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US Defense Secretary Austin makes unannounced visit to Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Monday in a high-profile push to keep money and weapons flowing to Ukraine even as U.S. and international resources are stretched by the new global risks raised by the Israel-Hamas conflict.Austin, who traveled to Kyiv by train from Poland, is scheduled to meet with senior Ukrainian officials and publicly press Ukraine’s urgent military needs as it enters another tough winter of fighting. This is Austin’s second trip to Kyiv, but he’s making it under far different circumstances. His first visit occurred in April 2022, just two months after Russia’s large-scale invasion. At the time, Ukraine was riding a wave of global rage at Moscow’s invasion, and Austin launched an international effort that now sees 50 countries meet monthly to coordinate on what weapons, training and other support could be pushed to Kyiv. “I’m here today to deliver an important message — the United States will continu...

Albanese criticizes China over warship’s use of sonar that injured an Australian naval diver

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:25 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday criticized China for a “dangerous” encounter between Chinese and Australian warships but declined to say whether he had raised the issue in recent talks with President Xi Jinping.He said one Australian diver was injured when a Chinese destroyer used sonar while near an Australian frigate in international waters last Tuesday.Defense Minister Richard Marles said Saturday he had raised serious concerns with Beijing about the destroyer’s unsafe and unprofessional behavior.Between the encounter and Marles’ statement, Albanese spoke to Xi on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific leaders’ summit in San Francisco.Albanese said on Monday his discussions with Xi were private, rather than a formal bilateral meeting in which content summaries are made public.“I don’t talk about private meetings on the sidelines, discussions I have with any world leader,” Albanese told Sky News in his Parliament House office.“It’s something that is ...

1 crew dead and 11 are missing after a Turkish cargo ship sinks in Black Sea in severe storms

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:25 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish rescuers on Monday recovered the body of a crew member of a cargo ship that sank off Turkey’s Black Sea coast in severe storms, officials said. Eleven other crew were reported missing.The Turkish-flagged Kafkametler sank on Sunday after hitting a breakwater outside the harbor off the town of Eregli, some 200 kilometers (124 miles) east of Istanbul. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the vessel, which was on its way to the western Turkish port of Izmir, lashed into the breakwater several times before it sank.The search-and-rescue operation was delayed by several hours because of the severe weather. But as the condition eased, rescuers on Monday found the body of the ship’s cook, Uraloglu said. The severe storms that hit northwestern Turkey caused widespread damage and disruption on Sunday, including the breakup of another cargo ship and the evacuation of a prison.The Cameroon-flagged Pallada broke into two due...

Taiwan presidential front-runner picks former de facto ambassador to US as vice president candidate

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:25 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The front-runner in Taiwan’s presidential race has picked the long-term de facto ambassador to the United States as his vice presidential candidate. Vice President William Lai announced Monday on his Facebook page the nomination of Hsiao Bi-ki — who was born in Japan to a Taiwanese father and an American mother — as his running mate in January’s elections. This move would likely bolster support among backers of his ruling Democratic Progressive Party which has long defied Beijing’s demands to concede to rule under the authoritarian Communist Party. Lai and Hsiao face a divided opposition, led by the Nationalist Party, also known as the Kuomintang or KMT, that has sought to draw independent candidates to their ticket. Polls show Lai is ahead, but China is believed to be seeking to influence business groups and media. Lai currently serves as vice president to President Tsai Ing-wen, who is restricted from running for a third four-year term. In his Facebook post, ...

An appeals court is set to hear arguments asking for Trump’s gag order to be put back in place

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:25 GMT

By ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and LINDSAY WHITEHURST (Associated Press)WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court is hearing arguments Monday on whether to reinstate a gag order against Donald Trump in the federal case charging him with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.Prosecutors with special counsel Jack Smith’s team will urge a three-judge panel of the Washington-based appeals court to put back in place an order barring the former president from making inflammatory statements about lawyers in the case and potential witnesses. The prosecutors say those restrictions are necessary to prevent Trump from undermining confidence in the court system and intimidating people who may be called to testify against him. Defense lawyers have called the gag order an unconstitutional muzzling of Trump’s free speech rights and say prosecutors have presented no evidence to support the idea that his words have caused harm or made anyone feel threatened.The ga...

Commission welcomes political agreement on stronger control of exports of waste 

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:25 GMT

The Commission welcomes the political agreement reached on 16 November between the European Parliament and the Council on waste shipments, which will ensure that the EU takes greater responsibility for its wasteand does not export its environmental challenges to third countries. The rules will also facilitate the use of waste as a resource. The agreement is a contribution to the goal of the European Green Deal of reducing pollution and advancing the circular economy. Export of plastic waste from the EU to non-OECD countries will be prohibited. Only if strict environmental conditions are met, individual countries may receive such waste five years after the entry into force of the new rules. In the light of the global problems of soaring amounts of plastic waste and the challenges to its sustainable management, with this measure the EU legislators aim to prevent environmental degradation and pollution in third countries caused by plastic waste generated in the EU. Other waste sui...

Dear Abby: The bride has no room for all the gifts she wants

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:25 GMT

DEAR ABBY: Several of our grandchildren have had weddings in the last few years, along with showers and receptions. They all had plans to move into residences of their own. The shower gifts were household items — nothing extravagant, but nice.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: They dated for a month, and now she’s threatening to reveal his private business Advice | Dear Abby: I’m tired of my husband telling me that he doesn’t intend to change Advice | Dear Abby: Is it out of line to tell him I’ll help him leave his odious wife? Advice | Dear Abby: After decades of gaslighting me, my mother refuses to admit what she did Advice | Dear Abby: The co-worker who was supposed to leave is still here, and things are not getting better Another granddaughter is now planning to be married in the next few months, and she wants all the things the previous grandkids wanted. Her parents wi...

Single-family home sells for $2.7 million in Palo Alto

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:25 GMT

794 Allen Court – Google Street ViewA 1,056-square-foot house built in 1953 has changed hands. The property located in the 700 block of Allen Court in Palo Alto was sold on Oct. 30, 2023. The $2,701,000 purchase price works out to $2,558 per square foot. This single-story home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. Additionally, the house features a two-car garage, providing ample room for vehicles and storage needs.Additional houses have recently been sold nearby:A 1,170-square-foot home on the 700 block of Stern Avenue in Palo Alto sold in April 2023, for $5,928,000, a price per square foot of $5,067. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Price Court, Palo Alto, in January 2023, a 2,353-square-foot home was sold for $3,170,000, a price per square foot of $1,347. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In October 2023, a 1,400-square-foot home on Ross Road in Palo Alto sold for $2,750,000, a price per square foot of ...

Hong Kong’s Disneyland opens 1st Frozen-themed attraction, part of a $60B global expansion

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:25 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong Disneyland opened its first Frozen-themed attraction on Monday, with thousands of eager visitors turning up to experience the new rides, some lining up for hours to get an early start. Based on Disney’s wildly popular Frozen animation film, the new section of the park features landscapes and characters from the movie and two new rides, a roller coaster and a boat ride that takes visitors through different scenes featured in the film. “Over the past decade, the film has grown into one of the most successful franchises in Disney history,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences. “World of Frozen represents Hong Kong Disneyland’s largest and boldest expansion since the park opened in 2005.”The opening comes after Disney announced in September a $60 billion expansion of its parks and cruises over about a decade. Now that Chinese tourists are venturing abroad again after the pandemic, the pandemic, the new attraction is meant to be a game changer for ...

This Week in Business: Dick’s, Deere earnings and home sales

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:25 GMT

Dick’s Sporting GoodsDick’s Sporting Goods reports its third-quarter sales and profit on Tuesday.Wall Street analysts forecast that Dick’s earned $2.45 per share on sales of $2.94 billion. Those number would represent a small decline from last year’s third quarter. Dick’s shares lost nearly a quarter of their value in August after the Pennsylvania company missed second-quarter profit targets, which it blamed on theft.Home salesThe National Association of Realtors on Tuesday reports data on existing home sales in OctoberAnalysts forecast that home sales fell for the fifth month in a row amid surging mortgage rates and a near record-low level of properties on the market. Sales sank 15.4% compared with the same month last year and are down 21% through the first nine months of the year versus the same period in 2022. Existing home sales, in millions, seasonally adjusted annual rate:May: 4.30June: 4.16July: 4.07Aug.: 4.04Sept.: 3.96Oct. (est.): 3.90Source: F...