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China brokers deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia after 7-year dispute

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:41 GMT

Iran and Saudi Arabia signed a China-brokered agreement on Friday to restore diplomatic relations, ending a seven-year dispute.Closed-door talks between top security officials took place in Beijing this week, leading to a Friday announcement in which Tehran and Riyadh agreed to re-open embassies within two months and to refrain from interfering in each other’s domestic affairs.“The three countries expressed their keenness to exert all efforts towards enhancing regional and international peace and security,” according to a statement signed by senior representatives from China, Iran and Saudi Arabia.Regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia had been locked in a diplomatic dispute since 2016, following Riyadh’s execution of prominent Shia Muslim cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. He had been convicted of terror-related offenses in Iran.The execution of al-Nimr and 46 others led to heated demonstrations by Iranian protesters at the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran in January 2016. The kingdom subs...

Syria hopes Iran-Saudi agreement will ease regional tension

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:41 GMT

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria on Saturday welcomed the agreement reached between Iran and Saudi Arabia to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies saying it will lead to more stability in the region. Iran has been a main backer of President Bashar Assad’s government, while Saudi Arabia supports opposition fighters trying to remove him from power. Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed Friday to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies after seven years of tensions. The major diplomatic breakthrough negotiated with China decreases the likelihood of armed conflict between the regional rivals, both directly and in proxy conflicts.The deal was struck in Beijing amid China’s ceremonial National People’s Congress. It represents a major diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf Arab states perceive the United States to be slowly withdrawing from the wider Middle East. It also comes as diplomats have been trying to end Yemen’s lengthy conflict, in whi...

Defying ban, tractors head to The Hague for farmers’ protest

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:41 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Farmers drove tractors toward The Hague early Saturday in defiance of a ban on the heavy vehicles imposed ahead of a protest against the government’s plan to reduce nitrate emissions.The municipality imposed an emergency order in the city on a day when thousands of farmers were set to gather in a park and environmental activists from the Extinction Rebellion group were also planning a protest action on a major road. Authorities placed army trucks near some crossroads ready to block the streets if tractors tried to drive into the city center.The demonstrations come days before Dutch voters go to the polls in provincial elections Wednesday that indirectly also elect the national parliament’s upper house and could have an effect on proposals for reducing nitrate pollution.The farmers also are protesting government policies on child welfare benefits and the treatment of residents in the northern province of Groningen whose homes have been damage...

Indonesia’s Merapi volcano spews hot clouds in new eruption

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:41 GMT

MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupted Saturday with avalanches of searing gas clouds and lava, forcing authorities to halt tourism and mining activities on the slopes of the country’s most active volcano.Merapi, on the densely populated island of Java, unleashed clouds of hot ash and a mixture of rock, lava and gas that traveled up to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) down its slopes. A column of hot clouds rose 100 meters (yards) into the air, said the National Disaster Management Agency’s spokesperson Abdul Muhari.The eruption throughout the day blocked out the sun and blanketed several villages with falling ash. No casualties have been reported.It was Merapi’s biggest lava flow since authorities raised the alert level to the second-highest in November 2020, said Hanik Humaida, the head of Yogyakarta’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center.She said residents living on Merapi’s slopes were advised to stay 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) away from the crater’...

Japan marks 12 years from tsunami and nuclear disaster

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:41 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan on Saturday marked the 12th anniversary of the massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster with a minute of silence, as concerns grew ahead of the planned release of the treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant and the government’s return to nuclear energy. The 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that ravaged large parts of Japan’s northeastern coast on March 11, 2011, left more than 22,000 people dead, including about 3,700 whose subsequent deaths were linked to the disaster. A moment of silence was observed nationwide at 2:46 p.m., the moment the earthquake struck.Some residents in the tsunami-hit northern prefectures of Iwate and Miyagi walked down to the coast to pray for their loved ones and the 2,519 whose remains were never found. In Tomioka, one of the Fukushima towns where initial searches had to be abandoned due to radiation, firefighters and police use sticks and a hoe to rake through the coastline looking for...

Catch the Albany St. Patrick's Day Parade TODAY!

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:41 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The annual St. Patrick's Day parade is back in full swing on March 11! The parade kicks off at 2 p.m. at Quail Street and Central Ave. Get all of the latest news, weather, sports, and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The parade will head down Central Ave to Lark Street where it becomes Washington Ave. It will then proceed towards downtown Albany until it merges with State Street. The parade is expected to end at 4 p.m. at State Street and Green St."I commend the United Irish Societies and the St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee for their hard work each year in planning this incredible, family-friendly event where we can celebrate our Irish heritage and our deep-rooted history in the City of Albany," said Mayor Kathy Sheehan. "I also extend my congratulations to this year's Grand Marshal, Kathleen Stevens, representing the Albany LAOH. Road closures during Albany St. Patrick’s Day Parades Joining Grand Marshal Stevens in the parade are the Unite...

Ask Amy: She blew up at me in the restaurant, and I can’t get past it

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:41 GMT

Dear Amy: Some longtime friends and I hadn’t seen each other for years and recently got together for a few days to reconnect.While at a restaurant for lunch, one friend discreetly picked up the tab.Upon finding out the bill was taken care of, “Alice” vocally refused this kind gesture and asked the waitress, “Can you reverse the payment?”I quietly said, “Alice, just say thank you. It’s the graceful thing to do.”Alice got upset and loudly questioned, “Did you just tell me what to do?” – drawing the attention of the rest of our table.She made a face at me, gave me “the hand,” and turned to the waitress, saying, “Don’t you just hate it when other people tell you what to do?”The waitress stood there awkwardly. I said nothing, but it rattled me.Now that we are all back home, I wanted to follow up with Alice and sort this out, but my sister, my husband and another friend who was there have all advised me to just let it be.Unfortunately, I’m still dwelling on it.During this awkward moment, ...

Harriette Cole: Her demands make me worried about sharing an apartment

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:41 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: My best friend of many years recently approached me about becoming her roommate. Although I agreed, I’m starting to regret it.She’s making it very hard for us to find a place to rent due to the high number of restrictions she’s placing on our search. We can’t find anything within our price range that matches her list of must-haves, from its proximity to her office to her desired room size. It feels like the further we search, the harder it is for us to agree on anything.I don’t want to hurt my friend’s feelings by telling her that I don’t think it’s going to work, but I also don’t want to regret my decision down the road. I would like to continue my apartment search without her.How should I handle this without hurting our friendship?Moving OnDEAR MOVING ON: The best thing you can do is address this now, before you sign a lease.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: Can a bride tell her fiance to skip ...

IS group says it killed more than 35 ‘Christians’ in Congo

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:41 GMT

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The Islamic State group has issued a statement claiming responsibility for killing more than 35 people and wounding dozens in eastern Congo. In the statement, posted Friday by Aamaq, the militants’ news agency, it said it killed “Christians” with guns and knives and destroyed their property in Mukondi village in North Kivu province. It also published a photo of the houses on fire. The announcement comes after local authorities confirmed that at least 45 people were killed last week in several attacks on different villages by rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces, a militia with links to IS.Conflict has been simmering in eastern Congo for decades as more than 120 armed groups fight for power, influence and resources, and some to protect their communities. The ADF has been largely active in North Kivu province but has recently extended its operations into neighboring Ituri province and to areas near the regional capital, Goma. Efforts to stem the violenc...

DC Health Link responds to data breach, saying investigation in the works

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:32:41 GMT

DC Health Link updated members Friday on the serious breach of confidential data that occurred this week.The health insurance marketplace was made aware it had been hacked on Wednesday and said that over 56,000 customers had confidential data, including their Social Security numbers, addresses, health plan information and more, released to the public.More Local NewsMore DC NewsIn a statement, the program said a third-party investigation would take place and that it is working with law enforcement. The FBI is also assisting in the investigation.“We recognize the seriousness of this incident and we have reached out to impacted enrollees to provide three years of free identity and credit monitoring for all three major credit bureaus. The three years of [credit] monitoring protection includes all enrolled dependents, spouses and children. In addition, and out of an abundance of caution, we are offering the same three years of monitoring to all other customers, who were not impacte...