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Bridge: Sept. 13, 2023

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:28:08 GMT

“Did you ever join the Society of Procrastinators?” I asked Cy the Cynic in the club lounge.“Heard from them last week,” Cy said. “They wished me a Happy 2022.”Cy is skilled in the art of keeping up with yesterday. When he played at today’s 3NT, West led a low spade: jack, king. Cy knew he could get two spade tricks by taking his ace immediately, but he had his reputation as a procrastinator to protect; he let the king win and ducked the spade return.The Cynic won the third spade, forced out East’s ace of diamonds, won the diamond exit and lost a club to East’s ace. Later Cy finessed in hearts for nine tricks.EIGHT TRICKSCy fails if he wins the first spade. If he leads a diamond next, East wins and returns a spade, and West ducks. Cy will have only eight tricks, and when East takes the ace of clubs, he leads his last spade, and West takes three spades.Cy’s play was indicated: West probably had five spades, and East’s ...

The Biden Administration Is Keeping Thousands of Afghans in Limbo Abroad

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:28:08 GMT

Thousands of Afghans who fled their homes two years ago are stuck at processing sites in the Middle East and the Balkans that are “coordinated, facilitated, or under the control of the U.S. government” — yet the Biden administration refuses to disclose basic information about their status, according to human rights advocates who sued the administration last month.As the U.S. and its allies airlifted people out of Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, they helped set up what were supposed to be temporary processing sites in third countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kosovo. Two years later, thousands of Afghans are in effective detention at those sites, which are largely closed off to visitors, according to human rights lawyers, amid deteriorating conditions and with no updates about their refugee, humanitarian parole, or other pending applications for entry to the U.S.“It’s extremely concerning that people have just been w...

The flood death toll in eastern Libya’s city of Derna has surpassed 5,100, a health official says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:28:08 GMT

DERNA, Libya (AP) — A local health official in eastern Libya says the flood death toll in the city of Derna has risen to more than 5,100. Ossama Ali, a spokesman for the Ambulance and Emergency Center in eastern Libya, said the toll for the entire region is at least 5,202. Ali told The Associated Press by phone on Wednesday that more than 7,000 people were injured in Derna and most of them received treatment at field hospitals that authorities and aid agencies set up there. He says the number of deaths is likely to increase in the coastal city since search and rescue teams are still collecting bodies from the streets, buildings and the sea.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.DERNA, Libya (AP) — Rescuers have found more than 2,000 bodies as of Wednesday in the wreckage of a Libyan city where floodwaters broke dams and washed away neighborhoods. Officials fear the death toll could exceed 5,000 in the nation made vulnerable by years of turmoil and neglect.T...

North Korea’s Kim vows full support for Russia’s ‘just fight’ after viewing launch pads with Putin

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:28:08 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed support for Russia’s “just fight” during a summit with President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that the U.S. warned could lead to a deal to supply ammunition for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.After touring launch pads with Putin at a remote space base in Russia’s Far East, Kim expressed “full and unconditional support” and said Pyongyang will always stand with Moscow on the “anti-imperialist” front.The leaders met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome for a summit that underscores how their interests are aligning in the face of their countries’ separate, intensifying confrontations with the United States. The talks lasted four to five hours, Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Putin told Russian state TV that the North Korean will visit two more cities in Russia’s Far East after the summit.North Korea may have tens of millions of aging artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could give a huge boost to...

The flood death toll in Libya’s city of Derna has risen to more than 5,100, a health official says.

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:28:08 GMT

DERNA, Libya (AP) — The flood death toll in Libya’s city of Derna has risen to more than 5,100, a health official says.Source

President Vladimir Putin says Kim Jong Un’s trip will continue with stops in two more Russian cities

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:28:08 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin says Kim Jong Un’s trip will continue with stops in two more Russian cities.Source

Germany needs to search for a new coach, and fast. Here are some potential candidates.

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:28:08 GMT

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Germany needs to act fast in its search for a new coach for its troubled men’s national soccer team.The new coach is expected to be in charge by Oct. 14 when Germany will face the United States in a friendly in Connecticut. And after that there is only eight months to put his stamp on the team before Germany opens the European Championship as host in front of 70,000 spectators in Munich on June 14 next year.Germany’s awful recent form — no wins in five games and a group-stage exit at the World Cup — forced out Hansi Flick following Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Japan. Rudi Völler oversaw a 2-1 win over France on Tuesday but is due to return to his post as sporting director. Without an obvious successor to Flick, the post of Germany coach appears wide open.That could result in Germany’s youngest coach in nearly a century. Or its oldest ever. Or the first foreign coach. Here is a look at some possible candidates:JULIAN NAGELSMANNAt 36 years...

El huracán Lee pone a las Bermudas bajo aviso de tormenta tropical y las playas del sureste de EE.UU. corren el riesgo de sufrir corrientes de resaca

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:28:08 GMT

(CNN) — El huracán Lee generó una alerta de tormenta tropical sobre las Bermudas y se espera que se debilite en los próximos días, aunque el sistema podría seguir siendo “grande y peligroso” a lo largo de la semana, según los meteorólogos.El enorme huracán, que sigue siendo de categoría 3 este miércoles por la mañana, continuó agitándose hacia el noroeste en el Atlántico abierto y estaba a alrededor de unos 800 km al sur-suroeste de la isla con vientos máximos sostenidos de 185 km/h, según la última actualización del Centro Nacional de Huracanes.“A pesar de que el centro del huracán pasa bastante al oeste de las Bermudas, el gran campo de vientos de Lee debería provocar que las condiciones de tormenta tropical se extiendan sobre la isla a finales de este miércoles o principios de este jueves”, dijo el centro de huracanes en su pronóstico de este miércoles a las 2 de la mañana hora del este de EE.UU.¿Por qué la temporada de huracanes de 2023 ha sido tan ...

REV Group: Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:28:08 GMT

BROOKFIELD, Wis. (AP) — BROOKFIELD, Wis. (AP) — REV Group, Inc. (REVG) on Wednesday reported fiscal third-quarter net income of $14.9 million.The Brookfield, Wisconsin-based company said it had net income of 25 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 35 cents per share.The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 25 cents per share.The company posted revenue of $680 million in the period, which also topped Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $622.9 million.REV Group expects full-year revenue in the range of $2.55 billion to $2.6 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on REVG at https://www.zacks.com/ap/REVGSource

After 11 years, housing voucher waitlist lottery open again for Arlington Co. renters

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:28:08 GMT

An 11-year wait for Arlington County, Virginia, renters eager to obtain a housing voucher ends Wednesday.The county’s Housing Choice Voucher Program, formerly called Section 8, opens its 10-day application process for renters at 8 a.m.The last time residents had the opportunity to get on the 5,000-slot waitlist was back in 2012.“It was a one-day application process,” Arlington County Housing Bureau director Nicole Dula said. “We had an in-person process at that time, where 5,000 folks lined up and submitted pre-applications. It has taken us until 2023 to exhaust that list of applicants.”The county needs to replenish its list of preapproved applicants who qualify for the voucher. As vouchers become available, housing workers will spend the next seven to 10 years going through the new list.The 10-day application window begins Wednesday and ends at midnight on Sept. 23.Dula said applying for a voucher doesn’t mean an automatic seat on the waitlist. T...