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Germany: Several people injured in explosion at residential building

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:40 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Several people were injured in an explosion Thursday at a residential building in the western town of Ratingen, German police said.A spokesperson for police in nearby Mettmann said that officers are among those injured, but was unable to immediately provide further details.The spokesperson, Julia Lappert, told The Associated Press that a large police presence was at the scene of the incident, in a multi-occupancy residential building, she said.Ratingen is located on the northeastern outskirts of Duesseldorf.The Associated Press

Chinese vice president visits Netherlands, continuing diplomatic push in Europe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:40 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — China continues its diplomatic push in Europe on Thursday with a high-level visit to the Netherlands where Vice President Han Zheng will be meeting the king and the prime minister — and facing questions about its relations with Russia and the European Union.The visit comes amid difficult relations between China and the West. The 27-nation EU increasingly sees Beijing as a systemic rival on the global stage instead of an ally and economic partner.Dutch King Willem Alexander received Han early on Thursday before Prime Minister Mark Rutte has political talks with the vice president in the afternoon. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has also traveled through Western Europe this week, meeting with his German and French counterparts. On Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Berlin wants to work in partnership with China “everywhere it’s possible” but that it would be naive to ignore the risk of ending up in a position of reliance, in...

Real-life ‘The Queen’s Gambit’: Custodian leads school chess teams in Maine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:40 GMT

HAMPDEN, Maine (AP) — David Bishop spends the school day as a mild-mannered custodian, but before the final bell rings, he grabs his chess boards and pieces and begins his second role.“The Queen’s Gambit” is playing out in real life in Maine, where this custodian is coaching his schools’ chess teams to acclaim.Bishop, a part-time chess coach and full-time custodian, led his elementary and middle school teams to state championship titles this year, drawing comparisons to the Netflix series about a chess prodigy inspired by a janitor.Some of his players are good enough to beat their coach, proudly declaring “checkmate!”“Initially, it was humiliating and demoralizing, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that’s a good thing. They’re getting stronger,” the 61-year-old said.Nationwide, chess is riding a new wave of popularity, and it’s not just because of the popular Netflix mini series based on the 1983 book by Walter Tevis.During the pandemic, a growing num...

G7 finance ministers to vow support for Ukraine, seek ways to spur global economy as debt risks loom

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:40 GMT

NIIGATA, Japan (AP) — Financial leaders of the Group of Seven advanced economies are discussing ways to support Ukraine and pressure Russia to end the war as they meet in Japan starting Thursday. Ukraine’s finance minister, Serhiy Marchenko, was participating online in the first session of the G-7 talks in Niigata, a port city on the Japan Sea coast. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the G-7 nations “will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes” to end the conflict. The leaders will be mulling ways to prevent Russia and other countries from circumventing sanctions against Moscow for its invasion, Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki told reporters. “We have taken a wave of actions in the past few months to crack down on evasion. And my team has traveled around the world to intensify this work,” Yellen said. The war and its toll on the global economy, debt crises in developing countries and a stalemate in Washington over the national debt are topping the agenda ...

Stock market today: Global shares mixed in choppy trading after US inflation report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:40 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares were mixed in choppy trading Thursday after a report showed evidence that inflation in the United States was cooling, even if it remains too high.France’s CAC 40 gained 0.6% in early trading to 7,407.78. Germany’s DAX edged up 0.1% to 15,918.15. Britain’s FTSE 100 was little changed at 7,743.42. U.S. shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures up 0.1% at 33,637.00. S&P 500 futures rose 0.3% to 4,165.50. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 finished little changed, inching up less than 0.1% at 29,126.72. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped less than 0.1% to 7,251.90. South Korea’s Kospi sank 0.2% to 2,491.00. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost nearly 0.1% to 19,743.79, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.3% to 3,309.55.Concerns about the Chinese economy remain a major focus, especially for the Asian region, with the latest cause for worry coming from trade data released Tuesday.“China could be heading into a deflationary f...

1 soldier killed, several others wounded in clashes between Armenia, Azerbaijan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:40 GMT

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenian and Azerbaijani troops exchanged artillery fire Thursday along their tense border, leaving at least one soldier dead and several others wounded in the latest bout of escalation between the longtime adversaries that threatened to derail their latest attempts at peace talks.The two countries’ authorities traded blame for triggering the clashes and accused each other of trying to undermine negotiations on a prospective peace deal.The Armenian Defense Ministry said that Azerbaijani forces opened artillery fire on Armenian positions near the town of Sotk in the eastern Gegharkunik province, leaving four Armenian soldiers wounded.Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said that one Azerbaijani soldier was killed and another one was wounded by Armenian fire.The exchange of fire follows U.S.-hosted peace talks earlier this month between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign minister, which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said had achieved “tangible ...

Sweden charges man for spreading sensitive military information online

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:40 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Swedish prosecutors said that a 50-year-old man was charged on Thursday with spreading sensitive military information online. The man, who authorities didn’t identify, administered a database that was used for the exchange of secret information, said Lars Hedvall, a senior prosecutor with the National Security Unit. The information was posted in a forum that he allegedly was responsible for. He was charged with suspected “gross unauthorized possession of secret information” and sharing “secret and sensitive information about a large number of defense facilities” online.Hedvall called the man’s alleged actions “serious” because the information was “of great importance for the defense of the kingdom.”It is unclear whether a foreign power actually got hold of the information that was spread on the unnamed forum where he posted the information.Hedvall told Swedish news agency TT that the 50-year man is ”a private person who has a very...

Minister: Student visas issued by breakaway north used to seek asylum in Cyprus

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:40 GMT

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Some 70% of migrants arriving in ethnically divided Cyprus this year have used a student visa they were issued by breakaway Turkish Cypriot authorities before seeking asylum in the internationally recognized south, the country’s interior minister said Thursday.Minister Constantinos Ioannou told the Associated Press that Turkish Cypriot student visas are “by far” the most popular method used by migrants to reach Cyprus. They then cross the 180 kilometer (111-mile) -long, United Nations-controlled buffer zone to apply for asylum in the south.Migrants don’t apply in the north because they wouldn’t receive the benefits afforded to asylum-seekers under international and European Union laws and regulations. Only Turkey recognizes Turkish Cypriot independence. Although Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, only the southern part enjoys full benefits.Ioannou said most of the migrants who for opt for this route are from sub-Saharan Africa and fly into north C...

Ways to save big on summer concert tickets in Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:40 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – A nationwide concert ticket deal that launched Wednesday means savings for area music fans from May to October. According to Live Nation, you can get $25 tickets from its Concert Week deal through Tuesday, May 16 or while supplies last.Live Nation says the venues include: ACL Live at The Moody TheaterEmo's AustinGermania InsuranceMoody AmphitheaterMoody Center ATXQ2 StadiumScoot InnStubb's Waller Creek AmphitheaterAmong the Austin performances covered by the deal are: BeckCulture ClubWeezerAlicia KeysA Flock of SeagullsMoody Center posted a tweet Wednesday with special offers.

From northern Minnesota, a father-daughter pair of innovative barrel makers is creating a tastier future for craft spirits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:40 GMT

Russ Karasch opened a plastic bag filled with strips of wood the color of the best part of a piece of toast.“Smell this,” he said.The aroma was intoxicatingly comforting, like roasting a chocolatey Scotcheroo bar over a campfire made of cinnamon sticks, if such a thing were possible. It’s amburana wood, a Brazilian variety, Karasch said. And in a way, it represents the vast possibilities this expert barrel-maker is creating for the future of wood-aging spirits.As craft distilling grows nationwide — in many ways mirroring the rise of craft brewing a decade ago — demand is creeping back up for the time-honored art of cooperage, or barrel-making. And some of the biggest innovations in barrels are happening in Minnesota; specifically in Park Rapids, Minn., off a side street between the airport and the police station.Karasch and his daughter, Heidi Korb, launched Black Swan Cooperage in 2009. Since then, the duo has become recognized across the distilling, brewing and winemaking industri...