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4 suspected North Korean defectors found in a small boat in South Korean waters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:24 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Four North Koreans were found in a small wooden boat in South Korean waters on Tuesday in what is likely a rare case of North Koreans taking a risky sea voyage to flee to the South, Seoul officials said.More than 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea to avoid poverty and political oppression since the late 1990s. A vast majority of them have come via a land route with China, and defecting by sea is uncommon because it’s more dangerous.A South Korean coast guard ship found the boat south of the two Koreas’ eastern sea border on Tuesday morning, after a report by a fishing boat. The four people on board identified themselves as North Koreans, coast guard officials said.South Korea’s military said it secured the custody of the North Koreans in coordination with the coast guard, after chasing their boat along the sea border. A military statement said the North Koreans were suspected of defecting to South Korea but gave no further details.South Korean pu...

DC Council members introduce first-of-its-kind bill to provide funding for local news outlets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:24 GMT

D.C. Council members Janeese Lewis George of Ward 4 and Brianne Nadeau of Ward 1 introduced a bill Monday that would allocate government funding to the District’s local news outlets, based on input from residents — a program that, if passed, would be the first of its kind in the country.The Local News Funding Act would set aside 0.1% of D.C.’s annual budget (about $11.5 million, based on the current budget, according to the bill) to the development of a Local News Grant Program, which would go toward media outlets that report local news.Every registered voter in D.C. would receive “news coupons” to devote to their preferred outlets and the number of coupons each outlet receives would determine its share of the grant money.In a news release from her office, Lewis George called strong journalism “indispensable for a healthy democracy and an accountable government,” but said issues like declining revenue, layoffs and discontinuations have limited out...

DC woman’s dog, who survived the car crash that killed her mom, stolen at gunpoint

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:24 GMT

A D.C. woman whose dog was stolen at gunpoint this weekend said an area animal shelter has agreed to pick up her dog — a 14-year-old West Highland Terrier named Max, who suffers from health issues — if the thieves find it in their hearts to surrender him.Zaleena Ahmed of Northeast D.C. said the Humane Rescue Alliance in Arlington, Virginia, has offered to serve as a neutral party in recovering Max.“He’s on the later end of his life. So I’m sure this is traumatic for him … and who knows what circumstances he’s being cared for, so I’m just really worried about him,” Ahmed told WTOP.Ahmed was walking Max on Saturday night near her Fort Totten home in the 300 block of Galloway Street NE when a gunman demanded the dog. When she resisted, police said, she was beaten by the gunman, who stuffed the dog into a waiting car with a driver who sped away.“I’ve just been thinking about why people do bad things … so I’ve just been hoping that ma...

Why abortion and education are key issues in the Virginia election

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:24 GMT

Follow WTOP’s coverage of the Virginia Election 2023.Virginia’s pivotal election is coming up on Nov. 7, and many voters will have the issue of abortion on their minds as they cast their ballot.Since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last year, numerous states have implemented abortion restrictions — and that will likely happen in Virginia too if Republicans take control of both the House of Delegates and the Senate.The Virginia House of Delegates is currently controlled by the GOP with 49 Republicans, 46 Democrats and five vacancies.Of the 40 seats in the state Senate, there are 22 Democrats and 18 Republicans.Every state lawmaker will be on the ballot, meaning the election will determine which party controls the General Assembly.“If Republicans control both chambers of the legislature and the governor’s office, you can expect significant restrictions on abortion in Virginia,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political-science professor at the University...

Macron: We stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with Israel in Hamas war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:24 GMT

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that France “stands shoulder to shoulder” with Israel as he kicked off a trip to the country, which is witnessing its most deadly outbreak of violence in decades.Macron said he was visiting Israel to show “support for your people, your nation, your rights,” during a statement to the press alongside Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem.Hamas’ attacks were “an immense shock for the whole planet, in particular for France,” Macron said, in reference to the Palestinian militant group’s violent assault against Israel which killed more than 1,400 Israelis. Hamas also killed 30 French citizens.After meeting the relatives of French-Israeli victims and hostages at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, Macron said the “first objective” should be to secure the release of hostages. Nine French citizens have been taken hostage by Hamas, or are missing.Macron is expected to call later Tuesday...

A court in Kenya has extended orders barring the deployment of police to Haiti for 2 more weeks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:24 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A court in Kenya has extended orders blocking the deployment of Kenyan police to Haiti to lead a U.N Security Council-approved mission to combat gang violence in the Caribbean nation.The High Court on Tuesday said that it would rule on the case on Nov. 9.Former presidential candidate, Ekuru Aukot, filed a petition on Oct. 9 against the deployment of Kenyan forces, arguing that the law allowing the president to do so conflicted with articles of the constitution.Aukot’s petition also faulted President William Ruto for agreeing to lead the international peacekeeping mission while Kenya struggles with security issues arising from militant attacks and most recently ethnic clashes.The U.N. Security Council resolution, drafted by the United States and Ecuador, authorizes the force to deploy for one year, with a review after nine months.Kenya’s national assembly has yet to schedule a debate on the motion to deploy the contingent, which is expected to be made up o...

A Hong Kong court upholds a ruling in favor of equal inheritance rights for same-sex couples

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:24 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court on Tuesday upheld a ruling that favored the granting of equal inheritance rights to same-sex couples, in the latest victory for the city’s LGBTQ+ community. The decision by the Court of Appeal rejected the government’s motion against the ruling that said the differential treatment facing same-sex married couples under two inheritance laws in the city constitutes unlawful discrimination. “The differential treatment based on sexual orientation is apparent,” Justice of Appeal Peter Cheung wrote in his judgment. Currently, Hong Kong only recognizes same-sex marriage for certain purposes such as taxation, civil service benefits and dependent visas. Many of the government’s concessions were won through legal challenges in recent years as the city has seen a growing social acceptance of same-sex marriage.The ruling is a victory for the city’s LGBTQ+ movement and is expected to have a strong impact on the lives of same-sex couples f...

Stock market today: Global shares trade mixed after Treasury bond yields slip lower

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:24 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares were trading mixed Tuesday after the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond fell back after creeping above 5%. France’s CAC 40 inched down less than 0.1% to 6,847.50 in early trading. Germany’s DAX slipped nearly 0.1% to 14,788.30. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 0.4% to 7,347.01. The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.3% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.2%. Rapidly rising yields in the bond market have been pressuring stock prices since the summer.Treasury yields help dictate how much investors pay for everything from stocks to corporate bonds to cryptocurrencies. Higher yields also make it more expensive for nearly everyone to borrow money, which puts the brakes on economic growth and adds stress to the entire financial system.The yield on the 10-year Treasury briefly topped 5.02% on Monday to touch its highest level since 2007. But stocks got some relief as it then slipped back to 4.84%. Early Tuesday it was at 4.83%....

Shaker and Shen to meet for Class AAA girls soccer title

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:24 GMT

NISKAYUNA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The rematch is set. The Shaker girls soccer team dominated Saratoga 4-0 Monday night to advance to the Class AAA championship game. Shenendehowa followed suit, defeating Colonie 2-1, setting up a clash between the two Suburban Council rivals in a repeat of last year's Class AA final. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The Blue Bison offense stampeded with two goals in the first half: one from Lindsey McCulloch, and another from Alina Lagace. McCulloch finished off a hat trick in the second half to help seal the deal for Shaker, as they chase a second straight section title.Shenendehowa and Colonie met once again in the semifinals, and the Plainsmen got the better of the Garnet Raiders. Shen scored first off a free kick from Grace Hogan, but the Raiders' Julia Bancheri evened things up with a goal to tie the game at one.However, later in the second half, Shenendehowa's Rachel Chen scored to give the Plai...

Play of the Week winner - Richie Stifter Jr.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:24 GMT

HOOSICK FALLS, NY (NEWS10) -- Congratulations to this week’s winner of our Play of the Week poll, Hoosick Falls/Tamarac's Richie Stifter Jr.! Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Stifter Jr. tallied a 92-yard scoop and score to clinch Hoosick Falls/Tamarac's win over Schuylerville. Vote here for this week’s Play of the Week poll!