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Central Asia and Europe must work together to tackle the consequences of climate change

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:21:24 GMT

Inaction to tackle climate change and its consequences will negatively impact the close economic, trade and investment ties between our regions, as well as our populations, says Kazakhstan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Zulfiya Suleimenova.The climate crisis is reaching a tipping point. Just last month the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change delivered a final warning to humanity, as rising greenhouse gas emissions push the world to the brink of irrevocable damage that only swift and drastic action can avert.Along with the rest of the world, Europe and the Central Asian region faces increasing vulnerability to climate change, as warmer temperatures and more volatile weather patterns disrupt ecosystems and increase the frequency of extreme droughts, floods, heat waves, and forest fires.Kazakhstan could be key to Europe’s energy transitionKazakhstan is becoming a regional hub for foreign investmentForeign investors look set to back Kazakhstan’s ec...

Coachella road rage caught on camera

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:21:24 GMT

A road rage confrontation during a traffic jam in Coachella was caught on camera Sunday afternoon on the final day of the four-day music festival.  An aggressive driver in a white Honda CRV was captured on video attempting to cut off several cars when the clash occurred and then escalated.  “I saw everything happen for what it is only because he was harassing me at first and merging into my lane,” one of the victims, a man identified only as Shawn, told KTLA.  He had been in one vehicle when a backseat passenger in the white Honda started hurling insults. Shawn said that it was surprising to see that kind of behavior outside the popular music event, which is spread over two weekends. “Nobody really expects to go to a festival and get assaulted and harassed. So, like always good energy and good vibes,” he said.  The car that he was in didn’t yield to the aggressive driver, and that’s when the situation got even more heated. A backseat passenger in the white Honda threw...

Kurtenbach: Draymond Green was a problem for the Warriors, so he became a solution

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:21:24 GMT

Draymond Green is a basketball genius, and after watching Game 3 of the Warriors’ first-round series with the Sacramento Kings at home, he came to a significant conclusion:He had been the problem when the Warriors lost the series’ first two games.The Warriors’ offense looked better when Green watched the game on TV. There was more space on the floor for Steph Curry and Jordan Poole to work. The Warriors’ sets and rotations made more sense. And on the other side of the floor, where Green has built a Hall of Fame resume, the Warriors looked good, too — Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins formed a defensive combination with balance and poise.It was only one game, but the Warriors were better off without Green. Pair that with his up-and-down play in last year’s NBA Finals and his preseason punch of Poole, and things were looking bleak for No. 23.But with the problem diagnosed, Green went about fixing it.He offered to start Game 4 on the bench. Warriors coach Steve Kerr agreed with tha...

Tunisia rounds up migrants at sea in unprecedented numbers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:21:24 GMT

OFF THE COAST OF SFAX, Tunisia (AP) — A young man wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with “Dior,” women clutching babies wrapped in blankets, children bundled in winter coats. All gingerly stepped from rickety boats into the sturdy craft of the Tunisian Maritime National Guard — and away from their dreams of life in Europe. Cold, wet and heartbroken, they are among hundreds caught daily in overnight sweeps for migrant boats on the Mediterranean Sea.“Sit down! Sit down! Sit down!” The shouted order confirmed the group was no longer in charge of their destiny. A woman sobbed.On an overnight expedition with the National Guard last week, The Associated Press witnessed migrants pleading to continue their journeys to Italy in unseaworthy vessels, some taking on water. Over 14 hours, 372 people were plucked from the fragile boats.Migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, are undertaking the perilous journey in unprecedented numbers. In the first three months of this year, 13,000 migra...

2 killed in fire on passenger train in southern Pakistan

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:21:24 GMT

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — At least two people were killed and four children were missing after a car on a moving passenger train caught fire overnight in southern Pakistan, officials said Thursday. Railways spokesperson Komal Rashid said the train caught fire in Khairpur, a district about 500 kilometers (300 miles) north of Karachi, the capital of Sindh province. The blaze also badly damaged several other cars in the train, she said, and the cause remained unclear. TV footage showed several burned sections of the train, which was on its way from Karachi to the eastern city of Lahore, when a car caught fire. Local media reported that the flames roared through the train Wednesday night, engulfing several cars. In Pakistan, poor passengers often bring their own small gas stoves on the trains to cook their meals, despite rules barring the practice. Safety regulations are often ignored in overcrowded trains. Train accidents in Pakistan are often the result of poor railway infrastructure a...

Stock market today: Asian shares rise despite banking fears

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:21:24 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly rose Thursday, despite lingering worries about the U.S. banking sector and inflationary pressures that weighed on investor sentiment. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 recouped morning losses to inch up nearly 0.1% to 28,436.84. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.3% to 7,292.70. South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.4% to 2,495.29. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.4% to 19,827.02, while the Shanghai Composite added 0.6% to 3,282.94. Some benchmarks fell in morning trading but rebounded later as a wait-and-see mood prevailed ahead of the release of U.S. first quarter economic growth data later in the day. On Wall Street on Wednesday, the S&P 500 dropped 0.4% to 4,055.99. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.7%, to 33,301.87, while the Nasdaq composite led the market with a gain 0.5%, to 11,854.35.U.S. stocks were coming off their worst day in a month, hurt by concerns about the strength of U.S. banks. The spotlight has been harshest on ...

Poland probes parts of aerial military object found in woods

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:21:24 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Prosecutors and security service personnel in Poland are investigating the remains of an aerial military object that was found in woods in the center of the country, the justice minister reported Thursday. Poland’s security services are on high alert due to Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine. However, the Defense Ministry said on Twitter that the object found near Zamosc, a town near the city of Bydgoszcz which is located some 265 kilometers (164 miles) northwest of Warsaw, did not pose a danger to residents.Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro said the military department of the district prosecutor’s office in the city of Gdańsk is leading the investigation, with military experts, police and military counterintelligence agents also involved. Authorities have not said what kind of equipment they think it is. The Associated Press

2 Chinese navy ships head to Singapore for joint drills

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:21:24 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China’s military has dispatched a pair of navy ships to take part in joint drills with Singapore’s navy and join in a regional maritime security exhibition.The exercises starting Friday in the Southeast Asian city state come amid China’s growing presence in the South China Sea, which it claims sovereignty over virtually in its entirety. Concerns are especially pronounced in the U.S., which on Wednesday joined with forces from the Philippines in major exercises in Philippine waters facing the South China Sea that are likely to anger China. Beijing’s more assertive stance comes as its relations with the U.S. and its allies have hit historic lows.State television’s military channel identified the ships being sent as the guided missile frigate Yulin and the minesweeper hunter Chibi. They will also be present for the May 3-5 IMDEX Asia National Defense and Maritime Security Show, which will feature 25 warships and attendees from 62 countries.Amid China’s effort...

Kiszla: Avs star Nathan MacKinnon deserves better than being done dirty by bad officiating in must-win NHL playoff game

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:21:24 GMT

Center Nathan MacKinnon slammed his stick against the glass so hard the magic shattered, and the thrill of being the defending Stanley Cup champs was gone. These Avs — frustrated, hurting, weary and one lousy loss from elimination in the NHL playoffs — have come unglued.But don’t the defending champs deserve better than being done dirty by inept officiating in a must-win game? MacKinnon gets dragged down for all the hockey world to see and a referee turns a blind eye? What the …“It’s not 1975. I think that’s a trip,” MacKinnon groused Wednesday, unable to comprehend how he could be the victim of a takedown worthy of Roddy Piper without a penalty being whistled.Instead of winning, the defending champs are whining. And that’s not only a problem, but an indicator of how deep in the dumpster the Avalanche’s confidence now resides.But in this case, MacKinnon had a legitimate gripe.The key moment Wednesday in a 3-2 loss to Seattle that put the defending champs on the bri...

Roma pilgrims seek just 'one glimpse' of Pope Francis in Hungary

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:21:24 GMT

When Pope Francis visited Hungary two years ago, Roma pilgrim Csaba Kovesi, accompanied by a cross blessed by Francis and Pope John Paul II, drove around the country calling on people to travel to Budapest to see him.Now Kovesi is on a repeat mission, driving a pick-up resembling a "popemobile" with the cross on display, hoping to convince people to attend an open-air Mass led by Francis in front of parliament on Sunday."We (Roma) who live in this faith would really love to get near him, just get ... one glimpse," said Kovesi as he prepared his pick-up, emblazoned with photos of Francis, for the drive."Faith is the greatest thing in the world and we Roma people think that we can prove our belonging by getting near the greatest man on Earth."Hundreds of thousands of Roma in Hungary live in disproportionate poverty and suffer from prejudice in schools and workplaces, rights activists say. During a visit to Romania in 2019, the pope asked for forgiveness in the name of the Roman Cathol...