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Ukraine official: We will launch counteroffensive when ready

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:03 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A top Ukrainian official said Monday that Ukraine will launch its counteroffensive against Russian troops when it’s ready, adding that it’s only a matter of time before the country achieves the necessary level of military preparedness to do so.Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, told The Associated Press in an interview in Kyiv that Ukraine’s allies are helping the government to achieve the level of technical equipment necessary to launch the attack, delivering heavy armored vehicles and ammunition.But he also expressed frustration that sometimes officials from allied countries “promise one thing and do a completely different one.” He didn’t elaborate.“If we aren’t ready, then nobody will start unprepared,” he said.Speaking about a major U.S. intelligence leak, Danilov echoed other Ukrainian leaders who say they don’t see it as gravely damaging future offensives, stressing that Ukraine doesn’t share highly sen...

Boy, 13, gets stuck climbing into claw machine for prize

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:03 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A 13-year-old boy had to be freed from a claw machine after he climbed inside hoping to score a prize, according to an official at a North Carolina amusement park.Carowinds officials were alerted just before 2 p.m. Sunday that the boy was inside the Cosmic XL Bonus Game, which contained plush prizes, according to Courtney C. McGarry Weber, a spokesperson for the park south of Charlotte. The medical response team unlocked the machine and the boy was able to get out, she said. He was treated and released from first aid to his guardian. The boy has been banned from the park for one year for attempted theft, Weber said. Source

Man who threatened Colorado election official gets probation

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:03 GMT

DENVER (AP) — A man who called the office of Colorado's top elections official to say that the “angel of death was coming for her in the name of Jesus Christ" was sentenced to two years of probation Monday.Kirk Wertz, 52, was convicted last week of one count of retaliating against an elected official, a felony, for the June 30, 2022, call to the office of Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold.When a state trooper called Wertz back, he refused to answer whether he planned to harm Griswold, citing the First Amendment, and said, “And I’m an Oath Taker and an Oath Keeper and I owe you no explanation," according to a court document. 5 of the most high-profile criminals in Colorado supermax prison During his sentencing hearing, Wertz denied being a member of the Oath Keepers, a far-right extremist group, calling it a “gross accusation” and calling his prosecution “malicious.” He said being an “Oath Taker” was a reference to him registering for possible military service when he turne...

What are the top cities for solo travelers?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:03 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- If you are looking for a new adventure or planning to take a trip this summer, where will you end up? Colorado presents many opportunities for those seeking adventure or relaxation. From hot springs to ghost towns to challenging hikes and climbs to breathtaking mountain views, there is something for everyone. 10 breathtaking spring hikes to take in Colorado But what about someone wishing to explore on their own? Travel and Leisure magazine recently put together a list of the top cities for solo travel. "Traveling alone is all about freedom and independence — freedom to go where you want, when you want, and independence in your ability to visit new places and meet new people without the crutch of a travel companion. It's not for everyone, but those willing to venture off on their own are rewarded with a compromise-free vacation and unforgettable experiences," Travel and Leisure shared.Top cities for solo travelIn Colorado, Boulder and Fort Collins made the list. He...

Is Colorado over as the US real estate hot spot?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:03 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Mountain West, consisting of Colorado and it's Rocky Mountain neighbors, was once the nation's most sought-after housing market. But it is no longer the hottest spot on the country's block - in large part due to it being prohibitively expensive. Realtor.com's most recent report on the nation's 20 hottest markets doesn't include the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area anymore. Nor does it include other cities bordering the Rocky Mountains that have seen the same surge of highly paid residents as Denver, such as Salt Lake City, Boise or Bozeman. Exclusive video shows what neighbors describe as a ‘war zone’ shooting in Green Valley Ranch Realtor.com measures a market's hotness by a variety of factors including the number of people who view each house, the length of time it takes to sell and the change in the number of days it takes to sell compared to last year. This year, every one of the nation's 20 hottest markets is in the Midwest or the Northeast. From 2020 t...

Ohio officers won’t be charged in shooting of Jayland Walker

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:03 GMT

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Eight police officers who fired dozens of rounds at Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man, following a car and foot chase will not face criminal charges in his death because a grand jury declined to indict them, Ohio’s attorney general announced Monday.Walker’s death last June sparked protests in Akron after police released body camera footage showing him dying in a hail of gunfire. Police said he had refused to stop when they tried to pull him over for minor equipment and traffic violations, though they haven’t specified further. Police say Walker fired a shot from his car 40 seconds into the pursuit.Officers chased the car on a freeway and city streets until Walker bailed from the still-moving vehicle, ignored officers’ commands and ran into a parking lot where he was killed while wearing a ski mask, body cam video showed. Authorities said he represented a “deadly threat.” A handgun, a loaded magazine and a wedding ring were found on the driver’s seat of his c...

Alabama police searching for clues in shooting that killed 4

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:03 GMT

DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Students at a small-town Alabama school, its flag flying at half-mast Monday, returned to class as investigators worked to piece together what happened at a Saturday night shooting that killed four people, including two Dadeville High School students.The 485-student school is a center of civic life in Dadeville, population 3,200, where “Home of the Tigers” is painted on the water tower. The melee at a teenager’s birthday party also injured 28 at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio, were the teen-age sister of one of the victims was celebrating her Sweet 16.The weekend was marked by a series of high-profile shootings in the U.S.. One left two people dead and four wounded Saturday in Louisville, Missouri; another resulted in four men being shot — one fatally — in Los Angeles; and a third left two women wounded at Lincoln University in southeastern Pennsylvania.It wasn’t clear if all of the 28 people injured in Alabama were shot, although Heidi Smith, spo...

Breaking bad! Anti-oil protester disrupts World Snooker Championship

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:03 GMT

Cue chaos! There was a bad break for fans of snooker on Monday evening when protesters from the group Just Stop Oil disrupted the World Championships.Two protesters invaded the playing area at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, northern England, shortly after play began, with one protester jumping on the table and emptying the contents of a packet of orange powder before being dragged away by security.A second protester tried to attach themselves to the adjacent table but was prevented from doing so.Play resumed on the second table after a 40-minute break, with the first table being cleaned.Just Stop Oil later took to social media, saying they were behind the protest and “demanding that the Government immediately stop all new UK fossil fuel projects and are calling on UK sporting institutions to step into civil resistance against the Government’s genocidal policies.”Former world champion Stephen Hendry, on commentary for the BBC, said: “I have never seen that before at a snooke...

Macron doubles down on French ‘independence’ amid pension reform crisis

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:03 GMT

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron drew a connection between his country’s pension reform and Europe’s independence from other countries, during a televised address Monday evening. “We are a people who intend to control and choose our destiny, who do not want to depend on anyone, neither on the forces of speculation, nor on foreign powers, nor on wills other than our own, and we are right,” Macron said during the 15-minute speech. The French head of state’s TV appearance was the first time he has addressed the nation since he signed his contentious pension reform — which raises the retirement age from 62 to 64 — into law amid a prolonged political and social crisis.The president’s reference to independence from “foreign powers” echoed controversial comments he made earlier this month in an interview with POLITICO and French daily Les Echos. On his way back from China, the French president created a stir by saying Europe...

Angela Merkel receives Germany’s highest honor

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:03 GMT

BERLIN — Former Chancellor Angela Merkel received Germany’s highest federal decoration on Monday, an honor bestowed on only two other former leaders before her, though some within her own party questioned whether her legacy matches up.Merkel, who led the country for over 16 years as one of its longest-serving chancellors, received the top Grand Cross of the Order of Merit for special achievement from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, her former vice chancellor and foreign minister.Steinmeier praised Merkel as an “unprecedented politician” who successfully steered Germany through difficult times, including the 2008 financial meltdown and the 2015 refugee crisis.“You have helped our country achieve economic success anew under unprecedented challenges. We look back on 16 years of almost uninterrupted economic growth, during which the scourge of unemployment increasingly lost its horror for most Germans,” Steinmeier said. “At a time when our continent threatened to break apart, you hel...