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After Macron, le déluge

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:08 GMT

Anyone looking at France right now could be forgiven for thinking the country was on the edge of a revolution.Major cities from Paris to Lyon erupted in riots overnight on Thursday, with black-clad protesters lighting bonfires and hurling projectiles at riot police after President Emmanuel Macron rammed an unpopular reform of the pension system through parliament. More than 400 police were injured. The violence capped weeks of mass protests as millions marched through French cities to oppose the reform, which will raise the legal age of retirement to 64 from 62 currently. More protests are already planned for next week, piling pressure on Macron’s already embattled government and prompting Britain’s King Charles to cancel a highly-awaited visit.Yet for all the sound and fury of the protests, which could yet worsen if students join in, there’s nearly zero risk that Macron himself will have to leave office. Having narrowly survived a vote of no confidence, he may see...

WATCH: NH woman helps rescue pet pig on the loose

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:08 GMT

A New Hampshire woman helped rescue a nine-week-old pet pig that had been missing since Sunday. The woman jumped into action when she learned Simon the pig was missing. She spent about two hours searching and finally found Simon, getting down on the ground to catch the pig. Simon is now home safe. The woman who caught him says he got a bath, a big meal, and a comfy bed.

Cactus League report: Tim Anderson reflects on ‘cool’ WBC experience — and would the Cubs open with no lefties in the bullpen?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:08 GMT

With opening day only six days away, the Chicago Cubs and White Sox have some important roster decisions to make before the end of Cactus League games.The final rosters aren’t due until the morning of opening day Thursday, so teams can bring extra players with them as they break camp and wait to finalize their decisions. Injuries obviously will factor into the moves, and Cubs left-hander Brandon Hughes’ left knee soreness could determine how the bullpen looks.In a roster move Thursday, the Sox optioned right-hander Davis Martin to Triple-A Charlotte. Forty-one players remain in camp: 20 pitchers, three catchers, 11 infielders and seven outfielders.Starter Michael Kopech allowed five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and four walks in three-plus innings for the Sox in a 6-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants at Camelback Ranch.“My timing was just not there, and I was trying to find it almost the whole outing,” said Kopech, who pitched while being under th...

Suspected bank robber arrested

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:08 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A woman was arrested Thursday on suspicion of robbing a bank in the Mountain View neighborhood, authorities said.According to the San Diego Police Department, the suspect entered a Navy Federal Credit Union, located at 4365 Imperial Ave., shortly before 3:30 p.m. and demanded money from a teller. Suspects sought in series of San Diego home burglaries Authorities say the suspect took money from the bank employee and put it in a purse before leaving the scene on foot.A short time later, SDPD said officers found a woman matching the description of the suspected bank robber nearby. Authorities say 33-year-old Tiana Jones was arrested after she was allegedly identified by a witness.It is unknow at this time if the suspect was armed during the robbery. The amount of money taken has also not been confirmed.San Diego Police Robbery Detectives are investigating the incident. Anyone with information related to the bank robbery is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

12-year-old girl among suspects charged in armed robberies in North York

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:08 GMT

Police have arrested six people, including a 12-year-old girl, in connection with two armed robberies in North York earlier this year.Officers responded to a robbery at a retail business in the area of Victoria Park and Van Horne avenues, south of Finch Avenue, on Jan. 2.Investigators allege two female suspects went into the store and asked to buy cigarettes. Four male suspects burst in shortly after and ran behind the counter.Police say one of the males pulled out a gun and demanded cash from the register before assaulting the staff member and hitting him in the head several times.The suspects fled the store with cash and items from the store.Three days later, on Jan. 5, police responded to another robbery call in the same area.Investigators allege three male suspects walked into a store donning masks and demanded cash from the register.Police say one of the suspects pulled out a gun and pointed it at the employee behind the counter, while another suspect pulled out pepper spray an...

Why does US see Chinese-owned TikTok as a security threat?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:08 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — U.S. lawmakers have grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about data security and harmful content, with some pushing to ban the popular short-video app nationwide.A Singaporean native, Chew told the lawmakers that TikTok prioritizes user safety and as he sought to avert a ban by downplaying the app’s ties to China. Both Republican and Democratic representatives aggressively questioned Chew on topics including TikTok’s content moderation practices, its data security plans, and past spying on journalists.Here’s a look at some of the concerns about TikTok and its ownership.WHY DOES WASHINGTON SAY TIKTOK IS A THREAT?TikTok, which has over 150 million American users, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd., which appoints its executives.ByteDance is based in Beijing but registered in the Cayman Islands, as is common for privately owned Chinese companies. Its headquarters is in Beijing’s northwestern Haidian district, home to key univers...

King Charles III’s European state visit hits French hurdle

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:08 GMT

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III’s state visit to France has been postponed indefinitely amid widespread protests over President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms, putting a damper on the new monarch’s debut on the international stage.Charles and his wife, Camilla, will still travel to Germany on Wednesday in what was scheduled to be the second leg of his first overseas trip since ascending the throne in September.The original six-day visit to France and Germany, the two biggest countries in the European Union, was designed to highlight efforts to rebuild relations between Britain and its neighbors after six years of squabbling over Brexit. But the prospect of Charles being confronted by protesters and piles of garbage in the streets of Paris forced officials in France and Britain to rethink their plans.“The king and queen consort’s state visit to France has been postponed,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said in a statement. “This decision was taken with the consent of a...

Suspected tornado touches down in northern Texas

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:08 GMT

DECATUR, Texas (AP) — Authorities say a suspected tornado touched down early Friday in north Texas. Wise County Emergency Management Coordinator Cody Powell says the tornado struck in southern Wise County near the Parker County line and that authorities were just beginning to assess the damage.Powell said he had no reports of injuries. Parker County officials and the National Weather Service did not immediately return phone calls for comment. The weather service’s Storm Prediction Center has forecast severe weather through Friday evening primarily from the lower Mississippi Valley to the lower Ohio Valley.The greatest risk of tornadoes includes an area from eastern Arkansas, northern Louisiana, western Mississippi and western Tennessee.Storms with damaging winds and hail are expected along a swath from eastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma into much of western Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama and including much of Louisiana and Mississippi and parts of southeast Missouri and southe...

Deutsche Bank shares drop amid global jitters over banks

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:08 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Shares in Deutsche Bank, Germany’s largest lender, fell sharply on Friday, dragging down major European banks as fears about weaknesses in the global financial system send fresh shudders through the markets.Deutsche Bank shares were off 12.8% in midday trading on the German stock exchange. The drop follows a steep rise in the cost of financial derivatives, known as credit default swaps, that insure bondholders against the bank defaulting on its debts. Rising costs on insuring debt were also a prelude to a government-backed takeover of Swiss lender Credit Suisse by its rival UBS. The hastily arranged marriage Sunday aimed to stem the upheaval in the global financial system after the collapse of two U.S. banks and jitters about long-running troubles at Credit Suisse led shares of Switzerland’s second-largest bank to tank and customers to pull out their money last week.Like Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank is one of 30 banks considered globally significant f...

French protests continue; King Charles III’s trip postponed

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:08 GMT

PARIS (AP) — French citizens angry at President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms engaged in scattered protest actions Friday, as the ongoing unrest across the country persuaded officials to postpone a planned state visit by Britain’s King Charles III.Demonstrators had demanded that Charles cancel his trip, which was scheduled to start Sunday. The protests and labor strikes against Macron’s decision to raise France’s retirement age from 62 to 64 already had promised to impact his visit, with workers refusing to roll out the red carpet for the king’s arrival. Although no major protests were planned for Friday, train traffic was slowed, rows of trucks blocked access to Marseille’s port for several hours and debris still littered the streets of Paris following the previous day’s mass demonstrations. Over 450 protesters were arrested in Paris and beyond as some 300 demonstrations on Thursday drew more than a million people nationwide. Polls show that most F...