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Halifax International Security Forum opens today with focus on Ukraine war

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:24 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 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:24 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 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:24 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 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:24 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 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:24 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 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:24 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...

No more ads on Elon’s X, EU Commission tells staff

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:24 GMT

The European Commission has decided to stop advertising on social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, over “widespread concerns relating to the spread of disinformation,” according to an internal note obtained by POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook.In a note sent to all heads of service and directors general, the Commission’s Deputy Chief Spokesperson Dana Spinant said disinformation on X, especially in relation to the Israel-Hamas war, had led the institution to “recommend to temporarily suspend advertising on this platform until further notice to avoid risks of reputational damage to the Commission.”X has been under growing scrutiny in Europe as a result of the bloc’s new content moderation law, the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission, which enforces the law, in October sent a formal request for information to the company to explain how its handling of illegal content and disinformation connected to Hamas’ October 7 attack complies with the DSA.EU services can st...

Russian parliament passes record budget, boosting defense spending and shoring up support for Putin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:24 GMT

The lower house of Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, on Friday approved its biggest-ever federal budget which will increase spending by around 25% in 2024, with record amounts going to defense.Defense spending is expected to overtake social spending next year for the first time in modern Russian history, at a time when the Kremlin is eager to shore up support for President Vladimir Putin as Russia prepares for a presidential election in March. Record low unemployment, higher wages and targeted social spending should help the Kremlin ride out the domestic impact of pivoting the economy to a war footing, but could pose a problem in the long term, analysts say. Russian lawmakers said the budget for 2024-2026 was developed specifically to fund the military and mitigate the impact of “17,500 sanctions” on Russia, the chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, said. “In these difficult conditions, we have managed to adopt a budget that will not only allocate the necessary funds fo...

The wait continues for Canadians wanting out of Gaza, approval list not yet updated

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:24 GMT

Canadians in the Gaza Strip, eager to escape the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas, may have to wait a little longer to leave.As of 4 a.m. Eastern, the General Authority for Crossings and Borders had yet to update its daily list of approved foreign passport holders authorized to exit Gaza and enter Egypt.The Canadian government says that as of Wednesday afternoon, it was in touch with 386 people still in the besieged territory.Global Affairs Canada says, so far, 367 Canadians, permanent residents and their relatives have been able to escape via the Rafah border crossing, most recently including two people on Wednesday and 10 on Monday.The current conflict began on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis in brutal surprise attacks, taking another 240 people hostage.Israel declared war on Hamas, began an airstrike campaign and cut off food, fuel, water and supplies to Gaza, which is home to 2.3 million Palestinians. The territory’s health officials say more than...

Greek authorities conduct search and rescue operation after dinghy carrying migrants capsizes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:24 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities conducted a search and rescue operation Friday off the coast of a small islet in the eastern Aegean Sea near the Turkish coast after a dinghy carrying migrants to Greece capsized, the coast guard said.A total of 18 people were rescued, while one more person, a woman, was pulled from the water unconscious, the coast guard said. The survivors were to be transported to the nearby island of Samos. The coast guard said no further people were reported as missing.Thousands of people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia attempt to make the short but dangerous sea crossing from Turkey to the Greek islands each year, in the hope of eventually making their way to more prosperous European Union countries.Some attempt to skirt around Greece and head directly to Italy instead, either from Turkey or from north Africa. The longer sea journey is considerably more perilous, and has claimed hundreds of lives.In June, an overloaded fishing ...