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EU agriculture ministers meet to discuss vital Ukraine grain exports after Russia halted deal

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:38 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union agriculture ministers met Tuesday to discuss ways of moving grain vital to global food security out of Ukraine after Russia halted a deal that allowed the exports. At the same time, they want to protect prices for farmers in countries bordering the war-ravaged nation.Germany’s agriculture minister, Cem Ozdemir, warned that the ministers must seek to balance those two issues without eroding the EU’s support for Ukraine in the war sparked by last year’s invasion. If cracks open up in EU unity, “the only one who is happy is Vladimir Putin,” he said.The ministers met in Brussels for the first time since Russia pulled the plug last week on the wartime deal that allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices have pushed more people into poverty.The deal provided guarantees that ships would not be attacked when entering and leaving Ukrainian ports, wh...

Mid-level Chinese official to visit North Korea in tepid restoration of exchanges between allies

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:38 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — With North Korea firing missiles and facing a potential food crisis, China’s ruling Communist Party is sending a mid-level official to visit in hopes of restoring exchanges between the allies. Li Hongzhong will join official North Korean commemorations of the signing of an armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War 70 years ago. North Korea, which launched the ultimately futile attempt to conquer its southern rival, considers the agreement a recognition of victory.The conflict brought in forces from the newly created People’s Republic of China, aided by the Russian air force, while South Korea, the U.S. and troops from various countries under the direction of the United Nations battled to repulse the invasion. The border between the Koreas remains among the most tense in the world. Li is a member of the party’s high-level Politburo and a deputy chairperson of the ceremonial parliament, giving him national office, but not the level of status that would convey a fu...

Justice Department will make prosecutor in Hunter Biden case available to testify before Congress

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:38 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The lead prosecutor in the case against President Joe Biden’s son Hunter says he is willing to testify publicly this fall, setting up a clash with House Republicans who have demanded he come in soon for a closed-door interview.In a two-page letter to Rep. Jim Jordan on Monday, the Justice Department offered to make U.S. Attorney David Weiss of Delaware available before the House Judiciary Committee for a public hearing after the August break as Republicans continue to escalate their ongoing investigation into his handling of the probe into Hunter Biden.“The Department believes it is strongly in the public interest for the American people and for Congress to hear directly from U.S. Attorney Weiss on these assertions and questions about his authority at a public hearing,” Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte wrote to Jordan.House Republicans, led by Jordan — chair of the Judiciary Committee — had requested last month for Weiss and nearly a dozen other officials ...

77 people are injured, 5 critically, after 2 buses collide at a South African university

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:38 GMT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — At least 77 people were injured, five of them critically, after two buses collided at the entrance to a South African university on Tuesday, police and transport authorities said.One of the buses was a university vehicle ferrying students between campuses at the University of Johannesburg. The other was a city bus.Metro Bus spokesperson Goodwill Shiburi said that five people suffered critical injuries in the crash, and all 77 of the injured were hospitalized. Both drivers were among those taken to the hospital, he said.In the aftermath, one of the buses lay on its side after crashing through a fence at an entrance to the university. The accident happened around 7 a.m., authorities said.Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla said a case of negligent driving would be opened by police considering “the severity and seriousness” of the crash. The cause of the crash was not yet known, Fihla said.The University of Johannesburg said t...

Heat wave returns as Greece grapples with more wildfire evacuations

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:38 GMT

RHODES, Greece (AP) — A third successive heat wave in Greece pushed temperatures back above 40 C (104 F) across parts of the country Tuesday following more nighttime evacuations from fires that have raged out of control for days.The latest evacuations orders were issued on the islands of Corfu and Evia, while a blaze on the island of Rhodes continued to move inland, torching mountainous forest areas, including part of a nature reserve.Desperate residents, many with wet towels around their necks to stave off the scorching heat, used shovels to beat back flames approaching their homes, while firefighting planes and helicopters resumed water drops at first light.Authorities said that more than 20,000 people has been involved in successive evacuations on the island, mostly tourists over the weekend, when fire swept through two coastal areas on the southeast of Rhodes.The European Union has sent 500 firefighters, 100 vehicles and seven planes from 10 member states, while Turkey, Israel, ...

The Biden administration proposes new rules to push insurers to boost mental health coverage

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:38 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday is announcing new rules meant to push insurance companies to increase their coverage of mental health treatments.The new regulations, which still need to go through a public comment period, would require insurers to study whether their customers have equal access to medical and mental health benefits and to take remedial action, if necessary. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires that insurers provide the same level of coverage for both mental and physical health care — though the administration and advocates argue insurers’ policies restrict patient access.The rules, if finalized, would force insurers to study patient outcomes to ensure the benefits are administered equally, taking into account their provider network and reimbursement rates and whether prior authorization is required for care.The Democratic president’s administration says it’s aiming to address issues such...

Taliban bans beauty salons in Afghanistan despite UN concern and rare public protest

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:38 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban announced Tuesday that all beauty salons in Afghanistan must now close as a one-month deadline ended, despite rare public opposition to the edict.Sadiq Akif Mahjer, spokesman for the Taliban-run Virtue and Vice Ministry, did not say whether it would use force against salons that do not comply.The ruling is the latest curb on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls following edicts barring them from education, public spaces and most forms of employment.The Taliban said it decided to ban beauty salons because they offered services forbidden by Islam and caused economic hardship for the families of grooms during wedding festivities.Its earlier announcement of a one-month deadline for salons to wind down their businesses led to a rare public protest in which dozens of beauticians and makeup artists gathered in Kabul, the capital. Security forces used fire hoses and tasers and shot their guns into the air to break up the protest.The ban also drew co...

'Try That in a Small Town' rockets to No. 2 on charts after music video controversy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:38 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jason Aldean's “Try That in a Small Town” is experiencing exponential growth following controversy over its music video.“Try That in a Small Town,” which was released in May, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week just behind BTS’s Jung Kook solo single “Seven,” featuring Latto. The track experienced the biggest sales week for a country song in over 10 years.According to Luminate, the song hit 11.7 million on-demand audio and video streams between July 14 and 20, marking a 1,000% increase from the previous week. Prior to the music video release on July 14, the track accounted for 987,000 streams in the U.S.Digital song sales increased from 1,000 to 228,000, in those same weeks, respectively. ‘This is not American’: Sheryl Crow responds to Jason Aldean’s controversial song The music video for the song lasted just one weekend on Country Music Television before the network pulled it in response to an outcry over its setting and lyrics. W...

Wagner in Belarus

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:38 GMT

The Wagner Group in Belarus may become the source of a hybrid threat to EuropeThe mercenaries of the Wagner Group have redeployed to the territory of Belarus - the decision was made shortly after their failed campaign against Moscow. Contrary to the announced plan of their further deployment to Africa, which may still take place after further preparation, it is obvious that Putin has created a new hybrid threat to Europe - this time right on its eastern border. Well-armed and trained mercenaries with combat experience can endlessly terrorise the territories of Lithuania, Latvia, even Poland bordering Belarus. This is a new challenge for Europe, which requires an immediate response, IFBG, Dispatches.A new camp for the mercenary forces of the Wagner Group for 8,000 people was built near the town of Osipovichi in central Belarus. More than 2 thousand mercenaries are already on the territory of the republic, and the search for new recruits is ongoing. Obviously, this deci...

Bridge: July 25, 2023

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:38 GMT

The player we call “Secondhand Rose” showed up at my club today. When the lesson about “second hand low” on defense was taught, Rose must have been out with Jiggs the plumber.Rose was East. South’s bid of four spades suggested a strong five-card suit, and North rightly passed.West led the queen of hearts and continued. South ruffed and had only nine top tricks; he needed a club trick. If he drew trumps, leaving him with one at most, and led a club, the defense would force with a third heart lead, and South might never score a club trick.DOWN ONESo South led a trump to dummy (not best) and returned a club … and Secondhand Rose … with the ace! Rose then led the ace of hearts. South ruffed, drew trumps and ran the diamonds, but West won the last two tricks with the king of clubs and a heart.South succeeds if Rose ducks the first club. West takes the king and forces with a heart, but South draws trumps, runs the diamonds and leads a club. Rose m...