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Yemen sides begin UN-brokered talks on prisoner exchange

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:51:37 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s warring sides began talks Saturday aimed at implementing a U.N.-brokered deal on a prisoner exchange, the United Nations said.The discussions between Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthi rebels are talking place in Switzerland. They are co-chaired by U.N. envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and the International Committee of the Red Cross.Grundberg urged both parties to “engage in serious and forthcoming discussions to agree on releasing as many detainees as possible,” according to a U.N. statement.“I urge the parties to fulfill the commitments they made, not just to each other, but also to the thousands of Yemeni families who have been waiting to be reunited with their loved ones for far too long,” he said.Yemen’s conflict erupted in 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country’s north. That prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognized gove...

Maine college goes into lockdown after shot fired on campus

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:51:37 GMT

The campus of a liberal arts college in Maine was put on lockdown early Saturday morning after a shot was fired in a student housing complex during what one student called a massive annual party.Colby College said no students were hurt during an altercation that involved a firearm being discharged at the Alfond Senior Apartments on the campus in Waterville, Maine. No Colby students were injured and the suspect was not affiliated with the college, while the police were continuing to look for others involved, the school said in a statement.Police did not perceive imminent danger to the campus community, but asked students to stay in place throughout the night out of an abundance of caution, the college said. Normal operations were expected to resume in the morning and counseling services would be available for individual and group support on campus, where staff provided support to students during the night, the school said. An email sent to the student body by Interim Dean of the Coll...

Western Canada seeks LNG, energy pledges in Liberals’ Indo-Pacific strategy

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:51:37 GMT

OTTAWA — As the Trudeau government fleshes out its Indo-Pacific strategy, Western Canada is seeking more certainty from the Liberals on expanding energy exports to Asia.“There are people in Ottawa who understand what our energy mix is, and what it has to be in the future,” Alberta Trade Minister Rajan Sawhney in an interview this week.“And there are others who are pushing back.”Last November, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly unveiled the government’s approach to the Indo-Pacific, which calls for deeper economic and cultural links with countries that can counterbalance China’s growing influence.Sawhney said the strategy was seen as a positive first step in Western Canada, but that it needs to respond to more of her region’s trade issues. The Alberta minister is planning a summit so provinces can touch base and make a concerted pitch to Ottawa to refine parts of the strategy.In a recentvirtual event held by the Canada West Foundation, experts fro...

For the Conservatives’ messenger on firearms, thoughtfulness is a secret weapon

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:51:37 GMT

OTTAWA — For Raquel Dancho, words have always come easily. She remembers her parents saying she was less than a year old when she started stringing them together, speaking in short sentences. “Everyone’s born with natural gifts,” she said in an interview from her Parliament Hill office. “I’ve always just been a good communicator.”Today, Dancho is the federal Conservative Party’s main voice on one of the country’s most heated topics: firearms and crime. The issue of gun control had backfired for former party leader Erin O’Toole in the 2021 federal election. He angered supporters by backtracking on a pledge to repeal a federal Liberal ban of so-called assault-style weapons after an attack from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.Following that campaign, O’Toole needed a communicator in Parliament with the skills to go toe-to-toe with the Liberals on a tough file, in a way that avoided getting the party into trouble.Enter Dancho, who had ...

St. Louis fire chief warns railroads to hand over life-saving supplies

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:51:37 GMT

ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson says he’s been battling for about a decade for the railroads to bring critical safety supplies closer to the city.He said there’s no question we’ll need those supplies.“It’s not if, it’s when. We know it’s going to happen,” Jenkerson said.He was referring to the explosive train derailment in Ohio. He said it’s almost always on his mind.“We’ve got an issue right now,” Jenkerson said. Top story: St. Louis fire chief warns railroads to hand over life-saving supplies He explained that certain toxic chemicals need specific fire suppression agents to combat.“We tried imploring the railroad to… give us the products," Jenkerson said. "Give us the equipment to provide foam and provide fire-fighting type supplies on top of these trains, and it was like, 'Okay, we’re going to do it.' It never materialized.”On the other side of the state, the railroads are currently storing those fire suppression chemicals, according to Jenkerson.“Everything’s...

Ask Amy: Trapped in a snowbank, wife wants out

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:51:37 GMT

Dear Amy: I am 64 and retired. My husband is 62 and has his own home-based business.He said he was going to retire, but now he’s saying he will just work part time so that we will have extra money “to play.”We moved to an extremely small town, which has very few entertainment opportunities. It entails over two hours of driving to get all but the most basic of medical care.Most of the women here grew up with their friends, and are not welcoming.There is also snow on the ground for six months of the year, and I have physical problems that make it difficult and risky for me to walk in snow.My husband is happy here. He has friends through his work and doesn’t really care about spending time with people.He’s an outdoor guy. All I do is watch TV with him or wait for him to not be working.I want to move to a place where I have more options for friendship and entertainment, but he refuses to move.He doesn’t like to travel, and I am afraid the rest of my life will be ...

Horoscopes March 11, 2023: Anthony Davis, get the ball rolling

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:51:37 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Anthony Davis, 30; Thora Birch, 41; Johnny Knoxville, 52; Terrence Howard, 54.Johnny Knoxville (DIA DIPASUPIL/GETTY IMAGES) Happy Birthday: You’ll have the drive, intelligence and insight to get things done your way this year. It’s up to you to get the ball rolling and bring about positive change that will generate enough cash to live how you want. A shift in your routine or how you earn money will encourage brighter days ahead. Don’t settle for less than what you want. Your numbers are 5, 22, 24, 29, 35, 36, 44.ARIES (March 21-April 19): A partnership will change how you handle personal, legal and financial matters. Find your best outlet to maintain fitness and good health. A physical challenge will be daunting but also make you aware of what to incorporate into your daily routine. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your desire to handle everything will help you maintain control, but it will also run you ragged. Call on someone you...

Word Game: March 11, 2023

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:51:37 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — MEASURED (MEASURED: MEZH-erd: Careful; restrained.)Average mark 37 wordsTime limit 60 minutesCan you find 53 or more words in MEASURED? The list will be published Monday.YESTERDAY’S WORD — HOMOPHONES hemp home hone hoop hope hose omen oomph oops open mesh mono moon moose mope peon peso phone poem pome pone pooh pose posh noes nope nosh noose epos shoe shoo shone shop snoop some sone soon spoonTo 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 not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at...

Bridge: March 11, 2023

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:51:37 GMT

“Simple Saturday” columns focus on basic technique and logical thinking.Defenders usually play “second hand low.” They may compel declarer, who is third to play, to guess what to do or to spend a high card to prevent the other defender from winning cheaply. But declarer can take advantage of that tendency.At today’s 3NT, South wins the first spade with the ace and counts six top tricks: two spades and four diamonds. Meanwhile, East has entries and threatens to establish and cash three spades.EIGHT TRICKSIf South leads a club next or a heart to dummy’s king, East will win and set up the spades, and South will have at most eight tricks. To succeed, South leads a diamond to dummy and returns a low heart through East, who has the ace for his opening bid.East must play second hand low: If he takes the ace, South wins three heart tricks and nine in all. If East plays low, South wins and forces out the ace of clubs, winning two clubs, four diamonds, two ...

Trump’s Last Defense Secretary Has Regrets — But Not About Jan. 6

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:51:37 GMT

When bureaucrats get big promotions, they tend to receive congratulations from their friends, but after Christopher Miller landed the biggest job of his life, his wife and some of his colleagues were horrified.It was November 9, 2020, the day President Donald Trump fired his secretary of defense, Mark Esper. It was widely assumed that Trump would install an acolyte who would do whatever was needed to help the defeated president stay in power. Esper, just days before, had confided to a journalist, “Who’s going to come in behind me? It’s going to be a real yes man. And then God help us.”Trump appointed Miller, an unknown whose rise was so far-fetched that the secretary of the Army, Ryan McCarthy, had to Google his new boss to figure out who he was. Wikipedia was useless because at the time, Miller didn’t merit an entry.After retiring from the Army as a Special Forces colonel in 2014, Miller moved from one mid-level job to another in Washington, D.C., a nobody in a city of somebodies. ...