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Sweden’s rocky road from neutrality toward NATO membership

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:18:00 GMT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — When long-neutral Sweden applied for NATO membership together with Finland, both expected a quick accession process.More than a year later, Finland is in, but Sweden is still in the alliance’s waiting room.New entries must be approved by all existing members and as NATO leaders meet for a summit in Vilnius, Sweden is missing the green light from two: Turkey and Hungary.A major obstacle was overcome Monday when Turkey’s president agreed to send NATO’s accession documents to the Turkish Parliament for approval, something he had refused to do for more than a year.That means Sweden is now close to becoming NATO’s 32nd member, though not quite yet over the finish line. Here’s what to know about Sweden’s tumultuous road toward joining the alliance.FAREWELL TO NEUTRALITYFor a country that hasn’t fought a war in two centuries, the decision to join NATO was huge. Sweden declined to take sides during both world wars and throughout the Cold War...

Israelis block highways in nationwide protests over government’s plan to overhaul judiciary

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:18:00 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli protesters blocked highways leading to Jerusalem, Haifa and Tel Aviv on Tuesday, at the start of a day of countrywide demonstrations against the government’s planned judicial overhaul that has divided the nation.The demonstrations came the morning after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s parliamentary coalition gave initial approval for a bill to limit the Supreme Court’s oversight powers, pressing forward with the contentious proposed changes to the judiciary despite widespread opposition.The legislation is one of several bills proposed by Netanyahu’s ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox allies. The plan has provoked months of sustained protests by opponents who say it is pushing the country toward authoritarian rule.Anti-overhaul activists have called for nationwide mass demonstrations throughout the day, including protests at Israel’s main international airport that could disrupt travel. Police cleared protesters who blocked a main artery leading to...

Russia calls on NATO to discuss Ukraine nuclear plant at summit

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:18:00 GMT

Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday (9 July) that the leaders of the US-led transatlantic NATO defence alliance should discuss Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant at their summit this week.NATO leaders will meet in Vilnius on 11-12 July to tackle a wide range of topics, from divisions over Ukraine's membership bid and Sweden's accession to boosting ammunitions stockpiles and reviewing the first defence plans in decades.Accusing Ukraine of "systematic infliction of damage" to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Zakharova said that "the NATO summit's key attention should be devoted to it.""After all, the vast majority of the alliance members will be in the direct impact zone" (if something were to happen at the plant), Zakharova said on the Telegram messaging app.Vilnius is some 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from the nuclear plant, Europe's largest.Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of planning to attack the plant, which is located on Russian-...

Saint Louis City SC takes shutout streak into matchup with Los Angeles FC

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:18:00 GMT

Saint Louis City SC (12-7-2, first in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles FC (9-6-6, fourth in the Western Conference)Los Angeles; Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLS LINE: LAFC -188, Saint Louis +454, Draw +343; over/under is 3.5 goalsBOTTOM LINE: Saint Louis City SC comes into a matchup with Los Angeles FC after recording two straight shutout wins.LAFC is 8-6-5 in Western Conference games. Denis Bouanga paces the third-ranked scoring team in the Western Conference with 12. LAFC has scored 30 goals.Saint Louis is 9-6-2 against Western Conference opponents. Saint Louis ranks fourth in the league with 107 shots on goal, averaging 5.1 per game. Saint Louis is also second in MLS play with 40 goals.The teams meet Wednesday for the first time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Bouanga has 12 goals and one assist for LAFC. Carlos Vela has scored three goals over the past 10 games.Nicholas Gioacchini has eight goals and one assist for Saint Louis. Eduard Lowen has three goals over...

Helicopter with six on board missing near Mount Everest in Nepal

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:18:00 GMT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Helicopter with six on board missing near Mount Everest in Nepal.Source

Arlington superintendent Francisco Duran gets new 4-year contract

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:18:00 GMT

Francisco Durán will be the superintendent of Arlington County Public Schools. (Courtesy Arlington County Public Schools) Francisco Durán will be the superintendent of Arlington County Public Schools. (Courtesy Arlington County Public Schools) Citing Superintendent Francisco Durán’s leadership during the pandemic and investments in new resources used to teach reading, the Arlington School Board voted unanimously last week to renew his contract for another four years.Durán was entering the final year of his original contract, which he signed after being hired in 2020. He joined Arlington Public Schools from neighboring Fairfax County, where he worked as chief academic and equity officer for the state’s ...

Todo un arsenal: decomisan más de 1,000 armas y casi 24,000 proyectiles en prisiones de Honduras

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:18:00 GMT

TEGUCIGALPA – Al menos 1,105 armas de fuego de diverso calibre, entre regulares y artesanales, y 23,925 proyectiles, fueron incautados durante la Operación Fe y Esperanza en las 25 cárceles del sistema penitenciario de Honduras, informó este lunes la Policía Militar de Orden Público (PMOP).Entre 171 armas regulares incautadas figuran fusiles AR-15, M-16, AK-47, Galil, subametralladoras Uzi, escopetas, ocho granadas de fragmentación y once granadas de gas, indicó en una rueda de prensa en Tegucigalpa el titular de la PMOP, Ramiro Muñoz.Se suman 934 armas de fabricación casera, alrededor de 5,000 envoltorios de marihuana y cocaína; 507 teléfonos móviles, tres satelitales, más de un centenar de aparatos de comunicación electrónica, 945 televisores, 20 aires acondicionados, 388 equipos de sonido, 18 chalecos y 533,283 lempiras (unos $21,600), entre otras cosas, que fueron mostradas a la prensa en Tegucigalpa.Lo hallado en el interior de los centros penales hasta ahora “es ap...

NATO summit boosted by Turkey’s decision to end opposition to Sweden’s bid to join alliance

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:18:00 GMT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — NATO opened its summit Tuesday with fresh momentum after Turkey withdrew its objections to Sweden joining the alliance, a step toward the unity that Western leaders have been eager to demonstrate in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a significant move toward Sweden’s membership and it will alleviate tension in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital. The deal was reached after days of intensive meetings, and it’s poised to expand the alliance’s strength in Northern Europe. “Rumors of the death of NATO’s unity were greatly exaggerated,” Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, told reporters triumphantly on Tuesday morning. As part of the deal, Erdogan said he would ask Turkey’s parliament to approve Sweden joining NATO. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, another holdout, is expected to take a similar step. The outcome is a victory for President Joe Biden...

At least 5 dead after helicopter carrying foreign tourists crashes near Mount Everest in Nepal

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:18:00 GMT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — At least five people were killed after a helicopter carrying foreign tourists crashed Tuesday near Mount Everest in Nepal, and one other person on the aircraft was still missing.The helicopter crashed in the Lamajura area and rescuers had recovered the bodies of five people and were searching for the sixth, said Basanta Bhattarai, the chief government administrator in the area.The aircraft was returning to the capital Kathmandu on Tuesday morning after bringing the five tourists on a sightseeing trip to the world’s highest peak.The tourists were believed to be Mexican nationals while the pilot was Nepalese.Airport official Sagar Kadel said weather conditions had caused changes to be made to the helicopter’s planned flight route. It is common for flights to be delayed and routes changed during the monsoon season amid heavy rains.The tourist and mountaineering season ended in May with the onset of the rainy season and tourist flights to the mountains are ...

The dismembered body of a missing German businessman is found in the freezer of a home in Thailand

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:18:00 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — The dismembered body of a 62-year-old German businessman who has been missing for a week has been found in the freezer of a house in southern Thailand, police said Tuesday.Tawee Kudthalaeng, chief of police in the town of Nong Prue, said the body of Hans-Peter Mack was found at about 11 p.m. Monday. Investigators were able to locate the body by using security camera footage from the area, Tawee said. He did not elaborate, but photos and video from the camera published by Thai media showed the white freezer in the bed of a black truck on the road with a man squatting next to it. Mack was last seen driving in his Mercedes sedan in Pattaya, a coastal city in southern Thailand, according to a missing person announcement distributed by his family that offered a reward of 3 million baht ($86,000) for information leading to his return. The telephone number listed on the poster for tips went unanswered Tuesday. Mack lived in Pattaya with his Thai wife, and worked as a real es...