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Japan and Australia agree to further step up defense cooperation under 2-month-old security pact

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:11 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan and Australia agreed Thursday to further expand defense ties, including with joint military exercises, under their upgraded security pact that took effect two months ago amid mutual concern about China’s growing influence in the region. The two countries have rapidly developed close defense ties in recent years, and Japan considers Australia as a semi-ally, its closest security partner after the United States, its only treaty ally. Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, also agreed during talks in Tokyo to step up their three-way military cooperation with the United States, the Japanese Defense Ministry said in a statement. Kihara and Marles said that deepening their operational cooperation and joint exercises, and enhancing interoperability, were important steps in increasing their bilateral defense ties. The two ministers confirmed that there was continiung progress in those areas under their Reciprocal...

Sidney Powell pleads guilty in case over efforts to overturn Trump’s Georgia loss and gets probation

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:11 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Lawyer Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to reduced charges Thursday over efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election in Georgia, becoming the second defendant in the sprawling case to reach a deal with prosecutors.Powell, who was charged alongside Trump and 17 others with violating the state’s anti-racketeering law, entered the plea just a day before jury selection was set to start in her trial. She pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors accusing her of conspiring to intentionally interfere with the performance of election duties.As part of the deal, she will serve six years of probation, will be fined $6,000 and will have to write an apology letter to Georgia and its residents. She also agreed to testify truthfully against her co-defendants at future trials.Powell, 68, was initially charged with racketeering and six other counts as part of a wide-ranging scheme to keep the Republican president in power after he lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden. P...

China is building up its nuclear weapons arsenal faster than previous projections, a US report says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:11 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Pentagon report on China’s military power says Beijing is exceeding previous projections of how quickly it is building up its nuclear weapons arsenal and is “almost certainly” learning lessons from Russia’s war in Ukraine about what a conflict over Taiwan might look like. The report released Thursday also warns that China may be pursuing a new intercontinental missile system using conventional arms that, if fielded, would allow Beijing “to threaten conventional strikes against targets in the continental United States, Hawaii and Alaska.” The China report comes a month before an expected meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden on the sidelines of next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. The annual report, required by Congress, is one way the Pentagon measures the growing military capabilities of China, which the U.S. government sees as its key threat in the region and America’s primar...

Film star Donald Sutherland depicted in profile on new Canadian stamp

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:11 GMT

Donald Sutherland, celebrated star of stage and screen, can add a new accolade to his CV.Canada Post has released a stamp featuring an image of the 88-year-old New Brunswick-born actor.The Crown corporation says the stamp is meant to commemorate Sutherland’s storied career, which has seen him appear in more than 200 films and TV programs.The stamp depicts Sutherland in profile, overlaid with the titles of some of his most iconic projects, including “Ordinary People,” “The Italian Job,” and “M*A*S*H*.” Sutherland originated the role of Hawkeye Pierce in the 1970 film “M*A*S*H*,” before Alan Alda picked up the torch for the TV show that premiered two years later.Sutherland went on to star in the 1978 remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and the 2005 version of “Pride & Prejudice.”Sutherland has won two Golden Globes, a lifetime achievement Governor General’s Performing Arts Award and an honor...

Timing, patience key to nabbing affordable concert, sports resale tickets: fans

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:11 GMT

TORONTO — When Jagger Long heads to the Rogers Centre to watch a Toronto Blue Jays match, you’ll often spot him in the first row behind home plate and at Scotiabank Arena, he’s a pro at snagging seats with access to the venue’s tunnel where you can bump fists with the Toronto Maple Leafs.There’s seldom a show or game that goes by that the Toronto-based personal trainer-turned-resale ticket website owner can’t get access to — and sometimes, he and his Karma Tickets customers don’t even wind up paying full price to attend.It’s an impressive feat given how ticket prices for many concerts and sports events have soared and shows with top billing artists like Drake, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé sell out within minutes, often forcing many to the resale market where seats can go for thousands of dollars.Yet Long and other live music and sports fans insist there are still ways to save, if you time your purchase and stay patient.“My biggest advice i...

Honda to produce Civic Hybrid in Alliston, Ont. starting next year

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:11 GMT

Japanese automaker Honda says it will start producing the Civic Hybrid next year at its plant in Alliston, Ont.The company says the Ontario plant will produce the sedan version of the car.The hatchback version of the Civic Hybrid will be manufactured at a plant in Indiana, according to the automaker.Honda already produces the hybrid version of its CR-V sport utility vehicle in Alliston and at the plant in Indiana.The company says the Civic Hybrid is a key step in its electrification strategy, which includes equipping its core models with hybrid-electric systems.It says it expects Civic Hybrid sales to represent more than 40 per cent of Civic sales in North America.

Hollywood's actors strike is nearing its 100th day. Why hasn't a deal been reached and what's next?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:11 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — While screenwriters are busy back at work, film and TV actors remain on picket lines, with the longest strike in their history set to hit 100 days on Saturday after talks broke off with studios. Here's a look at where things stand, how their stretched-out standoff compares to past strikes, and what happens next.INSIDE THE ACTORS-STUDIO TALKS THAT FAILEDHopes were high and leaders of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists were cautiously optimistic when they resumed negotiations on Oct. 2 for the first time since the strike began 2 1/2 months earlier.The same group of chief executives from the biggest studios had made a major deal just over a week earlier with striking writers, whose leaders celebrated their gains on many issues actors are also fighting for: long-term pay, consistency of employment and control over the use of artificial intelligence.But the actors' talks were tepid, with days off between sessions and no reports ...

Walmart, Aldi to lower Thanksgiving dinner prices

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:11 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) - Walmart said on Wednesday that it will "remove inflation" from Thanksgiving dinner by lowering prices on customers' favorite brands, while Aldi also said it would be lowering prices.Beginning Nov. 1, Walmart will offer two meal options - one ready-to-bake and another that will need to be prepared from scratch - that include things like turkey, ham, stuffing and pumpkin pie, the company said in a news release. Meat heist: $400,000 worth of stolen beef found at Florida veggie farm; arrests made Those meal options will be available to purchase online starting Nov. 1. The company said many food items will be offered at lower costs compared to last year. "Saving money remains a top priority for our customers, and this holiday season, we're building on the investments we made last year knowing they need it now more than ever," President and CEO John Furner said in a statement. Aldi, which recently announced it would acquire Winn-Dixie, also announced it would be cu...

Yes, Olive Garden sells its cheese graters — along with several other non-menu items

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:11 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The Olive Garden can try to dazzle us with all the warm breadsticks and never-ending rigatoni they want, but true OGs know the real star of the show is that mechanical contraption they use to grate cheese.The device — which looks like a small Salad Shooter crossed with a hand-cranked pencil sharpener — can turn a block of parm into a deluge of grated cheese in seconds.It can also be yours if you simply ask your Olive Garden server to add it to the check. Why is Ruth's Chris Steak House called 'Ruth's Chris Steak House'? This tasty tidbit of information recently caught the attention of social media thanks to a viral video uploaded by a TikTok user named Bo (@bo_gjerness), who celebrated her birthday at the Olive Garden earlier this month.  “I asked the waiter, y’know, ‘Do you guys sell the cheese grater?’ And they do!” she squealed, showing off her purchase.“And here’s the best part: They gave me some cheese to go with it,” she added, holding up a takeout container...

Texas House Democrats unveil new school finance plan

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Several Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives will unveil what they're calling a "transformative school finance plan." They're set to hold a news conference Thursday morning to discuss the details of the Fully Fund Our Future Act, according to a news release. This is happening during the third special legislative session focused primarily on Gov. Greg Abbott's call to create an education savings account system in the state, which would allow families to use public dollars to pay for private schools. Gov. Abbott on ‘one yard line’ in fight for education savings accounts The proposal is opposed by Texas Democratic lawmakers as well as some rural Republican leaders in the House. It already passed the Texas Senate during this special session, and Abbott recently stated he "will not stop until we get ESAs passed in the state of Texas."Democrats remain in the minority in Texas government, so it's not likely they'll be able to get much momentum to pass...