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Madagascar president on course for reelection as supporters claim they were promised money to vote

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) — Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina is on course for reelection in a vote boycotted by most opposition candidates, while supporters of his party claimed they had been promised money in return for backing him.Rajoelina had received 60% of the votes after 68% of polling stations declared their results by late Wednesday, according to the national electoral commission. It put him on course for a third term as leader of the Indian Ocean island of 28 million.Rajoelina, a former DJ and mayor of the capital, Antananarivo, was president of a provisional government in Madagascar in 2009-2014 after a coup. He was elected president in 2019 and gained a degree of notoriety during the coronavirus pandemic by promoting a herbal drink as a cure for COVID-19.The leadup to last Thursday’s election was marked by protests against Rajoelina led by opposition candidates. Security forces fired tear gas grenades at the demonstrators and two opposition candidates susta...

Turkey’s central bank hikes interest rates again as it tries to tame eye-watering inflation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s central bank delivered another huge interest rate hike on Thursday as it tries to curb double-digit inflation that has left households struggling to afford food and other basic goods.The bank pushed its policy rate up by 5 percentage points, to 40%, marking its sixth big interest rate hike in a row focused on beating down inflation that hit an eye-watering 61.36% last month.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long been a proponent of an unorthodox policy of cutting interest rates to fight inflation and had fired central bank governors who resisted his rate-slashing policies. That runs counter to traditional economic thinking, and many blamed Erdogan’s unusual methods for economic turmoil that has included a currency crisis and an increasingly high cost of living. Other central banks around the world have raised interest rates rapidly to target spikes in consumer prices tied to the rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic and then Russia’s war in Ukraine...

Ukraine says 3 civilians killed by Russian shelling and Russia says a drone killed a TV journalist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian shelling killed three civilians in southeastern regions of Ukraine, Kyiv authorities said Thursday, while a Russian television journalist was reported to have died from injuries he sustained in a Ukrainian drone attack.Southern Ukraine’s Kherson region received eight nighttime artillery barrages, killing a 42-year-old man in his apartment building and wounding another man, the Ukrainian presidential office said.Russian shelling also killed two people in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, the office said. It was not possible to independently verify the reports. Long-range Russian shelling that hits civilian areas has been a hallmark of Moscow’s 21-month war in Ukraine.Meanwhile, Russian state media reported that TV journalist Boris Maksudov died after being wounded in a drone attack while working in southern Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia regionMaksudov, who worked for Russian state television channel Russia 24, was hit Wedn...

Retailers ready to kick off unofficial start of the holiday season just as shoppers pull back

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Retailers are kicking off the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season on Friday with a bevy of discounts and other enticements. But executives are growing concerned with a spending slowdown that could temper sales on the day after Thanksgiving as well as throughout the holidays.Shoppers, powered by a solid job market and steady wage growth, had demonstrated a resilience that confounded economists and ran counter to sour sentiments expressed in opinion polls. Such spending, while cautious, came despite higher prices in the grocery aisle and higher borrowing costs. But consumers are now coming under more pressure from dwindling savings, increased credit card debt and still stubborn inflation. In fact, shoppers cut their buying in October, ending six straight months of gains. Shoppers have gotten some relief from easing inflation, but many goods and services like meat and rent are still far higher than they were just three years ago.The latest quarterly results ...

Tens of thousands of protesters demanding a restoration of Nepal’s monarchy clash with police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Riot police used batons and tear gas to halt tens of thousands of supporters of Nepal’s former king who attempted to march to the center of the capital on Thursday to demand the restoration of the monarchy and the nation’s former status as a Hindu state.The protesters, waving the national flag and chanting slogans supporting former King Gyanendra, gathered on the edge of Kathmandu and attempted to move toward the center of the city. Riot police blocked them, beating them with bamboo batons and firing tear gas and a water cannon. There were minor injuries on both sides.Authorities had banned protests in key areas of the city prior to the rally.“We love our king and country more than our lives. Bring back the monarchy. Abolish the republic,” the crowd chanted.Supporters of the former king came to Kathmandu from all over the country to demand the return of the monarchy that was abolished in 2008. They accused the government and political parties of corrupt...

Chilly with spot rain Thanksgiving Day

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A slightly unsettled weather pattern will be with us today through the upcoming weekend, but focus will stay more on the chilly temperatures rather than the meager rain chances.Thanksgiving Day Weather DetailsMorning lows: mid-30s to low 40sAfternoon highs: mid-50s to low 60sWinds: South 5-15 mphSky conditions: Cloudy most of the day, but some late day breaks of sun before sunsetRain chance: 20% for areas near and especially east of I-35 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., but very light in coverage and intensity (most stay dry)Rain totals: Only a few hundredths of an inch at mostDry air in the lower levels of the atmosphere may have the radar looking wetter than what actually reaches the ground, but some light rain is still possible. Our advice - plan for a few sprinkles but no need to rearrange any Thanksgiving activities.Friday into the WeekendBlack Friday will be cool and mainly cloudy to begin the day. By late morning the sun is coming allowing for a beautiful afternoo...

Now open: Pauly’s Pub and Grill, a very St. Paul neighborhood bar, in the former Kalsada spot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

You really don’t get more classic St. Paul than this: The original founder of Eagle Street Grille, the restaurant formerly across from the Xcel Energy Center, has teamed up with a past Winter Carnival King Boreas to open a neighborhood beers-and-burgers pub on Selby Avenue.It’s called Pauly’s Pub and Grill, stylized with an Irish shamrock for an apostrophe. Named after St. Paul, of course.The exterior of Pauly’s Pub and Grill, a new neighborhood bar on Selby Avenue, is shown on Nov. 17, 2023. In addition to plenty of beers, cocktails and THC drinks, the restaurant also serves a variety of American-food appetizers and burgers. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)The restaurant opened Nov. 15. When you walk in, you’d be forgiven for thinking Pauly’s had been there since 1923, not 2023.Until September, the space was home to the modern-Filipino restaurant Kalsada. And though some decorative elements remain, including a couple hanging light fixtures and the arched trellis behind t...

Ask Amy: Mother wants another baby despite family’s wishes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

Dear Amy: At 54, my mother, already blessed with two academically accomplished children in the eighth and 12th grades, says she wants to have a third child.I am nearly 18 years old and will leave for college next year.My father, who is 57, is adamant that he doesn’t want another baby. He is a middle-school teacher and could retire within a few years. The idea of raising another child weighs heavily on him, having managed students his whole life.Plus — would a 12-year-old want a father in his 70s?Nobody except my mother wants another child. To accomplish this without enduring another pregnancy, she’s exploring surrogacy. She says she is encouraged by medical professionals who believe her fertility levels can produce a baby.I’m also concerned about my mom’s demanding work schedule. She works extremely long hours, and yet still wants to add another child to our family.Am I selfish in questioning the allocation of resources, as my mother contemplates fundin...

Deal reached on stricter EU rules for waste shipments

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

Last week, Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on revising EU procedures and control measures for waste shipments.The agreed law aims to protect the environment and human health more effectively, while contributing to achieve the EU’s climate neutrality, circular economy and zero pollution goals.Strengthening the rules governing exports of waste outside the EUEU exports of certain non-hazardous wastes and mixtures of non-hazardous wastes for recovery (i. e. to be used for other purposes) will be allowed only to those non-OECD countries that consent and fulfil the criteria to treat such waste in an environmentally sound manner, including by complying with international labour and workers’ rights conventions. The Commission will draw up a list of such recipient countries, to be updated at least every two years.Parliament ensured that plastic waste can no longer be exported to non-OECD countries within two and a half years after the entry into force of the regulation...

Design and decorate for transitions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

Builders began addressing the needs of buyers before buyers asked for flexible and transitional offerings throughout their homes.As a result, new-home offerings mean spaces within homes can easily convert from one use to the next. Additional en suite bedrooms, workspaces, home gyms, flexible living areas or indoor and outdoor kitchens can be worked into many new-home plans.A bonus space can serve as both a media room and a home studio. A main-level bedroom can have a dedicated entrance separate from the home’s main entrance. The primary suite can be arranged to incorporate a private nook for exercise, reading or hobbies. And the indoor-outdoor ease of a California Room sets new construction apart from older homes.But given so many opportunities for flexibility and transition, the new-home buyer might wonder about how to connect all of these spaces, creating flow and uniformity that still expresses personality and style.Consider taking a seasonal approach.Set the stageNeutral tones a...