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Bucharest declaration: NATO's Ukraine debate still haunted by 2008 summit

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:29 GMT

As NATO nations try to agree on Ukraine’s push for membership at a summit in Vilnius this week, an earlier gathering casts a long shadow.At a summit in Bucharest in April 2008, NATO declared that both Ukraine and Georgia would join the US-led defence alliance - but gave them no plan for how to get there.The declaration papered over cracks between the United States, which wanted to admit both countries, and France and Germany, which feared that would antagonise Russia.While it may have been an artful diplomatic compromise, some analysts see it as the worst of both worlds: It served notice to Moscow that two countries it once ruled as part of the Soviet Union would join NATO - but brought them no closer to the protection that comes with membership.Now, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is pressing NATO to make clear how and when Ukraine can join, after the war triggered by Russia’s invasion is over.Once again, there are divisions within NATO. And officials often cite the Bucharest declara...

Pedestrian Seriously Hurt after Hit-and-Run on Q Street [Lompoc, CA]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:29 GMT

Vehicle Versus Pedestrian Collision near West College Avenue Resulted in InjuriesLOMPOC, CA (July 14, 2023) – Tuesday night, a hit-and-run on Q Street left a pedestrian hospitalized.Officers responded to reports of the crash around 9:48 p.m. along the northbound Q Street, near West College Avenue.According to the police, a vehicle hit a man crossing West College while walking in a northerly direction. However, the driver did not pull over and continued driving westbound.The first responders transported the victim to a hospital Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria for major injuries. His identity and details about his current condition remain unknown.At this time, authorities are searching for a suspect’s two-door white sedan with an unspecified make and model.The Lompoc Police Department encourages anyone with additional information about the Q Street hit-and-run to contact them at 805-736-2341.Thousands of people are injured each year due to reckless driving. If you’...

Two Drivers Injured in Rollover Crash on Fairview Road [Hollister, CA]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:29 GMT

Rollover Crash on Fairview Road near Dixie Drive Left Two People HospitalizedHOLLISTER, CA (July 14, 2023) – Tuesday morning, two people suffered injuries in a rollover crash on Fairview Road.The California Highway Patrol responded to the crash around 11:42 a.m. at the 4000 block of Fairview Road, north of Dixie Drive.Upon arrival, authorities learned that a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado was pulling onto Fairview Road from a private driveway. Subsequently, a 2006 Toyota Avalon traveling north on Fairview collided with the Silverado turning from the east side of the road.According to the investigators, the Silverado accelerated onto Fairview Avenue and the path of the Toyota. In addition, the impact of the collision caused the Silverado to overturn.Eventually, medical responders arrived at the scene and transported both drivers to Natividad Hospital for treatment of major injuries. The CHP ruled out drugs and alcohol to be a factor in the collision.In the end, Hollister Officials cl...

Single family residence sells in Danville for $1.9 million

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:29 GMT

40 Chardonnay Court – Google Street ViewA 2,183-square-foot house built in 1989 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the first block of Chardonnay Court in Danville was sold on June 20, 2023. The $1,885,000 purchase price works out to $863 per square foot. This two-story house offers a capacious living environment with its four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The property is equipped with central A/C. In addition, the home includes an attached two-car garage, offering generous space for vehicles and storage requirements. The property occupies a sizable 7,000-square-foot lot.Additional houses that have recently been sold close by include:A 2,407-square-foot home on the first block of Marseille Court in Danville sold in June 2023, for $1,800,000, a price per square foot of $748. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Marseille Court, Danville, in May 2023, a 2,183-square-foot home was sold for $1,802,000, a price per square foot of $825. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 ...

Bridge: July 14, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:29 GMT

“I’m supposed to know about the English language,” my friend the English professor said to me, “but it continually mystifies me. I’m a teacher, and I have taught; if I were a preacher, wouldn’t I have praught?”The prof was today’s North in a penny game.“My partner had to oversee the play at four hearts,” he said.East took the king of spades and led the nine of diamonds: ten, jack, deuce. When West led a trump next, South drew trumps and led a second diamond to his queen. West produced the king and exited with a diamond. South lost a club finesse later and was down one.WINNING PLAY“My partner overlooked a winning play,” the prof said. “Odd how ‘overlook’ and ‘oversee’ have different meanings.”After South draws trumps, he can finesse in clubs. West wins and returns a club. When East’s ten falls, South gets two diamond discards on the J-9 of clubs. (He could also succeed by...

Horoscopes July 14, 2023: Jane Lynch, change begins with you

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:29 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Alisha Wainwright, 34; Scott Porter, 44; Matthew Fox, 57; Jane Lynch, 63.Happy Birthday: Remember what’s important to you this year. Letting outside influences infiltrate your world will set you back. Wanting to help others is admirable but not in your best interest. Put your needs first, and you’ll be in a better frame of mind when helping others. Change begins with you. A steady pace will take you where you want to go. Your numbers are 6, 13, 22, 29, 32, 37, 40.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Social events will lead to an introduction you won’t want to miss. The connections you make will give you hope for a better future. Don’t hesitate to offer your services to someone you’d like to work alongside. Romance is in the stars. 4 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Be a good listener, and you’ll be privy to information that can help you bypass someone who gives you a hard time. Be willing to put your energy where it counts instea...

Word Game: July 14, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:29 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — NATIVES (NATIVES: NAY-tivs: Those belonging to a particular place by birth.)Average mark 33 wordsTime limit 45 minutesCan you find 41 or more words in NATIVES? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — VENDETTA vane vend vent vetted eaten eave evade even event nave neat need netted neve date dean deet dent dentate detent teat teed teen tend tenet tent advent ante attendTo 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 kzsaxe@gma...

UK officials warn low measles immunization rates could lead to tens of thousands of cases in London

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:29 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Health Security Agency said on Friday that measles vaccination rates in parts of London have dropped so low that the capital could see tens of thousands of cases of the rash-causing disease unless immunization coverage is quickly boosted.In a statement, the agency said that among some groups of children in London, fewer than 70% have received their first dose of the standard measles, mumps and rubella vaccine; two doses are needed to provide protection. Measles is among the world’s most infectious diseases and health experts estimate that about 95% of the population must be immunized to stop new outbreaks.The Health Security Agency said that although the risk of an outbreak across the U.K. was low, the current levels of immunization in London suggest that “a measles outbreak of between 40,000 and 160,000 cases could occur in the capital.” As of June 30, there have been 128 cases of measles in Britain this year, versus 54 cases last year. More than 60% of the ...

Wolves fined and told to implement action plan after discriminatory chanting against Chelsea

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:29 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Wolverhampton was fined 100,000 pounds ($131,000) on Friday and told to implement an action plan following discriminatory chanting by its fans during a Premier League match against Chelsea in April.The sanctions were imposed by an independent regulatory commission set up by the Football Association after Wolves acknowledged the homophobic nature of its supporters’ chants on two separate occasions in the second half of the April 8 game at Molineux.“They failed to ensure their spectators and/or supporters — and anyone purporting to be their supporters or followers — conduct themselves in an orderly fashion,” the FA said, “and do not use words or otherwise behave in a way which is improper, offensive, abusive, indecent, or insulting with either express or implied reference to sexual orientation.”Wolves condemned the chanting in a post-match statement but must take further steps to prevent similar future incidents as part of an action plan ordered by the commission._...

Italians outraged after judge clears man of groping teen because contact was under 10 seconds

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:29 GMT

ROME (AP) — Italians are using social media to denounce a court verdict clearing a school janitor of a sexual assault charge for groping a 17-year-old student because it only lasted “around five/10 seconds.”The teenager said the man came up from behind her as she was pulling up her trousers while walking up the stairs in a Rome high school, and slipped his hand beneath her underpants, according to court documents. Pulling on the undergarments, he then lifted her slightly in the air. He admitted to groping her in the April 2022 incident but claimed it was a joke.A court in Rome ruled last week that the groping was ‘just a few seconds” and wasn’t sexual, and that it was so brief that his argument that it was a joke was convincing even if “inopportune.” Actor and comedian Paolo Camilli, who appears in The White Lotus, posted a video on TikTok this week fondling his chest in front of the camera as a chronometer counts down 10 seconds. “If this is not molestation, I don’t know what is,’’...