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Farmers across Bulgaria protest against Ukrainian grain as EU divide grows

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:50 GMT

PERNIK, Bulgaria (AP) — Farmers across Bulgaria protested Monday after the government lifted a ban on food products from Ukraine, complaining that the move will cause an influx that drives down prices for local growers.Hundreds of farmers around the country converged in their tractors, many of them waving national flags and honking horns as they blockaded main roads and disrupted traffic to express their anger.The protest follows a decision Thursday by Bulgarian lawmakers to allow imports from Ukraine to resume, saying the ban had deprived the government of tax revenue and led to higher food prices.A day later, the European Union also decided not to renew the overall ban on Ukrainian food heading to five member countries. Poland, Hungary and Slovakia have since unilaterally imposed their own blockades, threatening European unity on support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.The rising tensions come after Russia halted a U.N.-brokered agreement last month to guarantee safe shipmen...

Mexican president defends inclusion of Russian military contingent in Independence parade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:50 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president on Monday defended the participation of a contingent of Russian soldiers in a military parade over the weekend.The presence of the Russian contingent in the Independence parade Saturday drew criticism because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mexico has condemned the invasion but has adopted a policy of neutrality and has refused to participate in sanctions as it continues to buy 2020-vintage COVID vaccines from Russia.President Andrés Manuel López Obrador noted that a contingent from China also participated, and said that all the countries Mexico has diplomatic relations with were invited.López Obrador acknowledged the issue became “a scandal,” but attributed it to his ongoing spat with the news media, which he believes is against him.“The Chinese were also in the parade, and there wasn’t so much outcry,” López Obrador said, noting a Russian contingent had participated in the past, although at times when that country was not actively invad...

Alligator with no upper jaw gets new home in Florida

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:50 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Florida reptile park has taken in an alligator that lost its nose and upper jaw to a fight or boat propeller.Gatorland Orlando said over the weekend that the injured alligator came from a lake in nearby Sanford, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Orlando.“She had basically no chance of surviving in the wild with such a severe injury,” the park said in a social media post. ‘This is the day I die’: Massive alligator charges at Girl Scout troop during swim Over the next few days, the park's veterinarian staff will be monitoring the gator in an effort to make sure it is eating in a stress-free environment, the park said.Gatorland Orlando is home to thousands of alligators and crocodiles, a breeding marsh, an aviary, a nature walk, a petting zoo and educational wildlife programs. It opened in 1949 and is considered one of the few remaining “Old Florida” tourist attractions in central Florida.

National parks will be free to visit on Saturday: What to know

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:50 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — With the fall colors starting to come in, and cooler winter months not long off, you may be trying to get out and enjoy the weather. You’ll have a great opportunity on Saturday when all U.S. national parks will be free to enter.Saturday is one of five days the National Park Service is waiving admission fees for in 2023. We’ve already had three free days this year: January 16, which is Martin Luther King Day; April 22, which was the first day of National Park Week; and August 4, marking the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act. September 23 is the fourth free admission day, which was enacted to recognize National Public Lands Day.  It was a popular national monument, until it was robbed to extinction According to NPS, National Public Lands Day was established in 1994 and has been held on the fourth Saturday of September every year. It is, traditionally, the U.S.’s largest single-day volunteer effort, encouraging people to connect with the nature...

How tiebreakers could impact the Cubs' Wild Card chances

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:50 GMT

CHICAGO — The Cubs' race for a playoff spot got a whole lot tighter after a bad week on the road. In fact, the team is on the outside looking in at the Major League Baseball playoffs at the moment - and tiebreakers could be an issue once the regular season ends. Thanks to five-straight losses, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks this weekend in Phoenix, the Cubs are currently out of the last Wild Card spot with 12 games to go.They have a 78-72 record, which is tied with the Marlins, but they have a hold on that last playoff spot since they have a better head-to-head record against the Cubs. That is the tie-breaker for the new six-team playoff format in the MLB, which took out "Game 163" to settle regular season ties.Miami won the season series against Chicago 4-2, sweeping a series on their home field April 28-30 while the Cubs took 2-of-3 against the Marlins at Wrigley Field May 5-7. A similar scenario could play out if the Cubs end up in a fight for a pla...

Report: UT Austin ranked 9th best public university in the nation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:50 GMT

Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Sept. 18, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) — Everything's bigger in Texas — including the University of Texas at Austin's ranking among public universities across the country.U.S. News & World Report released its 2024 undergraduate rankings, with the Longhorns ranked the ninth-best public university in the country and No. 1 among public universities in Texas. AP POLL: Texas football has highest ranking since 2009 Overall, UT ranks No. 32 among both public and private schools this year, climbing six places from its 2023 ranking.Within the university, the McCombs School of Bus ranked No. 5 in the country, with 12 of its school specialties listed among U.S. News & World Report's Top 10. Its accounting program retained its No. 1 listing.The Cockrell School of Engineering came in at No. 11 nationwide, with six of its specialties ranked among the Top 10. The computer science program landed at No. 11, with five specialties inclu...

What safety changes are coming to Bluff Springs Road in southeast Austin?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Transportation and Public Works Department is poised to begin work on intersection safety upgrades along Bluff Springs Road in southeast Austin this month.The safety project encompasses intersection improvements, enhanced street lighting, protected bikeways, improved pedestrian crossings and elevated transit stops along Bluff Springs Road, per the ATPWD's project webpage. The project boundary runs along Bluff Springs Road from William Cannon Drive to the Austin city limits in the 8300 block of Bluff Springs Road.Safety improvements are coming to a stretch of Bluff Springs Road in southeast Austin. (Courtesy: Austin Transportation and Public Works Department)The project corridor is designated as a high-crash corridor within the City of Austin's High-Injury Network, a city database that tracks roadways within city limits that account for a high volume of crashes resulting in serious injuries and deaths. Nearly 240 crashes were reported between May 2018 and A...

Green projects could earn money for some Austin schools

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin's Bright Green Futures grant program aims to benefit green ideas for local schools and students.The grant, in its 12th year, is not just exclusively for the Austin Independent School District but for any school that utilizes Austin city services including Austin Water, Austin Resource Recovery, and Austin Energy. The grant cannot fund home schools.Mary K. Priddy spoke with Rich Segal about the program.Eligible chools interested in the grant are required to submit an application. Submitters don't have to be grant writers when filling out the application. The six questions that are required to be answered include the name of the school, what the school will do and who will help in the green effort, and and when it will be completed.The six-question application will be reviewed and a numerical grade given. The higher the score, the greater the chance of a school getting one of the grants.Over the previous 11 years, over 500 projects were funded. Anot...

German restaurant opening on Route 9 in Queensbury

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:50 GMT

QUEENSBURY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- For 10 years, Christian Raeth has been planning to open his own authentic German restaurant. That dream is finally becoming a reality. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! His restaurant, Spargel On Nine, will be opening in the former Outback Steakhouse and 40 Oak space at 925 Route 9. 40 Oak permanently closed in July. Raeth was born and raised in Germany and started his culinary training when he was 15 years old. He came to the United States in 1990 and permanently moved here in 2000. He previously worked as a chef at the Albany Country Club, Fort William Henry, and Van Patten Golf Club, and has been working at Sysco for the last 13 years. Schenectady Ale Trail rebrands, new passports available Raeth is both the owner and executive chef of Spargel On Nine. He said "spargel" means "asparagus" in German, and Germans love asparagus. It'll be an authentic German restaurant to a fault, said Raeth, since e...

$50K winning Powerball ticket sold in Newburgh

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:50 GMT

NEWBURGH, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A lucky Smokes 4 Less customer purchased a top-prize-winning Powerball ticket worth $50,000. The winning ticket was from the September 16 drawing and was sold at the 59 North Plank Road location. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The winning numbers were 08, 11, 19, 24, 46, and the power ball was 5. The winning numbers for the August 19 drawing were 1, 25, 27, 38, and 62, and the power ball was 13. The winning numbers for the Powerball game are drawn from a field of one to 69. The red Power Ball is drawn from a separate field of one to 26. The Powerball drawing is televised every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.The New York Lottery is North America’s largest and most profitable lottery, contributing $3.7B in the 2022-2023 fiscal year to support education in New York. New Yorkers struggling with a gambling problem can contact the confidential HOPEline at 1-877-846-7369 or text HOPENY (467369...