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Northern Ireland’s civil servants: It’s up to UK ministers, not us, to fix fiscal crisis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:47 GMT

Northern Ireland’s senior civil servants told a parliamentary committee Wednesday it will be up to the British government, not themselves, to impose an estimated £800 million in spending cuts and tax hikes needed to balance the region’s debt-addled books.Their warning — the first in public by officials who normally keep their views away from public microphones — follows a trio of reports Tuesday from the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council identifying a range of possible measures to bring red ink under control at Stormont, where a Brexit-related walkout by the Democratic Unionists has put cross-community government on ice and left civil servants effectively running the show.The advisory body said Northern Ireland faced a 3.3 percent spending cut this year in real terms, taking account of inflation, unless more revenue could be found. One measure floated to balance the books includes the introduction of household water charges already levied elsewhere across the U.K.The head of the North...

NATO warns Russia could target undersea pipelines and cables

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:47 GMT

There is a “significant risk” Russia could target critical infrastructure in Europe or North America, including gas pipelines and internet cables, as part of its confrontation with the West over Ukraine, a senior NATO intelligence official warned.David Cattler, NATO’s assistant secretary general for intelligence and security, told reporters Russia was “actively mapping” the infrastructure of Ukraine’s allies both on land and on the seabed. Moscow’s military and civilian intelligence services had “considerable resources” that Vladimir Putin could deploy for surveillance of infrastructure, “including the use of civilian ships and so-called spy ships,” Cattler added.The threat posed to undersea gas pipelines that supply Europe was starkly exposed by the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic last September. Cattler said that undersea cables that carry 95 percent of internet traffic were also potentially at risk.“The Russians are more active than we’ve seen them...

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid named NBA’s 2022-23 MVP

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:47 GMT

(CNN) — Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2022-23 season.Embiid beat out the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić in a battle between three of the NBA’s premier big men for the inaugural Michael Jordan trophy.Embiid averaged a league-high 33.1 points per game during the regular season to go along with 10.2 rebounds per game.This is the first career MVP award for Embiid, the first ever awarded to a player from Cameroon and just the second time for a player from Africa. This is also the fifth consecutive season that an international player has won the award.Embiid has missed the 76ers’ last two games with a knee injury and hasn’t played a game since April 20. 76ers’ coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday that Embiid is considered “doubtful” for Philadelphia’s Game 2 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semif...

Olympic gold medalist Tori Bowie dies aged 32

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:47 GMT

(CNN) — American sprinter and long jumper Tori Bowie — a three-time Olympic medalist and a two-time world champion in track and field — has died, according to her agent, Kimberly Holland. Bowie was 32 years old.Holland told CNN on Wednesday that Bowie was found dead at home in Florida and that the cause of death is not known yet.“We’re devasted [sic] to share the very sad news that Tori Bowie has passed away,” an Instagram post from Bowie’s representation and Holland’s company, Icon Management Inc., said.“We’ve lost a client, dear friend, daughter and sister. Tori was a champion…a beacon of light that shined so bright! We’re truly heartbroken and our prayers are with the family, friends and everyone that loved her.”The post also added: “As the story continues to develop, we ask that you please respect our privacy.”USA Track and Field said on Twitter that it was ...

Manchester, NH police issue alert over multiple armed robberies involving Facebook Marketplace

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:47 GMT

Police in Manchester, New Hampshire, say their department is investigating multiple cases of armed robberies involving Facebook Marketplace.The Manchester Police Department said “a series of robberies” have been reported in the city over the last few months – all involving victims who thought they were buying smart phones via listings on Facebook, only to be robbed at gunpoint when attempting to receive the item offline.“The victim arrives at the pre-arranged meeting place, and multiple armed suspects described as younger, possibly teenagers, approach and rob them at gunpoint,” the department stated in a news release.The release did not state how many robberies had taken place, but noted that all cases were under investigation and that anyone with information is asked to call police at 603-668-8711.Authorities also advised the public to always view a seller/buyer’s profile before meeting up to complete a transaction and to not proceed if anything ...

Former Chicago Bears player Israel Idonije lists South Loop condo for $675,000

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:47 GMT

Former Chicago Bears defensive end Israel Idonije placed his three-bedroom, 2,300-square-foot condominium on the seventh floor of a 14-story loft building in the South Loop on the market on March 29 for $675,000.Born in Nigeria and raised in Manitoba, Idonije, 42, played for the Bears from 2003 until 2012. After his playing career ended, he settled in Chicago, working as an entrepreneur and running a foundation. One of his current projects is Athlitacomics, which delivers unique comic content, comic properties and related merchandise in the merged markets of comics and sports. He also is a part-owner of the Chicago Red Stars women’s soccer club, and he is the CEO and founder of Blessed Communion, a Chicago-based firm that produces communion cups.Idonije paid $705,000 in mid-2017 for the condo, which is in a building that was constructed in 2008. The 40-foot-wide unit, which consists of two combined units, has two bathrooms, a den, city and lake views, an open-concept living ar...

Jets expected to sign WR Randall Cobb to add another former Aaron Rodgers teammate to roster: report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:47 GMT

Gang Green is set to make another move to bring in one of Aaron Rodgers’ old buddies.The Jets are expected to sign veteran wide receive Randall Cobb to a one-year contract, according to ESPN. The deal is not complete, but it is expected to be finalized soon.Once the Cobb signing is complete, he will be the fourth former Packers player to sign with the Jets this offseason, joining wide receiver Allen Lazard, quarterback Tim Boyle and tackle Billy Turner. Gang Green also added offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, the Packers offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021.Adding Cobb isn’t a surprise as the Jets were looking to add another wide receiver. Also, Cobb and Rodgers have a close relationship. He was one of the names the 39-year-old superstar quarterback recommended to the Jets when he met with them in California in March before he was traded to the team last week. Odell Beckham Jr. was also on the list, but he signed a one-year deal with the Ravens as he will receiv...

PHOTOS: 'Sea of Sunflowers' bloom in North County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:47 GMT

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers and that appears to be especially true at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad.The 50-acre ranch has rows and rows of ranunculus that are still in peak bloom. Plus, the Carlsbad Ranch announced Tuesday that their 5-acre "Sea of Sunflowers" has now blossomed and is open for viewing. Peer into the San Diego Zoo at home with these live cams Visitors of the ranch can stroll along paths across the field, taking time to snap those picture perfect moments amongst the flowers. For those who prefer to catch a ride, you can pay to hop on a tractor for a wagon ride that will take you right to the base of the sunflower sanctuary.According to a spokesperson from The Flower Fields, "some sunflowers are as big as small moons and others over 12 feet high." Here's a sneak peak of what to expect.(Photo released by The Flower Fields)(Photo released by The Flower Fields)Guests to the ranch can also explore a 1,500-square foot greenhouse...

Israeli airstrikes on Gaza kill Palestinian as violence ebbs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:47 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip killed a 58-year-old man and wounded five others on Wednesday, Palestinian health officials said, even as the latest spasm of violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the enclave appeared to ebb.Israeli fighter jets struck targets in Gaza in response to salvos of rockets launched by Palestinian militants at Israeli territory on Tuesday. But after sunrise, the violence seemed to subside as both sides signaled they wanted to avoid a wider conflict.The exchange erupted when a prominent Palestinian detainee died in Israeli custody after an 87-day hunger strike. The death of Khader Adnan, 45, a leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group credited with popularizing hunger strikes as an effective form of activism, reverberated across the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, where he is revered as a national hero. Protests erupted at Israeli military checkpoints and a general strike shuttered stores across the territ...

Stock market today: Stocks drift, banks steady ahead of Fed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:47 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are drifting Wednesday ahead of what Wall Street hopes will be the last hike to interest rates for a long time.The S&P 500 was up 0.1% in morning trading after slumping the prior day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 3 points, or less than 0.1%, at 33,687, as of 10:30 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.3% higher. Eli Lilly rose 4.3% after reporting encouraging results from a study of a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, and bank stocks were recovering some of their steep slide from a day before, while oil prices continued to fall. But the market’s spotlight is squarely on the Federal Reserve, which later in the afternoon will announce its latest move to combat high inflation. The wide assumption is that the Fed will lift its key overnight interest rate again to its highest level since 2007. More important is what clues the Fed gives about upcoming moves. The hope across Wall Street is that this will mark the end of the Fed’s fastest...