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The US is welcomed in the Indo-Pacific region and should do more, ambassador to Japan says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:44 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is welcomed in the Indo-Pacific region and needs to update its approach to have stronger presence there to counter China’s influence, said the top American diplomat to Tokyo.Speaking at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York on Friday, Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, said the region is turning to the U..S. when China is becoming a threat, and he described Japan as an essential player in the U.S.-led alliances and an influential power that works side by side with the U.S. in the region. “We, as a country, strategically, defense-wise, economically, we have to think of a new and kind of modernized way we approach Japan and the region as well,” Emanuel told Daniel Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the institute.“The region wants all of America, not just part of America, economically, militarily, diplomatically, politically,” Emanuel said. “Because they know, an untethered China is a real risk t...

Greek economy wins new vote of confidence with credit rating upgrade and hopes for investment boost

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:44 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece won new certification of its financial health Friday, as Standard & Poor’s became the first of the three major international ratings agencies to upgrade the formerly struggling country’s credit rating to investment grade.The one-notch upgrade, from BB+ to BBB-, is expected to significantly boost market confidence in the Greek economy, attracting investment and lowering borrowing costs. The center-right government hailed it as a major success. It came more than a decade after Greece’s bonds were relegated to sub-investment — or junk — grade amid the financial crisis that pushed the country to the brink of financial collapse and forced three massive international bailouts.To secure the rescue loans, successive Greek governments undertook to impose painful spending cuts and tax hikes while broadly reforming the economy and balancing the state budget.S&P said Greece’s outlook was stable, while a further reduction in the countr...

Biden asks Congress to secure $105 billion for Ukraine, Israel, the border and more

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:44 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Friday released a sweeping set of proposals to bolster Israel and Ukraine in the midst of two wars as well as invest more in domestic defense manufacturing, humanitarian assistance and managing the influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.The total cost of the supplemental funding request was pegged at just over $105 billion. President Joe Biden hopes Congress will move urgently on the legislation, and he made the case for deepening U.S. support for its allies during a rare Oval Office address on Thursday night.The Democratic president’s plan faces some immediate complications on Capitol Hill, even as most lawmakers say they want to help both countries. The House is at a standstill, unable to pass legislation, as the Republican majority struggles to choose a new speaker. The money could also get bogged down in a divided Senate where Republicans have increasingly opposed Ukraine aid and demanded adding additional border policies to the measure...

Air France pilot falls off cliff to his death while hiking California’s towering Mount Whitney

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:44 GMT

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — A pilot from France who disappeared while hiking California’s towering Mount Whitney was found dead after falling about 1,000 feet (305 meters) off a cliff, the National Park Service said Friday.The hiker was identified as Tom Gerbier of Fontenay-sous-Bois, France, who was a pilot for Air France, the park service said in a statement. He was 38, according to a missing poster issued by the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, which was part of the search. The tallest mountain in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney rises 14,494 feet (4,418 meters) on the eastern border of Sequoia National Park and is a difficult but popular hike. Gerbier started out at Whitney Portal near the town of Lone Pine early Tuesday and was reported missing when he didn’t show up for his return flight Wednesday, the park service said. The park service and local authorities sent ground teams to the area Thursday.The searchers spotted clues that someone may ...

III Points Music Festival kicks off in Wynwood, drawing big crowds and big traffic

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:44 GMT

More than 100 bands will let the music play all weekend long in the Magic City, as the III Points Music Festival kicked off in Wynwood to big crowds and a few traffic headaches.Revelers began flocking to Mana Wynwood Convention Center along Northwest 23rd Street, Friday afternoon.There are about 27,500 people expected to be behind the gates on Friday, and roughly the same amount of people on Saturday.Among them is Matthew Greenberg, who said he’s seeing his top-of-the-line headliners.“I would say Fred Again and Skrillex, they’re like the two, like, the reason I’m here,” he said. “They’re really talented; they’re kinda what got me into electronic music when I was younger.”But the acts performing this weekend extend well beyond EDM.“I haven’t looked at the schedule, honestly,” said attendee Traphouselily, an up-and-coming artist.Traphouselily said he came to see the shows and catch a couple of good ideas for his f...

American mother and daughter taken hostage by Hamas are released as humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:44 GMT

(CNN) — Hamas released two American hostages, Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie Raanan, on Friday nearly two weeks after launching a deadly attack in Israel and abducting around 200 people.The US citizens were handed over at the border with Gaza and are now in the care of the Israel Defense Forces, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Friday. They are currently on their way to an Israeli military base to be reunited with family, according to the office for Israel’s prime minister.The Raanans are from Chicago and had been visiting relatives in Nahal Oz, a farming community in southern Israel, when they were taken hostage on October 7, according to their family.During the attack, Hamas militants killed more than 1,400 people, including civilians and soldiers, according to Israeli authorities. It was the most deadly attack by militants in Israel’s 75-year history and revealed a staggering intelligence failure by the country’s security forces.Israel has sinc...

Regular service resumes after shuttle buses replace trains on part of Green Line

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:44 GMT

Regular service resumed Friday evening after shuttle buses temporarily replaced train service along part of the MBTA’s Green Line, the T said. The MBTA first announced delays on the Green Line in a post on X around 3:45 p.m., saying a train with a pantograph problem near Lechmere station was to blame.In an update shortly after 4 p.m., the T said shuttle buses were replacing service between North Station and Union Square station as well as between North Station and the Medford/Tufts station. The T said shuttles were continuing to replace train service around 4:45 p.m. Shortly before 7:30 p.m., the T said trains were running again in the area after crews made repairs to the overhead wire. While shuttle buses had been phased out, the T said riders should expect residual delays of about 15 minutes.

Ravens OLB Odafe Oweh set to return Sunday; safety Marcus Williams, Lions RB David Montgomery out

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:44 GMT

For the first time since Week 2, the Ravens will have Odafe Oweh back on the field.The third-year outside linebacker was a full participant in practice for a second straight day Friday in Owings Mills and did not have an injury designation for Sunday’s home game against the Detroit Lions (5-1). Oweh had been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury against the Bengals in Cincinnati and returned to practice earlier this week.His return is a welcome one for a group that has leaned on veteran additions Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy the past few weeks. The Ravens, though, are tied with the Buffalo Bills for the league lead with 24 sacks.“He looked good,” coach John Harbaugh said Friday of Oweh, who has eight sacks in 34 games after being drafted No. 31 overall in 2021. “It was good to see him back out there.”The only Ravens who did not practice Friday were safety Marcus Williams (hamstring) and cornerback Kevon Seymour (ankle). Both are out for Sunday,...

Ticker: US auto workers’ union boss says strikes will continue; Spirit Airlines cancels dozens of flights

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:44 GMT

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said Friday that while Detroit’s automakers have increased their wage and benefit offers, he believes the union can gain more if it holds out longer in contract talks.In a Facebook Live appearance, Fain didn’t announce any more factories to add to those that have been on strike for up to five weeks. But he warned that the UAW could announce such an expansion of its strikes at any time, depending on how much progress it makes in its negotiations with the automakers.In the past 24 hours, Fain said, Stellantis and GM have made wage offers that matched Ford’s 23% over the life of a four year contract. But, speaking in his characteristic sharp tones, the union president insisted that the companies can go further.Spirit Airlines cancels dozens of flightsSpirit Airlines canceled about 100 flights on Friday after pulling some planes out of service for inspections, and the airline expects the disruptions to last several days.Spirit did not describe th...

Gaza ground invasion appears imminent

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:44 GMT

A ground invasion appears imminent after the Israeli defense minister monitored his forces as tanks and troops amassed near the Gaza border.The Jerusalem Post reports that Yoav Gallant arrived near the border last night to meet with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officials. “He closely monitored the readiness of the Israeli forces for a possible ground invasion of Gaza,” the Post reported.There’s a growing expectation of a ground offensive that Israel says is aimed at rooting out Hamas militants who rule Gaza. Israel said it does not plan to take long-term control over the tiny territory, home to some 2.3 million people.As the Israeli military punished Gaza with airstrikes, authorities inched closer to bringing aid from Egypt to desperate families and hospitals. Fighting between Israel and militants in neighboring Lebanon also raged, prompting evacuations of Lebanese and Israeli border towns as fears of a widening conflict grew.A potential Israeli ground assault is li...