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Ukraine's accession to NATO is key for European security

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

Since Putin's aggressive war was unleashed against Ukraine, no country in Europe can feel safe. Russia's territorial appetite will increase dramatically if its army gains an advantage on the battlefield. The CSCE countries will be under threat. The Ukrainian Armed Forces must get the weapons they need to drive out the Russian invaders, Dispatches, IFBG.The NATO summit in Vilnius will determine what further dialogue with Ukraine should take place in the context of its integration into the alliance. Already 20 NATO member states have agreed on Kyiv's accession to the organisation, but the consensus requires the agreement of 31 countries. Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has increased the risks and threats to Europe. Putin will not stop, and his aggression will end where the Russian army is stopped by force. Russia has launched the most extensive war in Europe in decades, and it is crucial to quickly defeat Russian forces in Ukraine. This ...

Sale closed in Milpitas: $2.6 million for a four-bedroom home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

747 Kirkwall Place – Google Street ViewA spacious house located in the 700 block of Kirkwall Place in Milpitas has new owners. The 3,155-square-foot property, built in 1982, was sold on June 1, 2023. The $2,600,000 purchase price works out to $824 per square foot. The property features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, an attached garage, and two parking spaces. It sits on a 0.4-acre lot, which also has a pool.Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby:In August 2022, a 2,520-square-foot home on Berkshire Place in Milpitas sold for $2,250,000, a price per square foot of $893. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 1,358-square-foot home on the 500 block of Greathouse Drive in Milpitas sold in May 2023, for $1,400,000, a price per square foot of $1,031. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Woodcock Court, Milpitas, in May 2023, a 2,562-square-foot home was sold for $1,871,000, a price per square foot of $730. The home has 6 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Bridge: June 16, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

“You can lead a human to knowledge, but you can’t make him think.” — attributed to a horse who thought himself a sage.Winning bridge requires knowing play techniques such as trump control and managing entries, but the essence of the game is logical thinking and problem solving. In today’s deal, North’s bidding showed a huge two-suited hand. South’s jump to six clubs was speculative at best. West led the ace of diamonds — three, nine, deuce — and shifted to a heart.HIGH HEARTSSouth could have tried to take two high hearts and dummy’s two high diamonds to pitch both his spades. Then he could lead a trump to his queen, his best chance to pick up the trumps.But East-West were experts, and South reflected that if East had K-x in trumps, West could have beaten the slam for sure by shifting to a spade at the second trick. But West apparently wanted South to have a chance to finesse in trumps.South trusted his opponent: At Trick Th...

Word Game: June 16, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — WETLAND (WETLAND: WET-land: Swamp; marsh.)Average mark 32 wordsTime limit 45 minutesCan you find 43 or more words in WETLAND? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — AGGREGATE aerate agar agate ager agree area arete gaga gage gagger garage gate gear grate great greet rage ragtag rate reata reggae eager eater egret tagger tare tear treeTo 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 explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

Horoscopes June 16, 2023: Laurie Metcalf, personal improvements will lift your spirits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Abby Elliott, 36; Eddie Cibrian, 50; Phil Mickelson, 53; Laurie Metcalf, 68.Happy Birthday: It’s up to you to spin things in your favor. Giving others a chance to step in and take over will lead to setbacks. Focus on how to add stability to your life. Surround yourself with like-minded people with something worthwhile to offer. Personal improvements will lift your spirits and your appeal. Your numbers are 6, 14, 21, 24, 30, 33, 48.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Focus on lowering debt. Refuse to let emotional spending cause stress. Pay attention to looking and feeling your best without breaking the bank. Truth matters; don’t say anything if you can’t be honest. Work on yourself instead of trying to change someone else. 4 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): A steady pace will pay off. Be blunt; it will make convincing others to follow your lead easier. Don’t take a risk that might slow you down physically. Use your intelligence to decide wh...

Alessia Russo to leave Manchester United as a free agent

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Alessia Russo will leave Manchester United’s women’s team as a free agent this summer, the club said on Friday. The England international, who was the subject of a reported world-record bid of around $640,000 from Arsenal in January, continues to be linked with a move to the London club.United had hoped to convince Russo to sign a new deal at the club, but has now confirmed she will leave when her contract expires at the end of June. “It’s been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make,” Russo tweeted.Russo joined United in 2020 and scored 26 goals in 59 appearances. “Everyone at the football club would like to thank Alessia for her service and wish her luck for the future,” United said. Had Russo’s proposed move to Arsenal gone ahead in January, it would have exceeded the fee Barcelona paid for Keira Walsh, which was reportedly in the region of $511,000 last year. ___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/...

‘Desde Ucrania con amor’: las unidades de élite de drones nocturnos que bombardean militares rusos

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

(CNN) — En un edificio abandonado, el piloto de un dron ucraniano bloquea su entorno y se concentra únicamente en el mando que tiene en las manos. La habitación sin paredes le ofrece a él y a su unidad cierta protección en la noche sin luna.La pequeña pantalla del mando a distancia del soldado, la única fuente de luz permitida, ilumina su mirada penetrante mientras su dron, a kilómetros de distancia, está a unos instantes de lanzar un explosivo de 16 kg sobre una posición rusa.“A este momento lo llamamos ‘desde Ucrania con amor'”, dice su oficial superior.Este ataque nocturno secreto está siendo llevado a cabo por una unidad de élite compuesta por elementos del Servicio de Seguridad de Ucrania —conocido comúnmente como SBU— y de la Policía de Patrulla del país.La operación recibió luz verde después de que el ejército ucraniano informara de la presencia de una base de lanzamiento desde la que las fuerzas rusas disparaban hacia sus tropas cohetes Kornet, misile...

Denver weather: Pinpoint Weather Alert Day for widespread showers, storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver's weather will be cooler on Friday with mostly cloudy skies and widespread showers and storms. A Pinpoint Weather Alert Day is in effect for flooding concerns.Storm chances will stay through Saturday with dry weather finally moving in Sunday. Weather today: Scattered stormsIt will be a cool Friday with temperatures in the mid-60s in the afternoon. Cloud cover will stick around with scattered showers and storm chances increasing in the afternoon. The main storm threats on the Front Range are rainfall and lightning with the severe weather threat staying on the southeast plains. Here’s how many people were at the Nuggets parade The plains have a marginal and slight risk for severe storms that could produce hail and strong winds. Rain showers and storms will last into the late evening hours in parts of eastern Colorado with drier conditions overnight. A flood watch has been issued from noon through 10 p.m. Friday. Pinpoint Weather: Advisories on June 16. Weathe...

‘Sexist and undemocratic’: Pregnant MEPs demand ability to vote on maternity leave

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

STRASBOURG — With a year to go before the EU elections, four pregnant European Parliament members are leading a campaign with their male allies to make their workplace more hospitable to younger candidates by securing parental leave for lawmakers.Unlike members of national parliaments in countries like Spain, EU lawmakers cannot keep voting if they take time out to look after newborn children because there is no official procedure to permit parental leave and remote voting.“It’s 2023. If you’re forced to choose between your votes and your child that’s a really bad signal, especially for young women,” Lara Wolters, a Dutch MEP from the Socialists & Democrats group who’s expecting her second child, told POLITICO in an interview Thursday.The absence of just one MEP could make all the difference — as a recent flurry of finely balanced votes on legislation ranging from corporate due diligence to restoring natural habitats has shown. Even though MEPs are still p...

It’s official: Europe is awash with drugs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

“Everywhere, everything, everyone.”That’s the chilling finding of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)’s 2023 annual report, which finds that illegal drugs are everywhere, pretty much any psychoactive substance can be found on the market, and no one can escape their swelling availability and subsequent ill effects.From the colleague calling in sick, to the health care workers overburdened by extra pressure, teenagers hoodwinked into crime and governments’ welfare budgets stretched, the impact of Europe’s complex dark drugs market is felt in every corner of the Continent. The report is a “a stark reminder that illicit drug problems can be found throughout our society,” said EMCDDA Director Alexis Goosdeel in a release published alongside the report.Record amounts of drugs are being seized, existing drugs are getting more potent and newly synthesized drugs keep appearing.  European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said...