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Myanmar’s military should be investigated for war crimes, Amnesty International says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:07:56 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — The human rights group Amnesty International on Thursday accused the Myanmar military of indiscriminate killings, detaining civilians, and using air-dropped cluster munitions in response to an insurgency in the northeast and west, and demanded an investigation into war crimes. Fighting has been raging in the northern part of Shan state since the Arakan Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, calling themselves the Three Brotherhood Alliance, launched a coordinated offensive on Oct. 27. A little more than two weeks later, the Arakan Army also attacked outposts in its home state of Rakhine in the west.The offensive of the well-trained and well-armed ethnic militias has been seen as a significant challenge for the army, which has struggled to contain a nationwide uprising by members of the People’s Defense Forces, a pro-democracy armed group established after the army seized power from the elected government of Aung Sa...

Cyprus minister says his nation leads EU in repatriations and migrant arrivals are down sharply

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:07:56 GMT

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus is the first European Union member country to repatriate more migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected than have arrived in a single year, the east Mediterranean island nation’s interior minister said Thursday.Constantinos Ioannou told the state broadcaster that over 11,000 migrants have been repatriated so far this year, more than double the number from 2022. That ranks Cyprus 4th in repatriations among all EU states in absolute numbers. About two-thirds of those repatriations were voluntary.But Ioannou said a deal EU leaders reached on Wednesday on new rules to control migration falls short of Cyprus’ demand for compulsory relocation of migrants from front-line states under strain from increased arrivals, to other bloc members.He said on the upside, the deal foresees that EU members refusing to take in migrants from a front-line state must pay that country 20,000 euros ($22,000) for each migrant.Ioannou said the Cypriot government’s...

Time to replace your car? How to tell when repair bills are no longer worth it

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:07:56 GMT

TORONTO — Deciding whether to fix your aging car again or trade it in for a new one can be a tough calculation at the best of times, let alone when financing costs have significantly jumped and car prices have soared.Whether to repair or replace your car comes down to balancing the cost and utility of the vehicle, according to Ben Mayhew, a financial planner and founder of Aergo Financial Planning in Halifax.“But when you’re in an environment where used car prices and new car prices are significantly higher, we need to go deeper on looking at that balance,” he said. He suggested finding a trustworthy mechanic who can help determine if an expensive repair could help defer acar purchase. Whether to head to the garage also depends on the health of the other parts of the car. If it’s a big one-time cost and you’re extending the car’s use to the very end of its life, it could give the owner more time to save toward a vehicle purchase in the future, May...

Security guard fatally shot in Chatham ID'd; suspects sought

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:07:56 GMT

CHICAGO — The security guard who was fatally shot at a Chatham shopping center has been identified.The medical examiner has identifed him as 53-year-old Edward F. Creamer of Calumet City.Officers responded around 1 p.m. Wednesday to the 700 block of East 87th Street on the report of a shooting in the city's Chatham neighborhood. Police said Creamer was involved in a verbal altercation with three males and a female. A source told WGN News he was working as a security guard at DTLR, a shoe store.One of the male suspects shot the security guard three times during the incident. Creamer was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, where he later died. Security guard shot, killed in Chatham Police continue their search for four suspects wanted in the shooting. The group reportedly fled the scene in a gray sedan, according to police.It is unknown at this time what led to the altercation between Creamer and the suspects.

Powerball jackpot climbs to $620M. How much would you actually get in Illinois?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:07:56 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — The Powerball prize continues to climb ahead of the holidays after no one won the big prize in Wednesday night's drawing. Three tickets sold in Colorado, Kentucky and Virginia were worth $2 million apiece, while two tickets sold in Kentucky and Rhode Island won $1 million each.The winning numbers drawn Wednesday were 27, 35, 41, 56, 60, and red Powerball 16. The Power Play was 2X.Powerball officials now estimate the jackpot to be $620 million with a cash value of $310.8 million ahead of Saturday night's drawing. How did two tickets sold at the same gas station win the Mega Millions jackpot? There are two payout options a Powerball jackpot winner chooses from: the cash lump sum payment (the most common, but the one you may want to think twice about) and the annuitized option. The cash payout is worth about $310.8 million in this drawing — it's the amount of money Powerball officials believe they’ll have in the prize pool at the time of the drawing, which would be enoug...

Americans released from Venezuelan prison

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:07:56 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Several Americans who had been jailed in Venezuela touched down on American soil last night following a deal between the Biden administration and the Venezuelan government.The White House says the deal was months in the making. Ten Americans were freed in the prisoner swap."We have secured the release of every American being held in Venezuela," said President Joe Biden.Fugitive Leonard Francis, also known as "Fat Leonard," was also returned to America.The defense contractor escaped house arrest in California last year and fled to Venezuela. The U.S. released a close ally of the Venezuelan president, Colombian businessman Alex Saab, who had been arrested on federal money laundering charges.President Biden defended the controversial deal last night." It's okay because we heard Americans, people who were held illegally and we made a deal with Venezuela that they hold free elections so far, they've maintained the requirement," said Biden.As part of the deal,...

In-N-Out adds first new items to menu since 2018

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:07:56 GMT

(KTLA) – For the first time in five years, In-N-Out has added new items to its menu.Earlier this week, the California-based chain announced that Lite Pink Lemonade and Cherry Coke are now available at restaurants, effectively making them the first new menu items since 2018."We are so excited to share two new options on our beverage menu that we think you are going to love!" reads a post shared to In-N-Out's social media pages.The new lemonade — a lower-calorie version of its classic pink lemonade — is made with lemon juice and is sweetened with stevia leaves and monk fruit. Cherry Coke, meanwhile, takes its place among other Coca-Cola-owned offerings including classic Coke, Minute Maid zero-sugar lemonade and Barq's root beers. In-N-Out last augmented its menu with a new item in 2018, when hot cocoa was introduced. Restaurants have also been known to provide free hot cocoa to children 12 and under on rainy or snowy days, depending on the location. The not-so-secret meaning behind ...

Vehicle thefts on the rise at Austin's airport

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:07:56 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Data from the Austin Police Department shows the number of vehicles stolen from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, including thefts in the parking garages, has risen this year when compared to the past five years. KXAN reached out to APD after multiple viewers said their vehicle was stolen from one of the parking garages at the airport while they were traveling. Those viewers said their cars were eventually found in other Texas cities like Houston and Dallas. Over the past five years, the data shows there have been 230 reports of stolen cars from the airport. Of those, 177 cars were stolen from one of the designated garages where the airport offers overnight parking for travelers. This chart shows the car theft data at ABIA from Jan. 2018 to Aug. 2023. Car thefts happen in parking lots around the airport, not just the parking garages (Courtesy Austin Police Department).The data in the 2023 column only shows crime statistics between January and August. In th...

Matt's El Rancho is one of America's most successful restaurants -- here's how

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:07:56 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. The story on Matt's El Rancho will air on KXAN Thursday afternoon. AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- Some may wonder if a 71-year-old restaurant has the vitality to keep up with Austin’s fast-changing food landscape and rising real estate costs.But Matt’s El Rancho, an iconic Tex-Mex restaurant off South Lamar Boulevard — one of those places that would create a community-wide uproar if it ever closed — has staying power. It has the family members to sustain it for generations to come, and they're sitting on a license to print money.Inside Matt's El Rancho.ARNOLD WELLS / ABJConsider these numbers from the website Restaurant Business: Matt's consistently plays among the nation’s top 100 independent restaurants, ranking No. 43 right now. Matt’s served more than 630,000 meals last year, which is on par with New York City’s famous Tavern on the Green. With an average check of $31 and annual ...

12-year-old piano prodigy serenades the White Earth Reservation

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:07:56 GMT

NAYTAWAUSH — Music has been filling the air more frequently on the White Earth Reservation in recent weeks.Whenever 12-year old Jayme Littlewolf has free time, he can be found in his living room on the piano bench.His favorite song to play is “River Flows In You.”Littlewolf has only been playing the piano for a few months. He taught himself by watching YouTube and practicing on an electronic keyboard.“Usually I would pause the video, and then I would look at the keys and then I would press them,” he said.The sixth grader said his love for piano music started at a young age as he would listen to it before bed.Recently he began to think the music would sound better if he played it.“It’s so peaceful, it’s really, really peaceful listening to him play,” said his mother Amy.Wherever Jayme goes music fills the air.“Every time I see a piano, it’s hard not to want to play it,” he said.“Every town or city we go through, ...