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German police raid premises across the country in connection with migrant smuggling

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — More than 350 German federal police searched premises across the country early Tuesday in connection with smuggling of migrants early on Tuesday.The focus of the raids was on cities and towns in northern and western Germany but also in Bavaria in the south, German news agency dpa reported.Police executed five arrest warrants, three in the northern town of Stade and two in the western town of Gladbeck. Inside the searched apartments and other buildings, police discovered many migrants without residence permits, dpa reported.The raids were ordered by federal police at Frankfurt airport on suspicion of gang and commercial smuggling of foreigners, German news agency dpa reported.The Associated Press

South Korea vows to retaliate against any North Korean provocations in Armed Forces Day ceremony

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president vowed to retaliate immediately against any potential provocations by North Korea in his Armed Forces Day speech Tuesday, as thousands of troops prepared to march through the capital in the country’s first such military parade in 10 years.The show of force comes as concerns grow that North Korea is seeking Russian help in expanding its nuclear arsenal in return for supplying Moscow with conventional arms exhausted by its war with Ukraine.“Based on battle-ready combat capabilities and a solid readiness posture, our military will immediately retaliate against any North Korean provocation,” President Yoon Suk Yeol said at a ceremony after reviewing soldiers and advanced conventional weapons systems at a military airport near Seoul.“If North Korea uses nuclear weapons, its regime will be brought to an end by an overwhelming response” from the South Korean-U.S. alliance, he said.Yoon said he would strive to build “a stron...

Stock market today: Asian shares dip with eyes on the Chinese economy and a possible US shutdown

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly sank Tuesday over worries about a possible U.S. government shutdown and the troubled Chinese economy.Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index slipped 1.0% in afternoon trading to 32,357.25. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.5% to 7,044.90. South Korea’s Kospi dropped nearly 1.3% to 2,463.63. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 0.9% to 17,576.83, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.2% to 3,109.69. Investors are watching for Chinese economic indicators being released later in the week. “The Chinese property woes are far from over, as the notorious developer Evergrande defaulted on its 4 billion yuan onshore bond repayment and delayed the restructuring meetings,” said Tina Teng, market analyst at CMC Markets APAC & Canada. Wall Street clawed back some of its steep losses from last week. The S&P 500 rose 17.38, or 0.4%, to 4,337.44, coming off its worst week in six months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 43.04, or 0.1%, to 3...

After US approval, Japan OKs Leqembi, its first Alzheimer’s drug, developed by Eisai and Biogen

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s health ministry has approved Leqembi, a drug for Alzheimer’s disease that was jointly developed by Japanese and U.S. pharmaceutical companies. It’s the first drug for treatment of the disease in a country with a rapidly aging population.Developed by Japanese drugmaker Eisai Co. and U.S. biotechnology firm Biogen Inc., the drug’s approval in Japan comes two months after it was endorsed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Leqembi is for patients with mild dementia and other symptoms in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and the first medicine that can modestly slow their cognitive decline.Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who announced Japan’s approval of Leqembi on Monday, called it “a breakthrough” and said that the “treatment of dementia has now entered a new era.”Kishida has pledged to step up support for the growing number of dementia patients and their families and is due to launch a panel this week to discuss measures f...

Prominent Thai human rights lawyer accused of insulting the king receives a 4-year prison term

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — A prominent Thai human rights lawyer was convicted on Tuesday of insulting the monarchy and sentenced to four years in prison, the first conviction under a controversial law guarding the royal institution since a civilian government took office after years of military-backed rule.Arnon Nampa was found guilty of defaming King Maha Vajiralongkorn during a student-led rally on Oct. 14, 2020, that commemorated a popular uprising in 1973 that led to the fall of a decade-long military dictatorship. He was also fined 20,000 baht ($550) for violating an emergency decree banning large public gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.Arnon, 39, still faces 13 more cases under the lese majeste law, which makes insulting the monarch, his immediate family and the regent punishable by up to 15 years in prison.The court said in its ruling Tuesday that Arnon had declared at the rally that if it were dispersed, it would be at the order of King Maha Vajiralongkon. It said that stateme...

NextGenerationEU: Commission endorses Portugal's €22.2 billion modified recovery and resilience plan, including a REPowerEU chapter

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

The European Commission has given a positive assessment of Portugal's modified recovery and resilience plan, which includes a REPowerEU chapter. The plan is now worth €22.2 billion in grants and loans and covers 44 reforms and 117 investments.Portugal's REPowerEU chapter consists of 6 reforms and 16 investments to deliver on the REPowerEU Plan's objectives to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030. These measures focus on energy efficiency in buildings, support to green industry, renewables and renewable gases, sustainable transport and the electricity grid.In addition to this, Portugal has also proposed 34 new or scaled up investments to its original plan and five new reforms. The proposed reforms aim to enhance the efficiency of both the social protection system and the tax system, promote circular economy and waste management, and further boost the digital transition of the public administration. No investment or reform has been removed from the initia...

SF Giants ace dismisses Cy Young talk, wants wins and ‘big changes’ instead

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb believes Blake Snell should win the National League Cy Young Award this year.Why is that, Webb was asked.“Because he has a 2.30 (ERA), a 2.20, whatever it is,” Webb said of the San Diego Padres’ left-hander. “That’s pretty good.”Snell now has an MLB-leading 2.25 ERA after his exceptional performance Monday against the Giants, as he struck out seven over six scoreless innings. He’s also fourth with 234 strikeouts and has a solid 14-9 record for a Padres team that’s been well out of the playoff picture almost all season.But Webb outshined Snell in a terrific pitcher’s duel at Oracle Park and a rare highlight for the Giants this month. In the second complete game of his career, with both coming this season, Webb allowed nine hits but struck out seven as he gave the Giants a chance to come back and earn a 2-1 win, keeping their faint playoff hopes alive for at least another day.“It’s kind of hard trying to go pitch f...

Olympic doping case of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva opens Tuesday in Swiss sports court

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

The doping case of teenage Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva that shocked the 2022 Beijing Olympics returns to the highest court in sports on Tuesday.The Court of Arbitration for Sport begins a hearing set for at least three days with Valieva, now aged 17, expected to testify by video link from Russia in a case that was slow-walked in her home country and could now deliver a verdict by the end of the year.Awaiting the outcome are nine American skaters who could become Olympic champions in the team event after finishing second in Beijing behind the Russians and their star performer Valieva. The center of Valieva’s defense has been that her positive test for a heart medication banned in sports was caused by accidental contamination – maybe from a glass or plate – by tablets her grandfather claimed he took.Valieva and her legal team “intend to conduct further investigation and present the results” at future hearings in the case, the first Russian anti-doping tribunal to judge the ca...

Powerball: el premio mayor sube a US$ 835 millones y estos son los números ganadores del 25 de septiembre

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

(CNN) — Una vez más, el sorteo de Powerball de este lunes por la noche no produjo ningún ganador del gran premio, ya que el premio mayor continúa aumentando.La Asociación de Lotería Multiestatal dijo que el premio mayor estimado para el próximo sorteo de este miércoles es de US$ 835 millones. Ese será el segundo premio mayor más grande de Powerball para 2023.El gran premio del sorteo de este lunes fue de US$ 793,6 millones. Hubo cuatro ganadores millonarios que acertaron todas las bolas blancas sin acertar el Powerball, tres de los cuales compraron sus boletos en Florida. El último sorteo que produjo un ganador del gran premio fue el 19 de julio.Los números ganadores de este lunes fueron 10-12-22-36-50, con un Powerball de 4.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.Source

Rangers back Gray with 3 straight homers, beat Angels 5-1 to maintain AL West lead

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Adolis García, Mitch Garver and Nathaniel Lowe hit consecutive home runs in the sixth inning, and the first-place Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-1 on Monday night for their sixth straight victory.Texas maintained its 2 1/2-game lead in the AL West over Houston, which won 5-1 at Seattle to drop the skidding Mariners four games behind the Rangers with six to play.“We were pretty quiet there through the first five innings and García woke us up there with his home run,″ Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “We came alive and it was good to see the long ball.″Marcus Semien also launched a solo homer for Texas, and Jon Gray (9-8) pitched six strong innings for his first win since Aug. 11. He had lasted fewer than four innings in three straight starts. “He looked great and threw the ball really well,″ Bochy said. “He threw the one pitch that got away from him for the home run, but I just like the way he regrouped. He looked so focused out there tonight.″One d...