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Armenia and Azerbaijan speak different diplomatic languages, Armenia’s leader says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:52:40 GMT

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Saturday that his country and Azerbaijan are speaking “different diplomatic languages” even though they were able to agree on the basic principles for a peace treaty. Azerbaijan waged a lightning military campaign in September in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The offensive ended three decades of rule there by ethnic Armenians and resulted in the vast majority of the 120,000 residents fleeing the region, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Pashinyan said it was “good that the basic principles of peace with Azerbaijan have been agreed upon.” The principles include Armenia and Azerbaijan recognizing each other’s territorial integrity.But Armenian state news agency Armenpress quoted Pashinyan as going on to say, “We have good and bad news about the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.” He sa...

Century-overdue library book is finally returned in Minnesota

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:52:40 GMT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A library book that is more than a century overdue was finally returned in St. Paul, Minnesota.Titled “Famous Composers” and featuring the likes of Bach and Mozart, the tome turned up while someone was sorting through a relative’s belongings. The St. Paul Public Library checkout slip shows it was last borrowed in 1919, Minnesota Public Radio reports. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter joked in a tweet on Saturday that there would be no fine. The library, like many across the country, stopped charging late fees in 2019. The future of the book is unsure. John Larson, the St. Paul Public Library’s digital library coordinator, said he doubted it will go back into circulation because of its delicate condition, but expected the library to hang onto it.“It has reached a point where it’s not just an old book, it’s an artifact. It has a little bit of history to it,” he said.Larson said in his 25 years working for the library it was the oldest book he ever saw returned. “Ther...

Federal authorities investigate underwater oil pipeline leak off the coast of Louisiana

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:52:40 GMT

VENICE, La. (AP) — Federal authorities said Saturday that they’re investigating a leak from an underwater oil pipeline off the coast of Louisiana.The National Transportation Safety Board said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it had sent a four-person team to do a safety investigation and determine the cause of the leak about 19 miles (31 kilometers) offshore from Venice, Louisiana. The agency said the pipeline is operated by Third Coast Infrastructure LLC.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, said oil sheen was seen on water at around 9 a.m. Thursday and Third Coast Midstream Pipeline reported the leak 10 minutes later. A flight over the area at around 2 p.m. that day reported a slick that was 3 to 4 miles wide (roughly 5.5 kilometers) “with dark oil scattered throughout,” the agency said on its website.The Associated Press

French Holocaust survivors are recoiling at new antisemitism, and activists are pleading for peace

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:52:40 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Survivors of Nazi atrocities joined young Jewish activists outside the Paris Holocaust memorial Saturday to sound the alarm about resurgent antisemitic hate speech, graffiti and abuse linked to the Israel-Hamas war.The impact of the conflict is drawing increasing concern in France and beyond. Thousands of pro-Palestinian and left-wing activists rallied in Paris and around Britain on Saturday to call for a cease-fire, the latest of several such protests in major cities around the world since the war began.France is home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel and the U.S., and western Europe’s largest Muslim population. The war has re-opened the doors to anti-Jewish sentiment in a country whose wartime collaboration with the Nazis left deep scars. Some 100,000 people marched through Paris last week to denounce antisemitism.Esther Senot, 96, said the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 stirred up her memories of World War II. “Massacres like that, I have lived ...

California Democrats meet to consider endorsement in US Senate race ahead of March primary

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:52:40 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s wide-open U.S. Senate race shifts to Sacramento on Saturday as the leading Democratic candidates work to woo activists in search of a state party endorsement ahead of the March primary.U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, as well as former tech executive Lexi Reese will all make their case to hundreds of party delegates at the California Democratic Party’s annual fall convention. They’re seeking to fill the seat now held by Sen. Laphonza Butler, who was appointed when longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein died in September. Butler isn’t seeking election.The bar for a formal endorsement — 60% of the vote — is likely out of reach given the top three candidates are all sitting members of Congress with large bases of support. But the vote on Saturday night will offer a glimpse of how the party faithful views the top candidates, two of whom could meet in a head-to-head matchup in the general election should no Repub...

Bruins’ Lucic taking indefinite leave of absence after alleged domestic incident

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:52:40 GMT

Milan Lucic will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team after being involved in an alleged domestic incident Friday evening, the Boston Bruins said Saturday.“The Boston Bruins are aware of the situation involving Milan Lucic Friday evening,” the statement to Sportsnet said. “Milan is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team. The organization takes these matters very seriously, and we will work with the Lucic family to provide any support and assistance they may need.”Lucic was arrested by Boston Police early Saturday morning following the incident, WCVB Boston reported.The Bruins have announced that Milan Lucic will be taking an indefinite leave of absence following an alleged domestic incident that took place on Friday night. pic.twitter.com/NjGoOXEmlm— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 18, 2023Boston Police said it could neither confirm nor deny arresting Lucic early Saturday morning. A message sent to LucicR...

Hungary’s Orbán says Ukraine is ‘light years away’ from joining the EU

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:52:40 GMT

BUDAPEST, (AP) — Hungary’s prime minister said Saturday that Ukraine is “light years away” from joining the European Union, further signaling that his government is likely to present a roadblock to Kyiv’s ambitions to join the bloc.Speaking at a biannual congress of his nationalist Fidesz party, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he and his government would “resist” talks scheduled for mid-December on whether to formally invite Ukraine to start membership negotiations. Admitting a new country requires unanimous approval from all existing member countries, giving Orbán a powerful veto.At the party congress in Budapest on Saturday, he was reelected as the president of Fidesz for the 11th straight time since 2003. Orbán said afterward that standing in the way of Ukraine joining the EU would be one of his government’s top priorities in the coming months. “Our task will be to correct the mistaken promise to start negotiations with Ukraine, since Ukraine is now light years...

Cheers! A bottle of Scotch whisky sells for a record $2.7 million at auction

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:52:40 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A bottle of Scotch whisky billed as “the most sought-after” in the world sold Saturday for almost 2.2 million pounds ($2.7 million), an auction record for a bottle of wine or spirits.The Macallan Adami 1926 sold at Sotheby’s in London, after a bidding war between would-be buyers on the phone and in the room.Just 40 bottles of The Macallan 1926 were bottled in 1986 after being aged in sherry casks for 60 years. Twelve of the bottles, including the one sold Saturday, had labels designed by Italian painter Valerio Adami.Another bottle from the same cask was sold by Sotheby’s in 2019 for almost 1.5 million pounds, which was a record for wine or spirits until Saturday.“The Macallan 1926 is the one whisky that every auctioneer wants to sell and every collector wants to own,” said Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s global head of spirits.He said the record-breaking sale was “nothing short of momentous for the whisky industry as a whole. ”The bottle sold Saturday is the first to have unde...

We’re surrounded by space junk: What is it, and should you be worried?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:52:40 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Have you ever been gazing at the night sky and caught a glimpse of something that must surely be a star or space anomaly, only to find out it’s a satellite? You certainly aren’t alone. There are thousands of satellites and other instruments orbiting Earth. While many go unnoticed (unless you do spot one while stargazing), satellites — and space debris orbiting with them — can pose a serious threat. So serious, in fact, that one company was recently fined for their own space debris. In early October, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) settled an investigation into DISH after the company reportedly failed to properly deorbit a satellite. It was a first for the FCC, which says it “has stepped up its satellite policy efforts.” DISH ultimately had to admit liability, agree to a compliance plan, and pay a $150,000 fine. The FCC determined DISH relocated the satellite to a disposal orbit “well below the elevation required by the terms of its license,” po...

A TikTok Jesus promises divine blessings and many worldly comforts

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:52:40 GMT

(The Conversation) - The TikTok profile Daily Believer (@believerdaily) has 70 videos with computer-generated Jesuses looking directly at the viewer, beseeching them to stop scrolling and watch the next minute’s worth of content.All these Jesuses are long-haired and bearded, recalling artist Warner Sallman’s ubiquitous 1940 painting “Head of Christ.” Some wear the crown of thorns, some look alarmingly like the actor Jared Leto. Nearly all promise a surprise or “good news soon” in exchange for the viewer liking, commenting “Amen” or sharing it with their friends and family. With this digital outreach, the Daily Believer has gained, as of Nov. 13, 2023, 813,200 followers and over 9.2 million likes.(Getty Images)As a scholar of religion in the U.S. and its intersection with popular culture, I have been studying the ways American Christians use media and popular culture to perform religious work and evangelical outreach for the past 13 years. I argue that this TikTok phenomenon, in...