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Australia pushes against China’s Pacific influence through a security pact with Papua New Guinea

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:48 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government signed a security pact with its nearest neighbor Papua New Guinea on Thursday that strengthens Australia’s place as the preferred security partner in a region where China’s influence is growing.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Papuan counterpart James Marape signed the agreement in Australia’s Parliament House six months later than initially planned.The June date was abandoned after a security deal struck between the United States and Marape’s government sparked protests in the South Pacific nation in May over concerns that it undermined Papua New Guinea’s sovereignty.Marape said the agreement with Australia respects both nations’ sovereignty and was initiated by his government. He said the security agreements with Australia and the United States did not mean he was siding with those nations in their strategic competition against China.“Our major foreign policy as friends to all, enemies to none remains. And it’s never pick...

A milestone for Notre Dame: 1 year until cathedral reopens to public after devastating fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:48 GMT

PARIS (AP) — When flames tore into Notre Dame in 2019, people who worked in the cathedral felt orphaned. But as the world-famous Paris landmark’s reopening draws closer, they are beginning to picture their return to the place they call home and are impatient to breathe life back into its repaired stonework and vast spaces.The restoration of Notre Dame hits a milestone Friday: one year until the cathedral reopens its huge doors to the public, on Dec. 8, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will don a hard hat and tour the fenced-off reconstruction site where stonemasons, carpenters and hundreds of other artisans are hammering away to meet the 12-month deadline.When their job is done, they will hand over to Notre Dame’s priests, employees, chorists and worshippers. With prayers, songs and devotion, they’ll give the cathedral the kiss of life and celebration to nudge aside the pain the April 15, 2019, blaze inflicted on French hearts and Catholic faithful around the...

Stock market today: Asian shares slide after retreat on Wall Street as crude oil prices skid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:48 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares fell Thursday in Asia after a retreat on Wall Street as crude oil prices slipped on expectations that supply might outpace demand. Benchmarks fell more than 1% in Tokyo and Hong Kong. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 fell 0.4% in its third straight loss though the index remains near its best level in 20 months.A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude tumbled roughly 4%, to 4,549.34, on Wednesday as expectations built that the world has too much oil available for the slowing global economy’s demand. It sank below $70, down more than $20 since September. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 3.8% to $74.30 per barrel.Early Thursday, U.S. crude was up 29 cents at $69.67 per barrel. Brent crude rose 31 cents to $74.61 per barrel. China reported that its exports rose 0.5% in November, the first year-on-year month of increase since April, but imports fell.China has been grappling with sluggish foreign trade this year amid slack global demand and a stalled recovery, desp...

Regional integration is imperative for peace and security in the South Caucasus

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:48 GMT

The collapse of the separatist regime in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan in September completed the de-occupation process of the country’s occupied territories. This has effectively brought an end to the decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the mentioned region. The mutual recognition each other’s territorial integrity by the two countries, and in particular, Armenia's recognition of Garabagh as part of Azerbaijan, has laid a strong foundation for a more stable and peaceful future between the two nations. The statement by the Armenian parliamentary speaker Alen Simonyan on November 28 concerning Armenia’s recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity including the Garabagh region and his emphasis that “The Garabagh issue no longer exists for Yerevan” promise more constructive developments in the future, writes Vasif Huseynov1.These positive dynamics between the two countries create a good basis also for the integration amongst the three countries of the So...

Upscale rooftop restaurant in Hollywood has rat problem, workers say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:48 GMT

Warning: This article contains pictures of dead vermin.Several current and former employees of the Sky Terrace restaurant at the W Hollywood, an upscale hotel at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, are coming clean and speaking out about what they say is a rat infestation in some of the eatery's facilities.  Five cooks, servers and receivers at the rooftop restaurant said they repeatedly reported the persistent vermin problem to managers but felt like their concerns were not taken seriously.  In a complaint the group filed with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, they accuse Mosaic LLC, the management company that operates Sky Terrace and the W Hollywood, of “(1) failing to maintain premises to prevent the entrance or harborage of vermin and (2) failing to institute a continuous and effective extermination program.”  Edward Diaz, a former line cook at the restaurant, said management doesn’t seem to understand how the infestation problem affects...

L.A. County business owner frustrated at repeated break-ins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:48 GMT

A Los Angeles County business owner fears for the safety and future of his business after it was burglarized several times over the past two years, with the latest incident happening Wednesday morning. Around 5 a.m., security cameras captured a blue Kia Soul smashing into a gate several times surrounding Glassell Park Construction and Electronics Company located in the 2300 block of North San Fernando. After breaking down the gate, at least a dozen suspects were able to break in. Moments later, the thieves were seen fleeing the scene with expensive items including instruments and equipment, ditching the Kia and racing to other getaway cars.Security cameras captured a blue Kia Soul bashing down a gate several times surrounding Glassell Park Construction and Electronics Company, allowing at least a dozen suspects to break in on Dec. 6, 2023. (Glassell Park Construction and Electronics Company)The business owner, Ryan Baggaley, says he received a phone call from the ring system an...

Skinny Puppy Say Farewell at the Belasco

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:48 GMT

Skinny Puppy Say Farewell at the Belasco: The final stop on the second leg of Skinny Puppy’s final tour was Los Angeles, and the last of four nights at this city’s Belasco took place on Tuesday evening, December 5. So unless the core members — Orge and cEvin Key — have a massive change if heart, that was the last ever Skinny Puppy show.A change of heart is unlikely; when chatting to the two men for our cover story last month, Ogre offered a swift “No” when asked if he’ll miss performing with Key. Key was a little more diplomatic.“Throughout my history of performing with Ogre, even witnessing his performances is unbelievable. The guy puts everything into the performances and into the shows. Quite honestly, most of our problems were off stage. On stage, we seem to have a huge amount of respect for what each other does. So I don’t disrespect the work.”(Brett Callwood)That’s fair enough. Skinny Puppy certainly made it their bus...

3.8 earthquake reported in Los Banos

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:48 GMT

(KRON) -- A 3.8 magnitude earthquake was reported in Los Banos on Wednesday night, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake hit about 26 kilometers southwest of Los Banos at 10:16 p.m. Los Banos is located in San Joaquin Valley in Merced County.No other information was immediately available.

San Francisco businesses ask city to pay for losses suffered during APEC

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:48 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Nearly a month after the APEC summit, business owners in San Francisco are demanding the city reimburse them for lost revenue experienced during the week-long security event.The APEC summit turned much of the South of Market area into a high-security zone, shutting down streets to traffic and requiring credentials for pedestrians. Because of that, some business owners say they lost more than $50,000 worth of business. Many of them spoke out at the Board of Supervisors budget meeting Wednesday. Alameda County supervisors ask Oakland A’s to pay for Coliseum ”San Francisco’s hosting of APEC was exactly what we said it would be for small businesses,” said Manuel Ramirez, owner of Korean fried chicken restaurant Bonchon. ”A complete disruption of our revenue streams and ability to operate.”Ramirez is one of 50 business owners who signed a petition saying they experienced financial losses during the week of the APEC summit. He says Bonchon made just 20% of its wee...

Is Europe’s new satellite initiative already outdated?  

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:48 GMT

It has taken a while, but Europe has recently recognized that for pressing defence issues a software solution is very often state of the art. Boosting defence today is often less a matter of spending ever-increasing amounts on expensive hardware: military planners now recognize that software can drastically augment the performance of new platforms as well as retrofit legacy equipment, while being cost-effective compared to large platform procurements. It can also rejuvenate the combat power of European forces limited in mass.  This shift in understanding has boosted our ability to safeguard European sovereignty in the face of technological progress by adversarial actors. In the past 12 months, the first large contracts have been awarded to pure software defence companies, and while more work remains to be done, European governments have shown they can adapt, act and achieve state-of-the-art defence.  Europe has also thankfully absorbed another insight: space has ...