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Polish president to name new prime minister-designate after opposition coalition’s election win

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:43:23 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish President Andrzej Duda is expected Monday to announce who he is tapping to try to form a new government after opposition parties collectively won a majority in parliament in a national election last month, an aide said. The announcement will trigger the process of forming a new government following the election in which the ruling right-wing Law and Justice party lost its parliamentary majority to three allied opposition parties but emerged as the single biggest vote-getter. This has fed speculation over Duda’s choice. “Following consultations and after deep consideration, President Andrzej Duda has taken his decision regarding the so-called first step” (in forming a government), presidential aide Marcin Mastalerek said on X, formerly known as Twitter.He said the decision was “final” and not subject to pleas from politicians, whom he advised to “calmly watch the evening address.”An ally of the current government, Duda has said the two candidates fo...

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts in early trading as recent sharp moves calm a bit

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:43:23 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are drifting in early trading as Wall Street’s wild recent moves calm a bit. The S&P 500 was up 0.3% in its first trading after careening from months of sharp losses to its best week of the year. The Dow rose 70 points, and the Nasdaq composite was up 0.3%. The flashpoint for the stock market’s movements in both directions has been what the bond market is doing, and it was regressing a bit Monday following its own extreme moves. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.61%. The yield briefly topped 5% last month. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street was slow to gain traction early Monday as earnings season begins to wind down and little economic data out of Washington this week on inflation or U.S. employment. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials were unchanged before the bell while the S&P 500 dipped about 0.1%.Oil prices gained after Saudi Arabia and Russia reiterated their commitment to maintaining oil sup...

Virginia Dept. of Transportation tells drivers to beware sun glare

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:43:23 GMT

The Virginia Department of Transportation is warning drivers that the return to standard time can cause sun glare to have more of an impact on drivers in the morning and evening hours.With thousands of crashes being blamed on the biannual change to the clock, the department shared tips for navigating the hazard of sun glare.Among the easiest tips: remaining aware of sunrise and sunset times and reducing speed when approaching areas where the sun is hovering above roadways.Likewise, the department said being aware of your surroundings and creating more space between your vehicle and other ones can decrease the likelihood of a collision.VDOT said it’s important to be cautious when making quick decisions behind the wheel too.“Do not swerve, slow down or stop suddenly; other drivers behind you may not be able to slow down or stop,” the department said in a social media post.Of course, if you have control of when you are heading out for a drive, you can also adjust your...

AP PHOTOS: Pan American Games feature diving runner, flying swimmer, joyful athletes in last week

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:43:23 GMT

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — The last week of the Pan American Games in Chile featured great moments by athletes who don’t often get the limelight in top international competitions.Athletes from across the Americas ran, swam, jumped, shouted, cried, and laughed. They waved and hugged. They learned lessons and celebrated successes in front of hundreds of thousands of raucous fans in Santiago.Canada’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot had one of the best moments of the games at the finish line of the 1,500-meter race. The 32-year-old dived across, beat his countryman Rob Heppenstall by two one-hundredths of a second, and cried in disbelief as he won the gold medal.Brazil’s artistic swimming team was not as lucky and finished its competition in fourth place — and out of a medal on Friday. But the view of Celina Tiemi Rangel flying out of the water of Santiago’s aquatics center after being thrown by her teammates was worth its weight in gold.The long hair of U.S. sprinter Alaysha Johnson swirling i...

Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews becomes first batter to be timed out in international cricket

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:43:23 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews became the first batter to be timed out in international cricket during the Cricket World Cup game against Bangladesh on Monday.Mathews wasn’t ready to face his first ball within the stipulated two minutes as the strap of his helmet appeared to be broken and he called for a replacement helmet.A substitute fielder eventually ran out with a new helmet, but by then it had taken more than three minutes since the previous dismissal and onfield umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth told Mathews he was out. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan and his teammates had appealed for him to be timed out.ICC rules state that a batter has “to be ready to receive the next ball within 2 minutes of the (previous) dismissal or retirement.”Mathews, who first didn’t believe he was ruled out, was seen arguing with both onfield umpires while pointing toward the broken strap of his helmet.Mathews also had a word with Shakib, who didn’t withdraw his appeal,...

Fortnite maker challenges Google’s ability to take a cut of in-app purchases

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:43:23 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google on Monday will try to protect a lucrative piece of its internet empire at the same time it’s still entangled in the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in a quarter century. The latest threat will unfold in a San Francisco federal court, where a 10-person jury will decide whether Google’s digital payment processing system in the Play Store that distributes apps for phones running on its Android software has been illegally driving up prices for consumers and developers.The case targeting Google’s Play Store is being brought by Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game, which lost in a similar 2021 trial focused on many of the same issues in Apple’s iPhone app store.Although a federal judge sided with Apple on most fronts in that trial, the outcome opened one potential crack in the digital fortress that the company has built around the iPhone. The judge and an appeals court both determined Apple should allow apps to provide links t...

Australian and Chinese leaders talk pandas and wine as ties improve despite disagreements

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:43:23 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — The leaders of Australia and China joked about the relative cuteness of pandas and Tasmanian devils on Monday in a largely symbolic meeting that reflected the ongoing upswing in relations between the two countries after several years of acrimony and division.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is making the first visit by an Australian leader to China in seven years in a sign of both how low relations fell and how they have begun to stabilize.He and Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed the gradual improvement in ties in the past year and emphasized the importance of engaging with each other despite differences on issues such as defense.China, a major market for Australia, has lifted some trade restrictions on Australian products since the two leaders first met in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022.“The progress we have made in advancing our relationship over that time has been unquestionably very positive,” Albanese said in opening remarks to Xi before the media. “T...

Tyson recalls 30,000 pounds of chicken nuggets

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:43:23 GMT

New York (CNN) — Tyson Foods is voluntarily recalling about 30,000 pounds of its dino-shaped chicken nuggets after some consumers reported finding small metal pieces in their patties.The recall, announced on Saturday, is for 29-ounce plastic bag packages containing frozen, “fully cooked fun nuggets breaded shaped chicken patties,” according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.Those bags have a “best if used by date” of September 4, 2024, and were sold in Alabama, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.There has been “one minor oral injury” associated with consumption of the nuggets, according to the USDA, but no other reports of harm so far.But officials at the agency said they were concerned consumers may still have bags of the recalled “fun nuggets” in their freezers, and advised anyone who does should discard or return the product immediately.Tyson advised purchasers and consumers of recalle...

War veteran speaks out after service dog denied entry to American Legion in Fort Myers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:43:23 GMT

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WSVN) — A Gulf War veteran has been denied access to the American Legion in Fort Myers due to her service dog. The veteran received her service dog over the summer and now she’s fighting to make sure no other veterans are turned away. Dorthea “Dee” Pilkons served her country during the Gulf War in the Army and is now living with PTSD and hearing loss. “My psychiatrist at the Bedford VA, she noticed a really big change in me without my dog. And so, she suggested a service dog, and she helped me find America’s Vet Dogs,” sai Pilkons. Her journey led her to her service dog, Beth, who has made a profound impact on her life. Beth, a certified service dog from America’s Vet Dogs, has been instrumental in helping Pilkons manage her condition.“She really calms me down,” Pilkons shared. “She keeps me very, very level. She helps me with my hearing. Yeah, I’m a completely different person now.” Howe...

Marlins hire Peter Bendix to lead their front office. He leaves his job as Rays GM for Miami

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:43:23 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Marlins have hired Peter Bendix as their new president of baseball operations, a job that convinced him to leave the Tampa Bay Rays after 15 seasons.Bendix had most recently been the Rays’ senior vice president of baseball operations and general manager. He and the Marlins struck the deal over the weekend, and Miami formally announced it Monday.“Peter has a great reputation within baseball and is committed to achieving sustained excellence in all areas of Baseball Operations,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said in remarks distributed by the club. “I am looking forward to working alongside Peter to bring the Marlins back to the playoffs.”The Marlins announced Bendix’s hiring one day before the start of baseball’s annual general managers’ meetings in Scottsdale, Arizona.Bendix will take over the department previously overseen by Kim Ng, who had been general manager of the Marlins for the last three seasons. Ng elected to leave the team l...