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An orangutan, chirping birds and a waterfall at ASEAN venue contrast to Jakarta’s pollution outside

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:08:59 GMT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo will welcome fellow Asian and world leaders with a captivating jungle scene of a two-story waterfall, wild orchids and even an orangutan perched up a tree.The make-believe wilderness set up in elaborate detail in the huge lobby of the Jakarta Convention Center in the capital includes a widescreen video of a yellow beak hornbill gliding across an azure sky, swaying leaves and piped-in bird chirps.It’s a pleasant icebreaker for Widodo and his guests in Jakarta for a week of Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit talks starting Tuesday.“Indonesia wants to give the best hospitality,” Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi told The Associated Press about the unique reception for ASEAN leaders and VIPs such as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.The convention center’s lobby was off-limits to the public and a sign barred videos and pictures until the jung...

Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank kills a Palestinian man

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:08:59 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli troops killed a Palestinian man during an army raid in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Palestinian health officials said, the latest incident in a yearlong wave of violence that has surged to levels unseen in the territory in some two decades.Israel has pressed on with near-nightly raids in the West Bank and amid a spike in attacks by Palestinians against Israelis in recent weeks, including a car-ramming at a major West Bank checkpoint and a shooting at a car wash.The military said troops destroyed an explosives stockpile in the Nour Shams refugee camp in the northern West Bank on Tuesday. During the operation, soldiers came under attack from armed gunmen and returned fire, the army said.The Palestinian health ministry said that a 21-year-old man died from a bullet wound to the head. No Palestinian militant groups immediately claimed him as a member. A video of the incident released by the military appeared to show a massive fireball erupting from a build...

Hearing of Commissioner-designate Iliana Ivanova on 5 September 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:08:59 GMT

This advisory provides practical information on the hearing of Iliana Ivanova (Bulgaria) (pictured) taking place today (5 September) from 9.30 to 12.30.Ms Ivanova, Commissioner-designate for innovation, research, culture, education and youth, will be questioned by the Industry, Research and Energy Committee and the Culture and Education Committee to assess her competences and suitability to become Commissioner, replacing Mariya Gabriel, who resigned on 15 May to become Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Bulgaria.The hearing will take place in meeting room ANTALL 2Q2.You can watch the hearing live on Parliament’s webstreaming and on EbS+.A press point by the committee chairs – still to be confirmed- is set to take place after the hearing, next to the meeting room.For further general information on the hearing and official documents, please see here.Written questions and answersMs Ivanova’s answers to the written questions from the relevant committees can be found here.Stru...

Detached house sells for $1.6 million in San Jose

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:08:59 GMT

The property located in the 6100 block of Springer Way in San Jose was sold on Aug. 14, 2023 for $1,625,000, or $1,069 per square foot. The house, built in 1976, has an interior space of 1,520 square feet. This single-story home has three bedrooms and two baths. On the exterior, the house is characterized by the use of wood shake roofing / shingles. Inside, a fireplace adds character to the home. In addition, the house features a two-car garage, providing ample room for vehicles and storage needs.Additional houses that have recently been sold close by include:On Fieldcrest Drive, San Jose, in June 2023, a 2,261-square-foot home was sold for $1,530,000, a price per square foot of $677. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In March 2023, a 1,676-square-foot home on El Portal Way in San Jose sold for $1,560,000, a price per square foot of $931. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 2,186-square-foot home on the 300 block of Alric Court in San Jose sold in April 2023, for $1,515,...

Atlanta hosts Seattle after Loyd’s 28-point performance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:08:59 GMT

Seattle Storm (11-26, 8-10 Western Conference) at Atlanta Dream (17-20, 10-9 Eastern Conference)College Park, Georgia; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: Seattle visits the Atlanta Dream after Jewell Loyd scored 28 points in the Storm’s 103-77 loss to the Las Vegas Aces.The Dream are 10-8 on their home court. Atlanta is 9-12 in games decided by 10 or more points.The Storm are 7-11 in road games. Seattle is fourth in the WNBA with 35.4 rebounds per game. Ezi Magbegor leads the Storm with 8.0.The teams play for the third time this season. The Storm won the last matchup 68-67 on Aug. 11. Loyd scored 19 points to help lead the Storm to the win.TOP PERFORMERS: Allisha Gray is averaging 17.2 points and 3.2 assists for the Dream. Cheyenne Parker is averaging 17.8 points over the last 10 games for Atlanta.Magbegor is averaging 13.7 points, eight rebounds and 1.8 blocks for the Storm. Loyd is averaging 23.0 points over the last 10 games for Seattle.LAST 10 GAMES: Dream: 3-7, averaging 8...

Cuba descubre red que recluta cubanos para llevarlos a combatir por Rusia en Ucrania

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:08:59 GMT

(CNN) — Cuba descubrió una red de trata de personas que recluta a ciudadanos cubanos, tanto viviendo en Rusia como en Cuba, para luchar por Rusia en su guerra en Ucrania, dijo este lunes el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores cubano.“El Ministerio del Interior detectó y trabaja para neutralizar y desmantelar una red de trata de personas que opera desde Rusia con el fin de incorporar a ciudadanos cubanos residentes allí e incluso algunos residentes en Cuba, a las fuerzas militares que participan en operaciones militares en Ucrania”, dijo el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores en un comunicado.El comunicado del ministerio proporcionó pocos detalles, pero dijo que se han iniciado procesos penales contra los involucrados.“Cuba no es parte de la guerra de Ucrania. Está actuando y actuará con firmeza contra quienes dentro del territorio nacional participen en cualquier forma de trata de personas con fines de mercenarismo o reclutamiento para que los ciudadanos cubanos...

‘Blood Pepsi’ thrown out of Finnish parliament over Russia business

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:08:59 GMT

The Finnish parliament’s restaurants have stopped serving Pepsi over the soft drink’s parent company continuing its operations in Russia. PepsiCo products are no longer available on the parliament’s premises, Finland’s public broadcaster Yle reported TuesdayThe decision follows a complaint from centrist member of parliament, Tuomas Kettunen, who on Monday asked the parliament to “set an example” by stopping the sale of “blood Pepsi.”Last week, PepsiCo was added to the list of private companies that Ukraine considers to be “war sponsors” of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.The company stopped producing Pepsi, Mountain Dew and 7UP in Russia last September, but continues to sell its products in the country, where its profits quadrupled last year.PepsiCo was not immediately available for comment.

Boston College looking to rebound against Holy Cross

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:08:59 GMT

Boston College needs a bounce-back game in a big way.The Eagles rallied from 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter only to flatline on both sides of the ball in overtime during last Saturday’s 27-24 loss to Northern Illinois in the season opener at Alumni Stadium.The mathematical truth is that 50 percent of teams lose in the first week. But the vast majority of the teams that are favored to win their opener, as a rule, generally do.BC should not have allowed a team with the second-worst record in the MAC in 2022 to enter an ACC domain and exit the field feeling good about themselves.The Eagles have a strategically scheduled opportunity to reverse course when they engage long-time regional rival Holy Cross (1-0) on Saturday (noon) at Alumni Stadium.“First you look hard at last week’s game and you recap the things you did well and you recap the missed opportunities, the penalties and you’ve got to fix it,” said BC head coach Jeff Hafley.“We have to make it about ourselves first. Ther...

Despite Xi’s decision not to attend G20 in India, China says bilateral ties are ‘generally stable’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:08:59 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Despite Chinese President Xi Jinping’s decision not to attend this week’s Group of 20 summit in India, Beijing says that relations between the two nuclear-armed Asian giants remain “generally stable.” China announced on Monday that Premier Li Qiang, who took office just this spring, would represent China at the Sept. 9-10 meeting in New Delhi. Relations between China and India remain frosty over their border dispute that led to a clash three years ago in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed. It has turned into a long-running standoff in the rugged mountainous area, where each side has stationed tens of thousands of military personnel backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets.Without mentioning the dispute, or the reason for Xi’s decision not to attend, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Chinese leaders have “always supported India’s hosting of this year’s summit and are ready to work with all parties to make the G20 summit...

Asylum applications in the European Union continue to rise after a major hike last year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:08:59 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Asylum applications in the European Union continued to rise in the first half of 2023 following a major hike last year, pressuring limited hosting capacities and moving the issue up the political agenda in many nations. The European Union Agency for Asylum said applications in the 27-nation bloc plus Switzerland and Norway rose 28% in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year. In all of 2022, applications increased 53%.“Based on current trends, applications could exceed 1 million by the end of 2023” in the region of about 460 million people, the agency said in a statement. The numbers are in addition to people fleeing the war in Ukraine, who are estimated at about 4 million and are hosted under temporary protection provisions.Syrians fleeing unrest and violence at home were the biggest group seeking asylum in the first half of the year, totaling 67,000, an increase of 47% from a year earlier. The rise in applications is putting greater pressure...