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Taiwan’s FM Joseph Wu to resign from hardest job ‘in the world’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said he would resign, regardless of whether his party wins or loses in January’s presidential elections. “I’ve been in the job for almost six years and that is a long, long time,” Wu told the Wall Street Journal. His current position is “probably the most difficult foreign minister job in the world,” he added. Wu announced his plans to step down as China bids to influence Taiwan’s upcoming elections with disinformation campaigns and other interference strategies, Voice of America reported this week. Taiwan is a self-governing island which Beijing claims as its own. Wu has been critical of China’s increasingly aggressive and expansionist policy, warning that the destruction of Taiwanese security also jeopardizes other countries. “We cannot just rely on our diplomatic allies alone, because the number is quite small,” Wu said in the interview. “We need to cultivate our friendship and partnership with major democracies.” ...

Ruff day in Strasbourg as European Paw-liament goes barking mad

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

It’s not uncommon for lawmakers to howl at each other during tense sessions in the European Parliament, but at Wednesday’s plenary meeting actual barking momentarily interrupted the proceedings.Shortly after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen concluded a speech to the body, a dog’s barking rang out in the hemicycle, prompting confused looks among lawmakers including Renew Europe group Chair Stéphane Séjourné and the European People’s Party’s Dolors Montserrat.European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, meanwhile, couldn’t contain her laughter. “Dear colleagues, we must have a support animal in the house,” she said, breaking into giggles.The barks ringing out during a session attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez made the situation all the more absurd. In Spain, the Socialist leader is jokingly referred to as Perro Sanxe — “Sánchez the dog” — a nickname that emphasizes his canny, underdog q...

Kid Rock says he is done boycotting Bud Light

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

New York (CNN) — Kid Rock is changing his tune on Bud Light. He was one of the first people to declare a boycott on Bud Light after the beer brand briefly partnered with a transgender influencer, leading to a significant and lasting sales slump.Rock told Tucker Carlson on his X show that Bud Light “deserved a black eye and they got one” for the partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, but then added he’s over the boycott. “So, do I want to hold their head underwater and drown them because they made a mistake? No, I think they got the message.”Rock’s reversal might come as good news for Bud Light, which has experienced a steep slump in sales since the transphobic backlash began in April. The Mulvaney partnership caused some of its core customers to abandon the beer and Bud Light’s botched response alienated supporters as well as the LGBTQ community.Weekly sales for Bud Light are still down about 30% according to scan data obtained by Beer Business Daily, showing little signs of rev...

Providence bridge issues caught before “catastrophe”, repairs begin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

Crews in Rhode Island are beginning work to fix the failing Washington Bridge, which closed unexpectedly Monday night.The Rhode Island Department of Transportation said they found eight of the 10 pins that hold the bridge in place had been snapped, with large gaps left in beams as a result. Officials said if the westbound side had remained open, it could have collapsed. Repairs could take at least three months. “Old structures tend to fail more rapidly once they begin to go,” said RIDOT Director Peter Alviti. “In this case, our inspectors and our construction engineers caught it before it became a catastrophe.”The bridge closure led to massive traffic backups Tuesday, some of which reached all the way into Massachusetts.

New DPH Advisory Recalls 2018 Hepatitis A Outbreak

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

State health officials are warning that a handful of hepatitis A infections last month are similar to an outbreak that began five years ago and ultimately claimed nine lives.Six cases were reported between Nov. 1 and Nov. 29  in Suffolk, Norfolk, Hampden and Plymouth counties, including among four men between the ages of 36 and 60, according to a clinical advisory from the Department of Public Health. More potential cases are being reviewed, officials said.DPH described hepatitis A as a “highly contagious liver infection” that can be mild and last for a few weeks, or severe and last several months.Four people were hospitalized for their infections, which DPH said are “primarily spread person-to-person through the fecal-oral transmission route and contact with a fecal-contaminated environment.”Some of the infected individuals had recently experienced homelessness or housing instability, as well as sought care for substance use treatment at Bosto...

Biden administration makes clear it has no plans to place conditions on military aid to Israel despite pressure from lawmakers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

(CNN) — The Biden administration currently has no plans to place conditions on the military aid it is providing to Israel, officials told CNN, despite growing calls by Democratic lawmakers and human rights organizations for the US to stop providing weapons unless Israel does more to protect civilians in Gaza.Speaking to Democratic donors in Washington this week, President Joe Biden acknowledged that he has had tough conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel’s military campaign, how Israel is losing international support, and the need for a two-state solution led by the Palestinian Authority. But he said even throughout those discussions, “we’re not going to do a damn thing other than protect Israel in the process. Not a single thing.”Echoing that sentiment, US officials told CNN that the US has no plans to shift its position and draw any red lines around the transfer of weapons and munitions to Israel. They note...

Chicago Bears Q&A: When would a potential Justin Fields trade take place? How realistic are their playoff chances?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

Once left for dead at 2-7, the Chicago Bears have stoked long-shot playoff hopes with three wins in their last four games, including two in a row.Before they try to make it three straight Sunday in Cleveland, Brad Biggs gauges the playoff scenarios and answers a slew of other questions in his weekly Bears mailbag.You’ve been pretty transparent with your thoughts on Justin Fields’ future with the Bears. Assuming you are correct and the Bears trade him away (respectfully, I hope they don’t!), what would you anticipate that timeline looking like? Is this a move that would likely take place in March or could it stretch out down to the wire? — Vince R.I’m not exactly sure what you mean by “the wire,” but I would imagine if they decide to move on from Fields, they would prefer to have a 2024 draft pick in return. That could happen in March after the new league year begins, or it could be a move made during the draft. The timing would depend on a h...

Porter Airlines signs new partnership deal with Alaska Airlines

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

TORONTO — Porter Airlines has signed a new partnership deal with Alaska Airlines. The companies say the interline agreement means that travellers can now buy combined Porter-Alaska itineraries directly from the Porter website or via third-party agencies.Porter flights from Toronto to California are expected to start in January.The new routes will allow passengers to fly directly into major Alaska Airlines hubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Connections via shared Canadian airports are expected in early 2024.Under the partnership, Alaska’s Mileage Plan members will also start earning points on Porter flights booked via Alaska Airlines from January and later in 2024. Both VIPorter and Mileage Plan members will earn miles in their respective loyalty programs no matter where they book their flights.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2023.The Canadian Press

Editor says Myanmar authorities have arrested 2 local journalists for an online news service

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government has arrested two journalists with a local online news service, their editor said Wednesday, in its latest crackdown on media freedom since seizing power nearly three years ago.The chief editor of Dawei Watch, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from authorities, told The Associated Press that Aung San Oo and Myo Myint Oo were arrested late Monday at their homes in the coastal town of Myeik. The town is about 560 kilometers (350 miles) south of Yangon, the country’s biggest city.The editor said they were arrested three days after returning home from hiding and that security forces told family members they were arrested for reports they had filed. The computers and mobile phones of the reporters and their family members were confiscated by police, and the journalists are being held in an interrogation camp, the editor said.Dawei Watch mostly covers news in southern Myanmar.“Journalists are writing the news reports and ...

Wholesale inflation in US slowed further last month, signaling that price pressures continue to ease

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

Wholesale inflation in the United States was unchanged in November, suggesting that price increases in the economy’s pipeline are continuing to gradually ease.The Labor Department reported Wednesday that its producer price index — which tracks inflation before it reaches consumers — was flat from October to November after having fallen 0.4% the month before. Measured year over year, producer prices rose just 0.9% from November 2022, the smallest such rise since June. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core wholesale prices were unchanged from October and up 1.1% from a year ago.Wednesday’s report reinforced the belief that inflation pressures are cooling across the economy, including among wholesale producers. The figures the government issued Wednesday, which reflect prices charged by manufacturers, farmers and wholesalers, can provide an early sign of how fast consumer inflation will rise in the coming months. Year-over-year producer price inflation ha...