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Philippines opens a coast guard surveillance base in the South China Sea to watch Chinese vessels

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:20 GMT

THITU ISLAND, South China Sea (AP) — The Philippine coast guard inaugurated a new monitoring base Friday on a remote island occupied by Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea as Manila ramps up efforts to counter China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the strategic waterway.Confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships have intensified this year in the contested waters, resulting in minor but alarming collisions near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal occupied by a Filipino marine contingent in October.The high-seas faceoffs have fueled fears of a larger conflict that could involve the United States, which has repeatedly warned that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.China has accused the U.S. of meddling in an Asian dispute and sowing discord in the region.National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano and other Philippine officials flew...

Live updates | Israel strikes Gaza, resuming combat minutes after the cease-fire’s end

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:20 GMT

A temporary cease-fire deal that lasted seven days has expired without word from mediator Qatar on an extension. Israel resumed fighting in Gaza on Friday morning, minutes after the truce ended, and accused Hamas of having violated the cease-fire.Over 100 hostages were freed during the truce, most of whom appear physically well but shaken. Israel says around 125 men are still held hostage. The 240 Palestinians released under the cease-fire were mostly teenagers accused of throwing stones and firebombs during confrontations with Israeli forces. The deal that began Nov. 24 ended after a week and multiple extensions, despite international pressure for the truce to be upheld as long as possible. Weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground campaign have left more than three-quarters of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents uprooted, leading to a humanitarian crisis. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed — roughly two-thirds of them women and minors — according to the Health Ministry ...

Warplanes hit targets in Gaza as Israel resumes offensive, warning of attacks to come in south

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:20 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli fighter jets hit targets in the Gaza Strip minutes after a weeklong truce expired on Friday, as the war with Hamas resumed in full force. Black smoke billowed from the besieged territory and Israel dropped leaflets over parts of southern Gaza urging people to leave their homes, suggesting it was preparing to widen its offensive.Renewed hostilities heightened concerns for the about 140 hostages who remain in Gaza, after more than 100 were freed as part of the truce.The collapse of the cease-fire came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli officials and urged them to do more to protect Palestinian civilians as they seek to destroy Hamas. Blinken arrived Friday at the COP28 climate talks in Dubai, where he was to meet with Arab foreign ministers and other officials.It was not clear to what extent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will heed the appeals of the United States, Israel’s most important ally. Netany...

Commission disburses the third payment of €700 million to Croatia under the Recovery and Resilience Facility

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:20 GMT

On 30 November, the Commission paid to Croatia the third payment for €700 million of non-repayable financial support (excluding pre-financing) under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). Payments made by Croatia under the RRF shall be performance-based and depend on the implementation by Croatia of the investments and reforms described in its recovery and resilience plan.On 24 July 2023, Croatia submitted to the Commission the third request for payment of €700m under the RRF covering 32 milestones and 13 targets. These cover several reforms in the areas of health care, science and higher education, research and innovation, labour market, waste management and renewable energy sources, as well as investments in energy renovation of buildings, green and digital transition of tourism and reducing the administrative burden for businesses. On 25 October, the Commission adopted a positive preliminary assessment of Croatia's request for payment. The favorable opinion of the Economic a...

Dear Abby: My husband invites his friends and waltzes away from the hassle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:20 GMT

DEAR ABBY: Our son plays a college sport for which he receives four complimentary tickets to each game. It works out well because there are four of us in his immediate family.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: Should my children forgive my cheating ex-wife? Advice | Dear Abby: I accidentally opened my son-in-law’s mail. Should I tell what I learned? Advice | Dear Abby: I’m tired of older people sneering about smartphones Advice | Dear Abby: I can’t believe my son spoke to his partner that way Advice | Dear Abby: My sister met a British guy, and now she’s a mouse However, my husband has been asking friends of his to join us at games and offering them free tickets. Our son then must find a teammate with unused tickets and ask for them.My husband gives no warning. He just announces a couple of days prior to a game that he has invited so-and-so. Then, on game day, we are responsible...

Live updates | Israel strikes Gaza, resuming combat minutes after the cease-fire's end

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:20 GMT

A temporary cease-fire deal that lasted seven days has expired without word from mediator Qatar on an extension. Israel resumed fighting in Gaza on Friday morning, minutes after the truce ended, and accused Hamas of having violated the cease-fire.Over 100 hostages were freed during the truce, most of whom appear physically well but shaken. Israel says around 125 men are still held hostage. The 240 Palestinians released under the cease-fire were mostly teenagers accused of throwing stones and firebombs during confrontations with Israeli forces. The deal that began Nov. 24 ended after a week and multiple extensions, despite international pressure for the truce to be upheld as long as possible. Weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground campaign have left more than three-quarters of Gaza's 2.3 million residents uprooted, leading to a humanitarian crisis. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed — roughly two-thirds of them women and minors — according to the Health Ministry in Ham...

No pressure, Rishi: King Charles urges leaders to act as COP28 kicks off

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:20 GMT

DUBAI — King Charles kicked off the COP28 climate summit in Dubai with a rallying cry for world leaders — including his under-fire prime minister Rishi Sunak — to meet their promises to the world.“I pray with all my heart that COP28 will be a critical turning point towards genuine transformational action,” said the British head of state as he delivered an opening address at the United Arab Emirates-hosted gathering.He told leaders: “The hope of the world rests on the decisions you must take.”Charles, a lifelong environmental campaigner who spoke out regularly on green issues as Prince of Wales, is duty-bound to stay out of politics as unelected head of state. His speech will have been vetted by Sunak’s No.10 ahead of time, but will still be closely watched in Westminster amid disquiet back home about Sunak’s climate record.In an address that touched on familiar themes for the monarch, Charles flagged the latest assessment from the United Nations’ climate body that ...

Ukraine blows up main railway connection between Russia and China

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:20 GMT

Ukraine’s security service blew up a railway connection linking Russia to China, in a clandestine strike carried out deep into enemy territory. The SBU set off several explosions inside the Severomuysky tunnel of the Baikal-Amur highway in Buryatia, located some 6,000 kilometers east of Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official with direct knowledge of the operation told POLITICO.“This is the only serious railway connection between the Russian Federation and China. And currently, this route, which Russia uses, including for military supplies, is paralyzed,” the official said.Four explosive devices went off while a cargo train was moving inside the tunnel. “Now the (Russian) Federal Security Service is working on the spot, the railway workers are unsuccessfully trying to minimize the consequences of the SBU special operation,” the Ukrainian official added.Ukraine’s security service has not publicly confirmed the attack. Russia has also so far not confirmed the sabotage. ...

Howie takes on City Hall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:20 GMT

If the persistent rumors about ambulance calls to Mayor Michelle Wu’s house are so “baseless,” then why has the City of Boston been stonewalling me for 14 months in my attempts to obtain the very records that will put the lie to the scurrilous gossip once and for all?It’s not like I haven’t been patient. I filed my first Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the city on Oct. 9, 2022.Fourteen months ago.The secretary of state’s Public Records Division just ordered the city to turn over the documents, known as Computer Assisted Dispatch (CAD) records, that show all police, fire and ambulance calls to her home.Those records do exist. I sent the hackerama CAD documents for randomly selected addresses in the city, and guess what – they all included ambulance calls. They’re very easy to get, unless you ask for the mayor’s house.First they refused to send me the CAD records for the mayor’s address. Last December, they sent me some worthless spreadsheets and basically claimed they di...

Japan expresses concern about US Osprey aircraft continuing to fly without details of fatal crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:20 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s top government spokesperson expressed concern on Friday that the U.S. military is continuing to fly Osprey aircraft in the country without providing adequate information about a fatal crash this week in southwestern Japan despite repeated requests that it do so.One crew member was killed and seven others are missing, along with the aircraft. The cause of Wednesday’s crash, which occurred during a training mission, is still under investigation. Search operations widened Friday with additional U.S. military personnel joining the effort, while Japanese coast guard and military ships focused on an undersea search using sonar.The Pentagon said Thursday that U.S. Ospreys continue to operate in Japan, and Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said she was not aware of an official request from Japan to ground them.“We are concerned about the continuing Osprey flights despite our repeated requests and the absence of a sufficient explanation about their safety”...