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Zelenskyy says he is weighing Ukrainian military’s request for mobilization of up to 500,000 troops

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 16:16:16 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military wants to mobilize up to 500,000 more troops to fight Russia’s invasion, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he has asked them to spell out their plans in detail on what is “a very sensitive matter” before deciding whether he grants their wish as the war approaches the two-year mark.Such a major mobilization would cost Ukraine around 500 billion hryvnias ($13.4 billion), Zelenskyy said. Other aspects to be considered include whether troops currently on the front line would be rotated or allowed home leave after almost 22 months of full-scale war.Ukrainian Ministry of Defense statistics say the Ukrainian army had nearly 800,000 troops in October. That doesn’t include National Guard or other units. In total, 1 million Ukrainians are in uniform.Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the country’s military to increase the number of troops by nearly 170,000 to a total of 1.32 million....

France’s government and conservative lawmakers find a compromise on immigration bill

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 16:16:16 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Parliament members from French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist majority and a conservative party have found agreement on a divisive immigration bill that is intended to strengthen France’s ability to deport foreigners considered undesirable, the country’s interior minister said Tuesday.Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who championed the bill, praised “an important text which will protect the French” but also allow 7,000 to 10,000 undocumented migrant workers a year to get residency permits and fill jobs in sectors that have difficulty hiring.“We will at last be able to expel foreign offenders of our territory but also integrate all those who work in our restaurants, in the agriculture sector,” Darmanin said. Conservative lawmaker Eric Ciotti, president of The Republicans party, said the compromise text features provisions to reduce the number of migrants coming to France, notably by limiting foreigners’ access to social benefits.Macr...

Female critically hurt in crash involving dump truck near Stouffville

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 16:16:16 GMT

One person is fighting for their life in hospital following a crash involving a dump truck in Whitchurch-Stouffville on Tuesday morning.Emergency crews responded to a collision between an SUV and a dump truck around 11:30 a.m. near Bloomington Road and Ninth Line.York Regional Police say one female was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.Bloomington Road is closed in the area for the investigation.COLLISION: PLEASE AVOID AREA – Bloomington Rd/Ninth Li– 11:27 collision between SUV and dump truck– 1 fml transported to trauma centre, life-threatening condition– Bloomington Rd closed— York Regional Police (@YRP) December 19, 2023

Jeff Bezos’ rocket company launches experiments in first flight since 2022 crash

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 16:16:16 GMT

Jeff Bezos’ space company successfully launched a rocket carrying experiments on Tuesday, its first flight since engine trouble caused a crash more than a year ago.The New Shepard rocket soared from West Texas, lifting a capsule full of tests, many of which were aboard the failed Blue Origin launch in September 2022. No one was aboard that flight or this latest one. This time, the capsule made it to the fringes of space, exposing the experiments from NASA and others to a few minutes of weightlessness, before parachuting back down to the desert. The rocket landed first, after releasing the capsule. It reached an altitude of 66 miles (107 kilometers) during the 10-minute flight.During 2022’s failed launch, the rocket started to veer off course shortly after liftoff, prompting the escape system to kick in and catapult the capsule off the top. The capsule landed safely, but the rocket came crashing down.The problem was traced to an overheated rocket engine nozzle that broke ...

Toronto Pearson airport has some advice ahead of busy holiday weekend

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 16:16:16 GMT

With the holiday weekend rapidly approaching, Toronto Pearson International Airport is sharing some valuable, time-saving guidance for would-be travellers.Deborah Flint, President and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), said Canada’s largest airport has taken significant steps to enhance its winter operational capabilities as it readies to welcome a record number of passengers.“The holidays are an exciting time, and Toronto Pearson is proud to play a big part in connecting people with loved ones around the world,” said Flint.The airport expects a 10 per cent increase in passenger traffic this holiday season and will try to better meet that demand by increasing staffing, expanding deicing capacity, and adding new advanced snowplows.Digital tools to help Pearson airport travellers, courtesy of the GTAAYYZ Express: An online reservation program that allows travellers to book a spot in the security line ahead of their flight, up to 72 hours in advance...

Brazil lawsuits link JBS to destruction of Amazon in protected area, seek millions in damages

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 16:16:16 GMT

JACI-PARANA, Brazil (AP) — Meat processing giant JBS SA and three other slaughterhouses are facing lawsuits seeking millions of dollars in environmental damages for allegedly purchasing cattle raised illegally in a protected area in the Brazilian Amazon.The lawsuits, filed December 5 to 12 by the western Brazilian state of Rondonia, target the exploitation of a protected area known as Jaci-Parana, once rainforest but now mostly transformed into grassland by decades of misuse by land-grabbers, loggers and cattle ranchers. Despite a law forbidding commercial cattle in the reserve, some 216,000 head now graze on pasture there, according to the state animal division. The lawsuits contain a type of evidence that is getting the attention of deforestation experts and veterans of Brazil’s illegal cattle trade: transfer documents showing cows going straight to the slaughterhouse from protected areas, with the information apparently provided by the illegal ranchers themselves. “In two d...

Members of a union representing German train drivers vote for open-ended strikes in bitter dispute

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 16:16:16 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Members of a union representing German train drivers have voted overwhelmingly to stage open-ended strikes in a bitter dispute with the main national railway operator over working hours and pay, union leaders said Tuesday.The GDL union said that 97% of members who voted in a ballot authorized fully fledged strikes at state-owned Deutsche Bahn, easily beating the 75% approval required. It said that turnout was more than 70%.GDL already has staged two one-day “warning strikes,” a common tactic in German wage negotiations. But this dispute has escalated unusually fast. GDL’s chairman, Claus Weselsky, declared last month that negotiations with Deutsche Bahn had failed after only two rounds of talks.Weselsky has said there will be no strikes before Jan. 8. He left open when and for how long members will strike after that.“What is coming now will be more powerful, longer and harder for customers” than the walkouts so far, he said. The central issue is the union’s...

Father dies saving 2-year-old daughter from oncoming driver in Denver

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 16:16:16 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A man from Denver risked his life to save his 2-year-old daughter from being hit by an oncoming car.The family of Alonso Garcia says he pushed his daughter Liz out of harm's way before he was struck by a driver on the evening of Dec. 7. He was transported to a hospital and died shortly after he was released."He loved her very much. He did everything for her. Even sacrificing his own life for her," said Karla Alanis, Garcia's sister. "Alonso took his daughter out to get something to eat, and they were on foot. He took her in a stroller. They were walking across the crosswalk when a car came on head-on and hit Alonso."'It's hard for me to accept he's gone'In that split second, Alanis said her brother made a quick decision.“[He] decided to throw the stroller to push Liz, his daughter, out the way before getting ran over," she said. Dad paralyzed after trying to stop teen with gun near Denver school Alanis told Nexstar's KDVR she rushed to the scene, where she performe...

4 embarrassing mistakes to avoid at your company's holiday party, according to an expert

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 16:16:16 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – It’s OK to have fun at your company’s holiday party, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of your “executive presence,” according to a longtime etiquette expert.Jacqueline Whitmore, the founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach, is a certified business etiquette coach with decades of experience in proper workplace protocol. But even outside of the workplace — like, for instance, at a company-sponsored holiday party — you should always stay mindful of what Whitmore calls your “executive presence,” or the appearance you wish to maintain in professional settings.“If you do something that embarrasses yourself or other people, it tarnishes your personal brand,” Whitmore tells Nexstar. The worst questions to ask on a first date, according to a longtime dating coach That isn’t to say you can’t loosen up with a few drinks or share some laughs with workplace acquaintances. You should just remain respectful and professional, Whitmore says, and avoid the following mistakes:You...

How Miracle on 5th St. has changed holiday pop-up to accommodate holiday crowds

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 16:16:16 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's the thick of the holiday season, and Miracle on 5th Street is in full swing amid its seventh year as a holiday pop-up bar at The Eleanor downtown. With thousands seeking out a bit of holiday cheer and festive cocktails, Miracle on 5th Street modified its operations last year to try and accommodate as many people as possible while also managing guest volumes at any given time.During its seven years in operation, Miracle on 5th Street has had some form of ticketing system in effect for five years that allow guests to pay to skip the line. However, last year was the first time the pop-up started to charge for general admission along with specialty passes, said Justin Lavenue, owner and operator of The Eleanor and The Roosevelt Room. RELATED: Celebrate the holidays at these Austin pop-up bars The reason behind the paid general admission tickets came down to a variety of factors, he said."Doing business in general with all the supply chain issues, higher wages and...