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The West has sanctioned Russia’s rich. But is that really punishing Putin and helping Ukraine?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:20 GMT

VERONA, Italy (AP) — Sitting on a terrace in Verona as the bells toll at a nearby medieval church, Igor Makarov sips coffee as he describes his life as a billionaire under Western sanctions.Most of his fortune earned doing business in Russia and the former Soviet Union is frozen, and his plans to develop his energy businesses are currently shelved. His yacht is seized and his two private jets are grounded, so he flew commercial from Cyprus to Italy on budget carrier EasyJet.“I ask the question, what is the meaning of these sanctions against me? What do they achieve? They don’t help Ukraine,” Makarov said in a rare interview, blinking in the Italian sunshine.Western governments have sanctioned scores of billionaires in order to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin, choke off financial support for his war and turn them against him. They wanted the tycoons to “feel the consequences” of doing business with Putin unless they show “a change in behavior,” said Peter Stano, the European...

Under Putin, the uber-wealthy Russians known as ‘oligarchs’ are still rich but far less powerful

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:20 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — When Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000, the outside world viewed those Russians known as “oligarchs” as men who whose vast wealth, ruthlessly amassed, made them almost shadow rulers. A “government of the few,” in the word’s etymology.The term has persisted well into Putin’s rule, broadening in popular usage to refer to almost any Russian with a substantial fortune.How much political power any of Russia’s uber-rich now wield, however, is doubtful.A few hours after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, a televised meeting he held in the Kremlin with top industrialists and entrepreneurs showed how the dynamics had changed: Putin simply told them he had no choice but to invade.Despite the harsh consequences to their wealth that the tycoons could expect from the war, they had to accept it; the power was his, not theirs.THE ORIGINAL OLIGARCHSAfter the collapse of the Soviet Union, astute businessmen who had already begun building operations as g...

When is St. Nicholas Day? And how did this Christian saint inspire the Santa Claus legend?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:20 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The white-bearded Christian saint whose acts of generosity inspired America’s secular Santa Claus figure is known worldwide — but Saint Nicholas’ origin story is not. The legends surrounding jolly old St. Nicholas — celebrated annually on Dec. 6 — go way beyond delivering candy and toys to children. WHO WAS ST. NICHOLAS?St. Nicholas was a fourth century Christian bishop from the Mediterranean port city of Myra (in modern-day Turkey). “Much of the rest is legend. There’s not really a lot of hard historical evidence about St. Nicholas,” said the Rev. Nicholas Ayo, author of “Saint Nicholas in America: Christmas Holy Day and Holiday.”But whether the stories are true is not so much the point, said Ayo, an 89-year-old retired Notre Dame University professor named after St. Nicholas. “There’s no Santa Claus that lands on the roof, but there’s a desire in people’s heart for an unconditional love that doesn’t depend on your behavior, but the fact that you’re somebody’s...

Netanyahu alleges global indifference to what rights group calls ‘widespread’ sexual crimes by Hamas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:20 GMT

By SAM MEDNICK (Associated Press)JERUSALEM (AP) — A man hiding in a pit during the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on an outdoor music festival in Israel said he heard someone nearby screaming she was being raped. Elsewhere in the area, a combat paramedic saw the body of a young woman with her legs open, her pants pulled down, and what looked like semen on her lower back. An army reservist who was tasked with identifying those killed by the militants said some of the women were found wearing only bloodied underwear.Such accounts given to The Associated Press, along with first assessments by an Israeli rights group, show that sexual assault was part of an atrocities-filled rampage by Hamas and other Gaza militants who killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took more than 240 hostages that day.While investigators are still trying to determine the scope of the sexual assaults, Israel’s government is accusing the international community, particularly the United Nations,...

OTS on track to become EU equivalent

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:20 GMT

On 3 November 2023, the 10th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) commenced in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. This summit brought together the heads of state and official representatives from both full and observer member countries of the organization. During the summit, the heads of state signed various key agreements, including the OTS Tenth Summit Declaration. Additionally, pivotal decisions were made, such as declaring Astana as the "Turkish World Financial Center" in 2024 and Istanbul as the "Turkish World Financial Center" in 2025. Another significant decision involved granting the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Observer Status before the OTS, demonstrating a commitment to expanded regional co-operation. Numerous other decisions contributing to the organization's objectives were also signed during this summit, writes Dr. Cavid Veliev, Head of Department, AİR Center.As a result of the Astana Summit, member states adopted the comprehensive Astana Summit...

Grieving family prays for justice in fatal hit-and-run in South L.A.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:20 GMT

The grief-stricken family of a 37-year-old man struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding his motorcycle home in South Los Angeles last month is calling for justice.  Miguel Urias, a husband and father of a young daughter and son, had just left his mother’s home on Nov. 7 when the tragic collision occurred as he was going westbound on Manchester Avenue near San Pedro Street.  "It's been hard," the victim's widow, Diana Roman Saenz, said unable to hold back tears. "We have two kids. I have a 9-year-old and a 13-year-old and they still think it's a dream." Surveillance footage captured the moment a car cut the 37-year-old off, sending him flying into the road where he was run over. The driver at fault did not stop, identify themselves or attempt to render aid.  Urias succumbed to his injuries later that night in the hospital.  “It’s just senseless that these people are not careful, and they just did that to him,” Saenz told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo.  Migue...

Weather service warns again of dense fog in the Bay Area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:20 GMT

MONTEREY – For a third day in a row, the National Weather Service issued a dense fog advisory for much of the Bay Area.Related ArticlesWeather | Look both ways on one-way streets, too … a panicked wrong-way driver could be heading toward you: Roadshow Weather | Here’s where Caltrans is concerned about Bay Area under-freeway storage after L.A.’s I-10 fire Weather | Dense fog drapes over Bay Area on Tuesday morning Weather | Caltrans identifies 15 potentially dangerous properties beneath I-10 Freeway Weather | Why has price of hydrogen fuel jumped so high? Roadshow The advisory will run through 10 a.m. Wednesday and covers the coast and valleys of the North Bay, the Bay Area shoreline, San Francisco and the San Mateo County coast.Visibility reductions as low as 1/8th of a mile are possible, the weather service said, adding that commuters should travel carefully and prepare for sudden chan...

Oakland police union blames Mayor Thao for missing out on grant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:20 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) – Nearly three months after it was made public that the City of Oakland missed out on millions of dollars in state grants to fight retail crimes, the Oakland Police Officers Association says Mayor Sheng Thao is blaming the police. OPOA President Barry Donelan says he believes they would have received grant money if the city applied on time, and despite the mayor initially taking responsibility, Donelan says the mayor is now trying to point fingers at the police department. That money was going to be used for surveillance cameras, foot patrol officers, and a new fleet of cars.“What we’ve seen over the last couple of days is a smear campaign against the police department by various media outlets that are connected to the mayor,” Donelan said. California EDD dropping BofA for unemployment benefits payments One of the articles Donelan is referring to is from the Oaklandside, titled “Emails raise questions about OPD’s role in missed retail theft prevention grant....

California State Capitol Holiday Tree Lighting postponed amid planned protest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:20 GMT

(FOX40.COM) -- The California State Capitol Holiday Tree lighting ceremony was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, but this has been postponed and it comes as a planned protest calling for a cease-fire in Gaza takes place at the same site. The Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights said it will "rally and march to the State Capitol to out Gov. Gavin Newsom for hiding from the public because he doesn't want to face their anger at his shameful stance in regard to the genocide in Gaza." Holiday tree to be lit up at State Capitol The California State Capitol Holiday Tree Lighting was originally planned to be in-person at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, however, the governor's office recently reported the change to a virtual event on Wednesday. The office did not specify reasons for the sudden move. At the same time, a California Highway Patrol permit for a tree lighting ceremony set for Tuesday was withdrawn and replaced with a permit for a ceasefire in Gaza protest at 5 p.m. ...

November is the sixth straight month to set a heat record, scientists say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:20 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — For the sixth month in a row, Earth set a new monthly record for heat, and also added the hottest autumn to the litany of record-breaking heat this year, the European climate agency calculated.And with only one month left, 2023 is on the way to smashing the record for hottest year. November was nearly a third of a degree Celsius (0.57 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than the previous hottest November, the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Climate Change Service announced early Wednesday. November was 1.75 degrees Celsius (3.15 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than pre-industrial times, tying October and behind September, for the hottest above average for any month, the scientists said.“The last half year has truly been shocking,” said Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess. “Scientists are running out of adjectives to describe this.’’November averaged 14.22 degrees Celsius (57.6 degrees Fahrenheit), which is 0.85 degrees Celsius (1.5 d...