Defensive Dog Guards Christmas Treats

Associated Press
US-China talks start with warnings about misunderstandings and miscalculations
The United States and China butted heads over a number of contentious bilateral, regional and global issues as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Friday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. “Overall, the China-U.S. relationship is beginning to stabilize across the areas,” Wang told Blinken. “Should China and the United States keep to the right direction of moving forward with stability or return to a downward spiral?” he asked.
15m ago
Reuters
China passes tariff law as tensions with trading partners simmer
China on Friday passed a law leaving its biggest trade partners in no doubt that it can hit back should they put tariffs on the exports of the world's No.2 economy as Washington and Brussels take aim at Beijing over excess industrial capacity. The Tariff Law, which was approved by China's top legislature after three rounds of deliberations going back to 2022, is the latest addition to Beijing's arsenal of trade defence instruments as it maintains an uneasy truce with the U.S. following a trade war that kicked off during the Trump administration. The law, which will take effect from Dec. 1, outlines a range of legal provisions related to tariffs on Chinese imports and exports, from what constitutes tax incentives to China's right to hit back at countries that renege on trade agreements.
24m ago
AFP
Bangladesh children sweat at home as heatwave shuts schools
Classes are cancelled across Bangladesh due to searing heat, but high school student Mohua Akter Nur found the soaring temperatures at home left her in no state for homework.Bangladesh authorities expect to reopen schools from April 28, before temperatures are expected to recede.
32m ago
NBC News
Pennsylvania brings protest votes to center stage
Beneath the surface of Pennsylvania’s mostly sleepy primary was a trend that's stalked Joe Biden and Donald Trump across the country: a substantial protest vote.
33m ago
NBC News
As USC cancels commencement, Columbia students worry theirs could be disrupted
After the University of Southern California canceled its main commencement, students at other campuses with protests wonder if theirs will be next.
38m ago
TODAY
When should you not brush your teeth? Dentist goes viral for sharing 3 surprising situations
Practicing oral hygiene like a dentist also means knowing when not to brush your teeth.
39m ago
AFP
China warns Blinken over deteriorating ties in talks
China on Friday urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to address rising disagreements or risk a "downward spiral" between the two powers as talks opened in Beijing."Should China and the United States keep in the right direction of moving forward with stability, or return to a downward spiral?
42m ago
CNN
Hamas officials say group willing to disarm if Palestinian state is established
Some Hamas officials are signaling that the militant group could give up armed struggle against Israel if the Palestinians get an independent state in territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war.
48m ago
AFP
Honduras detains 3 Americans in sex trafficking probe
Three Americans and a Honduran were ordered detained on Thursday in a sex trafficking case that shocked the country, following the disappearance of a university student in 2022 while jet-skiing in a popular tourist area.A 22-year-old Honduran university student disappeared on January 1, 2022 after going out to sea aboard a jet ski.
49m ago
Reuters
India begins voting in second phase of giant election as Modi vs Gandhi campaign heats up
India began voting on Friday in the second phase of the world's biggest election, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his rivals raise the pitch of the campaign by focusing on hot-button issues such as religious discrimination, affirmative action and taxes. Almost one billion people are eligible to vote in the seven-phase general elections that began on April 19 and concludes on June 1, with votes set to be counted on June 4. Modi is seeking a record-equalling third straight term on the back of his economic record, welfare measures, national pride, Hindu nationalism and personal popularity.
56m ago
AFP
Indian election resumes as heatwave hits voters
India's six-week election juggernaut resumed on Friday with millions of people expected to line up outside polling stations in parts of the country hit by a scorching heatwave.Earlier this week, India's election commission said it had formed a task force to review the impact of heatwaves and humidity before each round of voting.
1h ago
TODAY
How to stop intrusive thoughts once and for all, according to psychologists
Intrusive thoughts are those pesky unwanted thoughts that pop into your mind. While everyone has them, they can be distressing. Learn how to stop them from distracting you.
1h ago
AFP
Snap shares pop after revenue tops expectations
Shares in social media company Snap, which runs the youth-focused Snapchat, soared nearly 25 percent on Thursday after it reported more quarterly revenue than expected by analysts.Snap reported revenue of $1.2 billion compared with $989 million in the same period a year earlier.
1h ago
USA TODAY
17 states sue EEOC over rule giving employees abortion accommodations in Pregnant Workers act
Tennessee leads a lawsuit by 17 states over a rule in the Pregnant Worker Fairness Act providing employees accommodations like time off for abortions.
1h ago
AFP
Mould-breaking Miss Germany defies wave of online hatred
As a mother who is almost 40 and who was born in Iran, the new Miss Germany Apameh Schoenauer stood out at the beauty pageant. "I took part in Miss Germany because I wanted to change something," said Schoenauer, an architect and mother of a toddler, who moved to Germany aged six.
1h ago
AFP
Oil: 'Mother of corruption' in Venezuela
Corruption in Venezuela's oil industry is a many-headed monster that has devoured billions of dollars in taxpayers' money in the past 20 years, experts say. To date, oil-related graft has cost the country tens of billions of dollars, with "very little chance of getting it back," she said.
1h ago
AFP
Microsoft expands its AI empire abroad
Microsoft, the tech titan most closely associated with AI, has announced nearly $10 billion in investments in artificial intelligence abroad in recent months, the price it is willing to pay to remain a top player in this crucial market.Since February, Microsoft has unveiled AI investments of $3.4 billion in Germany, $2.1 billion in Spain and $2.9 billion in Japan, over two years.
1h ago
AFP
Frozen in time: Colombian town's unexplained mummies
In a small town high in the Colombian Andes, Clovisnerys Bejarano kneels before a glass box holding the petrified corpse of her mother, who died 30 years ago, but looks as if she might just be asleep. In the late 1980s, some 50 mummies were found in the mausoleum every year, but the rate has declined to a handful per year, said Vergara.
1h ago
Reuters
Brazil's top court temporarily suspends payroll tax exemption law
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Thursday temporarily suspended a law extending payroll tax exemptions for 17 sectors of the economy, according to a decision seen by Reuters. Justice Cristiano Zanin granted an injunction suspending part of the law after a government request. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva last year vetoed the bill passed by Congress extending the payroll tax exemptions until 2027, but lawmakers later voted to block his veto.
1h ago
Associated Press
Guatemalan prosecutors raid offices of Save the Children charity
Guatemalan prosecutors raided the offices of the charity Save the Children on Thursday, citing a complaint alleging the violation of migrant children’s rights. Prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche said in a video to media that the complaint filed by an unidentified foreigner had raised serious concerns because it involved allegations of abuse of children. The raid came a week after the secretary general of Guatemala's Public Ministry, Ángel Pineda, wrote a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asking for support in addressing allegations that Save the Children and other aid groups “could be participating in child trafficking operations.”
2h ago

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