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UK boosts defense spending in response to Russia and China

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:36 GMT

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged Monday to increase U.K. military funding by 5 billion pounds ($6 billion) over the next two years in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the “epoch-defining challenge” posed by China.The increase, part of a major update to U.K. foreign and defense policy, is less than military officials wanted. Sunak said the U.K. would increase military spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product “in the longer term,” but did not set a date. Britain currently spends just over 2% of GDP on defense, and military chiefs want it to rise to 3%.The extra money will be used, in part, to replenish Britain’s ammunition stocks, depleted from supplying Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Some will also go towards a U.K.-U.S.-Australia deal to build nuclear-powered submarines.Sunak will meet U.S. President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in San Diego on Monday to confirm next steps for the military pact, known as AUKU...

US, UK try to halt fallout from Silicon Valley Bank collapse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:36 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Governments in the UK and U.S. took extraordinary steps to stop a potential banking crisis after the historic failure of Silicon Valley Bank, even as another major bank was shut down.The UK Treasury and the Bank of England announced early Monday that they had facilitated the sale of Silicon Valley Bank UK to HSBC, Europe's biggest bank, ensuring the security of 6.7 billion pounds ($8.1 billion) of deposits.British officials worked throughout the weekend to find a buyer for the UK subsidiary of the California-based bank. Its collapse was the second-largest bank failure in history.U.S. regulators also worked all weekend to try to find a buyer. Those efforts appeared to have failed Sunday, but U.S. officials assured all depositors that they could access all their money quickly. Silicon Valley Bank depositors will have access to all funds starting Monday: fed agencies The announcement came amid fears that the factors that caused the Santa Clara, California-based bank t...

Chicago man sues Buffalo Wild Wings over boneless wings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:36 GMT

CHICAGO (WGN) — A Chicago man has filed a class-action lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings, claiming the restaurant chain falsely advertises its boneless wings as the real deal, when in reality, he believes the wings are nothing more than chicken nuggets.According to court documents obtained by Nexstar's WGN, the plaintiff, Aimen Halim, filed a complaint Friday in the U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois against Buffalo Wild Wings and its parent company Inspire Brands Inc.Halim claims Buffalo Wild Wings' description of the product leads customers to believe their boneless wings are deboned chicken wings made up completely of chicken wing meat, when the product is actually slices of chicken breast deep fried like chicken wings, and are compositionally more like chicken nuggets. 3 children, mother die in fire at Chicago firefighter’s home This all stems back to January 2023 when Halim bought boneless wings from a Buffalo Wild Wings in Mount Prospect, Illinois and thought just tha...

Ruth E. Carter becomes first Black woman to win 2 Oscars

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:36 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ruth E. Carter made history: The costume designer behind the “Black Panther” films became the first Black woman to win two Oscars.Carter took home best costume design Sunday night at the 95th Academy Awards for the Marvel sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Carter also won in 2018 for “Black Panther,” which made her the first African American to win in the category. Photos from the 2023 Oscars: red carpet, ceremony, and more In her acceptance speech, Carter thanked the film's director Ryan Coogler and asked if “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman could look after her mother, Mabel Carter, who she said died “this past week.” Boseman died in 2020 of cancer at 43.“This is for my mother. She was 101,” Carter said. "This film prepared me for this moment. Chadwick, please take care of mom.”Carter then paid tribute to her mother backstage.“I had a great relationship with her in her final years. The same relationship I always had with her. I was her ride...

Temps run cool ahead of strong late week cold front

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After spending most of the last two weeks in the 80s, this week will feel much different. A reminder that yes, it is still technically winter. NEW BLOG: How a switch to El Niño could affect hurricane season Still under the influence of Sunday's cold front, today's temperatures will run cooler than what we felt over the weekend as afternoon highs will struggle to leave the 60s. Morning clouds will clear to afternoon sunshine as winds continue to blow out of the northeast at 10-15 mph.A weak disturbance will bring the low chance for a few sprinkles on Tuesday, but the majority of us are expected to stay dry with cooler than normal temperatures in the 60s.Wednesday will be a transition day as southerly winds bring back warmer temperatures (70s) under a mix of sun and clouds.Running cooler than seasonal normals to start the weekFirst Warning: Late season chillA cold front arriving late Thursday into early Friday will bring a high likelihood of storms and showers follo...

How did 'Texas, Our Texas' become the official state song?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Nearly 100 years ago, Texas politicians began their quest for finding the best song to serve as the official song of Texas. Over the period of five years, two separate competitions and hundreds of entries, the Texas Legislature officially adopted "Texas, Our Texas" as the state song in 1929.William J. Marsh wrote the music and Gladys Yoakum Wright wrote the lyrics to "Texas, Our Texas" in the early 1920s.In 1924, Texas Gov. Pat Neff launched a yearlong contest to find and select the official state anthem. "Texas, Our Texas" was selected as the winner, but the contest stalled out and didn't progress, said Susan Floyd, communications officer at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.William J. Marsh wrote the music and Gladys Yoakum Wright wrote the lyrics to "Texas, Our Texas" in the early 1920s. (Courtesy: Texas State Library and Archives Commission)William J. Marsh wrote the music and Gladys Yoakum Wright wrote the lyrics to "Texas, Our Texas" in the early ...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: I Saw My Neighbor Cheating-Should I Tell Her Husband?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:36 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma is from Shannon, and it's a tough one. Check it out: Get all of the latest news, weather, sports, and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Good morning Jaime, my name is Shannon and I need some serious advice. So my neighbors who have been married for a long time and have kids in college are friends of mine. There have always been rumors that the wife would sometimes step out, but rumors are just that. Well over the weekend I was out with a friend at a birthday party about an hour from where I live, and we had dinner in a private room at a restaurant. When I went to the bathroom I saw my neighbor snuggling up with another man at the bar. I snuck back into the room and later snuck out of the restaurant. I told my husband when I got home what I saw and he feels so bad and wants to tell her husband because he’s such a nice guy. I told him no it’s not our business and for all we know he knows or just doesn’t care? What w...

19-year-old accused of robbery at senior housing center

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:36 GMT

ULSTER, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Esopus 19-year-old is accused of robbery, menacing, and more at a senior housing complex in the town of Ulster. Niaki Dial was arrested on Thursday and faces several charges. Get all of the latest news, weather, sports, and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Ulster Police say on March 9, they responded to a reported burglary at the Chambers Senior Housing Complex. Police say a male suspect entered an occupied residence and threatened those living there before taking a purse belonging to one of the victims. Police say they later identified the suspect at Dial and found him shortly after on Ulster Avenue. Charges:First-degree robberyFirst-degree burglaryThird-degree grand larcenyFourth-degree grand larcenyFourth-degree criminal possession of stolen propertyThird-degree menacingDial was arraigned on Thursday afternoon in the Town of Ulster. The Ulster County Police Department was assisted by the Ulster County Sheriff's Office and the New York Sta...

Ask Amy: Pandemic’s long-term effect worries reader

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:36 GMT

Dear Amy: Do people report to you that the Covid pandemic changed them?It changed me.I thought the isolation wouldn’t bother me because I am an introverted woman. I treasure my solitude.There were times when I didn’t see another human being for a week or 10 days.I went only to the store and the library just to see another human being and chat for a minute or two. That seemed to suffice — after all, for two years that person walking toward me might be carrying a disease that could kill me.I remember thinking it’s as though I am in a spaceship that keeps circling the Earth, and I can’t land.Well, now I have landed, and I find that I am less tolerant than I used to be, and a lot more cynical.My compassion for others has descended to a new low.I have dropped a couple of long-term friendships because I couldn’t bear the other person’s neediness. It was as if I was for years wearing rose-colored glasses, but they fell off and now I see the world differently.I am active again in an a...

EU welcomes Japan joining the multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:36 GMT

The EU welcomes Japan's decision to join the multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement (MPIA), which is open to all World Trade Organization (WTO) members. The MPIA is an alternative, stop-gap system for resolving WTO disputes, anchored in the WTO Agreement, set up by the EU and key partners, pending the restoration of a reformed WTO dispute settlement system. Including Japan, 26 WTO members currently participate in the MPIA.Existing WTO rules, which still govern the majority of our trade, are our best guardrail against global economic fragmentation. The EU therefore has a fundamental strategic interest in a strong and reformed WTO, and we must continue leading efforts to reform it.Japan's decision, along with that of other MPIA members, confirms the commitment of leading WTO players to the organisation's dispute settlement system and the rules that that system enforces. It is also a strong sign of support for the restoration of a reformed and fully functioning dispute sett...