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Erdoğan: I have a ‘special relationship’ with Putin — and it’s only growing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:42 GMT

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan  Vladimir Putin.Turkey will defy pressure from the West and continue to strengthen political and economic ties with Moscow despite its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country’s president has insisted a week before he faces voters in a tense runoff election.“Russia and Turkey need each other in every field possible,” Erdoğan told CNN in an interview aired Friday, emphasizing his own “special relationship” with Russian President Putin is deepening.“The West is not leading a very balanced approach — you need a balanced approach toward a country such as Russia,” Erdoğan said. “We are not at a point where we would impose sanctions on Russia like the West has done.”Despite the country’s membership of NATO, Ankara has stepped up its economic ties with Moscow since the start of the war, increasing imports of cheap Russian oil embargoed by other European countries.While supplying Ukraine with human...

Move over, politicians: King Charles III clocks poll rating to make elected reps blush

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:42 GMT

LONDON — Maybe democracy was a bad idea after all?King Charles III of the U.K.’s personal poll ratings have received a boost in the wake of his coronation early May. According to new polling from Ipsos, 63 percent of Brits are now satisfied with the job he is doing as monarch — up 6 points since April. Only 17 percent said they disapproved of the king’s work.In another apparent boost for the U.K.’s constitutional monarchy, satisfaction with Charles’ son — William, prince of Wales and the heir to the throne — has also risen. 73 percent of Brits said they were pleased with his work as a prince, while just 10 percent were unhappy with his record as next-in-line.“Both King Charles and Prince William have seen improvements in their public satisfaction ratings after the Coronation, to levels that most politicians would be only too delighted to receive,” said Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos.Indeed, the royal ratings eclipse those of the U.K...

What is the virus that attacked Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Justin Bieber?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:42 GMT

(CNN) — The office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the 89-year-old California Democrat who was diagnosed with shingles in February, confirmed Thursday she “continues to have complications” from a viral infection called Ramsay Hunt syndrome. The syndrome is caused by the same virus, varicella-zoster, that causes chickenpox and shingles.In June, 2022, pop star Justin Bieber announced his face was partially paralyzed by the same virus. He told fans in a YouTube video  the virus had attacked “the nerve in my ear, facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis. You can see this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move.”Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a rare neurological disorder that occurs when the varicella-zoster virus infects a nerve in the head near the inner ear. After having chickenpox as a child or shingles as an adult, the virus can lay dormant in the body. Why the virus reactivates and pro...

Twitter accuses Microsoft of refusing to pay for tweets and abusing its data access

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:42 GMT

Washington (CNN) — Twitter is accusing Microsoft of abusing its data access privileges to its platform, in the latest sign of the social network’s owner Elon Musk igniting a feud between the two tech companies.In a three-page letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella — and sent by Alex Spiro, Musk’s outside lawyer — Twitter accuses Microsoft of over-using its ability to download tweets from the platform, in an alleged violation of the social media company’s terms.Microsoft products, including Xbox One, Bing, Azure, Power Platform and Microsoft Ads, have “retrieved over 26 billion tweets in 2022 alone,” according to the letter, a level of usage it said could be considered “excessive or abusive.”“Our recent review of Microsoft’s activity on the Microsoft Apps indicates that Microsoft may have been in violation of multiple provisions of the Agreement for an extended period of time,” said the letter, a copy of which was reviewed by CNN, and referring to Twitter’s developer agreeme...

Widowed groom files wrongful death lawsuit against alleged drunk driver over wife’s death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:42 GMT

(CNN) — Aric Hutchinson is still trying to wrap his head around the idea that his wife is no longer here on Earth with him after the couple were involved in a car crash that proved fatal for her on their wedding night in South Carolina.Now, the groom has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the alleged drunk driver involved in the crash and a number of local establishments where the driver had been “bar hopping” throughout the day, according to a news release from an attorney representing Hutchinson and the lawsuit.While he doesn’t remember the crash itself, Aric Hutchinson remembers one of the last things his new wife, Samantha Hutchinson, 34, said to him: “She wanted the night to never end,” he said during an exclusive interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Friday.South Carolina authorities say Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, drove her car into the newlywed couple’s golf-cart-style vehicle.The bride died of blunt force injuries, according to the Charleston County C...

TikTok creators sue Montana over app ban

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:42 GMT

(CNN) — A group of TikTok users has sued to overturn Montana’s new statewide ban blocking the app, alleging that the law signed this week by Gov. Greg Gianforte violates the First Amendment.The complaint filed Wednesday evening in the US District Court for the District of Montana — hours after the governor’s signature — compares TikTok to other types of media in claiming that the state lacks the authority to keep Montanans from accessing and creating lawful speech.“Montana can no more ban its residents from viewing or posting to TikTok than it could ban the Wall Street Journal because of who owns it or the ideas it publishes,” said the complaint, filed by five TikTok creators, including a small swimwear business, a rancher and a former Marine sergeant.The lawsuit marks what may be the first challenge to a controversial ban that goes far beyond the restrictions Montana and other states have already enacted.Other states have prohibited TikTok on official government devices a...

Biden endorses F-16 training for Ukrainians as Zelenskyy is set to attend G7 summit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:42 GMT

By ZEKE MILLER, FOSTER KLUG, JOSH BOAK, and ELAINE KURTENBACH (Associated Press)HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday endorsed plans to train Ukrainian pilots on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, according to two people familiar with the matter, as he huddled with leaders of the world’s most powerful democracies on plans to toughen punishments on Russia for its 15-month invasion of Ukraine.The Group of Seven leaders were convening in Hiroshima, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to join them on on Sunday in his farthest trip from his country since the war began in February of last year.The leaders heard for the first time of Biden’s backing of training Ukrainian pilots on advanced fighter jets, as a precursor to sending the jets to Ukraine.The G7 leaders also set out new sanctions on Moscow as well as plans to enhance the effectiveness of existing financial penalties meant to constrain President Vladimir Putin’s war effort.“Our support fo...

Water main break impacts roadway in Scripps Ranch

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A Friday morning water main break is causing major flooding in Scripps Ranch.The affected area is located at Scripps Ranch Boulevard and Scripps Lake Drive. The San Diego Police department has been on the scene since around 5 a.m. North County schools locked down after report of suspicious person Authorities told FOX 5's Elizabeth Alvarez that a vehicle almost got stuck while attempting to drive through the area. The water level reportedly went up to the driver's vehicle window before the individual managed to make it across the flooded roadway.That's when police say they were first alerted of the issue. Authorities have since closed off area and FOX 5's Alvarez confirmed water is still spilling onto the roadway from underneath the street. The affected area is near apartment buildings and Scripps Ranch High School is also nearby. Police are encouraging motorists to avoid the area as the flooding has caused a disruption in traffic.City of San Diego Public Utilities c...

Police probing tip that vulnerable missing man may have been spotted in Guelph

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:42 GMT

Guelph police say they are following up on a tip that someone matching the description of a vulnerable missing man with Down syndrome may have been spotted near downtown Guelph on Thursday.The person contacted Toronto police with the tip, and Guelph police are now canvassing the area and trying to find security video to determine if it is indeed Nathan.Guelph police spokesperson, Scott Tracey, stressed that it’s “important to remember we don’t know if this is the same person.”Tracey said the person matching Nathan’s description was seen at around 3 p.m. on Thursday in a neighbourhood east of downtown, north of York Road.AttentionWe have received unconfirmed reports this male may have been spotted in #Guelph. Please keep your eyes open and contact police if you see him. -st https://t.co/36bGDRDNPC— Guelph Police Service (@GuelphPolice) May 19, 2023On Thursday, Toronto police widened their search for Nathan, 37. He was last seen around 7 p.m. on May 12 in...

What to stream this weekend: Jack Harlow’s acting debut, Kesha, Scott brothers on HGTV

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:42 GMT

This week’s new streaming options include rapper Jack Harlow’s acting debut, the return of Kesha and new projects for an heart-warming HGTV show. Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.NEW MOVIES TO STREAM— Three decades after Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson mixed it up on the black top, a new “White Men Can’t Jump” has next. A remake of that 1992 film teams Sinqua Walls and rapper Jack Harlow as a pair of basketball players who hustle hoops for money and compete in a lucrative three-on-three tournament. The film, which debuts Friday on Hulu, is directed by Calmatic and co-written by Kenya Barris (“black-ish”). In it, Harlow makes his acting debut. (Read AP’s review. )— Anna Nicole Smith gets the Netflix documentary treatment in “Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me.” The film, debuting Tuesday, chronicles Smith’s life as a model, Play...