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South Africa says Putin will skip a summit next month because of his ICC arrest warrant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:47 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the BRICS economic summit in Johannesburg next month, the office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement Wednesday.The decision means South Africa will not face the dilemma of whether it should carry out an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against the Russian leader.South Africa is a signatory to the treaty that created the ICC and would have been obliged under that to arrest Putin, although the country had given strong hints that it would have likely not executed the arrest warrant.But Wednesday’s announcement allows South Africa to avoid the problem and comes after Ramaphosa spoke with Putin by telephone in recent days.The decision for Putin not to attend was by “mutual agreement,” Ramaphosa’s office said. Russia will instead be represented at the Aug 22-24 summit by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.The BRICS economic bloc is made up of Brazil, Russia, ...

Israeli president says his speech to Congress highlights an ‘unbreakable bond’ despite US unease

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel’s president speaks to Congress on Wednesday in an appearance aimed at demonstrating what he calls the “unbreakable bond” between Israel and the United States, despite U.S. concerns over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul and settlement construction in the occupied West Bank.Isaac Herzog becomes the second Israeli president, after his father, Chaim Herzog, to address Congress. His speech will mark modern Israel’s celebration of its 75th year. But the visit by Israel’s figurehead president also is exposing the difficulties that Democrats face in balancing longstanding U.S. support for ally Israel with disapproval of some actions by Netanyahu’s government, a coalition of ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties.The House on Tuesday passed a Republican-led resolution reaffirming its support for Israel with strong bipartisan approval — an implicit rebuke of a leading Democrat who over the weekend called the country a “racist stat...

Demolition of a historic minaret in southern Iraq’s Basra for ‘a better-designed one’ sparks outcry

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:47 GMT

BASRA, Iraq (AP) — For three centuries, the al-Siraji Mosque, with its minaret fashioned from weathered bricks and its pinnacle inlaid with blue ceramic tiles, was a distinctive feature of the city of Basra in southern Iraq. In recent years, it was one of the few tourist attractions in the oil-rich but neglected city, although locals complained that the minaret jutted out into the street, snarling traffic.In the early hours Friday morning, the 11-meter-high (33-foot-high) minaret was razed to the ground, with the governor of Basra attending the demolition, igniting a wave of social media backlash among advocates for the preservation of Iraq’s cultural heritage.Heritage sites in Iraq, home to multiple civilizations going back more than six millennia, have been hard hit by looting and damage over the decades of conflict before and after the U.S. invasion of 2003. Most notoriously, the militant Islamic State group demolished numerous ancient sites in northern Iraq, including Islamic sh...

Wednesday Forecast: Temps in mid 80 with chance of isolated storms tonight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:47 GMT

CHICAGO — Wednesday will be seasonable with mostly sunny skies and highs in the mid-80s inland and upper 70s at the lakefront.  Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here A chance for isolated showers and thunderstorms arrives tonight as temperatures fall into the upper 60s under partly cloudy skies.  Thursday will be partly cloudy as well with the chance for spotty showers and storms and highs in the low to mid-80s.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Pop-up Post Malone concert in Times Square draws massive crowd

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:47 GMT

TIMES SQUARE, Manhattan (WPIX) -- Grammy-nominated rapper Post Malone held a free pop-up concert in Times Square on Tuesday, drawing thousands of fans to the Crossroads of the World.Grammy-nominated rapper Post Malone held a free concert in Times Square. (PIX11)A stage was erected in Times Square with a large image of Post Malone and branding for the company TSX Entertainment. Event organizers estimated as many as 10,000 people were in the massive crowd.The show started around 5:30 p.m. and ended around 6:30 p.m. Malone debuted some of his latest songs from his upcoming album.Malone tweeted about the show but has since deleted the tweet. The rapper's agent also shared a post teasing the show on her Instagram story. "The secret came out today; we were like, 'Oh, God!'" one fan told PIX11 News.Malone's fifth studio album, called "Austin," is set to release on Friday.

Majority of college students do not support legacy admissions: survey

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:47 GMT

(The Hill) - A vast majority of college students say they believe legacy admissions into universities are unfair, according to a new survey from Generation Lab. The poll found 39 percent of young people say it is “definitely not” fair for colleges to consider if a person’s family attended the same school in the admissions process, while 36 percent it is “probably not” fair. Only 6 percent believe it is “definitely” fair while 19 percent say it “probably” is.The results come after the Supreme Court ruled last month to restrict the use of affirmative action in college admissions. Universities are no longer allowed to consider someone’s race when contemplating their acceptance to the school, although students are still allowed to mention their race, how it has affected them and the struggles they have overcome in their essays. Fifty-two percent of students said in the poll that race and ethnicity should not be part of the admissions process, while 48 percent said it should.&n...

Austin's weather extremes: Record rain and snow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:47 GMT

Editor's Note: The video above shows the latest from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) — At KXAN, we're keeping track of Austin's weather extremes.Have you ever wondered what Austin's longest period without rain is? What about the heaviest snow in recorded history? The answers are all below!Click here to see Austin's heat and cold records.We have created several interactive charts to help break down Austin’s weather records. Scroll down to explore all the data, or jump to a specific question using these links:What is the wettest day on record in Austin?What is the wettest hour on record in Austin?What is the wettest month on record in Austin?What is the wettest year on record in Austin?What is the driest year on record in Austin?What is the longest Austin has gone without measurable rain?What is the heaviest snowfall total on record in Austin?.anchor_me{ position:relative;}.anchor_me span {position:absolute; top:-120px;}ul.kxan_bullets {list-style-position: outside;}...

New record: never has Austin been this hot for this long

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- We've tied or broken the daily high record the last 3 afternoons, and we'll continue to rival records in the days ahead.Afternoon highs will reach 102°-108° areawide today, well above seasonal averages for this time of year. Austin's forecast high of 107° today is not only expected to break the daily record of 106° set just last year, it will also seal the deal for the longest stretch of 105° or hotter (10 days) we've ever observed here in Austin, a record that has been in the books for 100 years.Wednesday afternoon forecast highsAs we hover in second place for the hottest July on record to date, daily heat records continue to fall through the week and potentially into next week.Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories remain in place for most of us through 8 p.m. tonight.Heat alerts continue through 8 p.m. tonight (Wednesday)Unfortunately, our weekend rain chances are fading by the day. New data points towards a very pessimistic 10% chance of rain where you live...

Shelter issues warning about snakes, pets and heat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – As Austin and Central Texas bake in extremely high temperatures, Austin Pets Alive! warned pet owners about a danger they may not be aware of: snakes. Austin ties record for most days at or above 105° in a row APA! said Tuesday snakes are looking for cool places such as rocks on hiking trails, around potted outdoor plants or under wooden porches. In most cases, the shelter said snakes will leave people and their pets alone if they are left alone. Here are some reminders from APA! to keep your pets safe: Leash dogs on trails or when outdoors in unfamiliar areasKeep yard clear of rock piles, stacks of wood or other cover that could provide snakes shade  Be aware cats sometimes actually seek out snakesAPA! said these are the signs of a snake bite:You often can’t see it Pet becomes wobbly or unsteadyPet shakes or trembles unexpectedlyPet may have fast or shallow breathingDogs may vomit within an hourAPA! recommends you do the following for your pet: If a sna...

2nd positive West Nile trap found in Brushy Creek area, 6th in Williamson Co.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:47 GMT

Editor's note – The headline has been updated to clarify that that this is the second positive West Nile trap in the Brushy Creek MUD and the 6th overall in Williamson County.WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas -- A second sample of mosquitoes collected in the Brushy Creek MUD has tested positive for West Nile virus, according to a news release Tuesday from Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD). This is the sixth reported West Nile virus-positive trap of the 2023 season in Williamson County, the release said. This is also the fifth week in a row that a positive trap was reported in Williamson County.The testing is part of WCCHD Integrated Vector Management program, which through surveillance, control, prevention and education aims to prevent human infection of mosquito-borne diseases, the release said.The positive sample was collected from a trap site near Cat Hollow Park (Liberty Walk Drive/ O’Connor Drive) on July 13, according to WCCHD. Lab results received from the Texas Dep...