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EU debates how to handle rising security challenges as Israel-Hamas war provokes new concerns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:50:38 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union interior ministers met Thursday to discuss how to manage the impact of the war between Israel and Hamas on the bloc, after a firebomb assault on a Berlin synagogue and killings in Belgium and France by suspected Islamist extremists.Sweden hosted a meeting of ministers from eight countries, among them Germany, Belgium and France, focused on how to handle incidents where people burn the Muslim holy book, the Quran.Prosecutors are trying to establish whether that was a key motive for a Tunisian man who shot three Swedes in Brussels on Monday, killing two of them, ahead of a Belgium-Sweden soccer match in the capital.While the Quran burnings are not directly linked to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, they are a sign of rising tensions between religious and other communities in Europe.The war that began Oct. 7 has become the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday that 3,478 Palestinians have been ...

European Commission approves a new geographical indication from Croatia - 'Meso turopoljske svinje'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:50:38 GMT

The Commission approved the addition of 'Meso turopoljske svinje' – as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) from Croatia.‘Meso turopoljske svinje' is the fresh meat and other edible parts of the carcass of castrated males and of females of the autochthonous Turopolje pig breed. The production area of ‘Meso turopoljske svinje' is confined to the area of continental Croatia, which consists of 13 counties and the city of Zagreb. ‘Meso turopoljske svinje' has a darker, redder colour, a more compact muscle texture and less surface secretion than pork of standard production. When consumed, the cooked meat has an elastic, juicy consistency, full of flavour and a specific aroma from the rendered fat of the meat. The abundance of forests, in particular oak, the numerous watercourses and the temperate climate of Turopolje have long favoured the development of pig-farming. For centuries, the farming of Turopolje pigs has been important for the livelihood of local inhabitants. This n...

Dear Abby: I’m hurt he didn’t make time for me amid his family crisis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:50:38 GMT

DEAR ABBY: I am divorced and have an adult son. He hadn’t been back in my town for four or five years.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: She stages these embarrassing displays, and I can’t deal with it anymore Advice | Dear Abby: He’s just a little boy, but he’s already on the wrong path. What can I do? Advice | Dear Abby: I have a wedding dress and a man I love, but I’m ready to scrap everything Advice | Dear Abby: The family letter is meant to be upbeat but I can’t bring myself to read it Advice | Dear Abby: Do I need to make a formal goodbye to an unwanted friend? When his dad had a heart attack, my son took a few days to come home. I texted to see how his dad was doing and got only short responses. My son made no attempt to see me while he was here — not a one-hour visit or even a phone call.I have never been so hurt. I am beyond devastated.I know it’s...

Four-bedroom home in San Jose sells for $3 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:50:38 GMT

1197 Willow Street – Google Street ViewA spacious historic house located in the 1100 block of Willow Street in San Jose has new owners. The 2,376-square-foot property, built in 1900, was sold on Sept. 28, 2023, for $2,950,000, or $1,242 per square foot. This two-story house presents a roomy floor plan, featuring four bedrooms and two baths. Inside, a fireplace adds character to the home. Additionally, the home provides an attached two-car garage, granting ample space for parking and storage purposes.Additional houses have recently been sold nearby:In September 2023, a 1,484-square-foot home on Crescent Drive in San Jose sold for $1,850,000, a price per square foot of $1,247. The home has 3 bedrooms 1 bathroom.A 3,195-square-foot home on the 1000 block of Carolyn Avenue in San Jose sold in August 2022, for $2,900,500, a price per square foot of $908. The home has 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.On Coolidge Avenue, San Jose, in July 2022, a 1,466-square-foot home was sold for $1,900,000, a...

Liberan a Roland Carreño y a cuatro personas detenidas más tras acuerdo político entre oposición y Gobierno de Maduro

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:50:38 GMT

(CNN Español) — El periodista venezolano Roland Carreño, detenido desde 2020, fue liberado este miércoles en la noche, informó Gerardo Blyde, líder de la delegación opositora que suscribió este lunes un acuerdo político con el Gobierno del presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.Blyde añadió que fueron liberados cuatro presos más en la noche de este miércoles: Juan Requesens, exdiputado que cumplía arresto domiciliario; Marco Antonio Garcés Carapaica, Eurinel Rincón y Mariana Barreto.Roland Carreño en libertad a esta hora 11:50 pm pic.twitter.com/s1LR4YyYdd— Gerardo Blyde (@GerardoBlyde) October 19, 2023Noticia en desarrollo.— Osmary Hernández de CNN contribuyó a este reporte.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.Source

Russia detains Radio Free Europe journalist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:50:38 GMT

Authorities in Russia’s Kazan on Wednesday arrested Alsu Kurmasheva, a Prague-based editor and Russian-American citizen with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a media outlet funded by the U.S. Congress.Kurmasheva has been charged with failure to register as a foreign agent, and faces up to five years in prison, her employer said in a statement.“Alsu is a highly respected colleague, devoted wife, and dedicated mother to two children,” RFE/RL’s acting President Jeffrey Gedmin said. “She needs to be released so she can return to her family immediately.”Under President Vladimir Putin, Russian authorities have increasingly cracked down on dissent and restricted press freedoms — a trend that accelerated with Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.Kurmasheva, whose reporting focused on ethnic minorities in the southwestern regions of Tatarstan (the capital of which is Kazan) and Bashkortostan, is the second U.S. citizen arrested in Rus...

Rishi Sunak pledges ‘solidarity with the Israel people’ on trip to Tel Aviv

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:50:38 GMT

LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel Thursday morning for talks with Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of a two-day visit to the war-torn Middle East. Speaking ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, Sunak told Israeli reporters “Above all, I’m here to express my solidarity with the Israeli people.“You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism and I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you.” Sunak is set to visit other regional capitals after his visit to Israel, although Downing Street is not confirming a specific itinerary, citing security reasons. Sunak is expected to call for the route into Gaza to be opened up as soon as possible to allow humanitarian aid into the region and for trapped British nationals to leave.U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is conducting his own diplomatic push to stop the conflict spreading across the region during a three-da...

Germany’s Deutsche Bahn sells European subsidiary Arriva to infrastructure investor I Squared

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:50:38 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s state-owned railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, said Thursday that it has agreed to sell its European public transport subsidiary, Arriva, to U.S.-based infrastructure investor I Squared Capital.Deutsche Bahn didn’t disclose the value of the planned sale. It said the transaction should be completed next year. The company is selling Arriva “to enable additional growth in rail transport in Germany and allow it to focus its resources on its core business.”Arriva has about 35,500 employees and operates in 10 European countries. It has bus and train units in the U.K. and also has operations in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.Deutsche Bahn acquired the British-based company in 2010. Arriva businesses in “non-core markets,” including Sweden and Portugal, already have been sold. Deutsche Bahn Chief Financial Officer Levin Holle said in a statement that “Arriva has good prospects for sus...

In the news today: Israel’s envoy to Canada warns of “fine line” in free speech

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:50:38 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…‘Thin line’ for free speech, hate: Israel envoyIsrael’s envoy to Canada says it’s important for democracies to look at when a line has been crossed between freedom of speech and what he calls “freedom of hate.”Ambassador Iddo Moed spoke generally in an interview with The Canadian Press about what he sees as a “thin line” between the two. He says he couldn’t comment on the nature of any demonstrations seen in Canada since Hamas’s surprise attacks on Israel on October 7th, which triggered retaliation from the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip.Police liaison officer to testify in convoy trialThe officer who served as a go-between for “Freedom Convoy” organizer Chris Barber and police is expected to testify in his criminal trial.Barber and Tamara Lich are facing charges for their role in bring...

Canada promised to stop exporting unwanted plastic waste. But it’s still happening.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:50:38 GMT

OTTAWA — On the northern fringe of Myanmar’s largest city is a township of nearly 300,000 people with a growing industrial base in textiles, consumer goods and food products. But north of Yangon in Shwepyithar, whose name in English means “golden and pleasant,” nothing is growing faster than garbage. And a lot of it isn’t even theirs.Piled up on every block are great big mounds of tattered bags, discarded plastic bottles and packaging turned grey from weather and dirt.Mountains of plastic waste, sometimes as tall as single-storey houses, are rotting in the streets. People have to wind their way around the piles to get to temples and community centres.The stench seeps into homes, and mothers instruct their children not to play in the trash. The hot weather dries out the garbage, making every road at risk of catching fire.In Myanmar, where citizens have once again been under military rule since a 2021 coup, the locals are terrified to speak out. Frontier Myanma...