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Live updates | Israel’s troops advance as diplomatic efforts aim to at least pause Gaza fighting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

Israel’s ground troops were advancing toward Gaza City as diplomatic efforts intensified for at least a brief pause in the fighting in Gaza’s deadliest war.President Joe Biden suggested a humanitarian “pause” and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected back in the region on Friday. Arab countries, including those allied with the U.S. and at peace with Israel, have expressed mounting unease with the war.The opening of the Rafah border crossing, allowing hundreds of foreign passport holders and wounded Palestinians to leave Gaza on Wednesday, followed weeks of talks among Egypt, Israel, the U.S. and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas.The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 8,805, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, 130 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids.More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them in the Oct. 7 Hamas rampage that started the fighting, and around...

Diplomatic efforts to pause fighting gain steam as Israeli ground troops push toward Gaza City

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel’s ground troops advanced toward Gaza City on Thursday, as the U.S. and Arab countries intensified diplomatic efforts to ease the siege of the Hamas-ruled enclave and bring about at least a brief stop to the fighting to help civilians.President Joe Biden suggested a humanitarian “pause” on Wednesday, as hundreds of foreign passport holders and wounded Palestinians were allowed out of Gaza for the first time, exiting via Egypt’s Rafah crossing. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected back in the region on Friday.Arab countries, including those allied with the U.S. and at peace with Israel, have expressed mounting unease with the war. Jordan recalled its ambassador from Israel and told Israel’s envoy to remain out of the country until there’s a halt to the war and the “humanitarian catastrophe” it is causing. More than 3,600 Palestinian children have been killed in 25 days of fighting, as bombings have driven hundreds of thou...

Nippon Steel drops patent lawsuit against Toyota in name of partnership

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Nippon Steel Corp. has dropped its lawsuit against Toyota Motor Corp. over a patent for a technology used in electric motors, saying wrangling among Japanese companies was not beneficial to keep the nation competitive.Toyota and Nippon Steel see their partnership as critical in the Japanese auto industry.Japan’s top steelmaker said in a statement Thursday that such internal disputes were not fitting for a period of uncertainty and rapid change toward “carbon neutrality,” referring to the recent rush to develop electric vehicles.The lawsuit over intellectual property demanding compensation for damages totaling 20 billion yen ($133 million) was filed in Tokyo District Court in October 2021. Tokyo-based Nippon Steel said it is still suing Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., or Baosteel, a Chinese steelmaker that produces and supplies the steel that it alleges violates the patent. The lawsuit against Toyota, Japan’s biggest automaker, was related to steel sheets used in ele...

Putin is expected to seek reelection in Russia, but who would run if he doesn’t?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Vladimir Putin isn’t quite the man he used to be — more than a decade has passed since the Russian president engaged in public stunts to boast of his vigor by hugging a polar bear or riding a horse barechested in the mountains. The war in Ukraine has further dented that strongman image. Putin is still expected to seek another term when Russia holds presidential elections next March. In fact, he has pushed through changes in the constitution to allow him to run for two more six-year terms.But 71 is an age when death or serious illness are hardly distant concerns for the man who has ruled Russia for 24 years. If Putin was not on the ballot for some reason, it’s not clear who might take his place.At the national level, Russia’s political system is hermetic. There are no primary elections where voters can choose a candidate; political parties select their own contenders and then present them to the electorate.In Putin’s absence, the loyali...

Fire burns southeast Austin home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Austin Fire Department said a fire burned a home in southeast Austin early Thursday morning. The home is a total loss, AFD said. Firefighters were called to the fire on Bucks Run near East William Cannon Drive and South Pleasant Valley Road around 2:25 a.m., AFD said. Neighbors were the ones that notified 911. AFD said the home's owner and his dog were the only ones there at the time of the fire and were outside when crews arrived. According to AFD, crews had to help the owner and his dog get from the backyard to the front yard because the two were surrounded by fire.The homeowner went to the hospital but is expected to be okay, AFD said.AFD does not currently know where the fire started or what started it. The fire was knocked down at 2:45 a.m., according to AFD. Fire burns home in southeast Austin. (KXAN: Todd Bailey)AFD said both homes on the north and south side were evacuated but residents were allowed back in. Fire spread to the exterior of the home on the...

EU tax and social contribution revenue up in 2022

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

The overall tax-to-GDP ratio, meaning the sum of taxes and net social contributions as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), stood at 41.2% in the EU in 2022, a decrease compared with 2021 (41.5%). In the euro area, tax revenue increased in line with nominal GDP, meaning that the tax-to-GDP ratio in 2022 remained stable at 41.9%. This information comes from data on taxation published by Eurostat. This article presents some findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article.Source dataset: gov_10a_taxagIn absolute terms, in 2022, revenue from taxes and social contributions increased by €480 billion in the EU compared with 2021, to stand at €6,549 billion.Highest tax-to-GDP ratio in France, Belgium and AustriaThe tax-to-GDP ratio varied significantly between EU countries in 2022, with the highest shares of taxes and social contributions as a percentage of GDP being recorded in France (48.0%), Belgium (45.6%) and Austria (43.6%).Source dataset: gov_10a_taxagAt the opp...

Unleashing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer the stuff of science fiction; it's now an integral part of our daily lives. This cutting-edge technology has rapidly evolved, reshaping industries, enhancing productivity, and offering endless possibilities for the future. In this article, we will delve into the world of AI, exploring its history, current applications, and the potential it holds for the future, writes Colin Stevens.The birth of AIThe concept of AI has been around for decades, with roots dating back to the 1950s. Early pioneers like Alan Turing laid the foundation for the development of intelligent machines, but it wasn't until the mid-20th century that AI research truly took off. The Dartmouth Workshop in 1956 is often considered the birth of AI as a field, where experts gathered to discuss and define AI, setting the stage for decades of research and innovation.AI's evolutionOver the years, AI has experienced various waves of development. The first wave, characterized by rul...

Miss Manners: Must I tell these nosy people about my dead fiance?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a single woman in my 50s. Many people I barely know ask why I am wearing a ring on my left hand when it’s clear I’m unmarried and without children.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: They’re demanding we vacation every year in the back of beyond Advice | Miss Manners: You better believe the guests notice when the bride has a different meal Advice | Miss Manners: I used to be flattered by this response. Not anymore. Advice | Miss Manners: Our argument about her restaurant behavior ended our friendship Advice | Miss Manners: It’s absurd that I’m the go-between because my kids’ friends don’t have phones My fiance passed away years ago, and it’s hard to talk about it. How do I deal with the gossips?GENTLE READER: Although Miss Manners understands that you wear the ring as a sign of respect for your fiance, you must concede that doing ...

Morata and Griezmann have Atletico poised for possible title run in Spanish league

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Antoine Griezmann and Álvaro Morata have Atletico Madrid dreaming of a title run in the Spanish league this season. The France forward and Spain striker have scored 13 goals in the league and Atletico is the only team to beat leader Real Madrid so far this campaign. Atletico visits Las Palmas on Friday seeking a win to pull level with Madrid and second-place Girona at the top of the table. Diego Simeone’s side also has a game in hand.After 11 rounds, Atletico has emerged as the top threat to Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid.It has proven to be the only team capable of beating Madrid, when in September Morata scored a double and Griezmann added another goal in a 3-1 win at Atletico’s stadium. Atletico also has a game in hand after a match against Sevilla was postponed due to bad weather.“We have to keep doing our own thing,” Simeone said about his team after last round’s 2-1 win over Alaves which tied its longest home winning streak of 14 straight victories.Sime...

Crowds gather near funeral home, lay flowers as former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is laid to rest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

HEFEI, China (AP) — Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people gathered Thursday near a state funeral home in Beijing as China’s former second-ranking leader, Li Keqiang, was put to rest, while a steady stream of mourners showed their respects at the ex-premier’s childhood home in central China. Li, who was China’s top economic official for a decade, died last Friday of a heart attack at age 68. “The remains of Comrade Li Keqiang … were cremated at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing on Thursday,” the official Xinhua News Agency reported. State broadcaster CCTV showed President Xi Jinping accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan, bowing before Li’s body, which was surrounded by greenery and covered with a Communist Party flag. Xi was followed by the other six members of the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee. “Li was extolled as an excellent (Communist Party) member, a time-tested and loyal Communist soldier and an outstanding proletar...