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Germany to buy Leopard tanks, howitzers to make up for Ukraine shortfall

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

Germany will buy 18 Leopard 2 tanks and 12 self-propelled howitzers to replenish stocks depleted by deliveries to Ukraine, a member of the parliamentary budget committee which approved the purchase said on Wednesday.The tanks order will come to €525.6 million while the howitzers have a price tag of €190.7m, all of which are to be delivered by 2026 at the latest, said the finance ministry documents meant for the parliament.The purchase includes an option for another 105 tanks for about €2.9 billion.Germany has supplied 18 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine since the Russian invasion last year and has said it intends to plug the gap with new tanks as soon as possible.The 12 howitzers are part of defence ministry plans signed off by the German parliament in March to buy up to 28 howitzers as replacements.Both the Leopard and the howitzers are jointly manufactured by KMW and Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE)

Astana International Forum announces lead speakers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

The Astana International Forum, a major international conference aiming to tackle global challenges in foreign policy and international security, climate, food scarcity, and energy security, unveiled keynote speakers among distinguished and influential guests, including heads of state and international leaders.The 8-9 June, hosted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, will cover relevant issues to identify actionable solutions to pressing global challenges.The event will bring together government leaders, international organizations, CEOs of major multinational companies, and renowned international experts.Among them are Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Cvijanović, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva, Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) ...

Pashinyan is wrong, Armenia Would benefit from Russia’s defeat

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is a populist and is prone to taking contradictory stances. He is wrong when he says Armenia would not benefit from Russia’s military defeat in Ukraine. This is why, writes Taras Kuzio.Pashinyan recently warned Armenians that, ‘If Russia loses the war in Ukraine, I have no idea what will happen to Armenia.’ Pashinyan’s comment has placed Armenia together with China, Belarus, and Iran who have strategic reasons to fear a Russian military defeat in Ukraine. Together with five Central Asian dictators, Pashinyan attended the May 9 celebrations of the great patriotic war in Moscow.Armenia has nothing in common with these five dictatorships and three autocracies. China and Iran seek to prevent Russia’s military defeat because this would destroy their shared goal of replacing the alleged US-led unipolar with a multipolar world. Belarus and Iran fear Russia’s military defeat because it could lead to regime change. Russia’s military defeat would also put paid t...

Three-bedroom home sells in Los Gatos for $2.8 million

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

259 Old Adobe Road – Google Street ViewA spacious house located in the 200 block of Old Adobe Road in Los Gatos has new owners. The 2,362-square-foot property, built in 1962, was sold on May 8, 2023. The $2,770,000 purchase price works out to $1,173 per square foot. The property features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage, and two parking spaces. The backyard also has a pool. The unit sits on a 10,540-square-foot lot.Additional houses that have recently changed hands close by include:In April 2023, a 2,827-square-foot home on Bicknell Road in Monte Sereno sold for $3,000,000, a price per square foot of $1,061. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Via de Tesoros, Los Gatos, in December 2022, a 3,038-square-foot home was sold for $2,950,000, a price per square foot of $971. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 3,387-square-foot home on the 18600 block of Woodbank Way in Saratoga sold in December 2022, for $3,500,000, a price per square foot of $1,033. The home has 4 be...

Bridge: May 26, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

“I’m giving up Autocorrect for Lint.” — graffiti“I wish an Autocorrect feature were available when I’m declarer,” a club player told me. “It would highlight my mistakes — and show me a winning play.”Today’s South plays at six spades after East preempted in hearts. West leads the jack of hearts. South counts 11 tricks: a heart, two heart ruffs in his hand, four trumps in dummy, two diamonds and at least two clubs. He needs an extra trick in a minor.South’s best chance is to end-play West. South has many winning lines of play, but unless he ruffs at least one heart in his hand, removing West’s exit card, Autocorrect may set South straight.LOW CLUBSay South takes the ace of hearts, ruffs a heart, draws trumps and leads a low club from his hand. West must play low, and dummy’s jack wins. On the next club, East discards, and South plays low.West wins but must concede the slam. Whether he leads a diamond o...

Horoscopes May 26, 2023: Stevie Nicks, enjoy what life offers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Helena Bonham Carter, 57; Lenny Kravitz, 59; Pam Grier, 74; Stevie Nicks, 75.Lenny Kravitz (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images) Happy Birthday: Put your energy where it counts and restore your faith in yourself and your long-term plans. Rest assured that taking a minimalistic approach to money, possessions and lifestyle will pay off and give you added energy and a less stressful life. Eliminating what’s no longer necessary to you will free up time to enjoy what life offers. Simplicity is the key to your success. Your numbers are 3, 10, 21, 26, 30, 35, 48.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Get involved in something that moves you. Volunteer your skills or time; you’ll make a difference and meet people who inspire you to make budget-friendly lifestyle changes. Make plans with someone who enjoys a physical challenge and having fun. 5 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Be responsible. Don’t do anything to jeopardize your position, health or finan...

Word Game: May 26, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — SILICONE (SILICONE: SIL-ih-kone: A chemical compound used for water-resistant and heat-resistant lubricants, varnishes, etc.)Average mark 30 wordsTime limit 40 minutesCan you find 40 or more words in SILICONE? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — GORGEOUS goer goes goose gore gorge gorse gouge gouger grog grouse ogre ours rogue rose roue rouge rouse rugose ruse ergo euro urge user sore sour suer sure surgeTo 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 Wor...

Jamie Raskin and Rachel Maddow, Brought to You by Peter Thiel and Lockheed Martin

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

Progressives Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow are outspoken critics of the bloated defense budget and the MAGA wing of the Republican Party. Next month, though, both Raskin and Maddow will headline an event sponsored by defense industry giant Lockheed Martin and Palantir, a $26 billion defense contractor founded and chaired by Peter Thiel, the polarizing billionaire and megadonor to Donald Trump.The appearances by Raskin and Maddow will come as part of TruCon, the conference of the Democratic Party-aligned Truman Center, which runs from June 1 to 4 in Washington, D.C. TruCon’s website describes the conference as an opportunity to see “[t]hought leaders across government, policy, and national security fields speak on the most pressing issues facing America today.”“Obviously, the real test of integrity is to argue with folks you disagree with, not to cover your eyes and ears and look away.”For Mark Thompson, a national security analyst at the Project on Gov...

Hibbett: Fiscal Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Hibbett, Inc. (HIBB) on Friday reported fiscal first-quarter net income of $35.9 million.On a per-share basis, the Birmingham, Alabama-based company said it had net income of $2.74.The results fell short of Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $2.98 per share.The sporting goods retailer posted revenue of $455.5 million in the period.Hibbett expects full-year earnings to be $7 to $7.75 per share._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on HIBB at https://www.zacks.com/ap/HIBBSource

Coventry on brink of Premier League return after Robins restores order to club in chaos

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

Mark Robins will always be remembered as the guy who likely saved Alex Ferguson from getting fired three years into his storied tenure as Manchester United manager.Robins isn’t done producing rescue acts.Another one is taking place at Coventry City, a club where chaos has ruled for more than two decades but whose turbulent and troubled journey back to the Premier League is almost complete.On Saturday, Coventry takes on Luton in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium for a place in the Premier League. It’s the world’s most lucrative one-off soccer match — worth at least $210 million to the winner in future earnings — and a game neither team could have expected to be in when they were playing each other in England’s fourth tier five years ago.“The game is one for the romantics,” Robins said this week “because of the journeys both clubs have been on.”For Luton, it would be the culmination of a wild ride which saw the team drop out of the Football League — the three divisions...