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China says US military aid to Taiwan will not deter its will to unify the island

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China accused the United States of turning Taiwan into an “ammunition depot” after the White House announced a $345 million military aid package for Taipei, and the self-ruled island said Sunday it tracked six Chinese navy ships in waters off its shores.China’s Taiwan Affairs Office issued a statement late Saturday opposing the military aid to Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.“No matter how much of the ordinary people’s taxpayer money the … Taiwanese separatist forces spend, no matter how many U.S. weapons, it will not shake our resolve to solve the Taiwan problem. Or shake our firm will to realize the reunification of our motherland,” said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office.“Their actions are turning Taiwan into a powder keg and ammunition depot, aggravating the threat of war in the Taiwan Strait,” the statement said.China’s People’s Liberation Army has increased its military maneuvers in recent yea...

Official tells AP that Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in August

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia’s war on the country, an official said Saturday night. The kingdom and Kyiv did not immediately acknowledge the planned talks.The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as no authorization had been given to publicly discuss the summit. Those taking part in the summit will include Ukraine, as well as Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, the official said. A high-level official from U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration also is expected to attend, the official said. Planning for the event is being overseen by Kyiv and Russia is expected not to attend, the official said. Details regarding the summit, however, remain in flux and the official did not offer dates for the talks. The Wall Street Journal, which first report...

Overnight drone attack on Moscow injures 1, prompts temporary airport closure

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

Russian authorities say three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure of one of four airports around the Russian capital.The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the incident as an “attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime” and said three drones targeted the city. One was shot down in the surrounding Moscow region by air defense systems and two others were jammed. Those two crashed into the Moscow City business district in the capital. Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attack “insignificantly damaged” the outsides of two buildings in the Moscow City district. A security guard was injured, Russia’s state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials. No flights went into or out of the Vnukovo airport on the southern outskirts of the city for about an hour, according to Tass, and the air spac...

Trump, amid legal perils, calls on GOP to rally around him as he threatens primary challenges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — At a moment of growing legal peril, Donald Trump ramped up his calls for his GOP rivals to drop out of the 2024 presidential race as he threatened to primary Republican members of Congress who fail to focus on investigating Democratic President Joe Biden and urged them to halt Ukrainian military aid until the White House cooperates with their investigations into Biden and his family.“Every dollar spent attacking me by Republicans is a dollar given straight to the Biden campaign,” Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night. The former president and GOP frontrunner said it was time for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others he dismissed as “clowns” to clear the field, accusing them of “wasting hundreds of millions of dollars that Republicans should be using to build a massive vote-gathering operation” to take on Biden in November.The comments came two days after federal prosecutors unveiled new criminal charges against Trump as part of the case that a...

1 dead, 2 in hospital after Auburn Gresham shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

CHICAGO — One person is dead and two more are in the hospital after a shooting that took place in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood Saturday evening, according to the Chicago Police Department.CPD said the shooting took place around 8 p.m. in the 7600 block of South Peoria Street and had three victims.A 28-year-old man was shot in the face before being taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. An 18-year-old male was shot in the chest and also taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he is listed as being in serious condition. A third victim, a 24-year-old woman, was shot in the foot and taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where she is in good condition. 18-year-old pedestrian dead after Grayslake crash According to police, the 18-year-old was getting out of a vehicle when he heard shots and felt pain. The 24-year-old woman was driving in the area of South Peoria Street when she also heard shots and felt pain.Police have no one in cu...

Saturday Night Forecast: Clear skies, breezy, lows of mid-upper 60's

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

Saturday Night: Mostly clear skies and a bit breezy. NNE 5-15 mph. Lows in the mid to upper 60s in the city, cooler outlying areas.Sunday: Mostly sunny & comfortable temps. N 5-10 mph. Upper 70s inland, lower 70s by the lake. Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Extended outlook calls for showers/thunderstorms to sneak back into the forecast by late Tuesday. Warmer and muggier as we get highs back towards 90 by next Friday with showers/thunderstorms likely. Next weekend looks cooler back towards the low 80s. 

Missing 'Muddy' the CPD police dog statue returned

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

CHICAGO — After being stolen several days ago, 'Muddy' the police dog statue was mysteriously returned sometime Friday evening to early Saturday morning to its resting place outside the Chicago Police Foundation Offices.According to the Chicago Police Department, Muddy was taken from his location in the 700 block of North Dearborn Street in River North sometime Tuesday morning. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘Muddy’ the blue police dog statue stolen, CPD says Police have not disclosed details yet on who may have stolen the statue — and eventually returned it — but Muddy is one of 200 German Shephard statues that were dedicated around the city of Chicago in 2017 as a part of the 'K-9's for Cops' project.In terms of furry four-legged friends on the force, CPD currently has around 65 dogs as members of their department.

Caldwell County considers expanding emergency services

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) — Caldwell County Commissioner's Court have tabled the decision to add another emergency services district as it awaits decisions from several other cities within the county.In their meeting Tuesday, commissioners briefly discussed adding Emergency Service District (ESD) 5 which would extend emergency and ambulance services in the county.The Commissioner's Court said that the cities of Luling, Lockhart, Martindale and Uhland had already signed resolutions in support, but that it would wait until receiving responses from the cities of San Marcos, Staples and Mustang Ridge.Those responses could come as early as next week.New ESD comes as contract ends with City of LockhartThe City of Lockhart said this change is partly motivated by its ambulance services contract with Ascension Seton coming to an end in a couple months.In a statement, the City of Lockhart said: "As the City’s ambulance services contract with Ascension Seton ends on September 30, the creation of ...

Saints infielder Ernie Yake starting to find his power

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

St. Paul Saints infielder Ernie Yake raised more than a few eyebrows and created complete hysteria in the home dugout on Friday night when the second of his two homers in the game cleared the right-field wall at CHS Field.After all, the 25-year-old Yake, a 10th-round draft pick by the Twins in 2021, had more than 300 at-bats in his professional career without hitting a home run. Within a matter of minutes, he suddenly had two.“I’ve never done anything like that in my life,” Yake said prior to Saturday night’s 7-3 loss to the Toledo Mud Hens.Indeed, Yake, a four-year starter at Gonzaga, hit .300 or better in each season — while hitting a total of six home runs in his college career.To make Friday night that much more special, Yake’s parents, Vern and Anne, made the drive from their home in Bellingham, Wash., and were in attendance. After the game, Yake was thrilled to be able to hand his dad the ball he hit for his first home run.“Just like me,” Yake said, “he was in shock over what ...

Albany County Legislature to vote on asylee impact tracking

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:04 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -Deputy Minority Leader of the Albany County Legislature, Paul Burgdorf, proposed a bill that would require the county to track the financial impact of migrants within the county. That bill is expected to go to a vote in August. Information would be gathered on this group of people, with some close to home for the legislator.Burgdorf says since Memorial Day weekend, the number of migrants in Albany County has jumped from less than 100 to around 550. “We have about 125 or 130 at the SureStay in Colonie, in my district, of which 50 are children.” Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The bill passed through committee meetings with negative recommendations by Democratic lawmakers. Legislator Wanda Willingham says that information is already available, and has been used to determine the budget in years past, including using social services. “As far as social services are concerned, they break it out by zip code and ...