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Ukraine, Russia swap hundreds of prisoners in first POW exchange in months

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:19:21 GMT

Ukraine and Russia on Wednesday exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war, in the first such swap in almost five months.Russia released 230 POWs, among them 213 soldiers and sergeants, 11 officers and six civilians, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media. In exchange, Ukraine released 248 Russian military personnel in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates, Moscow’s defense ministry said.“We managed to free over 200 of our people from Russian captivity,” Zelenskyy announced. “Warriors and — very importantly — civilians.”The UAE said in a statement that it was “one of the largest exchanges of captives between the two sides since the beginning of the war” in February 2022.Kyiv and Moscow have conducted multiple prisoner swaps since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago, but no exchange had been announced for almost five months, with Kyiv accusing Moscow of using POWs as a political weapon.“There was a lon...

Lethal Sydney funnel-web spider ‘Hercules’ sets record for largest specimen collected in Australia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:19:21 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — With fangs that could pierce a human fingernail, the largest male specimen of the world’s most poisonous arachnid has found a new home at the Australian Reptile Park where it will help save lives after a member of the public discovered it by chance.The deadly Sydney funnel-web spider dubbed “Hercules” was found on the Central Coast, about 50 miles north of Sydney, and was initially given to a local hospital, the Australian Reptile Park said in a statement Thursday.Spider experts from the nearby park retrieved it and soon realized it was the largest male specimen ever received from the public in Australia. The spider measured 7.9 centimeters (3.1 inches) from foot to foot, surpassing the park’s previous record-holder from 2018, the male funnel-web named “Colossus”. Sydney funnel-web spiders usually range in length from one to five centimeters, with females being generally larger than their male counterparts but not as deadly. They are predominantly found in ...

Microsoft adds AI button to keyboards to summon chatbots

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:19:21 GMT

Pressing a button will be one way to summon an artificial intelligence agent as Microsoft wields its computer industry influence to reshape the next generation of keyboards.Starting this month, some new personal computers that run Microsoft’s Windows operating system will have a special “Copilot key” that launches the software giant’s AI chatbot.Getting third-party computer manufacturers to add an AI button to laptops is the latest move by Microsoft to capitalize on its close partnership with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and make itself a gateway for applications of generative AI technology.Although most people now connect to the internet — and AI applications — by phone rather than computer, it’s a symbolic kickoff to what’s expected to be an intensively competitive year as tech companies race to outdo each other in AI applications even as they haven’t yet resolved all the ethical and legal ramifications. The New York Times last month sued both OpenAI and Micr...

Scenes of loss play out across Japan’s western coastline after quake kills 81, dozens still missing

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:19:21 GMT

SUZU, Japan (AP) — His face hidden under a humble straw hat, the man stood silent, watching several helmeted rescue workers carefully lift his wife’s body from the rubble, wrapped in blue plastic on a stretcher.He wiped his weary face with a rag. His eyes were red.This scene in the city of Suzu was tragically repeated across Ishikawa Prefecture and nearby regions on the western coastline of Japan after Monday’s 7.6 magnitude temblor that decimated houses, twisted and scarred roads and scattered boats like toys in the waters, and prompted tsunami warnings.The death toll stood at 81 people as of Thursday. Ishikawa officials said 47 of those who died were in the city of Wajima and 23 were in Suzu. The 11 others were reported in five neighboring towns. More than 330 people have been injured, at least 25 seriously.Those reported missing ballooned from 15 to 79 overnight, including a 13-year-old boy. Officials initially said 80 were missing but corrected the number later.What exacer...

Monitoring possible significant winter storm;

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:19:21 GMT

FAR AND AWAY—The weather system of greatest potential concern is a potential winter storm, still indicated as likely to sweep into the Midwest early next week—its precipitation reaching Chicago in the Monday night, Tuesday and Tuesday night time frame.  The storm has been establishing near record low barometric pressure readings in sections of southwest Alaska and the northern Gulf of Alaska—where it produced a central barometric pressure of 942 mb (27.81").  With a 165 mph jet stream involved in its development overhead and surface winds gusting past 60 mph on sections of the southwest Alaska coastline, it's a formidable system.  Models are still taking it south across the U.S. Rockies and positioning over eastern Colorado, northeast New Mexico, and the Texas and Oklahoma panhandle by the close of this weekend.  From there, the storm—with a huge precip shield and strong winds that will build into Chicago by Tuesday—is to lift northeastward. Early model guidance, with a projected st...

SWAT called out in south Austin

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:19:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police said Thursday officers were responding to a SWAT callout on East Stassney Lane in south Austin. According to a 1:30 a.m. social media post, police said officers were at the 500 block of East Stassney. That is between South Congress Ave and Interstate 35. According to Google Maps, there are two apartment complexes, Griffis SoCo Austin and Austin City Lights, at that block number. APD did not give any other details but said it planned to update the situation at 3:15 a.m. This is a breaking story. KXAN will update as we get more information and provide more coverage on KXAN News Today starting at 4:30 a.m.

New rules to combat fraud on cross-border payments in the EU in forcefrom 1 January

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:19:21 GMT

New transparency rules come into force this 1 January that will help EU Member States to crack down on Value-Added Tax (VAT) fraud.The new rules will provide tax administration of the EU Member States with payment information allowing them to detect VAT fraud more easily, with a particular focus on e-commerce which is particularly prone to VAT non-compliance and fraud. This in turn creates holes in the tax revenues that pay for vital public services.For example, some online sellers with no physical presence in an EU Member State sell goods and services to EU consumers without registering for VAT anywhere in the EU, or by declaring less than the actual value of their online sales. Member States therefore need strengthened tools to detect and shut down this unlawful behaviour.In detailThe new system harnesses the key role played by payment service providers (PSPs) such as banks, e-money institutions, payment institutions and post office giro services, which collectively handle over 90...

Ukraine’s Grain Industry: Exports strong despite Russian disruption

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:19:21 GMT

The Ukrainian grain sector is growing its sea export volumes even as Russia continues to target key infrastructure for grain exports, according to Ukrainian media outlet Censor.Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and shelling of major cities since February 2022 largely halted the operation of Ukrainian seaports and export routes in the Black Sea, which are vital for the economy and for the supply of grain to international markets. With millions of tonnes of grain trapped in warehouses, Ukraine’s role as the ‘breadbasket of Europe’ was under threat.The Black Sea Grain Initiative, launched with the participation of Ukraine, Russia, the UN, and Turkey, led to the resumption of exports from three Black Sea ports. Two ships belonging to Swiss trader Harvest Commodities – the M/V Riva Wind and M/V Arizona –were among the first to successfully leave the port of Odessa as part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in August 2022, delivering 110,000 tonnes of grain to world markets. From August 2022 to...

Dear Abby: Nobody interceded with the bride, and I was left out of the wedding

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:19:21 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My co-worker sent “save the date” cards to everyone a year ago, and my husband and I were looking forward to attending her wedding.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: My neighbors seemed so friendly until this incident Advice | Dear Abby: My friend was insulted when the waitress asked him to leave Advice | Dear Abby: My often-requested list of new year’s resolutions Advice | Dear Abby: They call me bossy, but I’m just trying to improve their parenting Advice | Dear Abby: I’m feeling used, and I want to stop sharing my company discount with this person Apparently, she then had a wedding planner or a friend send the actual invitations via email. Everyone else in the office received theirs, but I did not.When I found out, I told two other co-workers I hadn’t received an invitation and speculated that the sender might have misspelled my name in the email. I thou...

Single-family home sells in San Jose for $2.3 million

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:19:21 GMT

1677 Sweetbriar Drive – Google Street ViewThe spacious property located in the 1600 block of Sweetbriar Drive in San Jose was sold on Dec. 12, 2023. The $2,320,000 purchase price works out to $1,102 per square foot. The house, built in 1962, has an interior space of 2,105 square feet. This single-story home provides a generous living space with its four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Inside, there is a fireplace. Additionally, the house features a two-car garage, providing ample room for vehicles and storage needs.Additional houses have recently been sold nearby:On Laurelwood Drive, San Jose, in August 2023, a 2,354-square-foot home was sold for $2,800,000, a price per square foot of $1,189. The home has 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.In June 2022, a 1,596-square-foot home on Valencia Court in San Jose sold for $1,925,000, a price per square foot of $1,206. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 3,340-square-foot home on the 1600 block of Laurelwood Drive in San Jose sold in November 20...