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After Burkina Faso ousts French, Russia’s Wagner may arrive

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:02 GMT

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Just weeks after Burkina Faso’s junta ousted hundreds of French troops, signs appeared that the West African country could be moving closer to Russia, including the mercenary outfit, the Wagner Group.One signal was Burkina Faso authorities requested in February, nearly $30 million in gold from its mines to be handed over for “public necessity.”It’s unclear what the gold was used for but some suspect the gold could be used to hire mercenaries from the Wagner Group that already is entrenched in other troubled African countries like Mali and Central African Republic.“It might be a coincidence that the Burkinabe demanded the purchase of the gold right after they kicked out the French and started moving closer to the Russians,” said William Linder, a retired CIA officer and head of 14 North Strategies, an Africa-focused risk advisory. “Still, it strikes fear among investors that the state will renege on existing agreements and disadvantage establish...

Free smoke alarm installations available in Troy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:02 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Volunteers with the American Red Cross will install smoke alarms for Troy residents on Saturday, April 29. The free "Sound the Alarm" event is scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! “A working smoke alarm can be the difference between survival and tragedy when a home fire strikes,” said Kevin Coffey, CEO, American Red Cross Eastern New York Region. “That’s why the Red Cross is teaming up with partners to help ensure Troy residents, especially those most vulnerable, have these lifesaving devices.”“New York leads the nation in fire deaths, which is why Troy is taking action and partnering with the American Red Cross to provide lifesaving alarms to families in need,” said City of Troy Mayor Wm. Patrick Madden. “I encourage families to register for this event, consider volunteering to help with alarm installations, and practice a fire escape plan that gets you and your fami...

Bennington hospital dropping mask requirement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:02 GMT

BENNINGTON, Vt. (NEWS10) — Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) announced on Thursday that masks will soon be optional for patients, visitors, and staff. The move made the hospital—and its campuses—one of the first healthcare facilities in the area to lift masking requirements. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The mandate will officially end Monday, April 10. A spokesperson for the medical center said anyone with respiratory symptoms, and those exposed to COVID, will still be required to mask up. “As community transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses decrease, we are now able to safely move away from requiring healthy individuals from wearing masks in most circumstances,” added Trey Dobson, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. “But anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms will be required to wear a mask.” NY Department of Health announces new COVID guidelines for nursing home ...

Putin opens talks with Belarus leader, no public mention of Ukraine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:02 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Belarus counterpart Alexander Lukashenko to Moscow on Wednesday (5 April) for two days of talks, but in their opening public remarks both men steered clear of the war in Ukraine.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week the two leaders would discuss Lukashenko's call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. Last month Putin said Russia would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus."I must say that we have done a lot as a result of our joint work in all areas," Putin told Lukashenko in comments broadcast by state television."We will discuss all of this tomorrow - this applies to our cooperation in the international arena and jointly solving questions of ensuring the security of our states."Moscow is Minsk's closest political and financial backer. Lukashenko allowed Putin to use the territory of Belarus as a launch pad for the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.Russia and Belarus are formally part of a Union State, a borderless union a...

Word Game: April 7, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:02 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — SAINTLY (SAINTLY: SAINT-lee: Holy.)Average mark 29 wordsTime limit 40 minutesCan you find 38 or more words in SAINTLY? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — PRINCIPLE pencil peril perp pier pile pincer pine pinier pipe piper plie plier prep price prince rein relic rice ricin rile ripe ripen ripple icer icier irenic nipper nipple clip clipper cripple lice lien line liner epicTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at k...

Ask Amy: I let a petty thing extinguish my crush, and I feel terrible

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:02 GMT

Dear Amy: I have met a number of friends online, especially since COVID. One of these friends is a guy I became attracted to.He makes me laugh, he’s kind, and I genuinely have a good time talking to him. Although we had been friends for the better part of a year, our communication was only over text. He had seen photos of me; I had no idea of what he looked like.I don’t consider myself to be a shallow person. I have always believed it’s what’s on the inside that counts.Well, we finally video-chatted last night, and I have no attraction to him at all.I tried convincing myself that the lack of attraction wasn’t a big deal, but I couldn’t do it.There’s nothing wrong with the way he looks, he’s just a lot older than I thought and drastically different from what I pictured.I feel like a terrible person and have been berating myself all day. How dare I suddenly dislike this wonderful guy who I had a great connection with over such a tiny reason?Honestly, I also feel embarrassed for having...

Harriette Cole: I’d get more pay with this new job, but I worry about the employer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:02 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I work for a freelancer who has a lot of clients. One of these clients recently offered me a job, separate from the work I do for my current boss.The pay would be more than what I make now. My boss has shared how difficult the client can be.I am conflicted as to whether or not it would be considered betrayal of my current boss if I take the job offer. I feel like if I take the job, it might create tension between us, and I was hoping to remain friends with my boss after my departure.I also don’t particularly wish to deal with a difficult employer, having watched my boss struggle with this person firsthand.What should my next step be?ConflictedRelated ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: My co-worker blatantly shuns me, even when I speak directly to her Advice | Harriette Cole: I’m rattled by my friend’s unexplained death Advice | Harriette Cole: We were brides at the same time. Now she’s happy and I’...

Kansas approves bill to end gender-affirming care for minors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:02 GMT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas approved a plan early Friday to end gender-affirming care for transgender youth, capping a week of intensifying efforts to rolling back LGBTQ rights like other states with GOP-controlled legislatures. The Kansas House voted 70-52 to pass a bill requiring the state’s medical board to revoke the licenses of doctors who provide gender-affirming care to minors, even though many professionals who deal with transgender youth see such care as vital to preserving their mental health and preventing suicides. The Senate then voted 23-12 to approve the measure, sending it to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.The governor is expected to veto it, having promised LGBTQ youth during a Statehouse lobbying day last month that she would protect their rights and reject any measure “that aims to harm or discriminate against you.” Supporters were well short of the two-thirds majorities in both chambers needed to override a veto. LGBTQ-rights adv...

Chinese man who chained, abused woman sentenced to 9 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:02 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese man on Friday was sentenced to nine years in prison for abusing and unlawfully detaining a woman who was shown chained in a viral video that sparked an outcry in China last year.The abuse of the woman, “Xiaohuamei,” or Little Plum Blossom, raised widespread concerns in China in February last year and at times overshadowed Beijing’s Winter Olympics online. Her story appeared in Chinese social media despite digital and human censors and prompted commentators to exhort national media to highlight the scandal.After the announcement of the sentencing on Friday, the case became one of the most searched topics on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, with many people complaining that nine years imprisonment for the man was too lenient of a punishment for what he did to her.The court in Xuzhou city that handed down the sentence said in a statement that Dong Zhimin and his late father bought Little Plum Blossom in the late 1990s for 5,000 yuan ($727) and tha...

Enfrentamientos entre Israel y Líbano conlleva un alto riesgo de “derivar en un conflicto mayor”, advierte coordinadora especial de la ONU

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:02 GMT

(CNN) — El enfrentamiento armado entre Israel y Líbano en las últimas 24 horas conlleva un alto riesgo de “derivar en un conflicto mayor”, declaró este viernes en un tuit la coordinadora especial de la ONU, Joanna Wronecka, quien añadió que ya hay informes de heridos en Israel.“Estoy muy preocupada por la peligrosa escalada a través de la Línea Azul tras el lanzamiento de múltiples cohetes desde Líbano hacia Israel”, dijo Wronecka, refiriéndose a la frontera de facto entre los dos países.“El imperativo inmediato es contener la situación. Hago un llamamiento a todas las partes para que actúen con la máxima moderación y colaboren con la FPNUL para ayudar a restablecer la calma”, añadió. La FPNUL es la fuerza de mantenimiento de la paz de la ONU en Líbano.Israel ataca la franja de Gaza luego de que se dispararan decenas de cohetes desde el Líbano a IsraelEl enfrentamiento también tuvo una respuesta diplomática de Líbano, que presentará una quej...