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Pope appeals to Russians on Ukraine, decries Middle East violence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:44 GMT

Pope Francis asked Russians to find the truth about Ukraine's invasion in Sunday's (9 April) Easter message to the world. He also appealed to Israel and Palestine to have dialogue following the recent violence.After suffering from bronchitis, Francis, 86, was forced to miss Friday's outdoor service because of unseasonal chill - he presided over a solemn Easter Day Mass in St. Peter's Square.For the most joyous and important date in the Church’s liturgical calendar, a carpet of 38,000 flowers was laid on the square. It commemorated the day Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead. Both the Italian Carabinieri police and Vatican Swiss Guards honour units wore ceremonial attire to attract attention.The traditional pomp and holy singing gave way to modern realities. Later, Francis went to St. Peter's Basilica's central balcony to give his twice-yearly Urbi et Orbi (to the city of the world) message. He addressed a crowd that the Vatican estimated to be around 100,000.He spoke there f...

Is a nuclear war in the offing?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:44 GMT

In a recent bout of fiery language, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus - a precedent that has not been set since the mid-1990s, writes Salem AlKetbi, UAE political analyst and former Federal National Council candidate.Official Russian media reported that President Putin claimed that this maneuver does not breach the agreements that limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons and likened it to the US positioning its weapons in Europe.President Putin further declared that Moscow will retain control over its weapons and that only a few Iskander missile systems capable of launching nuclear weapons have already been sent to Belarus. After 18 countries agreed to provide Ukraine with a minimum of one million artillery shells over the coming year, President Putin made his announcement.Moreover, British Deputy Defense Minister Annabel Goldie’s remarks about providing depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine ...

One injured in downtown San Jose shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:44 GMT

SAN JOSE – Authorities on Monday night were investigating an injury shooting in downtown San Jose.The shooting was reported just after 10:45 p.m. in the area of East Santa Clara and 3rd streets, according to the San Jose Police Department. Officers arrived to find at least one victim.The victim was taken to a hospital with injuries that were described as not life-threatening, police said.East Santa Clara Street was closed in both directions for an investigation. Police urged people to avoid the area.Additional details about the shooting, including a suspect description, were not immediately available.Units are currently investigating a shooting incident in the area of E Santa Clara St and 3rd St. Officers located at least one gun shot victim that was transported to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries. TOC: 10:47 PM pic.twitter.com/5Qfezg9Zmd— San José Police Media Relations (@SJPD_PIO) April 11, 2023Check back for updates.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety...

Cyclist killed in Redwood City crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:44 GMT

(KRON) -- A bicyclist was killed in a crash in Redwood City on Monday, California Highway Patrol said in a tweet. The crash happened at about 5 p.m. on Cañada Road near Filoli Garden.Police said an Acura sedan was going northbound on Cañada Road when it crashed with the cyclist. CHP does know what caused the crash. Man arrested for driving drunk with kids, girlfriend in truck The cyclist suffered major injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified as a 37-year-old Filipino man from South San Francisco. The driver and passenger of the Acura were hospitalized out of precaution. Witnesses of the crash are asked to contact CHP's Redwood City office at (650) 779-2700.

Taiwan’s Tsai says China not being ‘responsible’ with drills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:44 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has condemned China’s military drills in the Taiwan Strait, saying Tuesday that China did not demonstrate the “responsible” behavior of a major Asian nation.China’s three-day, large-scale drills that ended Monday were retaliation for Tsai’s meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California last week on her tour of Taiwan’s official and unofficial allies. “As the president, I represent our country in the world, whether it’s a visit to allied countries or stopping through in the U.S. and interacting with our international friends, and not only has this been going on for years, it’s the Taiwanese people’s shared expectation,” Tsai said in a short statement. “But China used this as a pretext to start military drills, creating instability in the Taiwan Strait and region. This is not the attitude of a responsible major nation in this region.”China sees such meetings as encouraging people who formal in...

El presidente Biden firma la ley que pone fin a la emergencia nacional de covid-19

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:44 GMT

(CNN) — El presidente de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden, firmó este lunes una ley para poner fin a la emergencia nacional por el virus covid-19, según informó la Casa Blanca, en una medida que no afectará al fin de la emergencia de salud pública prevista para el 11 de mayo.Un funcionario de la Casa Blanca restó importancia al impacto del proyecto de ley, afirmando que la finalización de la emergencia “no afecta a nuestra capacidad para reducir las directrices sanitarias de forma ordenada”.El proyecto de ley para poner fin a la emergencia nacional fue aprobado por el Senado el mes pasado en una votación bipartidista 68-23 y aprobado por la Cámara a principios de este año con 11 demócratas que cruzaron las líneas del partido para votar a favor de la resolución conjunta.El Senado de Estados Unidos vota para terminar la emergencia por covid-19, tres años después de su declaración inicial“Dado que el Congreso votó a favor de poner fin a la Emergencia Nacional antes de ...

Dinero, poder, sexo: fiscal dice que madre de niños asesinados usó los tres para lograr sus fines

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:44 GMT

BOISE, Idaho — Una madre acusada del triple asesinato de sus dos hijos menores y de la exesposa de su nuevo marido estaba dispuesta a “quitar cualquier obstáculo en su camino para conseguir lo que quiere”, dijo un fiscal al jurado este lunes.“La acusada usó dinero, poder y sexo para conseguir lo que quería”, dijo la fiscal del condado de Fremont, Lindsey Blake. “No importaba lo que fuera”.Los fiscales acusaron a Lori Vallow Daybell y a su esposo, Chad Daybell, de múltiples cargos de conspiración, asesinato y hurto mayor con relación a la muerte de los dos hijos menores de Vallow Daybell: Joshua “JJ” Vallow, de 7 años, y su hermana mayor Tylee Ryan, quien fue vista por última vez unos días antes de cumplir 17 años en 2019. Los fiscales también acusaron a la pareja con relación a la muerte de la difunta esposa de Chad Daybell, Tammy Daybell, ocurrida en octubre de 2019.Ambos acusados se han declarado inocentes, pero están siendo juzgados por separado. Aún faltan meses para...

China hawks tell Macron: You don’t speak for Europe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:44 GMT

A group of China-skeptic lawmakers from around the world criticized French President Emmanuel Macron’s “ill-judged remarks” on Taiwan, made in a recent interview with POLITICO.Macron’s comments “not only disregard the vital place of Taiwan in the global economy, but undermines decades-long commitment of the international community to maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait,” the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) said Monday in a statement.“It should be emphasized that the president’s words are severely out of step with the feeling across Europe’s legislatures and beyond,” read the statement, which was signed by lawmakers including 15 MPs from national legislatures in the EU — including one from Macron’s own party in France, as well as three MEPs and 13 U.K. parliamentarians.The statement notes that Macron’s remarks are particularly ill-timed, amid ongoing military exercises by the Chinese military ...

Oman’s second-largest bank pursues merger with smaller rival

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:44 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Oman’s second-largest bank is pursuing a potential merger with its smaller rival, potentially creating a lender with just under $20 billion in assets, according to regulatory filings made on Tuesday. The filings on the Muscat Stock Exchange show Bank Dhofar’s interest in its smaller rival, Ahli Bank. Bank Dhofar has over $11 billion in assets, while Ahli has under $8 billion. Ahli said it would study Bank Dhofar’s offer. Bahrain’s Ahli United Bank owns over a third of Oman’s Ahli Bank. Stock in Bank Dhofar rose over 3% in trading Tuesday on the Muscat Securities Market, to more than 40 cents a share. The sultanate of Oman sits on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. While a smaller oil producer than other Gulf Arab states, analysts expect Oman to use higher crude prices to bring down its budget deficits. Ratings firm Fitch noted in December that Bank Dhofar “remains highly dependent on government spending.” The A...

UN agency investigating humanitarian food theft in Ethiopia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:44 GMT

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — The United Nations food relief agency is investigating the theft of food aid from lifesaving humanitarian operations in Ethiopia, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press.The World Food Program’s Ethiopia director, Claude Jibidar, says in the letter that “WFP is very concerned about the large-scale sale of food in some markets” which “poses not only a reputational risk but also threatens our capacity to mobilize more resources for the needy people.”He adds that it “is therefore imperative that immediate actions be taken to curb … the misappropriation and diversion of humanitarian food” in the country.The letter is dated April 5 and addressed to humanitarian partners of WFP in Ethiopia, where drought and internal conflict have left 20 million of the country’s 120 million people reliant on aid. Jibidar asks the partner organizations to share “any information or cases of food misuse, misappropriation or diversion that you are...