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Thailand train collision with pickup truck kills 8 people and injures 4, railway agency says

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:26:12 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Eight people were killed when a freight train struck a pickup truck crossing the tracks in an eastern province of Thailand early Friday morning, authorities said.The accident at 2:20 a.m. (19:20 GMT) also injured four people in the Muang district of Chachoengsao province, according to the State Railway of Thailand.The 54-year-old driver, Wichai Yulek, told authorities he saw the approaching train and heard a warning horn. He slowed, but passengers in the vehicle urged him to keep going. When he realized the truck was headed for a collision, he could not stop in time, the railway agency said.The deceased include an 18 year old, two people in their 20s and five people over 55, while the injured victims included four men in their 20s, the railway said.The Associated Press

Police detain a suspect in South Korea’s 2nd stabbing attack in 2 days

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:26:12 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean police detained a man suspected of stabbing a high school teacher with a knife Friday in the city of Daejeon. The stabbing follows a separate, apparently random attack on Thursday in which 14 people were wounded near a busy subway station in Seongnam.Officials at the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency didn’t immediately release the personal details of the suspect in the Friday morning attack on the teacher at Songchon High School, describing him only as a man in his late 20s.According to police, the suspect waited for the teacher to step out of a classroom before stabbing him and fleeing the scene, which, according to officials, suggests they were acquaintances. Police and fire department authorities did not specify the teacher’s health condition.The attack in Daejeon, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Seongnam, came hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol called for “ultra-strong” law enforcement measures to restore faith in public safety a...

Stock market today: Asian stocks mixed ahead of US jobs update following British rate hike

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:26:12 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stocks markets were mixed Friday ahead of a U.S. jobs update that could influence interest rate plans after Britain’s central bank raised its key lending rate.Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul rose. Tokyo and Sydney declined. Oil prices advanced.Wall Street sank for a third day after the Bank of England on Thursday raised its benchmark lending rate to a 15-year high and indicated it could stay high for a while.Investors were rattled a day earlier after Fitch Ratings cut its credit rating on U.S. government debt, despite analyst comments that the change made little difference.“Wall Street is watching a global bond market selloff get uglier as U.S. stocks waver,” said Edward Moya of Oanda in a report.The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.6% to 3,301.26 after China’s central bank governor told real estate developers Thursday they would be allowed to raise more money by selling bonds. That further eases debt controls imposed in 2020 that sent the industry into a tai...

Zimbabwe’s opposition leader tells AP intimidation is forcing voters to choose ruling party or death

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:26:12 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of violating the law and tearing apart independent institutions to cling to power. In an interview with The Associated Press, Nelson Chamisa also warned that any evidence of tampering by Mnangagwa’s ruling party in this month’s elections could lead to “total disaster” for a beleaguered nation that is in economic ruin and already under United States and European Union sanctions for its human rights record.Chamisa, who will challenge Mnangagwa and the ruling ZANU-PF party’s 43-year hold on power in an Aug. 23 vote, claimed widespread intimidation against his opposition party ahead of the elections.Chamisa said Mnangagwa has utilized institutions like the police and the courts to crack down on critical figures, ban opposition rallies and prevent candidates from standing. He laid out a series of concerns that indicate the country, with its history of violent and dispute...

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania agree to synchronise their electricity grids with the European Continental grid in early 2025

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:26:12 GMT

The Commission warmly welcomes the agreement by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to accelerate the integration of their electricity grids with the Continental Europe network (CEN) and their disconnection from Russia and Belarus.Under a joint declaration signed this morning by the three Prime Ministers, the deadline for synchronisation is brought forward from the end of 2025 (as initially established by political declarations in 2018 and 2019) to February 2025. Today's political declaration follows an agreement between the respective Transmission System Operators (TSOs) earlier this week on the steps for accomplishing the fully-fledged synchronisation in February 2025.The relevant grids reinforcements are a Project of Common Interest (PCI) on the Union's fifth PCI list under the TEN-E Regulation and have received record financial support from the Connecting Europe Facility for Energy of more than € 1.2 billion. The full integration of the Baltic States into the internal energy market wi...

Video captures terrifying moment driver runs man over in Torrance

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:26:12 GMT

Video captured the terrifying moment a Torrance man was violently slammed into by a driver in broad daylight.The victim, Ken Teshima, a 66-year-old grandfather, is releasing the video in hopes the suspect will be located and arrested.Video of the incident was captured on July 30 around noontime at an office complex parking lot in Torrance.The suspect is seen speeding up a gray sedan straight into Teshima and knocking him over onto the sidewalk.“I went flying and I fell here,” Teshima recalled. “He was out to kill me. He hit me so hard, as fast as his car could go. Fortunately, when I hit the sign here, his car hit the post and it stopped his car. But I kept going and fell over there.”The sudden impact knocked Teshsima over and he hit his head on the concrete below.Video captured the terrifying moment a Torrance man was hospitalized after being slammed into by a driver on July 30, 2023. (Ken Teshima)Video captured the terrifying moment a Torrance man was hospitalized after being slam...

Authorities pursue erratic, high-speed stolen vehicle in L.A. County

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:26:12 GMT

Authorities pursued a stolen vehicle in Los Angeles County on Thursday night.The pursuit began in Lakewood as the suspect driver was seen leading Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies on a high-speed chase.The driver was seen erratically crossing freeway lanes while hitting speeds of up to 110 miles per hour. At times, the suspect drove without headlights while narrowly missing other vehicles.Later on, officers from California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit as it continued into the night. Eventually, the suspect crashed and was taken into custody.

Rock throwing vandal causing thousands of dollars in damage to buildings in Pomona 

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:26:12 GMT

Police in Pomona are working to identify and locate a woman who has caused thousands of dollars in damage to several buildings – including a church – over the last several months. One building that has been vandalized repeatedly is the Pilgrim Congregational Church in Pomona, and the attacks are leaving both clergy and parishioners on edge. “It is very disappointing and discouraging,” said Pastor Patrick Horn. “It’s close to a thousand dollars per month or so repairing windows and doors and locks, and it’s adding up...we are probably close to $20,000 over the last few years in just repairs.” One building that has been vandalized repeatedly is the Pilgrim Congregational Church in Pomona, and the attacks are leaving both clergy and parishioners on edge. (KTLA)The house of worship isn’t the only place being targeted by the unknown vandal; a Chinese restaurant located down the street from the church has been hit by the same suspect six times in the last two weeks, leaving the ...

Crews combat San Jose hills grass fire burning near structures

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:26:12 GMT

SAN JOSE – Local and state fire crews on Thursday night were continuing to battle a tier-three grass fire burning in the hills east of San Jose.The blaze, dubbed the Clayton Fire, ignited around 2:30 p.m. at Clayton Road and Via De La Vista, according to Cal Fire.At 4:40 p.m., the San Jose Fire Department reported forward progress of the fire had been stopped.Charred grasslands that were burned due to the Clayton Fire in the east San Jose hills near the corner of Clayton Road and Via De La Vista. (San Jose Fire Department)The blaze covered 66 acres and was 30% contained as of 9 p.m., according to Cal Fire.“Units will remain at the scene through the night,” Cal Fire said in a social media post.Cal Fire helicopter siphons water from Lake Cunningham in San Jose to help with airdrops against the Clayton Fire in the San Jose hills. (San Jose Fire Department Twitter)The fire briefly threatened multiple structures in the area.A Cal Fire helicopter at one point siphoned water from...

Mercury’s Skylar Diggins-Smith says team won’t let her use practice facility

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:26:12 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Mercury star Skylar Diggins-Smith said Thursday in a social media post that she’s been barred from the team’s practice facility while she is on maternity leave from the team.The six-time All-Star hasn’t played for the Mercury this season after the birth of her second child.Diggins-Smith made the allegations when responding to a post on X about the Mercury not celebrating her birthday on social media. She wrote: “They’re not gonna acknowledge me this year and it’s ok guys. We’re not affiliated unless it’s the checks….per management. I can’t even use the practice facility or any resources.”Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue was asked about Diggins-Smith before Thursday night’s game against Atlanta, but she didn’t say much about the situation.“Skylar is on maternity leave right now and as we do with players on maternity leave, we give them their space,” Blue said.___WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-...