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Iran’s top leader defends hard-line approach toward West, blames protests on ‘thugs and villains’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday defended his tough approach to the West, saying compromise would only invite further hostility from Iran’s enemies and blaming recent anti-government protests on “thugs and villains.”Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks come amid an intensifying standoff with Western countries over Iran’s nuclear program, which has made major advances in the five years since then-President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from an international accord that restricted it.Trump restored crippling sanctions on Iran that have contributed to a severe economic crisis without forcing any concessions from its leaders. Iran has also lent support to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, supplying armed drones that have wreaked havoc on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.“Some people are mistaken to think if we back down from our stances in certain cases that will cause the enmity of the U.S, the global arrogance, or Israel toward us to...

Biden’s 2024 pitch highlights pragmatism over Trump’s pugilism

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden promised voters in 2020 that he knew how to get things done in Washington and could bring stability to the capital. It seemed like a message out of step with the more combative era brought on by Donald Trump.But Biden prevailed, by more than 7 million votes, and as he seeks a second term, he is again trying to frame the race as a referendum on competence and governance, pointing to the bipartisan debt limit and budget legislation he signed on Saturday as another exemplar of the success of his approach.The agreement the Democratic president negotiated with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans averted the catastrophe of a U.S. government default — and forestalled another threat until after the 2024 election — while largely protecting the domestic agenda that formed the backbone of what he hopes will form his legacy.His approach, favoring pragmatism over Trumpian pugilism, will be tested as never before in the coming campaign, with hi...

Sri Lanka’s LGBTQ+ community holds Pride march, demands end to discrimination

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Hundreds of members of Sri Lanka’s LGBTQ+ community paraded through the streets of the capital Colombo on Sunday to mark the Pride month and demand an end to discrimination. The marchers carried rainbow flags and placards calling for a ban of so-called conversion therapies, an end of police harassment of the LGBTQ+ community and equal treatment. Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist nation holding conservative values and it is rare for people with different sexual orientation to voice their demands in public. Even though there have been similar parades in previous years, last year’s anti-government protests amid an unprecedented economic crisis have helped the LGBTQ+ communities to come out stronger, organizers said. Sri Lanka’s laws still consider homosexuality a crime and a bill is pending before Parliament to decriminalize homosexuality.The Associated Press

Navalny supporters hold demonstrations to mark Russian opposition leader’s 47th birthday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Alexei Navalny voiced hope for a better future in Russia as his supporters held pickets and demonstrations to mark the imprisoned opposition leader’s 47th birthday on Sunday.Navalny is serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and contempt of court, charges he says were trumped up to punish him for his work to expose official corruption and organizing anti-Kremlin protests. He is facing a new trial on extremism charges that could keep him in prison for decades. Kremlin critics view the case as another Russian government attempt to isolate President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent foe.Navalny’s associates called for demonstrations to show support for him in Russia and abroad on Sunday.Risking their own prison terms, some Navalny supporters in Russia marked his birthday by holding individual pickets, while others painted graffiti. At least 45 people were detained, according to the OVD-Info group that monitors political arrests.Police beefed up their presence in ...

Russia’s most famous icon handed over from museum to church despite protests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian Orthodox believers celebrated Trinity Sunday with Russia’s most famous icon transferred from a museum to Moscow’s main cathedral despite the keepers’ vociferous protests.The Trinity icon by Andrei Rublev, which was kept in Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery since the 1920s, was moved to Christ the Savior Cathedral before the holiday on President Vladimir Putin’s personal order.Putin’s abrupt decision to hand over the 15th-century icon to the church came despite a strong opposition from the Tretyakov keepers, who warned that the icon was too fragile to move and requires constant care to avoid a drastic deterioraton in its condition.Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill responded by dismissing a senior priest who sided with the museum keepers in advising to keep the icon at the Tretyakov Gallery.Kirill led a liturgy in the cathedral on Sunday, which was attended by hundreds of believers, including some officials.The controversy over the ic...

Christopher Nolan breaks down the best ways to watch a movie, ahead of his ‘Oppenheimer’ release

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

It’s no secret that Christopher Nolan made “Oppenheimer” to be seen on the big screen. But not all big screens are created equal.That’s part of the reason why Universal Pictures has made “Oppenheimer” tickets available early for over a thousand “premium large format” (or PLF) screens, with options including IMAX 70mm, 70mm, IMAX digital, 35mm, Dolby Cinema and more.Knowing that even those words can get overwhelming and technical, Nolan went a step further: In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, he offered a guide to his favorite formats, explaining why it matters and even where he likes to sit so that audiences don’t feel like they need a film school degree (or one in theoretical physics) before settling on a theater.“You rarely get the chance to really talk to moviegoers directly about why you love a particular format and why if they can find an IMAX screen to see the film on that’s great,” Nolan said. “We put a lot of effort into shooting the film in a way that we ca...

Man, 25, drowns after jumping into water channel in Lake Villa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

UNINCORPORATED LAKE VILLA, Ill. -- A 25-year-old man is dead after he jumped into a water channel, without clothing, in Unincorporated Lake Villa, Lake County police said. According to the Lake County Sherrif's office, around 1:04 a.m. Sunday morning, police responded to a call of a man who went under water into the 'Long Channel' between Petite Lake and Spring Lake. After hours of search, the man's body was discovered deceased around 6:30 a.m.Police investigation states that the man may have been heavily intoxicated. Witnesses stated that he was drinking a birthday party. 19 people shot, 3 dead in overnight violence on the South Side Upon returning to a residence in the 25100 block of West Forest Drive, the man jumped into a pier into the water with his clothes on. Police said he was able to swim to shore and a relative helped him remove his wet clothing and took him to bed. Reports state that a short time later, the man left bed and jumped into the water again, without clothing...

Costco will raise its membership fee, just not yet, CFO says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Beloved warehouse Costco will raise its membership fee. The company has been hinting that it would since early 2022. If you’ve been waiting to see the price hike, it appears you’ll have a bit longer before your membership becomes more expensive. When asked about raising membership fees during a call with investors last week, CFO Richard Galanti said Costco will do it “at some point” but not yet.  Netflix begins cracking down on password sharing in the U.S.: What to know Membership growth has continued for Costco, Galanti explained. The company has seen both paid household members and cardholder totals increase by about 7% over last year.Galanti pointed to inflation as contributing to Costco’s decision not to raise membership fees yet. “Our view right now is that we’ve got enough leverage out there to drive business,” Galanti explained. “We feel that it’s incumbent upon us to be that beacon of light to our members in terms of holding them for right n...

These are TripAdvisor's 15 highest rated Texas luxury hotels

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — The old adage about everything being bigger in Texas doesn't stop when it comes to hotel luxury. While the Lone Star State may not be top of everyone's mind for potential vacation spots, there's no shortage of "best" hotels to try out. It just depends who you ask.Filtering Texas luxury hotels by TripAdvisor's "5-bubble" rankings — indicating highest user ratings — show some serious amenities and happening hot spots. TripAdvisor bubble ratings are based on "quality, quantity, and age of individual travelers' ratings and reviews." The company explains bubble ratings differ from popularity indexes because they are based on "an absolute measure of quality," with five bubbles being "excellent." These Texas cities are ranked worst for running — do you agree? While major metros like Austin, Houston and San Antonio dominate the list, there are many unexpected cities with hotels in the top 15 — including Granbury, Graford and Ennis.Here are TripAdvisor's current Best Hotels in ...

Laura Collins: Is the U.S. ready to get serious about managing migration at the border?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

U.S. border policy is stuck in the past. The expiration of Title 42 gives the U.S. government another chance to effectively manage migration and border security, but it will be successful only if it addresses the reality of Western Hemisphere migration.Our deterrence policies and enforcement infrastructure were built decades ago for single adult men seeking employment. Since 2013, vulnerable populations — unaccompanied children, families and vulnerable adults seeking refuge — have dominated border arrivals. Successive administrations, no matter how draconian or punitive their chosen policies, have been unable to prevent migrants from arriving at the border.The last three years have seen a firm commitment to Title 42, public health guidance implemented in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic that expelled most border crossers without granting them an asylum interview. This policy was an abject failure at preventing the spread of COVID-19. The side effect was that it ...