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African leaders visit Russia to discuss their peace plan with Putin, after Ukraine trip

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:22 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday is set to host a group of African leaders who have traveled to Russia on a self-styled “peace mission” the day after they went to Ukraine.Seven African leaders — presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypt’s prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda — visited Ukraine on Friday to try to help end the nearly 16-month-old war. The African leaders then traveled to St. Petersburg Saturday to meet with Putin who is attending a business forum in Russia’s second-largest city.Speaking at the forum on Friday, Putin declared that the first Russian tactical nuclear weapons have been deployed to Belarus, describing the move as a deterrent against Western efforts to defeat Russia in Ukraine. He previously said that the deployment would begin in July.Asked if he could order the use of battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin said that there was no need for that but n...

Suspect in Nottingham knife and van attack appears in court

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:22 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A 31-year-old man appeared in a court Saturday accused of murdering two college students and a school caretaker in a knife and van attack earlier this week in the English city of Nottingham.Valdo Calocane was flanked by three security officers as he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court. He is charged with the murder of Nottingham University students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, who were stabbed to death in a street near student housing as they were walking home before dawn on Tuesday.He is also accused of killing school caretaker Ian Coats, 65, stealing his van and running down a group of pedestrians. Calocane is also charged with attempting to murder the three pedestrians in a hit-and-run that left one of the victims critically injured.The suspect spoke only to confirm his details. He gave a different name, Adam Mendes, and said he was of no fixed abode.Tuesday’s rampage in Nottingham, a university city of about 350,000 in central...

Thousands in western India relief camps begin returning home as Cyclone Biparjoy recedes

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:22 GMT

JAKHAU, India (AP) — Over 100,000 people who had sheltered from Cyclone Biparjoy in relief camps in western India have begun to return home after the storm weakened and headed toward Pakistan, officials said Saturday.In the coastal village of Jakhau, where the cyclone made landfall in India’s Gujarat state on Thursday, over 130 people had shifted back to their homes from a government-run shelter by midday Saturday.India’s powerful home minister, Amit Shah, was expected to visit the village later Saturday and take stock of the situation.Officials said electricity had been restored in many villages but some were still without power. After the landfall, the cyclone uprooted trees and electricity poles in hundreds of villages along the coastal regions of Gujarat.“It was very scary and we expected huge damage,” said Adam, a trader who rents boats to fishermen in Jakhau and only uses one name. “But thankfully nature’s wrath was somewhat lighter than we anticipated.”He said there was...

Mayor of western Manitoba community says outpouring of support apreciated

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:22 GMT

DAUPHIN, Man. — The mood remains somber in Dauphin, Man., as area residents learn more details of a highway crash that killed 15 people and injured 10.Mayor David Bosiak says people are sad, and the effect on the city and surrounding area will be multi-generational.He adds residents appreciate the support and condolences that have come in from across Canada as the mourning continues.Those expressions come from, among others, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said Canadians stand with those affected by the crash.A moment of silence was held ahead of the Canadian Football League game Friday night between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.Bosiak says he expects a decision will be announced Monday on whether a formal vigil or other public event will be held.Over the weekend, a support centre for families of those involved in the crash will continue to run at the community’s curling rink.RCMP are still investigating the fiery crash Thursday between a trans...

Author and writing mentor Jane Resh Thomas dies at 86

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:22 GMT

When Kate DiCamillo moved to Minneapolis from Florida, she joined a writers’ group taught by widely known Minnesota children’s author Jane Resh Thomas. One night DiCamillo stayed after class and poured out her troubles to her teacher. DiCamillo was poor and struggling, with more than 400 rejections of her writing. She didn’t know how much longer she could believe in herself.Thomas replied: “I will believe in you for you.”DiCamillo’s success as an award-winning writer is just one of the mentoring legacies left by Thomas, who died Monday, June 12, at Martin Luther Assisted Living Center in Bloomington from the effects of numerous health issues, according to her executor, Theodore Olson. She was 86 and was preparing for a writers’ workshop the next day. She had been leading a group of six writers and was coaching Daniel Bernstrom, a young picture book author.Award-winning author and writing mentor Jane Resh Thomas died Monday, June 12, 2023, at...

Ask Amy: Physician’s staffers prefer not to potluck

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:22 GMT

Dear Amy: My coworkers and I are employed by a doctor in a small successful practice. Including the doctor, there are eight staff members.He bought the practice several years ago from our former boss.Our former boss was generous and of a different generation. He lived within his means, was not extravagant, and didn’t try to compete with his peers.Our current employer is of a younger generation, lives in one of the more affluent neighborhoods, and has only given us raises when we bring it up to him as a group.He is very generous when it comes to bonuses, but bonuses are not something that can be counted on.The doctor has recently invited staff and their families to a lake house owned by his parents.The doctor will be there with his wife and five children.The problem we’re having is that he has asked that we all bring a dish to share and make this a pot-luck style affair.None of us has had a raise since January of 2022, and that was our first raise in two years.Many of us are having d...

Horoscopes June 17, 2023: Venus Williams, be true to your beliefs

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:22 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Venus Williams, 43; Will Forte, 53; Greg Kinnear, 60; Barry Manilow, 80.Happy Birthday: Spend more time helping yourself and those you live with rather than pouring your energy into outside influences. It’s time to ground yourself and make your life less challenging before you start thinking about doing the same for others. Protect your ideas from those eager to take advantage of your vulnerability. Be true to your beliefs, and stay on the path that leads to your dreams, hopes and wishes. Your numbers are 9, 16, 25, 34, 41, 45, 47.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Stay focused on what’s important to you. Budget wisely, and you’ll have enough cash left over for entertainment. Social events will help you launch new friendships or find a new pastime to ease stress. Love and romance look promising. Share your feelings. 4 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Too much too fast will lead to trouble. Take your time, gather facts and consider all the pros a...

Word Game: June 17, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:22 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — SLOUGHED (SLOUGHED: SLUFF’D: Cast off; got rid of something objectionable.)Average mark 37 wordsTime limit 45 minutesCan you find 43 or more words in SLOUGHED? The list will be published Monday.YESTERDAY’S WORD — WETLAND wade wale wand wane want weal wean weld welt wend went elan eland tale teal tend lade laden land lane late laten lawn lead lean lend lent lewd anew ante awed neat newt dale date dawn deal dealt dean delta dent dental dweltTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are n...

Bridge: June 17, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:22 GMT

“Simple Saturday” columns treat basic technique and logical thinking.As declarer, you see dummy’s assets, but a defender can’t see his partner’s hand. To overcome that handicap, defenders use signals such as “attitude”: whether they want a suit led or continued. In simple methods, signal with a high card to encourage, a low card to discourage or offer no opinion.Today’s West led the king of diamonds against four spades, and East played the eight. That card looked pretty high to West; he continued with the ace.CLUB WINNERSouth ruffed, led a club to dummy’s king, drew trumps and led a second club. He set up a club winner in dummy for a heart discard and lost only one heart. Making four.I’ve heard players say a seven or higher is a “high” signal, a six or lower is “low.” That is nonsense. Consider partner’s signal in context. Here, West can see that East’s eight was his lowest diamond, disco...

FBI detiene a un joven de 19 años sospechoso de proferir amenazas antisemitas y planear actos violentos contra la comunidad judía de Michigan

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:22 GMT

(CNN) — Un joven de 19 años de Pickford, Michigan, fue detenido por el FBI el viernes por presuntas amenazas antisemitas en Instagram.Seann Pietila fue acusado en una denuncia penal de “transmitir una comunicación que contenía una amenaza de lesionar a otro”, anunció el viernes el fiscal de EE.UU. Mark Totten en un comunicado de prensa.“Las amenazas antisemitas y la violencia contra nuestras comunidades judías —o cualquier otro grupo— no serán toleradas en el Distrito Oeste de Michigan”, dijo Totten.¿Qué es el antisemitismo? Historia y actualidadSegún una declaración jurada de causa probable, Pietila mantuvo conversaciones con otro usuario de Instagram sobre la realización de un siniestro o asesinato en masa. Pietila dijo a los investigadores que no planeaba llevar a cabo los asesinatos en masa que discutió, dice la declaración jurada.Los investigadores encontraron el nombre de una sinagoga de East Lansing, una fecha y una lista de armas —incluidas bomb...