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Paris is warming up to EU-Mercosur deal, but slowly

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:28:50 GMT

PARIS — French Trade Minister Olivier Becht said the upcoming Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU should not force through negotiations on a trade deal between the EU and South America’s Mercosur bloc.“We have to stop thinking that Mercosur [will be concluded] under the Spanish presidency or never,” Becht told POLITICO in a telephone interview on Friday from Santiago at the end of a one-week visit to Brazil and Chile. “If it’s done under the Spanish presidency because by then we have a balanced agreement, that’s good. If it’s not done under the Spanish presidency, it doesn’t mean that it’s dead forever,” he explained. “It means that maybe we need to give ourselves some more time.” For France, “it is not a matter of timing; it is a matter of balance in the deal,” Becht said. “And the Brazilians feel the same.” Paris is ready to back the EU-Mercosur deal if its demands are met, the ...

Isolated storms today, warmer Sunday

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:28:50 GMT

7Weather- Welcome to the weekend! Some clouds today will bring isolated afternoon/evening storms. Temperatures will be close to average. Tomorrow it’ll be warmer with a lot of clouds and the better day of the two to be outside longer. High temperatures will be in the upper 60s/low 70s today. Afternoon temperatures along the coast stay in the 60s with afternoon sea breezes. We’ll watch for isolated showers/t-storms to pop up this afternoon and linger into the evening. Eastern Mass will have the best chance for isolated t-storms.Overnight, we’ll keep some clouds around. Temperatures tomorrow start off generally in the low 50s. It’ll be a warmer day, thanks to a milder airmass on a southwest wind. Temperatures reach the upper 70s/low 80s inland and 70-75 on the coast. Clouds will thicken through the day. We should stay dry.Next week will bring showers, warm temperatures and humidity at times.-Meteorologist Melanie Black

One of the 2 giant ducks in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor deflates

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:28:50 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — One of the two giant inflatable ducks floating in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor deflated on Saturday, just a day after they were unveiled to revelers. Crowds of residents and tourists flocked in the scorching heat to the promenade near the government headquarters in Admiralty to snap photos of the ducks by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman. But many who arrived in the afternoon only found one duck intact, with the other reduced to a puddle of yellow plastic. Organizers said their staff found one of the ducks was overstretched due to the hot weather and rising air pressure. “It was decided that the air needed to be immediately released by loosening the seams to avoid any potential risk,” they wrote in a post on social media. They said the duck would be transferred back to the shipyard for repair. The two 18-meter (59-feet) -tall yellow ducks resemble the bath toys. In 2013, one of Hofman’s ducks was displayed in the city and sparked a frenzy. But that duck was...

French stabbing suspect charged with attempted murder as injured toddlers remain hospitalized

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:28:50 GMT

PARIS (AP) — French judges on Saturday handed preliminary charges of attempted murder to a man suspected of stabbing four young children and two adults in a French Alps park, an attack that reverberated across France and beyond.The suspect is a 31-year-old Syrian refugee with permanent residency in Sweden. His name was not released.The lead prosecutor, Line Bonnet-Mathis, told a news conference Saturday that the man was presented to investigating judges in the lakeside town of Annecy on Saturday and given charges of attempted murder and armed resistance. He is in custody pending further investigation.The prosecutor said the victims are no longer in life-threatening condition after Thursday’s attack in and around a playground. The children, between 22 months and 3 years old, remain hospitalized.The six victims came from four different countries: France, Britain, the Netherlands and Portugal.The suspect, a 31-year-old Syrian political refugee with permanent residency status in Sweden,...

Iran police kill 9-year-old after his father stole a car and drove off with him, authorities say

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:28:50 GMT

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A boy was shot and killed by police after his father stole a car in the southwestern Khuzestan province and drove off with him, Iranian authorities said.Ruhollah Bigdeli, chief of police in Shushtar County, said — via Iran’s official police website — that officers tried to stop the “stolen vehicle by shooting at it,” but the boy was caught in the crossfire and died on the spot. Police said they issued the man several warnings before they started shooting, adding that he had a criminal record, including car theft and drug smuggling.The Iranian Jamaran news website identified the boy as 9-year-old Morteza Delf Zaregani. They spoke to the father who accused the police of not issuing any warning before shooting.Morteza’s photo was shared on social media, with people expressing sorrow for his death.In November, 9-year-old Kian Pirfalak, was killed in a shooting that his mother blamed on security forces. Pirfalak was shot and killed while pas...

4 children survived a plane crash and 40 days alone in the Amazon jungle. The youngest is a baby

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:28:50 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Four Indigenous children survived an Amazon plane crash that killed three adults and then wandered on their own in the jungle for 40 days before being found alive by Colombian soldiers.The announcement of their rescue on Friday brought a happy ending to a saga that had captivated many Colombians, a watch with highs and lows as searchers frantically combed through the rainforest hunting for the youngsters.President Gustavo Petro celebrated the news upon returning from Cuba, where he signed a cease-fire with representatives of the National Liberation Army rebel group. He said he hoped to talk with them Saturday, and officials said late Friday that the youngsters were being brought to Bogota to be checked at a hospital.An air force video showed a helicopter using lines to pull the youngsters up because it couldn’t land in the dense rainforest where they were found. The craft flew off in the fading light, the air force said it was going to San Jose del Guaviare, ...

Once ‘forgotten,’ Oujé-Bougoumou Cree watch nervously as wildfire threatens community

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:28:50 GMT

MONTREAL — For Priscilla Bosum, the magnitude of what was happening to her northern Quebec home of Oujé-Bougoumou only sunk in when an evacuation order Tuesday night left her wondering if she and her family would ever see it again.Bosum and three of her children had already left the Cree community for southern Quebec earlier that day when a fast-approaching wildfire prompted the emergency evacuation. Her husband and 18-year-old son stayed behind to help fight the blaze.“It was kind of hard for me to leave the community under those circumstances, not knowing what was gonna happen,” said Bosum. “Ashes were already falling, and the sky was turning orange. It was just scary.”Three of the province’s nine Cree communities are threatened by wildfires, including Waswanipi and Mistissini. But only Oujé-Bougoumou, about 500 kilometres north of Montreal, has been evacuated completely.With about 800 residents, Oujé-Bougoumou is the province’s newest Cree comm...

What's a common law marriage, and how's it defined in Texas?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:28:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- You might've heard of the phrase "common law marriage" before, which signifies a different kind of union compared to one marked by a ceremony or other components behind a traditional marriage. But how is it defined here in Texas, and what rights do common law couples have in the eyes of the law?How does Texas define common law marriages?Texas' definition of a common law marriage is one where neither of the partners was married, both are ages 18 or older, they agree to be married, they live together in Texas and "represent themselves to others as married," per Austin-based Abraham Kant Esquire.On that last point, common law marriages are validated in the eyes of Texas law using several factors, including statements from friends, relatives and other relevant parties that support this relationship status. Other components used to validate a common law marriage can include joint bank accounts or shared credit cards, per Abraham Kant Esquire.Contrary to some beliefs, com...

Late day storm risk followed by string of triple digits

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:28:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Following early morning storms in parts of the Hill Country and Austin-metro, our atmosphere spends the afternoon recovering ahead of another risk of storms later this evening.24-hour rainfall totals as of Saturday 6:30AMMost of our Saturday will be spent under a mix of sun and clouds. Afternoon highs will warm well into the 90s, but with humidity, will bring heat index values back above 100° in most areas.Well-developed storms firing to our north will attempt to hold together long enough to drop south into our area. Storms that do survive the trek have the potential to be severe this evening, with large hail, damaging winds and an isolated tornado possible.Slight risk (2 out of 5) for severe storms late Saturday for most of Central TexasSunday will feature even hotter temperatures and lesser rain chances. Afternoon highs will soar to the century mark in Austin Sunday afternoon with heat index values up to 105°.A ridge of high pressure will build further over the re...

Join thousands at Tower Grove Park for Susan G. Komen's 'More Than Pink' Walk

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:28:50 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Thousands of people are expected to pack Tower Grove Park this morning for the annual Susan G. Koman "more than pink" walk. The walk doesn't start for another few hours, but setup is already underway. The Walk is Susan G. Komen's annual fundraising event, where family and friends celebrate breast cancer survivors and honor those who have passed away from the disease. This year is the 25th year of impact in the St. Louis region. Funds support research and important support services for breast cancer patients. Breast cancer survivors and those living with metastatic disease can enjoy a light breakfast and visit other survivors in Hope Village. Mercy is relaunching its mobile mammography services with a top-of-the-line new van. The Mercy Mamm Van features the latest technology, including 3D imaging, giving the clearest images available. It will be available for a preview during the walk. The Mercy Mamm Van provides breast cancer screening for women starting at age 40. Appo...