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Von der Leyen in Ukraine ahead of enlargement decision

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:44:50 GMT

KYIV — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in Ukraine on Saturday, as the EU tries to reassure the Ukrainian people of the bloc’s support and ahead of key report on Kyiv’s accession aspirations.“I’m here to discuss Ukraine’s accession path to the EU,” von der Leyen said on X from Kyiv. “And how we will continue to make Russia pay for its war of aggression.”The visit comes days before the European Commission will publish its progress report on November 8 on how well Ukraine and other aspiring members are meeting the bloc’s economic, legal and other conditions for joining. Earlier this week, von der Leyen visited several countries in the Western Balkan that also aspire to become EU members. “Of course the enlargement package will be at the top of the agenda, but also the financial and military support,” von der Leyen told reporters earlier. “The 12th sanctions package as well, so a whole basket of issues we ...

5 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Brooklyn Nets, including what it means for the In-Season Tournament standings

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:44:50 GMT

The Chicago Bulls came inches from stealing a win in their NBA In-Season Tournament debut Friday night at the United Center but couldn’t sink the tying shot against the Brooklyn Nets.With a 109-107 loss, the Bulls will have to come from behind to regain their standing in East Group C. Here are five takeaways from the game.1. Bulls squander comeback opportunity.The Bulls came from behind twice, only to fumble their opportunity for a win.After falling behind by 10 points in the second quarter, the Bulls went on a 12-0 run led by Zach LaVine to tie the game with 5 minutes, 16 seconds left before the half. They pulled ahead by as many as five but lapsed in the final minute to allow the Nets to take a 59-58 halftime lead.The fourth quarter ended the same way. The Bulls tied the game with 6:51 left, then spent the final minutes trading shots with the Nets.Trailing 109-106 with four second remaining, LaVine drew a foul executed a perfect last-ditch play: making the first free throw, ...

Blinken tries to cajole wary Arabs on support for post-conflict Gaza as Israel’s war intensifies

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:44:50 GMT

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stepped up his frantic diplomacy on Saturday, trying to build support for planning a post-conflict future for Gaza as he continued his second urgent mission to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas conflict began.A day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointedly snubbed Blinken’s blunt warning that Israel risks losing any hope of an eventual peace deal with the Palestinians unless it eases the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, he met in Amman with senior Jordanian and other Arab officials, who remain angry and deeply suspicious of Israel as it intensifies its war against Hamas.Blinken met first with Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, whose economically and politically ravaged country is home to Hezbollah — an Iranian-backed force hostile to Israel. The U.S. has grave concerns that Hezbollah, which has already stepped up rocket and cross-border attacks on northern Israel, will take a more active...

Nepal scrambles to rescue survivors of a quake that shook its northwest and killed at least 128

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:44:50 GMT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepalese authorities said their focus was on finding survivors after a strong earthquake shook districts in northwestern Nepal just before midnight Friday, killing at least 128 people and injuring dozens more.The death toll was expected to rise as communications were still cut off in many places, officials said Saturday.“The priority is to find the survivors and take them to hospital,” said regional police chief, Bhim Dhakal, “while we recover bodies of the deceased.”Troops were clearing roads and mountain trails blocked by landslides triggered by the earthquake. Helicopters flew in medical workers and medicines to the hospitals there.Security forces on the ground were digging out the injured and dead from the rubble, Nepal police spokesperson Kuber Kadayat said.At the regional hospital in the city of Nepalgunj, more than 100 beds were made available and teams of doctors stood by to help the injured.“I was fast asleep when all of a sudden it started shaking v...

B.C. conditions are magic for mushrooms in bumper season for fungi, tasty and toxic

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:44:50 GMT

VANCOUVER — Mushrooms large and small, tasty and toxic, are popping up across British Columbia this year in what experts say is a bumper season for fungi.B.C. forest ecologist and mycologist Andy MacKinnon said he’s been out picking edible fungi this year with fellow mushroom expert Paul Kroeger on Cortes Island, one of B.C.’s Discovery Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland. “Every time you go out on a foray, it’s like the treasure hunt. That’s part of the fun of it. You don’t know what you are going to find,” said MacKinnon, who is a co-author of “Mushrooms of British Columbia,” a handbook published by the Royal B.C. Museum.MacKinnon said that last year was a very bad year for mushrooms, with an “extraordinary” drought during the summer that carried on into the autumn.Southern Vancouver Island, where MacKinnon lives, didn’t see any rain for 90 days last summer, he said. This year’s drought was still bad, he said, but then ...

Clocks set to ‘fall back’ Sunday as daylight time ends for most Canadians

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:44:50 GMT

TORONTO — Most Canadians will be turning their clocks back by an hour early Sunday morning.Daylight time, which allows people to enjoy an extra hour of daylight at the end of the day, ends tomorrow morning and transitions to standard time in most provinces and territories.The change means darkness will arrive earlier in the evening, but it will be lighter earlier in the morning except for in Yukon and most of Saskatchewan, where clocks stay put year-round.Cities like Mississauga, Ont., are reminding drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to be alert on the roads during and after the shift back to standard time. While seasonal time changes are linked to health complications like headaches and heart problems, Toronto-based veterinary behaviorist Karen Van Haaften says our pets can feel the affects too.She says that’s because their schedules are closely linked to their owners’ daily routines, meaning their feeding, exercise and medication schedules will be delivered an hour late...

Miss Manners: How do I keep my wife’s art off our walls without a blowup?

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:44:50 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We just had our living room repainted and redecorated. Unbeknownst to me, my wife, an accomplished photographer, had one of her photos blown up to a 3-foot-by-4-foot canvas print and wants to hang it in the newly minted living room.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Three years after disappearing, she sent me a rude email Advice | Miss Manners: Must I tell these nosy people about the tragedy of my fiance? Advice | Miss Manners: They’re demanding we vacation every year in the back of beyond Advice | Miss Manners: You better believe the guests notice when the bride has a different meal Advice | Miss Manners: I used to be flattered by this response. Not anymore. Only problem is, I don’t like the photo, and I really don’t want that size of photo hanging in our living room — especially when we have artwork from around the world that used to be on the walls before...

Dear Abby: My wife’s odd question led me to evidence of her deceit

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:44:50 GMT

DEAR ABBY: I have been with my wife for 23 years, married 19 of them. We have two grown children, ages 22 and 20. I recently realized she’s still in love with the guy she dated just before me.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: I just wanted to sit in their house for a few hours, and they wouldn’t let me in Advice | Dear Abby: I just learned my brother knew a secret that would have changed my life Advice | Dear Abby: My sister says this skeevy man needs to be part of our family Advice | Dear Abby: I was blindsided by my fiance’s threat over this business deal Advice | Dear Abby: The groom’s father refuses to attend the wedding if heavy-drinking kin are excluded How did I find out? Well, one day my wife and I were watching a TV show together, and out of nowhere, she asked me my opinion on open marriages. I gave her a vague answer and started investigating why she asked me that ques...

Horoscopes Nov. 4, 2023: Kathy Griffin, get you where you want to go

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:44:50 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Sean Combs, 54; Matthew McConaughey, 54; Ralph Macchio, 62; Kathy Griffin, 63.Happy Birthday: Don’t give anyone the upper hand this year. Play to win and you will outshine anyone who gets in your way. Use your charm to mesmerize and your secrecy to surprise. Be observant, organized and ready to take on any challenge that comes your way. Opportunity knocks, but so does the opposition. Preparation, detail and dedication will enhance stability and security and get you where you want to go. Your numbers are 3, 11, 20, 26, 33, 39, 47.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Consider your thoughts and intentions and how they can benefit you. A personal adjustment will give you the boost you need to bring about positive change. Channel your energy into making a meaningful relationship better. Amicable solutions will bring you closer together. 5 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t let your emotions lead you astray. Focus on your endgame and work backward to ensu...

Word Game: Nov. 4, 2023

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:44:50 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — PERCEIVED (PERCEIVED: pur-SEEV’d: Regarded in a specified way; recognized through the senses.)Average mark 40 wordsTime limit 60 minutesCan you find 55 or more words in PERCEIVED? The list will be published Monday.YESTERDAY’S WORD — ARMORED adore adorer aero ardor armed armor radome ramrod rare read ream rear rearm redo remora road roam roamer roar rode made mare marred mead mode more oared order dame dare darer dear demo doer dome dorm dormer dram dream drearTo 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...