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Moldova’s First Dog bites Austrian president

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen found a dog’s bite to be worse than its bark on Thursday, when Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s rescue pooch bit the Austrian leader on the hand during his visit to Chişinău. The incident, which was filmed by the media, occurred when Sandu and Van der Bellen were strolling through the courtyard of the Presidential Palace in the Moldovan capital.Sandu brought her dog, a rescue named Codruț, to a photo-op with Van der Bellen and Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar, who was also present for the meeting, earlier in the day. At one point, Van der Bellen reached down to pet Codruț, but the dog lunged at him and snapped at his right hand. Sandu apologized and explained Codruț had become overwhelmed. “It’s many people,” she said. Van der Bellen was later photographed with a bandaged hand.Sandu adopted Codruț, a former stray, in early 2023 after the dog was hit by a car, losing a leg. “Codruț has been part of our team...

Ravens TE Mark Andrews likely suffered season-ending ankle injury vs. Bengals: ‘It’s devastating’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

The Ravens’ win Thursday was bittersweet.After Baltimore’s 34-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, coach John Harbaugh announced that tight end Mark Andrews’ ankle injury is “very serious” and will likely end his season.“Our prayers will be with Mark,” Harbaugh said. “Nobody cares more about the team and being there for the guys than Mark Andrews, so it’s going to be hard for him but we’re going to be there for him all the way.”Harbaugh said the injury is a “form of a high ankle” injury but “more than just a sprain.”On the opening drive, Andrews caught a short pass from quarterback Lamar Jackson in the red zone and was tackled by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson, who rolled onto Andrews’ legs as he brought him down. The Ravens’ medical staff attended to Andrews as he lay on his back. Jackson threw his helmet to the ground in frustration as he saw Andrews in pain.After a few minute...

US and Philippines sign a nuclear cooperation pact allowing US investment and technologies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States and the Philippines have signed a nuclear cooperation pact under which U.S. investment and technologies are to help the Southeast Asian nation transition to cleaner energy and bolster its power supply.Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. witnessed the signing of the deal by his energy secretary and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. “We see nuclear energy becoming a part of the Philippines’ energy mix by 2032 and we are more than happy to pursue this path with the United States as one of our partners,” Marcos said at the signing ceremony.He said the pact, known as a Section 123 agreement, would support the development of reliable, affordable and sustainable power in the Philippines. It will also open doors for U.S. companies to invest and participate in nuclear power projects, he said.Blinken said negotiations with the Philippines...

Aid to Gaza halted with communications down for a second day, as food and water supplies dwindle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Communications systems in the Gaza Strip were down for a second day Friday with no fuel to power the internet and phone networks, causing aid agencies to halt cross-border deliveries of humanitarian supplies even as they warned people may soon face starvation. Israel has been pushing deeper into Gaza City, and its troops have been searching Gaza’s biggest hospital, Shifa, for traces of a Hamas command center the military alleges was located under the building. They have shown what they said were a tunnel entrance and weapons found in a truck inside the compound but not yet any evidence of the command center, which Hamas and Shifa staff deny existed. The war, now in its sixth week, was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel, in which the militants killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and captured some 240 men, women and children. Gaza is now receiving only 10% of its needed food supplies daily, and dehydration and malnutrition ...

Halifax International Security Forum opens today with focus on Ukraine war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

HALIFAX — About 300 delegates are gathering today in Halifax for the city’s annual forum on global security.Most of the sessions are about the war in Ukraine, but Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the resulting Israeli military’s invasion of the Gaza Strip will be covered.Attending the three-day Halifax International Security Forum is Ehud Barak, Israel prime minister from 1999 to 2001, who will participate in a discussion on Saturday.The first plenary on Friday is titled, “Making the World Safe Again: Victory in Ukraine” and will include Canadian Defence Minister and conference host Bill Blair.Also scheduled to attend are United States Senators James Risch and Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. special representative for Ukraine’s economic recovery Penny Pritzker, and Roger Carstens, special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.Forum president Peter Van Praagh said in a news release Thursday that he deliberately chose to keep the focus of the event on Ukraine, n...

Stock market today: Asian stocks pulled lower by profit warnings and signs the US economy is slowing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks were mostly lower Friday after Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish as momentum slowed following a strong rally in the first half of November. U.S. futures and oil prices edged higher. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng sank 2.1%, to 17,450.44, dragged lower by a 9.8% slump in shares of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba following its cancellation of a plan to spin off its cloud computing unit. The company cited uncertainties due to U.S. chip restrictions. Alibaba shares dropped as much as 10% in New York on Thursday. The Shanghai Composite index edged 0.1% higher to 3,054.37. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index gained 0.5% to 33,585.20 after Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda indicated, in his annual report to the parliament, that the central bank has no immediate plans to change its ultra-lax monetary policy, which has kept the benchmark interest rate at minus 0.1% for years. The gap between Japan’s negative interest rate and the U.S. benchmark rate of over 5.25% has p...

Daily horoscope for November 17, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Capricorn.Happy Birthday for Friday, Nov. 17, 2023:You are adventurous, intuitive and sensitive. You have an innate understanding of what is important, and you know how to encourage others. This is a year of success and acknowledgement for you. Expect a promotion, awards, kudos and the respect of your peers. Bravo!ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★★This is a lovely day for you to make a wonderful impression on everyone, especially bosses, parents, teachers and the police. In particular, you’re in an excellent position to negotiate financial matters, whether it’s about earnings or using the funds of others. Tonight: Check your finances.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★★This is a marvelous day to travel. Do whatever you can to enjoy a change of scenery. You want adventure and a chance to explore your world. If you can’t travel, then be a tourist in your own town. Do something youR...

In Samoa, EU and its member states sign new Partnership Agreement with the Members of the Organization of the African, Caribbean and Pacific

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

The EU and its member states have signed a new Partnership Agreement with the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) that will serve as an overarching legal framework for their relations for the next twenty years. This agreement succeeds the Cotonou Agreement and will be known as the “Samoa Agreement”. The agreement covers subjects such as sustainable development and growth, human rights and peace and security.The denomination of the Agreement was agreed at the 46th session of the ACP-EU Council of ministers, which took place right before the signature ceremony, also in Samoa.The new Partnership Agreement lays down common principles and covers the following priority areas: human rights, democracy and governance, peace and security, human and social development, inclusive, sustainable economic growth and development, environmental sustainability and climate change, and migration and mobility.A press release, with more information, is available online.

Sale closed in Dublin: $2.3 million for a five-bedroom home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

6138 Ledgewood Terrace – Google Street ViewA 3,820-square-foot house built in 2002 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 6100 block of Ledgewood Terrace in Dublin was sold on Oct. 4, 2023. The $2,250,000 purchase price works out to $589 per square foot. This home presents a roomy floor plan, featuring five bedrooms and five baths.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:A 4,005-square-foot home on the 3600 block of Westford Court in Dublin sold in June 2023, for $2,650,000, a price per square foot of $662. The home has 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms.In October 2022, a 4,026-square-foot home on Penwood Place in Dublin sold for $1,810,000, a price per square foot of $450. The home has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.On Penwood Place, Dublin, in July 2023, a 4,026-square-foot home was sold for $3,000,000, a price per square foot of $745. The home has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. 

Osama bin Laden is back!

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:59 GMT

This isn’t a bad dream. Twenty-two years after he masterminded the 9/11 terror attacks, and 12 years after he was killed by U.S. special forces while cowering in his Pakistani bolthole, al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden is back in the headlines. The reasons: TikTok + Gen Z + the Guardian + the Israel-Hamas war = a big comeback for the terror king.Confused? Don’t worry, we explain it all here. Are you serious? Unfortunately, yes. Okay, tell me more. (And explain it to me like I’m five.) Bin Laden’s “Letter to America” is a chilling 4,000-word spiel, written decades ago, by the perpetrator of the 9/11 passenger-jet terrorist attacks which killed nearly 3,000 people in the United States.The letter and its translation started circulating online shortly after the 2001 attacks, especially among extremist Islamist organizations, and was first published in the Guardian in 2002. (More on that later, by the way.)In the letter, addressed to the U.S. and Americans, bi...