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Greens want Germany to use heat pumps. But they’ve struggled to install one in party HQ

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:11:58 GMT

BERLIN — The Greens want Germany to ban gas and oil heating and switch to heat pumps — but have been struggling to install such a device in their own party headquarters for years.The Greens wanted to use the renovation of its headquarters in the heart of Berlin to renew its gas heating system, making it climate-neutral and in line with their plans for German society. But according to a report in Der Spiegel, the party has been trying and failing since the end of 2019 to complete construction work and install a heat pump.At the time, Michael Kellner, then general secretary of the party and now state secretary in Robert Habeck’s economy ministry, said during a tour: “We’ll rebuild the house first and then the land.”Things turned out differently, however, as the Green Party’s approval ratings have plummeted to 14 percent from 23 percent last summer — and the heat pump, a blue box with a fan, vegetates in the courtyard of the headquarters. In an ambitiou...

New US intelligence shows Russia’s deepening defense ties with Iran

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:11:58 GMT

The Biden administration is releasing intelligence showing the deepening defense relationship between Russia and Iran, releasing imagery on drone manufacturing and delivery to the battlefield in Ukraine.A now-declassified government graphic shows the drones are built in Iran, shipped across the Caspian Sea to Russia — with a port Iran helped develop — and then transferred to two air bases.Russian forces eventually use those weapons in Ukraine, where Moscow has for months terrorized the Ukrainian people with Iranian-made drones. As of May, Russia has received hundreds of one-way attack craft, as well as production-related equipment from Tehran, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement.The Kremlin asked for more attack drone deliveries from Iran last month after depleting previous shipments, a development that the Biden administration announced in another attempt to name and shame the two nations.U.S. officials also have information that Russia is rec...

The startling, damning details in the Trump indictment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:11:58 GMT

Classified documents found in a shower. A clumsy effort to move boxes and hide them from the FBI. A damaging admission, caught on tape. And Donald Trump’s own public statements, used against him.Those are some of the details in the indictment charging Trump and a longtime aide with an extraordinary scheme to hoard national secrets that Trump took to his Mar-a-Lago estate after leaving the White HouseHere are some of the most notable revelations.Showing off military plansOn at least two occasions after leaving office, Trump displayed classified documents to others visiting him at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, the indictment alleges. In July 2021, Trump showed a writer, a publisher and two staff members a “plan of attack” that he said had been prepared for him by the U.S. military, the charges say. The audio-recorded meeting reportedly involved a document that Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley drafted about Iran.Trump allegedly made a potentially damning admission ...

Luis Robert Jr.’s walk-off single gives Chicago White Sox their 6th win in last 7 games to stay 3½ games out of 1st in AL Central

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:11:58 GMT

Elvis Andrus was on second, representing the game-winning run for the Chicago White Sox with one out in the ninth inning.Andrew Benintendi, a left-handed hitter, was due up with the right-handed hitting Luis Robert Jr. on deck, leaving a tough choice for the Miami Marlins with right-handed reliever Dylan Floro on the mound.They elected to intentionally walk Benintendi, setting up a potential inning-ending double play.“It didn’t surprise me because he’s a pitcher that throws a lot of sinkers, and I thought their plan was to face me trying to get a ground ball. But at the same time, they were trying to not face a lefty,” Robert said through an interpreter.Robert came through, ripping the second pitch past third baseman Jean Segura and down the left-field line for a game-winning single as the Sox beat the Marlins 2-1 in front of 21,023 on Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field.“For any athlete, the best thing you can do is help your team to win a game, and to me ...

Rains unleashed by typhoon worry thousands of people fleeing restive Philippine volcano

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:11:58 GMT

BONGA, Philippines (AP) — Thousands of people who fled their homes in the central Philippines to escape a restive volcano have to contend with another threat that’s complicating the ongoing evacuations: monsoon rains that could be unleashed by an approaching typhoon. More than 6,000 villagers have been forced to leave rural communities within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) radius of Mayon volcano’s crater in northeastern Albay province. Thousands more may also need to be moved to safety from the permanent danger zone, officials said. Others living outside the perimeter have packed their bags and voluntarily left with their children for evacuation centers in Albay, which was placed under a state of calamity on Friday to allow more rapid disbursement of emergency funds in case a major eruption unfolds.Authorities raised the alert level for the volcano on Thursday after superheated streams of gas, debris and rocks cascaded down its upper slope, indicating activity below the surface tha...

Islamic State claims responsibility for suicide bombing on memorial service in northeast Afghanistan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:11:58 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on a memorial service in northeast Afghanistan that killed at least 13 people and wounded 30 others.In a statement late Friday, the IS regional affiliate — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — said the attacker targeted the service near Nabawi Mosque in the city of Faizabad in Badakhshan province on Thursday.The militant group’s statement gave higher casualty figures than those provided by the Taliban-run government, claiming that at least 20 senior Taliban officials died and 50 others were injured.The memorial service was being held for Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, the deputy governor of Badakhshan killed in a car bombing on Tuesday in Faizabad. That attack, which killed the deputy governor’s driver and wounded 10 others, was also claimed by the Islamic State group.A former Taliban police official was among those killed in the memorial service explosion, said the Taliban interior ministry spok...

Hong Kong launches bid to attract Canadian companies, but rights group warns of risks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:11:58 GMT

Hong Kong’s government is betting that Canadian companies and other overseas businesses will put profits over politics as it tries to lure talent and industry back to the city that has been cracking down on dissent after quashing a pro-democracy protest movement. A Toronto-based official involved in the pitch that was advertised in Canadian newspapers this week says it’s targeting companies that want to “just get on with business” and remain “focused on their balance sheets.”Billions of dollars in Hong Kong government funding are available to foreign firms setting up shop there.But activists warn that businesses and individuals alike considering a move to Hong Kong face risks since the passage of a controversial national security law in 2020 and subsequent arrests of government critics.Aileen Calverley, co-founder of the human rights group Hong Kong Watch, said Canadian authorities should be highlighting such risks to Canadian companies. “Fo...

5 killed in explosion at rocket and explosives factory in Turkey

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:11:58 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — An explosion at a rocket and explosives factory has killed five workers, Turkey’s defense ministry said.The explosion occurred early on Saturday in the district of Elmadag, on the outskirts of the capital, Ankara.The cause of the explosion was not immediately known.The Associated Press

Daily horoscope for June 10, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:11:58 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Pisces.Happy Birthday for Saturday, June 10, 2023:You love glamour, the arts and intense unions. You also love to schmooze and be active and in the thick of things. This is a year of change for you, which means you have to be courageous and stay flexible. Seek out new opportunities! Open any door!ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★Behind-the-scenes discussions for research might ultimately boost your income. Pay attention! You also might dream up or hear from someone else about new and better ways to use something that you already own. Perhaps you can repurpose it or combine it with something. Tonight: Make plans.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★Be careful, because it’s easy to become obsessed with things today. Or perhaps you can’t get a song out of your head, like “I Shot the Sheriff.” This quality will also make you persuasive with ideas that you value. You actually might hav...

Common values and common interests: 50 years of Bangladesh-EU Partnership celebrated in dance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:11:58 GMT

Bangladesh and the European Union completed 50 years of their diplomatic relations in 2023. As a mark of celebration, the Embassy of Bangladesh in Brussels showcased a vibrant display of Bangladeshi culture, colours, tradition and history through dance at the Bozar Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels.It was a joyous occasion but also a significant one, with the European External Action Service confirming that it was ready to negotiate a new comprehensive partnership agreement with the country that has become the economic miracle of South Asia, writes Political Editor Nick Powell.The dancing was spectacular indeed. Six dancers had travelled specially from Dhaka to mark 50 years of Bangladesh-EU relations with a moving and impressive interpretation of their country’s history, of the country’s partnership with the EU, followed by a celebration of the rich ...