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Syria and Tunisia restore diplomatic ties after a decade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:55 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Syria will reopen its embassy in Tunisia after the North African country announced the appointment of a new ambassador to Damascus, Syrian state media reported Wednesday.Tunisia has become the latest Arab state to reestablish diplomatic ties with Syria, after cutting off relations a decade ago.The move by Tunisian President Kais Saied to appoint a new ambassador was immediately approved and reciprocated by the Syrian government, a joint statement from the two countries’ foreign ministries read, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.The announcement is the latest step in a regional trend of rapprochement with the war-torn country, which has picked up pace since the deadly Feb. 6 earthquake in Syria and Turkey and the Chinese-brokered reestablishment of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran.Syria was widely shunned by Arab governments over Syrian President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on protesters and later civilians in an uprising-turned-civil war that began...

Trump says he wouldn't drop out of 2024 race if convicted: 'It's not my thing'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:55 GMT

(The Hill) – Former President Trump said in a new interview that he wouldn't drop out of the 2024 race for any legal reason as he faces a possible conviction in a case involving hush-money payments. "Is there anything they could throw at you legally, that would convince you to drop out the race? If you get convicted in this case in New York, would you drop out?" Fox News' Tucker Carlson asked Trump in an interview that aired Tuesday night. "No, I'd never drop — it's not my thing. I wouldn't do it," Trump responded. Trump was arraigned last Tuesday and charged with 34 felony counts in connection to hush-money payments made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair. Trump has repeatedly denied any affair and has denounced Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation as politically motivated. New York law states that falsifying business records escalates to a felony when an individual’s "intent to defraud includes an intent to commit another crime or to...

White House says fentanyl laced with 'tranq' drug is 'emerging threat'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:55 GMT

(The Hill) – The Biden administration is declaring xylazine-laced fentanyl an official emerging drug threat to the nation, the first time any drug has been given that label.Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is an easily accessible veterinary drug approved for use in animals as a sedative and pain reliever. But it is also being used by drug dealers as a low-cost cutting agent in drugs like fentanyl as a way to extend a user's high."I'm troubled about what I've learned about the devastating impact of the fentanyl xylazine combination, which is growing in youth across the nation," said Rahul Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).The agency is going to prioritize specific action areas, including increasing testing capacity. Tranq making ‘deadliest drug threat’ in US ‘even deadlier,’ DEA warns "Testing for xylazine is uneven across the United States, which makes it hard to get the national picture. Many communities are not even aware of this threat in the...

Hwy 71 shut down near FM 620 due to 18-wheeler crash, diesel spill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:55 GMT

LAKEWAY, Texas (KXAN) -- All lanes of Hwy 71 near FM 620 were shut down around 5:20 a.m. because of an 18-wheeler crash and diesel spill on the roadway. Lakeway Police tweeted that all lanes of Hwy 71 were shut down between Great Divide Drive and Bee Cave Parkway. That area is near the Hill Country Galleria. Bee Cave Police said the 18-wheeler hit a 500-gallon tank of diesel on Hwy 71 near Great Divide Drive, and the diesel spilled all over the road. Police said it's not clear why the tank was there. Real time traffic map No injuries were reported. Police said to expect significant delays. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Warming spring temperatures ahead of weekend cold front

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Tuesday afternoon was Austin's 7th-consecutive cooler than normal day with high temperatures in the 70s under partly cloudy skies.The forecast remains pleasant and spring-like through the work week with cool mornings and areas of valley fog, then dry, mild afternoons.A slow and steady warming trend begins Wednesday as high temperatures return to near 80 degrees. Warmth and humidity slowly build through Saturday afternoon as the next storm approaches.As things appear now, we only expect a low chance of a few showers and thunderstorms on Saturday, then cooler, breezy weather behind the system on Sunday.Low rain chance on Saturday as the next storm system passes byRain totals will be meager and isolated, under 0.25" areawide. Some areas will remain completely dry. Those participating in the Cap 10K race Sunday morning will enjoy low humidity and breezy north winds.FIRST WARNING WEATHER: Stay up to date with your Central Texas forecast, sign up for our weather newslette...

Amanda Little: Ukraine has given the world a blueprint to fight hunger

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:55 GMT

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year triggered tumult across global grain markets. As the cost of corn and wheat surged, panic spread about instability in countries from Yemen to Bangladesh that depend on the warring region for low-cost grains. Would famine worsen? Would civil unrest ensue?While food-insecure countries have suffered keenly from high grain prices over the past year, some of the consequences we feared most have been avoided. Even as the conflict continues to rage, grain markets have calmed down considerably, with prices close to pre-invasion levels — a better outcome than many expected.Astute diplomacy, next-level technologies, a resilient distribution infrastructure and efficient trading strategies were key elements of coping with these disrupted markets. The world acted quickly to leverage those strengths across global networks, moving grain from regions where it’s cheap and plentiful to those where it was scarce and costly.Imagine what would be ...

Andrew Bacevich: Eisenhower’s misgivings about military power still ring true

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:55 GMT

As an orator, Dwight D. Eisenhower was not in the same league with Abraham Lincoln or Franklin Roosevelt. His roster of memorable speeches numbers a grand total of two, a paltry total for someone who served eight years as U.S. president. Yet some five decades after his death, those two speeches retain at least as much salience as anything Lincoln or FDR ever said.The second and more famous of those speeches was his Farewell Address in which Ike warned against the danger posed by what he called the “military-industrial complex.” The first, arguably less well remembered, became known as his “Cross of Iron” speech.Ike used his Farewell Address, televised nationally on Jan. 17, 1961, to offer his final reflections on his public life. “Cross of Iron,” delivered 70 years ago this month, on April 16, 1953, was his first formal presentation following his inauguration. So the two presentations book-ended his presidency.Together, they addressed a common the...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: My Complaint Got Someone Fired; Should I Have Kept Quiet?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:55 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma came from Kaylee and it's about complaining. Here's her email: Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime. I'm feeling pretty bad about something that happened, and I'm hoping you can use this as your dilemma so I can find out if others would have done what I did. I enjoy going to my regular coffee place all the time. It's a local spot, and I go in at least three to four times a week. Usually I have a great experience until about two weeks ago. Apparently they hired a young woman who does not like her job. Almost every single time that she's handled my order it's been wrong. And a couple of times, the way she handed my coffee to me made it spill over my hand, and it's hot. After these things happened several times, I had to say something. First to her, and then when I didn't get a good response, I spoke to the manager. Long and the short of it, the young woman got fired...

Ballston Spa resident pleads guilty to catalytic converter theft

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:55 GMT

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Ballston Spa resident pleaded guilty in connection to catalytic converter thefts and will face one to three years in jail, according to the Saratoga County District Attorney's Office. Penny Richards, 48, was arrested in November 2022. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! State Police received multiple complaints of catalytic converters being cut and stolen from parked vehicles at Clifton Park and Halfmoon businesses. In assistance with the Saratoga Springs Police Department, state police say their investigation revealed Trever Murphy removed and stole the parts with Richards as an aid. The damages caused were estimated to be north of $30,000.Richards was sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty in February.

Drunk driver gets one year for crashing into patrol car

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:55 GMT

HALFMOON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Albany woman pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated, after crashing into a state trooper patrol car in February 2022, according to the Office of the District Attorney of Saratoga County. In doing so, Allison Bechtold will serve one year in jail. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On Sunday, February 21, 2022, around 12:34 a.m., a troop car was at a traffic light on Vischer Ferry Road at the intersection of Crescent Road in Halfmoon. When the trooper’s car was stopped, it was struck from behind by another car. No one was injured in the crash.At the time, police said they could smell alcohol while speaking with Bechtold, who was identified as the driver. Bechtold took a roadside sobriety test and was taken into custody for driving under the influence. She was taken to Clifton Park State Police and provided a breath sample of .19% B.A.C. Elevator door-close buttons don’t do anything According...