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Hungary to veto Bulgaria’s Schengen bid over tax on Russia gas, minister says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:37 GMT

Hungary will veto Bulgaria’s bid to enter Europe’s border-free Schengen area unless Sofia removes a transit levy on Russian gas, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Saturday.Budapest would use its veto power to block Bulgaria accession talks, according to Szijjártó, as Hungary accuses its neighbor of carrying out a hostile action by charging an extra tax for the Russian gas transitting its territory through the Turkstream pipeline. Sofia in October introduced an additional tax of 20 lev, roughly 10 euro, per cubic meter on all Russian gas flowing on its soil.“Bulgaria’s decision, which is completely contrary to European legislation, risks stopping gas supplies, including to Hungary,” Szijjártó said, according to a post on social media by a Hungarian government spokesperson. Russia supplies Hungary with 4.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year under a deal signed in 2021. The gas arrives to Hungary mainly through Bulgaria and Serbia.“We have made it clear...

Mourners say final farewell to National Grid worker killed in Waltham crash

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:37 GMT

Family members and friends of the National Grid worker who was killed in last week’s deadly crash in Waltham gathered for his fun wake and funeral on Saturday. Roderick Jackson, 36, was killed last Wednesday along with Waltham Police Officer Paul Tracey when a man in a pickup truck allegedly struck them at a worksite on Totten Pond Road. Tracey was laid to rest on Friday after his funeral in Waltham. Jackson’s funeral services are being held at St. Paul AME church in Cambridge.“Oh my God,” said Jackson’s mother, Norma Asprilla, on Friday. “I’m burying my baby. Horrific.”“He supported all of us to the fullest,” said Jackson’s brother, Manuel Asprilla-Hassan. “He didn’t just mean everything to us, he was everything to us and we lost it all.”Known as “Kito” to his siblings and mother, Jackson’s family said he had been working for National Grid for three years when he was killed. “After tomorrow, I will never get to see him again,” said Norma Asprilla. “It’s painful for all of us.”...

Woman arrested in connection with fatal Sanbornton, NH crash

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:37 GMT

A 38-year-old Franklin, New Hampshire woman is facing criminal charges in connection with a fatal crash in Sanbornton, New Hampshire late Friday night that left a Pittsfield, New Hampshire man dead, officials said.Troopers responding to a reported crash on I-93 southbound around 10:30 p.m. found an Audi Q5 about 20 feet down an embankment and a Volkswagen Jetta about 100 feet south and off into the median, according to New Hampshire State Police.The driver of the Audi, Kristina Perry, was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated.The driver of the Jetta, Gabriel Anthony, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene.A preliminary investigation suggests Anthony’s vehicle was disabled in the breakdown lane when he was struck outside of his vehicle.Perry was ordered held without bail pending her arraignment Monday in Belknap Superior Court.Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Trooper Eric Torrens at [email protected].

US and Britain say their navies shot down 15 attack drones over the Red Sea

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:37 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A U.S. warship shot down 14 suspected attack drones over the Red Sea on Saturday, and a Royal Navy destroyer downed another drone that was targeting commercial ships, the British and American militaries said.Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, and have launched drones and missiles targeting Israel, as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to spread.U.S. Central Command said that the destroyer USS Carney “successfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems” launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.The drones “were shot down with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries,” Central Command tweeted.U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said that HMS Diamond fired a Sea Viper missile and destroyed a drone that was “targeting merchant shipping.” The overnight action is the first time the Royal Navy has shot down an aerial target in anger since the 1991 Gul...

Beloved SeaWorld beluga whale, 'Ferdinand,' dies at 53

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:37 GMT

SAN DIEGO — A beloved beluga whale that resided in SeaWorld San Diego for nearly two decades passed away at the estimated age of 53, the theme park announced in a social media post on Friday.The whale, named "Ferdinand," was the oldest of three living in the park, and was known for his playful personality and uniquely elongated head. According to park officials, he lived "a very full life," surpassing the average 30 to 50 year lifespan for the cetacean species."We will miss Ferdinand dearly and we sincerely appreciate the support from our community and his fans all over the world," park officials said in the post announcing the whale's passing on Friday. "Ferdinand will be remembered for his great personality and amazing relationships with his animal care team." New home for the holidays: Birch Aquarium takes in five new penguins Ferdinand came to SeaWorld in 2004 after spending nearly 30 years at the Duiesberg Zoo in Germany. He was believed to have been about five years old when...

Trader Joe's opening new store in Santee

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:37 GMT

SANTEE, Calif. -- You can find Trader Joe's stores scattered throughout San Diego County. Now, a new location is coming to East County where the closest one is a bit of a drive away. Santee is getting a brand new Trader Joe's location, a company spokesperson confirmed Friday. Raising Cane’s bringing ‘craveable’ chicken to new Imperial Beach location The grocery store chain has locations throughout San Diego County, including Carmel Mountain Ranch, Chula Vista, Scripps Ranch, La Jolla, Point Loma and more. Currently, the nearest Trader Joe's location to Santee is on Grossmont Center Drive in La Mesa.The newest location will be opening in Santee in the near future. The company did not give a timeline of when the new store is expected to open, but did say it would be announced on their website in advance. The exact location of the new store was also not released at this time. New home for the holidays: Birch Aquarium takes in five new penguins Nationwide, the grocery store chain ...

US Senate confirms Shreveport attorney as first Black judge in Louisiana’s Western District

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:37 GMT

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — A north Louisiana attorney is now the first Black federal judge to serve on the state’s U.S. Western District Court following confirmation by the U.S. Senate.Jerry Edwards Jr., of Shreveport, was one of two judicial nominations by Democratic President Joe Biden. Brandon Scott Long of New Orleans was the other nomination approved Thursday.Edwards will serve the district in the court based in Alexandria while Long will serve on Louisiana’s U.S. Eastern District Court, based in New Orleans, The Shreveport Times reported.“I was glad to support both Mr. Edwards and Mr. Long,” said Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy in a statement. “They each have the experience, qualifications and knowledge of the law to rule fairly and consistently. I wish them the best as they begin this new chapter dedicated to serving Louisiana and the country. ”Edwards has served as first assistant U.S. attorney in the Western District in Shreveport since 2022. Before that, he serve...

South African ex-President Jacob Zuma has denounced the ANC and pledged to vote for a new party

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:37 GMT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Former President Jacob Zuma on Saturday denounced the governing African National Congress party and announced that he would vote for a newly-formed political formation in South Africa’s general election next year.Zuma, who was president of the ANC from 2007 to 2017, said that he’s backing the newly-formed Umkhonto we Sizwe party that is named after the ANC’s now-defunct military wing, which was disbanded after the liberation struggle.Zuma, 81, called on other South Africans to vote for the new formation, saying it would be “a betrayal to vote for the ANC” of President Cyril Ramaphosa.The country’s general election scheduled for 2024 is expected to be highly contested, because the ruling ANC, which has governed the country since Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first democratically-elected leader in 1994, faces a myriad of challenges.Recent polls have suggested that the ANC could for the first time garner less than 50% of the national vote in...

Alberta’s renewable energy pause could become lingering stumble, observers say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:37 GMT

EDMONTON — It was just supposed to be a pause, a breather for an overburdened regulator and concerned public to catch up with an industry growing beyond expectations. But for those who study the renewable electricity industry, as well as for those in it, the six-month moratorium on project approvals slated to come off in February could turn out to be a crucial stumble that costs Alberta its lead, perhaps forever.  “It’s unlikely to think this kind of pause and decision will have no impact on investment,” said Sara Hastings-Simon of the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy. “It’s hard to know how large (the impact) is … but we’re in a competitive market to attract capital.”As recently as last summer, the sun shone bright and the breezes were favourable for Alberta renewables. The Business Renewable Centre, a group that links buyers and producers of renewable energy, said Alberta was on track to see $3.7 billion worth of const...

A Black woman was criminally charged after a miscarriage. It shows the perils of pregnancy post-Roe

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:37 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio was in the throes of a bitter debate over abortion rights this fall when Brittany Watts, 21 weeks and 5 days pregnant, began passing thick blood clots.The 33-year-old Watts, who had not shared the news of her pregnancy even with her family, made her first prenatal visit to a doctor’s office behind Mercy Health-St. Joseph’s Hospital in Warren, a working-class city about 60 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Cleveland.The doctor said that, while a fetal heartbeat was still present, Watts’ water had broken prematurely and the fetus she was carrying would not survive. He advised heading to the hospital to have her labor induced, so she could have what amounted to an abortion to deliver the nonviable fetus. Otherwise, she would face “significant risk” of death, records of her case show.That was a Tuesday in September. What followed was a harrowing three days entailing: multiple trips to the hospital; Watts miscarrying into, and then flushing and plunging, a to...