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UN rights experts report a rise of efforts in Venezuela to squelch democracy ahead of 2024 election

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:07:38 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Venezuela’s government has intensified efforts to curtail democratic freedoms with use of threats, surveillance and harassment as President Nicolás Maduro faces a re-election contest next year, U.N.-backed human rights experts reported on Wednesday.An international fact-finding mission authorized by the Human Rights Council notes that violent repression between 2017 and 2019 eased after the coronavirus pandemic broke out the following year. That coincided with a drop in huge protests against the government. A report by the mission three years ago decried “crimes against humanity” in Maduro’s Venezuela.In the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, the experts warned that political interference has been on the rise. They noted that three candidates running for the opposition’s Unitary Platform — Henrique Capriles, Maria Corina Machado and Freddy Superlano — were banned from taking part. Other prominent figures have already been blocked from holding political off...

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin gets personal in ‘An Unfinished Love Story’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:07:38 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Doris Kearns Goodwin’s next book is a work of history that’s also close to home.The Pulitzer Prize winner’s “An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s” is a reflection on her final years with her longtime husband, Richard Goodwin, the former White House speechwriter who died in 2018, and on the singular era they lived through. Simon & Schuster announced Wednesday that the book will be released April 16. The publisher is calling it a combination of memoir, history and biography; Goodwin was inspired in part by the couple’s looking through hundreds of boxes of letters, diaries and other papers. Richard Goodwin was a key aide to President John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson who helped coin the phrase “The Great Society.” Doris Kearns was a White House Fellow who later helped Johnson work on his memoir, “The Vantage Point.” She went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for “No Ordinary Time: Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt: Th...

Car crashes into Highlands Ranch home, house hit 2 times before

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:07:38 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Fire crews are responding to a pickup truck that crashed into a Highlands Ranch home early Wednesday morning.South Metro Fire Rescue responded to the crash in the 9000 block of Dunning Circle off of Fairview Parkway and Grace Boulevard at around 5:16 a.m. The neighborhood is west of Valor Christian High School.Police responded to a car that crashed into a Highlands Ranch home early on Wednesday, Sept. 20. (Douglas County Sheriff's Office)Police responded to a car that crashed into a Highlands Ranch home early on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Police responded to a car that crashed into a Highlands Ranch home early on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Police responded to a car that crashed into a Highlands Ranch home early on Wednesday, Sept. 20. FOX31's Lisa D'Souza spoke to tenants on scene and was told a couple was sleeping in the bedroom right above where the pickup crashed. "I look down, I see a big white truck sticking halfway out of my house. I hear the driver saying 'Oh my God I am ...

Daylight saving time: Yes, Coloradans will still need to fall back in November

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:07:38 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Come Nov. 5, Coloradans will once again have to change their clocks and fall back into standard time after months of daylight saving time.This is despite a bill passed in the Colorado legislature and signed into law in 2022 to keep the state on Mountain Daylight Time permanently. Colorado State Rep. Cathy Kipp, who co-sponsored the 2022 bill, explained that the reason this has not happened yet is that states are not allowed to opt into permanent daylight time — only opt out. How are some Denver metro bars open past 2 a.m.? This is due to how the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which mandated daylight saving time nationwide, works.Two states -- Hawaii and Arizona -- have chosen to permanently reside on standard time, while 19 states have passed legislation to keep the extra daylight hour year-round.Kipp said she does not believe that Congress will pass a law allowing each state to permanently opt in, but will instead pass something to standardize daylight time nationwide....

This world-class airport will soon go passport-free

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:07:38 GMT

(CNN) — Traveling through one of the world’s best airports is set to get even smoother next year.Starting in 2024, officials say Singapore’s Changi Airport will introduce automated immigration clearance, which will allow passengers to depart the city-state without passports, using only biometric data.“Singapore will be one of the first few countries in the world to introduce automated, passport-free immigration clearance,” Communications Minister Josephine Teo announced during a parliament session on Monday, during which several changes to the country’s Immigration Act were passed.Biometric technology, along with facial recognition software, is already in use to some extent in Changi Airport at automated lanes at immigration checkpoints.But the upcoming changes will “reduce the need for passengers to repeatedly present their travel documents at touch points and allow for more seamless and convenient processing,” Teo said.Biometrics will be used to create a “single token of authentic...

Pringles launches limited edition ‘Crisps and Caviar Collection’ after TikTok sensation

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:07:38 GMT

It started as a viral sensation on TikTok when users started pairing chips with caviar. Now Pringles is turning the buzz into a reality with their limited edition “Crisps and Caviar Collection.” After amassing over 10 billion views online, Pringles aims to cash in on the social media frenzy by partnering with a caviar company to create this unique product line.The collection, which debuted on Tuesday, pairs Pringles’ popular flavors – Original, Sour Cream and Onion, and Barbecue – with the caviar company’s classic White Sturgeon caviar and smoked trout roe. This innovative snack combination is sure to intrigue food enthusiasts and social media aficionados alike.However, this extravagant snacking experience comes at a price. The Crisps and Caviar Collection starts at $49 and can go as high as $140 for different selections, making it a premium treat for those looking to elevate their snack game.

France and Germany clash (again) on buying US arms

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:07:38 GMT

PARIS — France and Germany’s long-running dispute over whether European countries should buy American weapons was laid bare in a joint interview of the countries’ defense ministers published in Le Monde on Wednesday. The main bone of contention is the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), launched in the fall of 2022, which gathers 19 countries and is based on joint procurement of air defense systems. The plan is aimed at creating a four-level air defense system ranging from immediate battlefield protection to being able to halt much longer-range threats. It is aimed at giving NATO members more robust air defenses in light of the experience garnered from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.The project includes purchases of German, American and Israeli weaponry: the very short range Close Air Defence System (LVS NNbS), which consists of a turret mounted on an armored fighting vehicle and equipped with a radar, a cannon and missiles; Germany’s medium-...

Police: NH teen arrested for aggravated DUI after being caught driving 136 mph

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:07:38 GMT

A 19-year-old New Hampshire resident is facing an aggravated driving while under the influence charge after New Hampshire police say they caught him going 136 mph while impaired behind the wheel late Tuesday night.A trooper monitoring traffic on I-93 northbound arrested Tyler J. Gay, of Concord, after he passed the cruiser at 136 mph around 10 p.m., according to state police.He is expected to be arraigned on charges of aggravated driving while under the influence and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

Patriots, Matt Corral saga takes another strange turn with QB back off squad

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:07:38 GMT

The Patriots’ plans with quarterback Matt Corral have changed.Corral was initially set to join the practice squad as of Tuesday night, a source said. Corral now is not expected to sign to the Patriots’ practice squad, per a source.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots, OT Trent Brown reportedly agree to added contract incentives New England Patriots | Patriots fan who witnessed fatal fight calls on NFL to tackle brawling New England Patriots | How Patriots OC Bill O’Brien assessed the offense after 2 weeks New England Patriots | Patriots-Dolphins film review: What Bill Belichick can and can’t fix after an 0-2 start New England Patriots | Mac Jones clarifies postgame comments on Patriots teammates’ dedication Corral cleared waivers after the team released him Monday. The 24-year-old was placed on the exempt/left squad list prior to his release for leaving the team w...

Chicago Cubs snap 5-game losing streak behind Alexander Canario’s grand slam in 14-1 win

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:07:38 GMT

Somehow, the Chicago Cubs had to find a way to reverse the alarming trend over the last 10 days during their slide down the wild-card standings.Manager David Ross thought the offense just needed something to turn their fortunes.“It really feels like we haven’t gotten that big double in the gap or the three-run homer,” Ross said Tuesday before the series opener with the Pittsburgh Pirates. “It feels like things aren’t going our way and someone will make it turn, one player step up and get a big knock in a big situation and guys will take a deep breath and we’ll get back on this roll that we’ve been on for a pretty good while now before that last road trip.”Dansby Swanson set the tone two batters into the bottom of the first inning Tuesday. He slugged an 0-2 elevated fastball into the center field basket for a two-run home run, one of four the Cubs hit in their 14-1 blowout win at Wrigley Field.The Cubs (79-72) ended their five-game losi...