Trump Insults Detroit While Campaigning10/11 06:11
Trump Insults Detroit While Campaigning10/11 06:11 DETROIT (AP) -- Former President Donald Trump criticized Detroit while delivering remarks to an economic group there on Thursday, saying the whole country would end up like the city if his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, is elected. "The whole country will be like -- you want to know the truth? It'll be like Detroit," the Republican presidential nominee said. "Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she's your president." Trump's remarks came as he addressed the Detroit Economic Club in a speech appealing to the auto industry, a key segment of the population in battleground Michigan's largest city. But he made conflicting remarks about Detroit throughout the speech, saying it was a "developing" city in an apparent compliment. Democrats in the state were quick to criticize Trump for his comments. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan lauded the city's recent drop in crime and growing population. "Lots of cities should be like Detroit. And we did it all without Trump's help," he said on social media. U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, who represents Detroit, said on social media that Trump should "keep Detroit and our people out of your mouth." Referring to Trump's efforts to win Michigan, Attorney General Dana Nessel said on X, "This guy is calling us ugly and then asking us out on a date." Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has been a major surrogate for the Democratic presidential ticket, also criticized Trump, saying on X, "And you better believe Detroiters won't forget this in November." Harris, speaking to reporters in Las Vegas, praised her current location as a "great city" and then added, "By contrast, my opponent, Donald Trump, yet again has trashed another great American city when he was in Detroit, which is just a further piece of evidence on a very long list of why he is unfit to be president of the United States." Wayne County, which is home to Detroit, hasn't been kind to Trump in previous elections. In both 2016 and 2020, Trump got about 30% of the vote in Wayne, losing the county by huge margins. Trump's campaign said in a statement after his appearance that Detroit has "suffered from globalist policies championed by Kamala Harris" that have led to manufacturing moving overseas. "As President Trump emphasized in his speech, his policies will usher in a new era of economic success and stability for Detroit, helping the city reach its fullest potential," said Victoria LaCivita, Trump's Michigan communications director. Trump's comments come as many in the city feel that Detroit has turned the corner from national joke to national attraction. Nearly a decade from exiting its embarrassing bankruptcy, the Motor City has stabilized its finances, improved city services, stanched the population losses that saw more than a million people leave since the 1950s and made inroads in cleaning up blight across its 139 square miles. Detroit is now a destination for conventions and meetings. In April, Detroit set an attendance record for the NFL draft when more than 775,000 fans poured into the city's downtown for the three-day event. And just a few hours after Trump's remarks, thousands of people were expected to pour into the same area as the city's baseball team, the Tigers, aimed to win their AL Division Series. Some event attendees understood Trump's Detroit comment to be in reference to the city's previous financial woes. "I don't think it was intentional on his part," said Judy Moenck, 68. "There was blight. Now tremendous work has been done, and Detroiters will feel probably a little bit hurt by that." Her husband, Dean Moenck, 74, who said he no longer considers himself a Republican in Trump's GOP, said the comment fits into his campaign rhetoric style, "bringing out the negative things of Detroit." This isn't the first time Trump has insulted the city he's campaigning in. While in New York for his civil fraud and criminal trials, he routinely bashed the city, calling it dirty and crime-ridden and arguing that its overwhelmingly Democratic residents might be swayed to vote for him over concerns about migrants and safety.
Lebanese Stunned amid Israel Attack 10/11 06:13
Lebanese Stunned amid Israel Attack 10/11 06:13 Rescue workers searched through the rubble of a collapsed building in central Beirut on Friday morning, hours after two Israeli strikes hit the Lebanese capital, killing at least 22 people and wounding dozens. BEIRUT (AP) -- Rescue workers searched through the rubble of a collapsed building in central Beirut on Friday morning, hours after two Israeli strikes hit the Lebanese capital, killing at least 22 people and wounding dozens. The air raid was the deadliest attack on central Beirut in over a year of war, hitting two residential buildings in neighborhoods that have swelled with displaced people fleeing Israeli bombardment elsewhere in the country. Hezbollah's Al-Manar television and Israeli media said the strikes aimed to kill Wafiq Safa, a top security official with the group. Al-Manar said Safa was not in either building at the time. The Israeli military had no comment on the reports. Thursday night's strikes came as Israel escalates its campaign against Hezbollah with waves of heavy airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion at the border, after a year of exchanges of fire between the two rivals. The same day as the Beirut explosions, Israeli forces fired on United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon and wounded two peacekeepers from Indonesia, drawing widespread condemnation. Hezbollah has expanded its rocket fire to more populated areas deeper inside Israel. While disrupting life for Israelis, most of Hezbollah's barrages have not caused casualties. But early Friday, an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon killed a man from Thailand working on a farm in northern Israel. In Beirut's Burj Abi Haidar neighborhood, civil defense members and municipal workers dug through the pile of concrete and twisted metal from a three-story building knocked down by Thursday night's strike. In an adjacent building that was badly damaged, Ahmad al-Khatib stood in the apartment of his in-laws where he, his wife, Marwa Hamdan, and their 2 -year-old daughter, Ayla, suffered injuries. He had just picked up his wife from work and she was performing the evening Muslim prayers at home when the blast hit. "The world suddenly turned upside down and darkness prevailed," said the 42-year-old, tears running down his cheeks. He pulled his daughter out from under the debris of a wall that collapsed in a bedroom. Al-Khatib, who works for the postal service. said he found the force of the explosion had thrown his wife against a wall and a piece of metal had hit her in the head. "I looked in her face and shouted, 'Say something!'" he said, but she only responded with sounds of pain. His wife remains in the ICU at a Beirut hospital. His daughter suffered only minor injuries. Mohammed Tarhani said he had moved in with his brother nearby in the neighborhood after fleeing around southern Lebanon to escape airstrikes the past weeks. His children were out on the veranda, and he was in the living room when the strike hit. "We rushed out to look for the children," he said. "Where is one supposed to go now?" Civil defense official Walid Hashash said they don't expect more bodies under the rubble as no people are missing. He added that once operations are over they will issue a final death toll. Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in support of Hamas and the Palestinians, drawing Israeli airstrikes in retaliation. Israel says its stepped-up campaign since late September aims to push Hezbollah away from the border to allow tens of thousands of its citizens evacuated from the area to return home. More than 2,100 Lebanese --- including Hezbollah fighters, civilians and medical personnel -- have been killed the past year by Israeli strikes, more than two thirds of them in the past few weeks. Hezbollah attacks have killed 29 civilians as well as 39 Israeli soldiers in northern Israel since October 2023 and in southern Lebanon since Israel launched its ground invasion on Sept. 30. So far, Israeli troops have been operating in a narrow strip of a few kilometers (miles) along the border. The war threatens to spiral even further, with Israel aiming to strike a crippling blow to its longtime adversary Hezbollah. Netanyahu this week warned Lebanese they would suffer the same destruction that Israel's campaign against Hamas has inflicted in Gaza unless they take action against Hezbollah. Israel has also vowed to strike back against the Lebanese group's supporter, Iran, after it launched some 180 ballistic missiles at Israel last week. Iran's barrage was in retaliation for previous Israeli strikes that killed Hamas' leader in Tehran and senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard figures in Lebanon. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday reiterated U.S. support for Israel's escalated campaign against Hezbollah. He said Israel had a "clear and very legitimate" interest to try to ensure the return of tens of thousands of its citizens who were evacuated from their homes near the border because of Hezbollah fire since last October. He told a news conference after attending an annual meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Laos that the U.S. is "extremely focused" on reaching a diplomatic solution to the war. Meanwhile the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, was rearranging some of its personnel after its positions were repeated hit by Israeli forces Thursday. UNIFIL said an Israeli tank directly fired on an observation tower at the force's headquarters in the town of Naqoura, Lebanon, and that soldiers attacked a bunker near where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system. It said an Israeli drone was seen flying to the bunker's entrance. The Israeli military acknowledged opening fire at a U.N. base in southern Lebanon on Thursday and said it had ordered the peacekeepers to "remain in protected spaces." Afterward, the U.N. peacekeeping chief said 300 peacekeepers in frontline positions on southern Lebanon's border have been temporarily moved to larger bases. Plans to move another 200 will depend on security conditions as the conflict escalates. Jean-Pierre Lacroix told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that peacekeepers with UNIFIL are staying in their positions, but because of air and ground attacks they cannot conduct patrols. UNIFIL, which has more than 10,000 peacekeepers from dozens of countries, was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel's 1978 invasion. The United Nations expanded its mission following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, allowing peacekeepers to patrol a buffer zone set up along the border. Israel accuses Hezbollah of establishing militant infrastructure along the border in violation of the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war.
NC Gov Signs Hurricane Relief Bill 10/11 06:15
NC Gov Signs Hurricane Relief Bill 10/11 06:15 RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday signed the state's first relief package to address Hurricane Helene's devastation, allocating $273 million for immediate needs and giving flexibility to agencies and displaced residents. The Democrat signed the measure, approved unanimously Wednesday by the Republican-dominated General Assembly. Nearly all the money will serve as the state's share that is needed to meet the federal government's match for state and local disaster assistance programs. Other money will be used in part to ensure public-school nutrition employees at closed schools get paid and to help officials administer elections in the coming weeks in the battleground state. "Recovery for Western North Carolina will require unprecedented help from state and federal sources and this legislation is a strong first step," Cooper said in a news release. The legislature also agreed separately Wednesday to return to Raleigh on Oct. 24, when action on additional recovery legislation is expected. The $273 million in Wednesday's bill originates from the state's savings reserve, which contained $4.75 billion. The enacted measure also waived fees for people in western counties to replace lost driver's licenses and identification cards, as well as permitting requirements for some highway repairs and open burning of storm debris. The General Assembly expanded rule alterations for conducting elections and turning in ballots from 13 hard-hit counties as approved by the State Board of Elections earlier this week to 25 counties with close to 1.3 million registered voters. The 25 cover nearly all of the counties under the federal disaster declaration. Election officials are in the final stages of assessing the extent of damages at the 540 Election Day polling places in the region, State Board of Elections Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell told reporters on Thursday. Some of these voting locations may be replaced with tents, trailers or motor coaches, Bell said. Under the new rules, voters registered in the 25 counties, for example, can request an absentee ballot in person at their county election office up until the day before Election Day -- providing them with several more days for access. The legislation also changed the options that displaced people in the region have for turning in absentee ballots. The law says absentee ballots received by voters in the 25 counties can be turned in to any open early voting site or county election office in the state, as well as to the State Board of Elections office in Raleigh. The legislation blocked an additional option approved by the state board this week that would have let these voters drop off absentee ballots at Election Day polling places within their home county when open on Election Day, board attorney Paul Cox said Thursday. The first absentee ballots were sent by mail to those who requested them a few days before Helene arrived in North Carolina, raising the threat that floodwaters destroyed some ballots. Mail service disruptions also could make in-person requests and returns preferable. Friday's statewide registration deadline to vote by mail or on Election Day remains in place, but voters already can simultaneously register to vote and cast their ballot in their home county at early voting sites open from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2. Seventy-five of the 80 early voting sites approved for use in the 25 counties before the storm will be operating next week, Brinson Bell said. Portable restrooms, generators and internet access are still needed for a handful of sites, she added. Brinson Bell, who lived in the mountains for 20 years, pointed out the state has operated past elections following other natural disasters and during the COVID-19 epidemic. "To carry out this election through such devastation certainly is harder. But our processes are working, and we are just exercising what we know to do," she said. "And that's why we're going to be able to deliver voting to all North Carolinians."
Putin Visits Turkmenistan for Forum 10/11 06:17
Putin Visits Turkmenistan for Forum 10/11 06:17 ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin met Iran's president on Friday at a time when Tehran is supplying weapons for Moscow's war in Ukraine and concerns are growing over escalating attacks between Israel and Iran and its militant allies. Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian discussed the situation in the Middle East on the sidelines of an international forum in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, Russian state media said. Moscow and Tehran signed a $1.7 billion deal for Iran to export drones to Russia after Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, and the U.S. also believes it has transferred short-range ballistic missiles. Both countries were accused this week by Ken McCallum, the head of Britain's domestic intelligence agency MI5, of carrying out a "staggering" rise in attempts at assassination, sabotage and other crimes on U.K. soil. McCallum said his agents and police have tackled 20 "potentially lethal" plots backed by Iran since 2022 and warned that it could expand its targets in the U.K. if conflicts in the Middle East deepen. During the two presidents' meeting, Putin told Pezeshkian that Moscow and Tehran's positions on international events are often very close, according to Russian state news agency Tass. He also invited the Iranian leader to visit Russia and Pezeshkian accepted, Tass said. Speaking Friday as the forum opened, Putin said he wants to create a "new world order" of Moscow's allies to counter the West, according to video provided by the Kremlin. The conference is being attended by other regional leaders including Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and the heads of the other Central Asian nations, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Putin is also expected to hold talks with the Turkmen president, Serdar Berdymukhamedov. Berdymukhamedov was elected in March 2022 to succeed his father, Gurbanguly, who had run the gas-rich country since 2006. Turkmenistan has remained largely isolated under autocratic rulers since it became independent following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Nobel Peace Prize to Japan Organization10/11 06:21
Nobel Peace Prize to Japan Organization10/11 06:21 (AP) -- The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of survivors of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for its activism against nuclear weapons. Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the award was made as the "taboo against the use of nuclear weapons is under pressure." Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a shift in his country's nuclear doctrine, in a move aimed at discouraging the West from allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with longer-range weapons. It appeared to significantly lower the threshold for the possible use of Russia's nuclear arsenal. Watne Frydnes said the Nobel committee "wishes to honor all survivors who, despite physical suffering and painful memories, have chosen to use their costly experience to cultivate hope and engagement for peace." Hidankyo's Hiroshima branch chairperson, Tomoyuki Mimaki, who was standing by at the city hall for the announcement, cheered and teared up when he received the news. "Is it really true? Unbelievable!" Mimaki screamed. Efforts to eradicate nuclear weapons have been honored before by the Nobel committee. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons won the peace prize in 2017, and in 1995 Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs won for "their efforts to diminish the part played by nuclear arms in international politics and, in the longer run, to eliminate such arms." This year's prize was awarded against a backdrop of devastating conflicts raging in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan. "It is very clear that threats of using nuclear weapons are putting pressure on the important international norm, the taboo of using nuclear weapons," Watne Frydnes said in response to a question on whether the rhetoric from Russia surrounding nuclear weapons in its invasion of Ukraine had influenced this year's decision. "And therefore it is alarming to see how threats of use is also damaging this norm. To uphold an international strong taboo against the use is crucial for all of humanity," he added. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X that "the spectre of Hiroshima and Nagasaki still looms over humanity. This makes the advocacy of Nihon Hidankyo invaluable. This Nobel Peace Prize sends a powerful message. We have the duty to remember. And an even greater duty to protect the next generations from the horrors of nuclear war." Alfred Nobel stated in his will that the peace prize should be awarded for "the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." Last year's prize went to jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi for her advocacy of women's rights and democracy, and against the death penalty. The Nobel committee said it also was a recognition of "the hundreds of thousands of people" who demonstrated against "Iran's theocratic regime's policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women." In a year of conflict, there had been some speculation that the Norwegian Nobel Committee that decides on the winner would opt not to award a prize at all. The prize has been withheld 19 times since 1901, including during both world wars. The last time it was not awarded was in 1972. In the Middle East, spiraling levels of violence in the past year have killed tens of thousands of people, including women and children. The war, sparked by a bloody raid into Israel by Hamas-led militants on Oct. 7, 2023, that left about 1,200 people dead, mostly civilians, has spilled into the wider region. In the past week, Israel sent ground troops into Lebanon to pursue Hezbollah militants firing rockets into Israel, while Iran --- which backs both Hamas and Hezbollah --- fired ballistic missiles into Israel. Israel has yet to respond, but its defense minister vowed this week that its retaliation would be both devastating and surprising. The war in Gaza has killed more than 42,000 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count but says more than half are women and children. In Lebanon, more than 1,400 people have been killed, with thousands more injured and around 1 million displaced since mid-September, when the Israeli military dramatically expanded its offensive against Hezbollah. The war in Ukraine, sparked by Russia's invasion, is heading toward its third winter with a massive loss of human life on both sides. The U.N. has confirmed more than 11,000 Ukrainian civilian dead, but that doesn't take into account as many as 25,000 Ukrainians believed killed during the Russian capture of the city of Mariupol or unreported deaths in occupied regions. The Nobel prizes carry a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million). Unlike the other prizes that are selected and announced in Stockholm, founder Alfred Nobel decreed the peace prize be decided and awarded in Oslo by the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee. The Nobel season ends Monday with the announcement of the winner of the economics prize, formally known as the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.
Harris Rips Trump on Fed Storm Response10/11 06:22
Harris Rips Trump on Fed Storm Response10/11 06:22 Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House criticized Donald Trump for his attacks on the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton and suggested he was wrongly trying to turn the deadly storms to his political advantage. LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House criticized Donald Trump for his attacks on the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton and suggested he was wrongly trying to turn the deadly storms to his political advantage. Attending a town hall sponsored by Univision in Las Vegas, Harris was asked about complaints that federal officials have bungled disaster recovery efforts. She responded, "In this crisis -- like in so many issues that affect the people of our country -- I think it so important that leadership recognizes the dignity" to which people are entitled. "I have to stress that this is not a time for people to play politics," Harris added. Those comments came after the former president spoke at the Detroit Economic Club, offering sympathy to people affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the latter of which came ashore in Florida Wednesday night. But Trump also suggested that the Biden administration's response had been lacking, particularly in North Carolina after Helene. "They've let those people suffer unjustly," said Trump, who has for several days promoted falsehoods about the federal response. Harris virtually attended a briefing, held in the White House Situation Room with President Joe Biden, on emergency efforts in Milton's wake. In subsequent comments to reporters, Biden slammed Trump and his supporters for spreading misinformation about federal assistance available to victims. "They're being so damn un-American with the way they're talking about this stuff," Biden said, then adding directly to Trump: "Get a life, man. Help these people." Despite the storm, Trump and Harris are both visiting key swing states strategically, trying to increase support with key voting blocs who could decide an election expected to be exceedingly close. In Michigan, where he's looking to appeal primarily to blue-collar voters, Trump took a swipe at the city he happened to be campaigning in, suggesting that Detroit was "a mess." "Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she's your president," he said of Harris. "You're going to have a mess on your hands." Harris responded that Trump "yet again has trashed another great American city when he was in Detroit, which is just a further piece of evidence on a very long list of why he is unfit to be president of the United States." Trump's economic speech featured multiple errors The former president used his appearance at the Detroit Economic Club to echo core themes from his 2016 campaign, saying some other countries, especially China, are ripping the U.S. off and taking manufacturing business away. Trump said powerful companies have "raped" the United States. "They've been screwing us for so many years that we're allowed to get some of that back," Trump said about charging tariffs from countries. Economists warn Trump's proposed tariffs would drive up consumer costs. Trump has also claimed, without providing specifics, that he can use tariffs to reduce the U.S. budget deficit and pay for an expansion of childcare funding, even as he proposes other ideas without saying how he would replace the lost funding. But the former president seemed to not understand the difference between the budget deficit and trade imbalances, conflating the two different economic measures as essentially being the same thing. He noted that the federal government has nearly $36 trillion in total debt, a byproduct of the annual borrowing needed to cover the gap between tax revenues and government spending. Except Trump then seemed to indicate that the debt was a byproduct of the trade deficit with China -- which is a separate issue that reflects the difference between how much a country exports and how much it imports. "We have $36 trillion in debt," Trump said. "For years and years and years, we've been accumulating. We'd have these deficits that are monstrous. We had 5,6,7 $800 billion deficit with China." He also claimed that "we had the highest job numbers in my administration," but that isn't true any longer. The unemployment rate fell slightly lower under Biden -- to 3.4% early last year, the lowest in a half-century, below 3.5% before the pandemic under Trump. Harris looks to boost Hispanic support Harris held a rally near Phoenix after participating in the town hall for the Spanish-language network Univision. She's looking to increase support among Hispanic voters, especially men. Her campaign began a group this week known as "Hombres con Harris" -- Spanish for "Men for Harris" -- that is planning to hold events at Latino-owned small businesses, union halls, barbecues and community events until Election Day. At Univision's "Latinos Ask, Kamala Harris Responds" event, Ivett Castillo, 40 and a Las Vegas resident, told Harris that she's an American citizen born to two Mexican parents and that her mother died six weeks ago. She cried as she asked the vice president about "plans to support that subgroup of immigrants here their whole lives and who live and die in the shadows." When the town hall ended, Harris went over and clasped hands with Castillo, whose face was still streaked with tears. In response to her question, Harris noted that Biden sent a bill to Congress on his first day in office seeking to create pathways to U.S. citizenship for many people in the country illegally that was never considered. Unauthorized border crossings hit record highs during the Biden administration before declining this year after the president issued an executive order restricting asylum claims. Another audience member asked Harris to explain how she replaced Biden on the Democratic ticket, prompting her to respond, "President Biden made a decision that I think history will show was probably one of the most courageous a president could make." She said Biden "put country before personal interest" and "urged me to run." Hispanic voters are about evenly split on whether to trust Harris or Trump to do a better job handling the economy, but they give the former president an edge on handling immigration. Hispanic women are more likely to trust Harris to better handle the economy and immigration, and Hispanic men are more likely to trust Trump on both issues, according to polling from The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Later, in Arizona, Harris praised the late Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain for defying his party and voting to preserve the Obama administration's signature health care law. That drew extended cheers while people in the crowd made thumbs-down gestures to signify McCain's opposition to the GOP effort to repeal it. "It was late, late, late in the night and they were trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act again," Harris recalled of the Senate vote. "And the late, great John McCain, the great American war hero ... said: 'No you don't. No you don't. No you don't.'" Harris also deviated from her usual campaign speech to urge Arizonans to vote in a state referendum to safeguard abortion rights and talked about preserving tribal rights and responsible water policy. "I promise you as president I will continue to invest in drought resilience," Harris said.
Zelenskyy City-Hops, Seeking Aid 10/11 06:24
Zelenskyy City-Hops, Seeking Aid 10/11 06:24 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was city-hopping across Europe on Thursday to promote a "victory plan" that he said "aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war" against Russia, detailing the proposals to European allies after a summit with President Joe Biden was derailed by Hurricane Milton. ROME (AP) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was city-hopping across Europe on Thursday to promote a "victory plan" that he said "aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war" against Russia, detailing the proposals to European allies after a summit with President Joe Biden was derailed by Hurricane Milton. Zelenskyy's talks in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte were quickly followed by another meeting in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, who just the previous day sent a strong signal of support for Ukraine by visiting Ukrainian troops being trained in France. Zelenskyy posted on X that he "outlined the details" of the Ukrainian victory plan to Starmer and added: "We have agreed to work on it together with our allies." Starmer's Downing Street office said the leaders discussed the blueprint, the challenges for Ukraine of the approaching winter and "how investment in the country's security today would support Europe's broader security for generations to come." The Ukrainian leader also met Rutte with Starmer. Zelenskyy posted afterward that they discussed trans-Atlantic cooperation and further reinforcing Ukraine militarily. He gave no details but posted that "these are the steps that will create the best conditions for restoring a just peace." Zelenskyy has yet to publicly present his proposals for victory. But the timing of his efforts to lock in European support appeared to have the looming U.S. election in mind. Former President Donald Trump has long been critical of U.S. aid to Ukraine. Zelenskyy had planned to present his blueprint at a weekend meeting of Western leaders in Germany, but it was postponed after Biden stayed home because of the hurricane that struck Florida. Zelenskyy then embarked on his whistle-stop tour of European capitals that have been among Ukraine's staunchest allies outside of the United States. In Paris, Macron and Zelenskyy hugged before talks on the plan at the French presidential Elysee Palace. Afterward, Zelenskyy said "all the details" would come in November and that he's talking with allies about securing more military aid and permission for Ukrainian forces to carry out long-range strikes. Kyiv wants Western partners to allow strikes deep inside Russia, using long-range weapons they provide. Some, including the U.K. and France, appear willing, but Biden is reticent about escalating the conflict. "The situation looks bleak for all sides," Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said Thursday on X. "The West hesitates amid internal divisions, Ukraine struggles while bracing for a harsh winter, and Russia presses forward without any strategic shifts in its favor, yet grows increasingly impatient." Later Thursday, Zelenskyy met in Rome with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who ensured Italy's full and continued support "at both bilateral and multilateral level in order to put Kyiv in the best position possible to build a just and lasting peace." Meloni said the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the situation on the ground and Ukraine's "most immediate military, financial and humanitarian needs, as well as the forthcoming diplomatic initiatives and the pathway to bring an end to the conflict." She added that Rome will continue to do its part also in the future reconstruction of Ukraine and announced the dates for the next Ukraine recovery conference, which will be held in Rome in July 2025. Zelenskyy stressed that his priority is to strengthen Ukraine's position, with the help of its international partners, to create the necessary conditions for diplomacy. "Russia is not really looking for a diplomatic path," he said. "If we are able to implement the victory plan, Russia won't be able to continue the war." Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet Pope Francis Friday morning for a half-hour audience, the Vatican said. Later in the day, he'll meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. Ukraine relies heavily on Western support, including tens of billions of dollars' worth of military and financial aid, to keep up the fight against its bigger enemy after almost 1,000 days of fighting since the full-scale Russian invasion began in 2022. Fearing that crucial help could be in jeopardy due to political changes in donor countries, Ukraine has been building up its domestic arms industry. It also wants to raise more money from taxpayers to pay for the war effort. The Ukrainian parliament passed a bill on second reading Thursday that raises the so-called military tax from 1.5% to 5%. Some amendments are expected before it becomes law. Zelenskyy's tour comes as Russia continues a slow but relentless drive deeper into Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region and targets key infrastructure with airstrikes. Zelenskyy said Wednesday that the victory plan seeks to strengthen Ukraine "both geopolitically and on the battlefield" before any kind of dialogue with Russia. "Weakness of any of our allies will inspire (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," he said. "That's why we're asking them to strengthen us, in terms of security guarantees, in terms of weapons, in terms of our future after this war. In my view, he (Putin) only understands force." The death toll from a Russian ballistic missile strike on Ukraine's southern city of Odesa rose Thursday to eight, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said. It was the latest in a string of assaults on the Black Sea port. Authorities in Kyiv also announced Thursday that Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna died while being in Russian captivity, although the circumstances of her death remained unknown. Moscow admitted detaining Roshchyna, who went missing in 2023 while on a reporting trip to Russia-occupied areas.
Global Stocks Mixed on Wall St Decline 10/11 04:46
Global Stocks Mixed on Wall St Decline 10/11 04:46 European markets opened higher while Asian stocks were mostly lower on Friday, with Chinese markets declining as investors awaited a key briefing about an upcoming stimulus plan this weekend. HONG KONG (AP) -- European markets opened higher while Asian stocks were mostly lower on Friday, with Chinese markets declining as investors awaited a key briefing about an upcoming stimulus plan this weekend. In early European trading, Germany's DAX added 0.1% to 19,223.88 and France's CAC 40 was up 0.1% at 7,551.77. In London, the FTSE 100 edged up less than 0.1% to 8,240.83. The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average both fell by 0.1%. In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 closed up 0.6% at 39,605.80. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.1% to 8,214.50. Chinese stocks fell. The Shanghai Composite lost 2.6% to 3,217.74, and the CSI 300 Index, which tracks the top 300 stocks traded in the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets, gave up 2.7%. Hong Kong markets were closed Friday for a public holiday. On Tuesday, its index dropped more than 9%, its worst loss since the 2008 global financial crisis. All market attention was on a briefing that China's Finance Ministry has scheduled for Saturday, when it is expected to unveil long-anticipated fiscal stimulus plans. "The consensus is for a 2 trillion yuan package--not as large as some had hoped (5 to 10 trillion yuan), but the market reaction on Monday will depend more on the timing and the specific targets for the extra spending," Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary. Earlier this week, information about economic stimulus plans from Beijing officials disappointed the markets, as many had hoped that the new fiscal policies would follow the steps of previous announcements in late September aimed at reviving the struggling property market and boosting economic growth. Elsewhere, South Korea's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.25% on Friday, signaling a shift to an easing cycle intended to stimulate economic growth. It was the Bank of Korea's first rate cut since 2020 and comes after a contraction in gross domestic product in the second quarter, along with an inflation rate in September that fell below the central bank's target of 2%. The Kospi in Seoul edged 0.1% lower to 2,596.91. On Thursday, U.S. stocks edged back from earlier records after reports showed inflation was a touch higher last month than expected and more workers filed for unemployment benefits last week. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% to 5,780.05, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.1% to 42,454.12 after setting an all-time high the day before. The Nasdaq composite edged down by 0.1% to 18,282.05. Stocks had stormed to records in large part on excitement about easing interest rates, now that the Federal Reserve is cutting them as it widens its focus to include keeping the economy humming instead of just fighting high inflation. Thursday's report showed inflation slowing to 2.4% in September from 2.5% in August, according to the consumer price index, but economists were expecting an even sharper slowdown to 2.3%. And after ignoring the swings for food, gasoline and other energy prices, underlying trends that economists say can be a better predictor for where inflation is heading were a touch hotter than expected. At the same time, a separate report showed 258,000 U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits last week. That number is relatively low compared with history, but it was a sharper acceleration than economists expected. Hurricane Helene and a strike by workers at Boeing may have helped make the number look worse. In other dealings, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 45 cents to $75.40 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, declined 42 cents to $78.98 per barrel. The dollar rose to 148.75 Japanese yen from 148.51 yen. The euro cost $1.0948, up from $1.0936.
