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Wagner mercenaries entering Belarus as Minsk announces ‘road map’ for joint military drills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

A large convoy carrying fighters from the Wagner private army was spotted entering Belarus from Russia early Saturday, a monitoring group reported after the country’s Defense Ministry said it planned for the mercenaries and Minsk’s own armed forces to conduct joint military drills. The independent monitoring group Belaruski Hajun, which tracks the movements of armed forces in Belarus, said at least 60 trucks, buses and other large vehicles crossed into the eastern European country accompanied by Belarusian police. The group did not immediately provide photos or videos of the vehicles but said they had license plates from Russian-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine, where Wagner mercenaries fought alongside Russian troops until a short-lived mutiny last month. The convoy headed toward a military base outside Osipovichi, a town 230 kilometers (142 miles) north of the Ukrainian border. Satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press this month showed rows of tent-like struc...

Greek police searching for killers of a North Macedonian businessman in a holiday resort

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — A businessman from North Macedonia was fatally shot on Saturday at a holiday resort in northern Greece, and police were searching for two gunmen, officials said. Two masked men riding a motorcycle approached a villa in the resort of Hanioti, about 105 kilometers (65 miles) southeast of Thessaloniki, which the 39-year-old businessman was renting along with friends, police said. They parked outside, entered the villa and shot the man and his friend with at least 19 bullets, police said. The businessman, who was not identified, died instantly, and his 45-year-old friend was hospitalized with serious wounds, police say.The businessman, an ethnic Albanian, has been described as either a casino or game arcade owner in North Macedonia. Police officers, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak officially about a case under investigation, told The Associated Press they believed it was a contract killing. Costas Kantouris, The As...

Ford government plans to recoup COVID-19 loans to province’s doctors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

The Ontario government says it plans to recoup loan payments issued to doctors at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic to cover their increased costs and loss of revenue from lower patient volumes.In a memo issued to the Ontario Medical Association on Friday, which was obtained by The Canadian Press, the province says it is “critical” to recover more than $521 million in outstanding loan payments in order to fund other priorities.Beginning next month, the Ministry of Health will deduct pay from physicians’ monthly OHIP payments over a one-year period, rather than the original five-month timeline it first proposed, with no interest charged.The ministry says it was clear when it launched the COVID-19 Advance Payment Program in April 2020 that monthly loan payments doled out to eligible health-care providers would need to be paid back.Since loan repayments began in April 2021, it says it has recovered nearly $139 million out of the total $660 million provided.But after...

Family of missing Alabama woman say they 'heard her scream' through the phone before she disappeared

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

HOOVER, Ala. (WIAT) – Officials in Alabama are searching for a 25-year-old woman who went missing after calling 911 to report seeing a child walking alone along the interstate.A $25,000 reward is being offered for the safe return of Carlethia "Carlee" Russell, who called police to report a toddler walking on the side of I-459 around 9:30 pm on Thursday, according to the Hoover Police Department. Russell then called a family member to tell them she was stopping to check on the child, police said."The family member lost contact with the caller, but the line remained open," Lt. Daniel Lowe of the Hoover Police said at a news conference on Friday.(Hoover Police Department)Upon arrival, police located Russell's car and some of her belongings nearby, but did not find her or the child. The also had not received any reports of a missing child.A witness, meanwhile, had reported seeing a man and a gray vehicle near the area where Russell reported seeing the toddler, Lowe said.Lowe shared addi...

Why are songs shorter now?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — It's not just you — the songs you hear on the radio or stream on your favorite music app are shorter than they used to be. Historically, popular songs aimed to be at least 3 minutes long, a guiding principle known as the "3-Minute Rule." This goal length dates back to vinyl records, when artists hoped to have at least 3 minutes of material to fill out a 45 rpm disc, also known as a "single." As explained by Vox, singles were cheaper to create and cheaper to buy, so artists were incentivized to adhere to the rule. The Beastie Boys even made a song about it. Video of 11-year-old Texas boy looking for friends goes viral But these days, many popular songs don't even come close to 3 minute length.Some recent Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers, Morgan Wallen's "Last Night" and SZA's "Kill Bill clock in at 2:43 and 2:33, respectively.Compare that to this same week in 2003, when Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love" had just begun its eight-week run atop the Billboard Hot 100. The pop classi...

Weekend Break: Millennium Art Fair

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

Join WGN Weekend Break with Glenn Marshall at Chicago's Millenium Art Fair.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Federal student loan interest rates now highest in a decade

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

(NerdWallet) - Federal student loan interest rates for the 2023-24 academic year are live, and they are the highest they’ve been in at least a decade. Interest rates for undergraduate direct subsidized loans, for example, haven't been this high since hitting 5.6% for the 2009-10 school year.The new rates apply to all loans taken out from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, according to the Education Department. The interest rate for an undergraduate direct loan is 5.5%. Graduate students taking out direct loans will face a 7.05% interest rate. PLUS loans for graduate students and parents come with an 8.05% interest rate. Here’s how the new student loan interest rates compare with the 2022-23 academic year:Direct subsidized and unsubsidized loans for undergraduate students: 5.5% for the 2023-24 academic year; up from 4.99% for the 2022-23 academic year.Direct unsubsidized loans for graduate students: 7.05% for the 2023-24 academic year; up from 6.54% for the 2022-23 academic year.PLUS lo...

Working Strategies: Books: Building communication skills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

Amy LindgrenIn an age when communication has been compressed into texts, tweets and tics (oops – that would be TikTok videos), it’s nice to know someone is still writing about how to communicate effectively.That would be two someones, at least, featured here for their books on the subject. If you’ve been interested in upping your communication game, or want to help someone else do the same, these guides are a good place to start.Breaking Through: Communicating to open minds, move hearts, and change the world: by Sally Susman, Harvard Business Review Press, 2023, $30. We start with a look at communications as a profession, and communicating as a professional skill to be honed.Indeed, as the book’s cover blurb notes, “Communications can no longer be considered a soft skill. The ability to lead and drive the public conversation is a rock-hard competency.” As a careers professional — and professional communicator — I couldn’t agree more.Susman, the chief corporate affairs of...

Multiple crews respond to house fire on Sand Creek Road

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Multiple crews have responded to a house fire at 95 Sand Creek Road in Albany. No injuries have been reported at this time. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Drivers are advised to avoid the area so that emergency vehicles have access to the residence. Stay with NEWS10 as more information becomes available.

Firefighter offers helping hand during boy's third battle with brain cancer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

CREVE COEUR, Mo. - For young brain cancer survivor Drew Patchin, Friday was all about about packing up and heading out to Houston. Thanks to some hometown heroes, he’s doing it in style, in a huge tour bus that was escorted by local enforcement.“I'm a warrior, I’m a warrior” chanted 10-year-old Drew. He went on to explain what this opportunity has felt like for him, "This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime things." Mayor’s driveway: Expired plates and dealer tags The special day included a huge tour bus, a line of special escorts, and even a farewell from the sky. "A neighbor has reached out and we barely know him," said Drew’s mother, Jennifer Patchin.That neighbor, is Joshua Gumpenberger, a firefighter with the St. Louis City Fire Department. He wanted to make a difference after hearing about Drew's rigorous battles with brain cancer for the last four years."I wanted to really make him feel famous," said GumpenbergerDrew also got his very own fire helmet from the firefighting cr...