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Moldova says Europe summit signals unity in face of Russia's war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:16:44 GMT

Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Wednesday (31 May) a summit of European leaders hosted by her country this week would send an unwavering message of peace and condemnation of Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.She said an agreement on mobile phone roaming from 1 January 2024 had been signed with visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.More than 40 European leaders were set to meet at a castle deep in Moldovan wine country on Thursday (1 June) in a show of support for the former Soviet republic that applied to join the European Union after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022."The second meeting of the European Political Community is proof of the growing unity on the continent," Sandu told a joint press conference with von der Leyen."This event is a strong confirmation of our unwavering commitment to peace, a firm condemnation of the Russian invasion, constant solidarity with Ukraine and a demonstration of support for Moldova," Sandu said.Moldova, l...

NATO troops on guard in north Kosovo for third day amid protests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:16:44 GMT

NATO peacekeepers guarded town halls in ethnically polarized north Kosovo for a third day on Wednesday (31 May) as Serbia's defence minister inspected troops deployed near the border with its former province after violent unrest this week.The disturbances prompted NATO to send additional troops to the area and the alliance and the West slammed Kosovo for not having done enough to prevent violence, during which 30 NATO troops and 52 ethnic Serb protesters were hurt on Monday.NATO said it would send 700 more troops to boost its 4,000-strong mission in Kosovo, where Serbs are angry that a 2013 deal to set up an association of autonomous municipalities where they form a majority in the north has never been implemented.Regional unrest has intensified since April elections that Serbs in north Kosovo boycotted, leaving victory in four Serb-majority mayoralties to candidates from Kosovo's 90% ethnic Albanian majority.After they were installed last week despite a 3.5% election turnout, the U...

NATO has been keeping an eye on Moldova's skies as European leaders gathed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:16:44 GMT

NATO has been monitoring the skies over Moldova as more than 40 European leaders attend a summit close to Ukraine's borders to show support for both countries as Kyiv prepares a counter-offensive against Russia's invasion.The gathering of the EU's 27 member states and 20 other European countries at a castle deep in Moldovan wine country just 20 km (12 miles) from Ukrainian territory poses a security and organizational challenge for a country of 2.5 million people wedged between Ukraine and NATO member state Romania.NATO Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) surveillance aircraft will watch the skies over the summit venue through Friday (2 June), the alliance said in a statement.Missile debris from the war in Ukraine has been found in Moldova several times since Russia invaded 15 months ago."NATO AWACS can detect aircraft, missiles and drones hundreds of kilometres away, making them an important early warning capability," NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said.With Kyiv preparin...

Stunning Piedmont home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:16:44 GMT

This attractive and stylish home with four-plus bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms is located in the highly sought-after town of Piedmont.Live close to Montclair shops, dining, cafes and Piedmont’s top-rated schools. Boasting a spacious, open floor plan, this stunning residence features a large living room with vaulted ceilings, a great room and dining area, and beautiful hardwood floors.The kitchen is truly a chef’s dream, complete with a center island, quartz counters and barstool seating — the perfect place to entertain guests or prepare delicious meals. The kitchen also offers access to a serene deck where you can relax and unwind.The bedrooms are a generous size and provide plenty of natural light, while the three bathrooms are tastefully designed. There is also a convenient bonus room with a half bathroom, a two-car garage and off-street parking.This property is located less than a block from Coaches Field and Blair Park, near Montclair Village and within the b...

Single-family house in Palo Alto sells for $5.5 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:16:44 GMT

818 Seale Avenue – Google Street ViewA 3,141-square-foot house built in 1949 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 800 block of Seale Avenue in Palo Alto was sold on May 8, 2023. The $5,475,000 purchase price works out to $1,743 per square foot. The property features four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a garage, and one parking space. It sits on a 9,514-square-foot lot, which also has a pool.These nearby houses have also recently been purchased:On Guinda Street, Palo Alto, in March 2023, a 2,070-square-foot home was sold for $3,799,000, a price per square foot of $1,835. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 1,357-square-foot home on the 1800 block of Newell Road in Palo Alto sold in December 2022, for $3,200,000, a price per square foot of $2,358. The home has 3 bedrooms and 1 bathrooms.In May 2023, a 2,611-square-foot home on Seale Avenue in Palo Alto sold for $3,900,000, a price per square foot of $1,494. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

14-year-old Dev Shah wins Scripps National Spelling Bee with final word ‘psammophile’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:16:44 GMT

By Steve Almasy | CNNDev Shah, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night, correctly spelling psammophile to take the $50,000 first prize.“It’s surreal. … My legs are still shaking,” he said at the competition in National Harbor, Maryland.Eleven students made the finals after 11 million people entered spelling competitions throughout the world.The preliminary rounds were held Tuesday, while the quarterfinals and semifinals took place Wednesday.RELATED: Three Bay Area kids, all sponsored by the same Rotary club, make it to National Spelling Bee finalsIn Thursday’s finals, Dev correctly spelled schistorrhachis, aegagrus, rommack and tolsester. In the word meaning round, Dev picked the right definition of chiromancy, identifying it as someone who tells fortunes using lines on the palm of the handDev competed against 14-year-old Charlotte Walsh from Merrifield, Virginia, as the final two standing. She earned $25,000 for reaching secon...

Bridge: June 2, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:16:44 GMT

“Grapefruit must be dog-tired every night,” a club player said to me. “After all, he spends the day growling.”Grapefruit has a foul disposition and berates his partners mercilessly. He was West in a penny game, and North-South bid a slam that surely would have succeeded with any lead but a club.Grapefruit led his singleton club, and East took the ace … and returned a club. South ruffed with a high trump, and when Grapefruit didn’t overruff with the king, South knew East had it. So South led a trump to dummy’s ace. The king fell, South claimed, and Grapefruit told East that if his brains were money, he couldn’t buy a pack of gum.SILENT“You have the right to remain silent even if you aren’t arrested,” East glared.“Your development at bridge is arrested,” Grapefruit growled.East’s play at Trick Two would have been right if West’s trumps had been J-x. As it was, East gave the show away. He needed t...

Word Game: June 2, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:16:44 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — INCLOSE (INCLOSE: in-KLOZE: To close or shut in.)Average mark 31 wordsTime limit 40 minutesCan you find 38 or more words in INCLOSE? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — HEARING hair hang hanger hare hear hegira heir hernia hinge hire earing earn ager anger rage rain rang range rani regain ring near neigh nigh gain gear gnar grain grinTo 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].

A Dmitri Rebuttal by Messaging Expert Anat Shenker-Osorio

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:16:44 GMT

Why is “fund the policE” a losing message for Democrats? That’s the question and type of messaging Deconstructed is exploring this week with Anat Shenker-Osorio, the founder of ASO Communications and host of the podcast “Words to Win By.” Grim and Shenker-Osorio discuss why certain messages do well and others fail, why reframing the debate is essential, and how to craft messages that resonate and win. They also revisit Grim’s recent conversation with political strategist Dmitri Mehlhorn and unpack why messaging that gravitates toward the right and center is not effective.Transcript coming soon.The post A Dmitri Rebuttal by Messaging Expert Anat Shenker-Osorio appeared first on The Intercept.

Nuggets get an NBA Finals gem from difference-maker Murray

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:16:44 GMT

DENVER (AP) — The highlight of Game 1 for Jamal Murray came when he dribbled into the middle, planted his surgically repaired left knee in the paint, made a full clockwise turn, then faded away and swished a mid-range jumper. His most important contribution to Denver’s first win in the franchise’s first appearance in the NBA Finals — well, take your pick. Murray’s 26-point, 10-assist night in the 104-93 win over Miami on Thursday almost seemed incidental for a team that features a player averaging a triple-double in these playoffs in Nikola Jokic, who has the skills to make every player on the roster a threat. And yet, anybody following the Nuggets for a while knows it has been Murray’s return to full health — and his return to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons — that has been a catalyst in the run they’re on.“He’s a three-level scorer. He can shoot the 3. He can pull up and get to the rim,” said Heat guard Haywood Highsmith, describing t...