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South Africa to host US trade forum as diplomatic tensions subside

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:26 GMT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa will host a meeting in November of nations participating in the U.S. Africa Growth and Opportunity Act despite earlier calls to exclude the country from the forum due to its ties to Russia and the docking of a sanctioned Russian vessel near Cape Town last year. AGOA is U.S. legislation that allows sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market provided they meet certain conditions, including that they “must eliminate barriers to U.S. trade and investment, enact policies to reduce poverty, combat corruption, and protect human rights.” Earlier this year, some American lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to move the meeting of the forum elsewhere following allegations that South Africa supplied arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine.They said moving the meeting to a different country would send a message that the United States would not accept its trading partners aiding Rus...

Sweden’s central bank hikes key interest rate, saying inflation is still too high

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:26 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden’s central bank raised its key interest rate Thursday, saying that “inflationary pressures in the Swedish economy are still too high,” although there were signs that inflation had begun to fall.The Riksbank raised its policy rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 4% and said its forecast indicated that it could be raised further.”Inflation is also falling in Sweden. The rate of increase in energy and food prices has slowed significantly, which is positive,” the Riksbank said in a statement.But the bank added that “inflation pressures are still too high,” noting that service prices are still rising rapidly and Sweden’s currency, the krona, is “unjustifiably weak.”The Swedish currency has plunged to its lowest level ever against the euro and the U.S. dollar. Sweden has been struggling with high inflation — it was 7.5% in August, down from 9.3% in July, but far from the 2% target set by Sweden’s central bank.“To ensure that inflation continues dow...

South Korean lawmakers vote to lift opposition leader’s immunity against arrest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:26 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — In a surprise outcome, South Korea’s opposition-controlled parliament on Thursday voted to pass a motion submitted by the government that allows for the potential arrest of the country’s leading opposition figure, Lee Jae-myung, who faces a widening investigation over corruption allegations.Lawmakers voted 149-136 in favor of lifting Lee’s immunity to arrest, which allows the Seoul Central District Court to set up a hearing on prosecutors’ request for an arrest warrant for Lee, who has been the chairperson of the Democratic Party since August last year. It was not immediately clear when the hearing would take place or how likely it would be that the court would grant an arrest warrant for Lee after he was hospitalized on Monday while continuing a weekslong hunger strike in protest of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol’s domestic and foreign policies.Lee, a liberal who previously said he was willing to give up his immunity against arrest because he was con...

India suspends visa services in Canada, rift widens between countries

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:26 GMT

India’s visa processing centre in Canada suspended services Thursday as a rift widened between the countries after Canada’s leader said India may have been involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament on Monday that there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the assassination of Sikh independence activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who had been wanted by India for years and was gunned down in June outside the temple he led.Canada also expelled an Indian diplomat, and India followed by expelling a Canadian diplomat on Tuesday. It called the allegations being investigated in Canada absurd and an attempt to shift attention from the presence of Nijjar and other wanted suspects in Canada.“Important notice from Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 Sept. Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice,” the BLS Indian Visa Application Center in Canada said. It gave no further...

UK homeowners hope Bank of England avoids another rate hike after inflation falls

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:26 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Homeowners across the U.K. are hoping that the Bank of England will decide to avoid raising interest rates Thursday for the first time in nearly two years, a decision that would come on the heels of similar action by the U.S. Federal Reserve.Following Wednesday’s news that U.K. inflation fell unexpectedly in August to 6.7%, its lowest level since Russia invaded Ukraine, expectations have grown that the Bank of England will opt to keep its main interest rate unchanged at a 15-year high of 5.25%.Before the inflation figures were released, most economists thought the central bank would raise its key borrowing rate once again by a quarter of a percentage point to 5.5%. That’s because inflation is still way above the bank’s target rate of 2% and higher than in any other Group of Seven major economy. Now, financial markets foresee the decision going either way. Even if there is a rate hike, economists expect the bank to indicate that borrowing rates have pe...

Congo’s president wants the large U.N. peacekeeping mission to start leaving the country this year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:26 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Congo’s president wants the world’s second largest United Nations peacekeeping force to move up its departure from the country, starting this December, saying it has failed to rein in conflicts in the country’s east.President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi in an address to the annual United Nations gathering of world leaders on Wednesday accused the 17,000-strong peacekeeping mission of being unable to confront the conflicts in eastern Congo that are “tearing apart” the central African nation.After a quarter-century of peacekeeping efforts, “it’s time for our country to take its destiny fully in hand” and become the leading security force in Congo, he said.Moving up the start of the peacekeeping mission’s “accelerated retreat” by a year, from December 2024, will help ease deadly tensions in the region, said the president, who is seeking a second term at a general election in December.Eastern Congo, far from the capital, has long been overrun by dozens of armed ...

Powerball jackpot climbs to 8th-largest ever after no one wins prize

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:26 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - The Powerball jackpot has grown again after no one won the big prize in Wednesday night's drawing. The winning numbers were 16, 27, 59, 62, 63 and the Powerball was 23. There were $2 million winners in Georgia and Texas and $1 million winner in Georgia. The prize has now grown to an estimated $725 million, with a lump sum cash option of $345.7 million. The next drawing will be on Saturday.At this size, the jackpot is now the 8th-largest in Powerball’s history. In February, there was a $754.6 million jackpot won by a ticket in Washington, and in July, a California ticket landed a $1.08 billion prize. Both of those prizes rank among the largest in the game’s history.Here are the 10 largest Powerball jackpots on record:$2.04 billion: Nov. 7, 2022 (California)$1.586 billion: Jan. 13, 2016 (California, Florida, Tennessee)$1.08 billion: July 19, 2023 (California) $768.4 million: March 27, 2019 (Wisconsin)$758.7 million: Aug. 23, 2017 (Massachusetts)$754.6 million: Feb. 6,...

Welch nets two goals for Glens Falls in win over Hudson Falls

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:26 GMT

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Glens Falls and Hudson Falls - one of the Capital Region's premier rivalries - duked it out on the pitch in a Foothills Council girls soccer clash Wednesday night. The Black Bears defended their home turf, knocking off the Tigers 2-1 behind a two-goal effort from junior forward Parker Welch. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The two sides squared off in a non-league game back on Sep. 1 in Hudson Falls, where Glens Falls emerged with a 3-2 victor. The teams returned to league play Wednesday, and Tom Barrows' squad backed that up with their first win in Foothill Council action.But the Black Bears were forced to fight back from an early deficit. In the opening minute of play, Hudson Falls' Clare Gauci chipped a pass ahead to freshman midfielder/forward Brynn Terry, who was set up in a one-on-one situation with Glens Falls goalkeeper Sarah Wolfstich. Terry toe-poked a shot right past Wolfstich, finding ...

Commission approves €44.7 million Polish scheme to support corn producers in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:26 GMT

The European Commission has approved an approximately €44.7 million (PLN 200 million) Polish scheme to support the corn production sector in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine. The scheme was approved under the State Aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, adopted by the Commission on 9 March 2023 to support measures in sectors which are key to accelerate the green transition and reduce fuel dependencies. The new Framework amends and prolongs in part the Temporary Crisis Framework, adopted on 23 March 2022 to enable member states to support the economy in the context of the current geopolitical crisis, already amended on 20 July 2022 and on 28 October 2022.Under the scheme, the aid will consist in limited amounts of aid in the form of direct grants. The purpose of the measure is to support agricultural producers that, in 2022 or 2023, at least once did not receive payments for corn sold to entities purchasing and trading cereals, and that are at risk of losing financ...

Bridge: Sept. 21, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:26 GMT

Marty Bergen is a writer and teacher who recently entered the ACBL’s Hall of Fame. He is a champion player, semi-retired from competing now. He may be best known as an influential bidding theorist and the originator of “Bergen raises” and other innovative treatments. As today’s deal shows, he is no slouch as declarer.Bergen played at four hearts, and West led the king of diamonds. Bergen played low from dummy, won the next diamond and, looking a few tricks ahead, ruffed a diamond. He drew trumps and led a spade.LAST DIAMONDWest played low, and when dummy won, East signaled with the seven, suggesting a doubleton. Bergen then ruffed dummy’s last diamond and led another spade. West took the ace and was end-played: He had to take his ace of clubs, and Bergen had the rest.The deal arose in a team match, and at the other table, the declarer at four hearts neglected to ruff any diamonds in his hand. Then West retained some exit cards and could avoid the end pl...