This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s executive branch recommended Wednesday that billions of euros of EU funds allocated to Hungary remain frozen over its failure to implement solid rule-of-law reforms, a move highlighting the growing rift between the EU’s traditional Western democratic values and its partner’s democratic backsliding. The EU's 27 nations have until Dec. 19 to take a decision based on the Commission’s proposal, which came as Hungary continues to block crucial EU decisions such as the disbursement of 18 billion euros of financial aid to Ukraine and a global tax deal. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also angered the bloc’s officials with his repeated criticism of the EU sanctions targeting Russia for its war in Ukraine. “This is an historic moment for the protection of the rule of law in Europe," said Petri Sarvamaa, a member of the European Parliament's … [Read more...] about EU Commission proposes blocking billions in funds to Hungary
Spain: Nigerian stowaways found on ship’s rudder seek asylum
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The three Nigerian stowaways found on an oil tanker's rudder after an 11-day ocean voyage from Lagos, Nigeria to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands are seeking asylum in Spain, a spokesperson for the Spanish government delegation in the Canaries said Wednesday. The three men were picked up Monday by Spain's Maritime Rescue Service from the rudder of the Alithini II ship and transferred to two hospitals on the island of Gran Canaria with symptoms of dehydration and hypothermia. One of them remained hospitalized while the other two had been released, Spanish authorities said. According to Spanish law, unless the stowaways seek asylum, or are minors, the ship owner or agent is responsible for returning them to their point of departure - in this case, Lagos. Given that they are now seeking asylum, the ship is free to leave port again. The asylum seekers' identities and their motives for leaving Nigeria and hiding on the ship's rudder haven't been made public. … [Read more...] about Spain: Nigerian stowaways found on ship’s rudder seek asylum
Gaetz friend says lighter sentence deserved for cooperation
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A former Florida tax collector whose arrest led to a federal investigation of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz learns this week how much prison time he gets on charges of sex trafficking a minor and identity theft, but not before trying to persuade a judge that his cooperation in several probes should lighten his sentence. Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg had faced a prison sentence of between 21 and 27 years under federal sentencing guidelines, but prosecutors asked a judge to substantially reduce any incarceration to seven to nine years because of his cooperation. Greenberg pleaded guilty to six federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a minor, identity theft, stalking, wire fraud and conspiracy to bribe a public official. Prosecutors said he had paid at least one underage girl to have sex with him and other men. His attorney, Fritz Scheller, told a federal judge overseeing Greenberg's sentencing that the jurist has the discretion to reduce the … [Read more...] about Gaetz friend says lighter sentence deserved for cooperation
Tornado threat continues as southern towns assess damage
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 8 JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Tornadoes damaged numerous homes, destroyed a fire station, briefly trapped people in a grocery store and ripped the roof off an apartment complex in Mississippi and Alabama. Two deaths were reported as the storm front continued to threaten parts of the Deep South on Wednesday. The National Weather Service had warned that strong twisters capable of carving up communities over long distances were possible as the storm front moved eastward from Texas, threatening a stretch of the United States where more than 25 million people live. Emergency responders had no reports of fatalities, but were waiting for daylight to make sure. The “threat for supercells capable of all severe hazards continues” near the Gulf Coast in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia, forecasters said, after multiple tornado warnings were issued starting Tuesday … [Read more...] about Tornado threat continues as southern towns assess damage
Hogan to gather with supporters amid White House speculation
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Term-limited Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was holding fundraisers for future political activity Wednesday at events where the Republican is expected to talk about his eight years as governor, as well as plans for the future. Hogan, who leaves office in January, has positioned himself to run as a legitimate alternative to former President Donald Trump, who already has announced he's running for president in 2024. Hogan was holding two fundraisers at a hotel and casino about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the state capital. One will mark the launch of a political action committee called Better Path Forward, and the other is being held for Hogan's political organization, An America United, said David Weinman, who is the organization's executive director. The events are expected to raise more than $1 million, Weinman said. Before the fundraisers, Hogan was scheduled to attend a leadership summit in Annapolis to talk about the future of the country. “For eight … [Read more...] about Hogan to gather with supporters amid White House speculation
McConaughey, Kunis among People mag’s ‘People of the Year’
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew McConaughey, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Hudson and “Abbott Elementary” creator and star Quinta Brunson have been named People magazine’s 2022 “People of the Year.” The magazine unveiled its annual list Wednesday, with Editor in Chief Wendy Naugle explaining this year’s honorees were selected because of their efforts to help others. McConaughey was chosen for his advocacy efforts after the Uvalde school shooting rocked his hometown. Kunis was lauded for her fundraising — which People said has topped $37 million — for Ukraine, where she was born. Hudson and Brunson were honored for their onscreen work. Hudson, who launched a daytime talk show this year, was cited for her efforts to create an inclusive show where everyone felt welcome. Brunson’s “Abbott Elementary,” a critical hit that turned her into an Emmy winner, was praised as a show that brought many joy and showed that different generations can work well together. Each of the honorees are featured on … [Read more...] about McConaughey, Kunis among People mag’s ‘People of the Year’
Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap announces her retirement from international rugby
Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap has announced her retirement from international rugby . Lillicrap has been Wales’ skipper for the last three years, including at the recent World Cup in New Zealand. A versatile back-five forward, she won 51 caps and was among the first 12 players to receive a full-time contract with the Welsh Rugby Union . “I am well aware that rugby careers don’t last forever, and I would never want to give the jersey any less than 100 per cent,” Lillicrap, 35, said in a statement released by the WRU. “It feels the right time to make this decision and step back as an international player ahead of a new Rugby World Cup cycle. Recommended Lone England fan celebrates goal in sea of Welsh fans in Cardiff Wayne Pivac determined to stay as Wales coach after … [Read more...] about Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap announces her retirement from international rugby
China calls U.S. top “nuclear threat” to world in reply to Pentagon report
A Chinese official told Newsweek that Beijing rejects the Pentagon 's characterization of growing People's Liberation Army capabilities in a new report, arguing that it was the United States stirring nuclear tensions, not China. The Department of Defense published its latest assessment on "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China" on Wednesday, making note of a number of observations, including a growing Chinese nuclear weapons and ballistic missile force . The report estimated that the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force has already doubled its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) force from 150 to 300 and would seek to nearly quadruple its nuclear warhead from a current count of somewhere above 400 to 1,500 by 2035. But Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., argued that the report, "just like similar reports in the past, disregards facts and is filled with bias." "The U.S. is using this report to … [Read more...] about China calls U.S. top “nuclear threat” to world in reply to Pentagon report
“I feel rage and disgust”: Ukrainian soldier’s angry letter from frontline
A Ukrainian serviceman, who went from working in a museum to fighting on the front line, has described the conditions he and his comrades are enduring and made an impassioned plea for further Western support for Kyiv against Russia. "I am not a military man. I never aspired to be in the military," started the letter signed by Nazar Razlutsky and published on the independent outlet Ukraine Frontlines. He said that with a Ph.D. in history, he used to spend his time researching history and writing about science, even turning his hand to fiction. "But lately I've been in the military because there's a war in my country." He then details the frontline conditions now faced by his fellow Ukrainians who used to work as historians, accountants, bankers, IT workers and those from "other peaceful professions." "We sleep on crates in unbelievable cramped conditions in the backs of trucks, and wash in warm water once a month," wrote Razlutsky, who is serving as a junior sergeant. "When it … [Read more...] about “I feel rage and disgust”: Ukrainian soldier’s angry letter from frontline
Jiang Zemin dead at 96: former Chinese president dies after cancer battle
Jiang Zemin, China 's powerful post-Tiananmen leader, has died at the age of 96, state media outlets said on Wednesday. His death at 12:13 p.m. local time was attributed to "leukemia and multiple organ failure" on November 30, the country's official news service Xinhua said. He died in the eastern port city of Shanghai, not far from his birthplace in Yangzhou. Jiang held the Chinese Communist Party 's (CCP) top post between 1989 and 2002. He was installed with little factional influence after his predecessor, Zhao Ziyang, was ousted in June 1989 for supporting student-led protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square and elsewhere rallying for political reforms. In more than a decade in power, Jiang, who was known for his charismatic improvisation in front of the press, oversaw a continuation of China's market reforms, including its eventual accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001. Although historical records suggest Jiang's rise to CCP general secretary came with … [Read more...] about Jiang Zemin dead at 96: former Chinese president dies after cancer battle