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Australia’s highest court finds Qantas illegally fired 1,700 ground staff during pandemic

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:40 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Qantas Airways lost its challenge to a court ruling on Wednesday that the Australian flag carrier had illegally fired 1,700 baggage handlers, cleaners and other ground staff at the height of pandemic travel disruptions.Seven High Court judges unanimously rejected Qantas’ appeal against a Federal Court full-bench decision. That court upheld a Federal Court judge’s ruling that the sacking of Qantas staff at 10 Australian airports in 2020 was illegal.The ruling is another major blow for the airline, which Australia’s consumer watchdog is suing for more than 250 million Australian dollars ($160 million) for allegedly selling thousands of tickets mid-2022 for flights that had already been canceled.Australian Competition and Consumer Commission initiated the Federal Court lawsuit two weeks ago for what it considers Australia’s most serious-ever breach of consumer law.That prompted Qantas former chief executive Alan Joyce to retire last week two months ahead of s...

A fire that burned in a 9-story apartment building in Vietnam’s capital has killed about 12 people

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:40 GMT

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A fire in a nine-story apartment building in Vietnam’s capital killed about 12 people and injured more than 50, state media reported Wednesday.The fire has been extinguished and rescue operations were continuing, the official Vietnam News Agency reported. Authorities have not confirmed an exact death toll.The fire was believed to have started late Tuesday and rescuers struggled to reach the building on a narrow lane in south Hanoi. It wasn’t immediately clear how much of the building had burned. It was home to 150 residents, and 54 of the 70 people rescued from the fire were hospitalized for their injuries, state media said.Authorities were investigating the cause of the fire.A deadly fire at a karaoke parlor in southern Vietnam’s Binh Duong province killed 32 people last year.The Associated Press

Kim offers Putin and Russia North Korea’s full support and refers to Moscow’s ‘sacred fight’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:40 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that his country offers its “full and unconditional support” for Russia’s “sacred fight” to defend its security interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine, and said Pyongyang will always stand with Moscow on the “anti-imperialist” front.Through a translator, Kim called North Korea’s relations with Russia “the first priority.” Putin in his opening remarks welcomed Kim to Russia and said he was glad to see him. Putin listed economic cooperation, humanitarian issues and the “situation in the region” among the agenda items for their talks.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un began on Wednesday at the Vostochny cosmodrome, Russian state news agency Tass reported. The talks, which included their delegations, began shortly after Putin and Kim toured various f...

Autoworkers strike would test Biden’s ‘most pro-union president in US history’ assertion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:40 GMT

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The prospect of an auto workers strike could test Joe Biden ‘s treasured assertion that he’s the most pro-union president in U.S. history. The United Auto Workers is threatening to strike against the nation’s big three automakers, General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, if tentative contact agreements aren’t reached by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. That could reshape the political landscape in the battleground state of Michigan and potentially unleash economic shockwaves nationwide. The auto industry accounts for about 3% of the nation’s gross domestic product and as many as 146,000 workers may walk off their jobs. While the effects would be most immediate in Michigan and other states with high concentrations of auto jobs, such as Ohio and Indiana, a prolonged strike could trigger car shortages and layoffs in auto-supply industries and other sectors. “Anything that goes beyond a week, you’re going to start feeling the pain,” said Marick Mas...

2023 Venice Film Festival: Five EU-supported works won six awards

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:40 GMT

The winners of the 80th Venice International Film Festival were announced during the Award Ceremony held on 9 September 2023 - among them are five EU-funded projects: in the official competition, Matteo Garrone took home the Silver Lion award for Best Director for the film Io Capitano, while Seydou Sarr won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actorfor the same title. The Orizzonti competition awarded Mika Gustafson as Best Director for Paradiset Brinner (Paradise is Burning) and Tergel Bold-Erdene as Best Actorin the film Ser Ser Salhi (City of Wind) by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir.EU-funded nominations in the Venice Immersive and Giornate degli Autori categories also won awards – the Venice Immersive Achievement Prize and the Europa Cinema Labels Award – for Empereur by Marion Burger and Ilan Cohen, and Photophobia by Ivan Ostrochovský and Pavol Pekarčík respectively.Overall, out of 11 EU-supported works at this year's Venice Film Festival, five titles won a total of six awar...

Two-bedroom home sells in Alameda for $1.5 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:40 GMT

609 Sand Hook isle. – Google Street ViewA 1,485-square-foot house built in 1965 has changed hands. The property located in the 600 block of Sand Hook isle. in Alameda was sold on Aug. 1, 2023, for $1,505,000, or $1,013 per square foot. The layout of this single-story home includes two bedrooms and two baths. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. Additionally, the house includes a garage.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:On Tarryton isle., Alameda, in April 2023, a 2,441-square-foot home was sold for $1,650,000, a price per square foot of $676. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 1,901-square-foot home on the 1200 block of Saint Charles Street in Alameda sold in April 2023, for $1,950,000, a price per square foot of $1,026. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In May 2023, a 2,580-square-foot home on Clinton Avenue in Alameda sold for $2,200,000, a price per square foot of $853. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Kim Jong Un offers Vladimir Putin and Russia North Korea’s full support, refers to Moscow’s ‘sacred fight.’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:40 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Kim Jong Un offers Vladimir Putin and Russia North Korea’s full support, refers to Moscow’s ‘sacred fight.’Source

Freddie Freeman homers and gets 4 hits on his birthday, leading Dodgers past Padres 11-2

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:40 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman’s locker was flanked by 8-foot-high pillars of blue balloons. A hefty box of cookies and a birthday cake sat nearby, gifts from the Dodgers’ kitchen staff for the slugger with a sweet tooth.“I’m a big snickerdoodle guy,” the seven-time All-Star said with a grin.From the clubhouse gifts to the crowd’s songs and dances, Freeman got plenty of love at Dodger Stadium on his 34th birthday. He reciprocated with a prolific performance in another win.Freeman homered, doubled and had four hits, Will Smith hit a three-run homer and Los Angeles trimmed its magic number for clinching the NL West to five with an 11-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.Freeman was outstanding on his jersey giveaway night at Dodger Stadium, scoring a season-high four runs in front of thousands wearing his white No. 5 shirt — including 30 friends and family members. The crowd sang “Happy Birthday to You” in the second inning, and fans got up ...

Putin and Kim Jong Un begin talks as Russia seeks weapons

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:40 GMT

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday morning, with the two leaders set to discuss the supply of ammunition for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and the provision of satellite technology to Pyongyang. “Our friendship has deep roots, and now our country’s first priority is relations with the Russian Federation,” Kim told reporters at the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia’s east, where he arrived after a lengthy trip on his armored train for his first trip to Russia since 2019, according to Russian state-owned newswire Ria Novosti.“Russia has now risen to defend its state sovereignty and defend its security to counter the hegemonic forces that oppose Russia,” the North Korean dictator added, echoing the Kremlin’s propaganda used to justify its aggression in Ukraine. Kim’s visit comes as Russia is seeking to buy artillery ammunition from North Korea for its invasion of Ukraine, where Russia is estimated to ...

Von der Leyen hits China with electric vehicle subsidy probe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:40 GMT

BRUSSELS — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Wednesday she would launch an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles, yielding to calls by France to hit back at surging imports.The announcement follows months of pressure from Paris and its proxies in industry and the European Commission to launch a probe into insurgent Chinese e-carmakers that have stolen a march on European manufacturers.“Global markets are now flooded with cheaper Chinese electric cars. And their price is kept artificially low by huge state subsidies. This is distorting our market,” von der Leyen said in her annual State of the European Union address.“So I can announce today that the Commission is launching an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles coming from China. Europe is open for competition. Not for a race to the bottom.”Such a probe could open the way for Europe to impose additional levies against Chinese vehicles it reckons are ...