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Allies pledge billions for Ukraine rebuilding and seek big-business investment at London conference

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:51 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Ukraine’s allies pledged several billion dollars in non-military aid on Wednesday to rebuild its war-ravaged infrastructure, fight corruption and help pave the country’s road to membership in the European Union.Stressing the vast scale of the task, diplomats and political leaders at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London urged private-sector companies to invest and revive an economy battered by almost a year and a half of war.Delegates from more than 60 countries attended the conference, which is both a fundraising forum and a message to Russia that Ukraine’s allies are in it for the long haul.The World Bank has estimated the cost of the reconstruction at more than $400 billion, a figure rising daily alongside the human toll of Russia’s invasion. Politicians from Europe and the U.S. vowed that Russia would one day be made to pay for the destruction — though officials acknowledged that day is some way off.Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. wo...

Edmunds: The top 6 infotainment systems available in 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:51 GMT

What features do you consider a priority when car shopping? Horsepower or cargo space are often mentioned, but the reality is that today’s vehicles are quite similar in how they drive and how much stuff they can hold. However, there is one attribute that still makes a significant difference: a vehicle’s infotainment system.A new vehicle’s center display screen, software interface, audio system and associated features — all commonly known as its infotainment system — are as varied as the countless makes and models you’ll find on dealership lots. But when shopping, there’s no easy way to know if a particular vehicle’s infotainment system is innovative and user-friendly or slow to respond and counterintuitive.To help quicken your new-vehicle shopping process, the automotive experts at Edmunds have identified six of the best vehicle operating systems available today. These systems stand out from Edmunds’ testing because of their user-friendly interfaces, crisp graphics, helpful features...

Pharrell fuses entertainment and fashion for confident Louis Vuitton menswear debut

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:51 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Unveiling a new chapter in its illustrious history, Louis Vuitton made an indelible mark on Paris Fashion Week’s men’s shows as they premiered the debut collection by the acclaimed musician-turned-designer, Pharrell Williams. Appointed in February to fill the immense shoes left by the tragic departure of the late Virgil Abloh, Williams unveiled his design prowess to the fashion world with a show that exuded confidence and creativity.The breathtaking venue for this sartorial spectacle was none other than Paris’s iconic Pont Neuf. The historic bridge, typically resplendent with time-worn stone, was transformed into a golden runway — a dramatic stage set against the backdrop of the shimmering Seine, under the starlit Parisian sky.The event drew a constellation of stars in their own right, forming a stellar audience that encompassed icons of music, sports and entertainment. Among the guests lining the gilded cobbles were music royalty Beyoncé and Jay-Z, NBA superstar LeBron...

China says Biden comments likening leader Xi to a dictator ‘extremely absurd and irresponsible’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:51 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China on Wednesday called comments by President Joe Biden referring to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator “extremely absurd and irresponsible.” The new clash of words comes just over a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing that sought to break the ice in a relationship that has hit a historical low. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Biden’s comments at a fundraiser in California “go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China’s political dignity.” “It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition,” Mao said at a daily briefing. “The U.S. remarks are extremely absurd and irresponsible,” Mao said. Blinken’s visit, during which he met with Xi, was aimed at easing tensions between the two superpowers but appeared not to have achieved any solid results. Biden, at the fundraiser on Tuesday night local time, said that Xi was ...

Woman whose sexual abuser was set free seeks new ruling after losing lawsuit against prosecutor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:51 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana woman who was 16 when her boss coerced her to perform a sex act was aghast when a judge let the man walk free on probation — and she blames a prosecutor who she says misled her and the judge prior to the sentencing. But her efforts to hold the prosecutor accountable have run into a roadblock at the state’s highest court, which says longstanding court doctrine immunizes prosecutors from civil liability. Gabrielle Jameson, who was sexually assaulted in 2019 and is now 20, says she made clear to Assistant District Attorney Iain Dover in St. Tammany Parish that she wanted Jeremy Schake, 27, to spend a full year in prison as part of a deal in which Schake pleaded guilty to a sex crime involving a juvenile.But Judge William Burris, who sentenced Schake to probation in 2021 and required him to register as a sex offender, later insisted he never got that message.“It just hurt, because I’d just wanted to make my parents proud and have a big girl job and m...

Who are the five people on the missing submersible?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:51 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A renowned Titanic expert, a world-record holding adventurer, two members of one of Pakistan's wealthiest families and the CEO of the company leading an expedition to the world's most famous shipwreck are facing critical danger aboard a small submersible that went missing in the Atlantic Ocean.The submersible Titan was reported overdue Sunday night about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland, according to Canada’s Joint Rescue Coordination Center, spurring a desperate international rescue effort. Rescuers were racing against the clock because the oxygen supply could run out by approximately 6 a.m. Thursday.A Canadian aircraft detected underwater noises during the hunt for the Titan. The U.S. Coast Guard said via Twitter early Wednesday that as a result of the noises detected by the Canadian P-3 patrol aircraft, search efforts have been relocated and the data is being used to help guide the ongoing effort.The expedition featuring th...

Insufficient prototype testing could put Titanic sub passengers in 'extreme danger', lawsuit said

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:51 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — The company whose submersible vanished in the North Atlantic on a tourist dive to the wreck of the Titanic was repeatedly warned that there might be catastrophic safety problems posed by the way it was developed, documents show.With five people aboard a vessel that if still functioning would have a dwindling amount of oxygen, an expanding international fleet of ships and airplanes is searching for the Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions. The undersea exploration company based in Everett, Washington, has been making yearly voyages to the Titanic since 2021.In the first piece of good news since the search began, a Canadian aircraft detected underwater noises, though the vessel has not been found, the U.S. Coast Guard reported early Wednesday.David Lochridge, OceanGate’s director of marine operations, wrote an engineering report in 2018 that said the craft under development needed more testing and that passengers might be endangered when it reach...

Late severe storm risk follows another day of extreme heat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Our ongoing heatwave shows no signs of letting up soon as we prepare for another 7+ days of triple-digit heat.An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect through 9 p.m. tonight for heat index values up to 118°. For two consecutive days, Camp Mabry's heat index has peaked at 116°. This ties the unofficial heat index record set in August, 2016. We're on track to get close again today.Storms more likely late WednesdayThe stubborn high pressure system that's been stifling most of our rain chances recently will shift just enough to allow for a few more storms and showers to move into our area later day. Storms will initially be isolated in coverage late afternoon before becoming more scattered late evening into the overnight. Some storms may be severe with large hail and damaging wind gusts possible. Austin FC fans heading to the 8:30 p.m. game Wednesday should keep an eye to the sky and heed official warnings if storms threaten. BLOG: If June is this hot, what comes ...

Elgin Police: 2 shot, injured Tuesday evening

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:51 GMT

ELGIN, Texas (KXAN) -- The Elgin Police Department is investigating after two people were shot Tuesday evening. It happened around 5:45 p.m. in the 600 block of Alley A, the police department said in a post on social media. Both victims were taken to a hospital, and their conditions are unknown. Police said the motive for the shooting is unknown. EPD said there is no danger to the public but asked residents to stay vigilant and report suspicious behavior to 911. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Noah Feldman: Supreme Court was sensibly conservative on tribal rights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:51 GMT

Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s majority opinion for the Supreme Court in Haaland v. Brackeen is conservative in the good, old-fashioned sense of the word. In upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act, the court reaffirmed precedent and declined an invitation to revolutionize the law with a reactionary constitutional holding.Along the way, Barrett demonstrated a style of doctrinal confidence and aphoristic clarity reminiscent of her old boss, Justice Antonin Scalia. The opinion marks a step in her bid to inherit Scalia’s role as the leading conservative voice on the court.Meanwhile, in a separate concurrence joined by the court’s two most liberal members, Justice Neil Gorsuch continued his laudable effort to tell the truth about the history of U.S. oppression of Native Americans in the court’s official records, known as the U.S. Reports.The conservative judicial revolution isn’t over, not by a long shot. Expect further conservative activism in the days to come...