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Brisbane is back as an Australian Open warm-up event; mixed United Cup also set for Perth, Sydney

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:48 GMT

The Brisbane International is back among the tournaments scheduled ahead of next year’s Australian Open along with the mixed teams United Cup in Sydney and Perth before the fist Grand Slam event of the year in Melbourne.Former world No. 1 players Pat Rafter and Ash Barty lauded the return of their hometown event at the Queensland Tennis Centre on Friday that will see an expanded 32-player field in men’s and women’s singles.The Australian Open lead-up event had been a big success between 2009-2019, with huge crowds on both Pat Rafter Arena and outside courts watching as Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, Nick Kyrgios, Andy Murray, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova all won Brisbane titles.The men’s ATP Cup was then introduced and the Brisbane International was contested as a women’s event in 2020, before last year’s mixed teams United Cup debuted.Barty endorsed the move to reinstate Brisbane as a separate event from Dec. 31-Jan. 7, but was adamant it would not lure her out of reti...

More than 700 million people don’t know when — or if — they will eat again, UN food chief says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:48 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A global hunger crisis has left more than 700 million people not knowing when or if they will eat again, and demand for food is rising relentlessly while humanitarian funding is drying up, the head of the United Nations food agency said Thursday.World Food Program Executive Director Cindy McCain told the U.N. Security Council that because of the lack of funding, the agency has been forced to cut food rations for millions of people, and “more cuts are on the way.”“We are now living with a series of concurrent and long-term crises that will continue to fuel global humanitarian needs,” she said. “This is the humanitarian community’s new reality — our new normal — and we will be dealing with the fallout for years to come.”The WFP chief, the widow of the late U.S. senator John McCain, said the agency estimates that nearly 47 million people in over 50 countries are just one step from famine — and a staggering 45 million children under the age of five are now estimate...

Profesor que mató a su esposa recibe una nueva condena por abusar de una estudiante de 16 años

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:48 GMT

(CNN) — Un profesor australiano que mató a su esposa para poder empezar una nueva vida con una alumna adolescente fue condenado a un año más de cárcel por un crimen cometido cuando la chica tenía 16 años.Chris Dawson, de 75 años, esperó sentado con la cabeza entre las manos la sentencia de este viernes desde una habitación del Complejo Correccional de Long Bay, al sur de Sydney, donde ya cumple una condena de 24 años por matar a su esposa, Lynnette.La desaparición de Lynnette a principios de la década de 1980 se convirtió en uno de los misterios más intrigantes de Australia, confundiendo a la policía durante décadas e inspirando un podcast que profundizó en el paradero de la madre, cuyo cuerpo nunca se ha encontrado.El viernes, la juez Sarah Huggett condenó a Dawson a tres años de prisión por un cargo de “acceso carnal con una niña mayor de 10 años y menor de 17” por un acto sexual cometido en 1980.La sentencia conlleva un periodo de dos años sin libertad condicion...

Father of 10-year-old UK girl Sara Sharif among 3 charged with her murder after Pakistan arrest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:48 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The father, stepmother and uncle of a 10-year-old girl found dead in her U.K. home are due in court on murder charges Friday after being arrested and deported from Pakistan after an extensive police search.Sara Sharif was found dead with extensive injuries at her home in Woking, 20 miles (32 kilometers) southwest of London, on Aug. 10. An autopsy did not establish a cause of death but showed that she had suffered “multiple and extensive injuries, which are likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time,” British police said.Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, 41; his partner Beinash Batool, 29; and his 28-year-old brother Faisal Malik were charged early Friday with murder and causing or allowing the death of a child. They were due to appear later at Guildford Magistrates’ Court near Woking.The three suspects, along with five children, had travelled to Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, a day before police discovered the girl’s body.Pakistani polic...

Libyan city closed off as searchers look for 10,100 missing after flood deaths rise to 11,300

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:48 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Libyan authorities blocked civilians from entering the flood-stricken eastern city of Derna on Friday so search teams could look through the mud and wrecked buildings for 10,100 people still missing after the known toll rose to 11,300 dead.The disaster after two dams collapsed in heavy rains and sent a massive flood gushing into the Mediterranean city early Monday underscored the storm’s intensity but also Libya’s vulnerability. The oil-rich state since 2014 has been split between rival governments in the east and west backed by various militia forces and international patrons. Derna was being evacuated and only search and rescue teams would be allowed to enter, Salam al-Fergany, director general of the Ambulance and Emergency Service in eastern Libya, announced late Thursday.The disaster has brought rare unity, as government agencies across Libya’s divide rushed to help the affected areas, with the first aid convoys arriving in Derna on Tuesday evenin...

Agriculture: Commission approves a new geographical indication from Hungary - ‘Sárréti kökénypálinka'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:48 GMT

The Commission approved the addition of ‘Sárréti kökénypálinka'as Geographical Indication (GI) from Hungary. ‘Sárréti kökénypálinka' is a fruit spirits with a minimum alcoholic strength of 38,5% V/V and a volatile substance content of at least 250 g/hl of 100% vol. alcohol. It is a pálinka with a rich volatile substance content and an aroma reminiscent of sloe flower. ‘Sárréti kökénypálinka' is full-bodied, with notes of almond and marzipan, and is slightly sweet, which gives this spirit drink a lighter, smoother character but at the same time evokes the somewhat tart taste of sloe.This new denomination will be added to the list of over 260 spirit drinks already protected. The list of all protected geographical indications can be found in the eAmbrosia database.More information is available online at Quality Schemes and on our GIView portal.

Anatoly Makeshin, founder of Njoy Payments, on the new era of payments

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:48 GMT

As an entrepreneur and fintech investor, building a startup in Europe's acquiring industry, I observe that with the intensification of competition among sellers and producers, customers are diversifying the ways they spend their money on various items. Whether it's buying a coffee or a t-shirt, or even purchasing medical insurance and plane tickets, people have grown accustomed to using borrowed funds, usually in the form of widespread credit cards - writes Anatoly MakeshinAccess to borrowed funds allows them to enjoy goods or services before covering the loans they receive from banks. However, the pursuit of customer loyalty and their funds is propelling a competitive environment among payment service providers enlisted by companies to sell their offerings. And Njoy Payments is undoubtedly a dynamic participant in this accelerating race that is gaining momentum throughout Europe.The shift from traditional offline markets to online sales, a trend that was already in motion, received...

How to tell a top manager from an oligarch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:48 GMT

Russian executives who never had an influence over Putin may be removed from sanctions list.Alexander Shulgin, a young, Western-style Russian executive, has been out of work for nearly a year and a half because of EU sanctions. He came under sanctions in April 2022 because of his role as the CEO of the online marketplace Ozon, known as “the Amazon of Russia”. Shulgin stepped down from Ozon immediately after the EU decision and has been appealing the personal sanctions against him ever since.On 6 September, the European Court of Justice agreed to remove him from the sanctions list. The Court stated that the European Council “[had] not provided any probative evidence” to explain the reasons why Shulgin “should still be considered an influential businessman” after his resignation from Ozon.The personal sanctions imposed by Europe and the United States against Russian businesspeople have mostly targeted oligarchs, who indeed have ties with Vladimir Putin. As the Financial Times once put...

Wine, waves and coastal fun converge in Pismo this fall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:48 GMT

Sponsored ContentBy VISIT PISMO BEACH (experiencepismobeach.com)Classic California Pismo BeachPismo Beach is the true Classic California beach town and is famous for its world-famous pier, miles of beautiful white sand beaches, outstanding accommodations and a rich wine region only minutes away.Many visitors who come to Pismo Beach are now calling it their Wine & Waves destination.  With the wine region of Edna Valley only minutes away from downtown Pismo Beach it’s easy to enjoy the beach and wine tasting all in one fun filled day.It’s the perfect pairing — wine and waves. Three of the local winemaking regions — Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande and Avila Valley — are only 15 to 30 minutes from downtown Pismo Beach. And many of these regions’ vineyards and wineries have received international acclaim.The wine country experience here maintains a laid-back and refreshing mix of independent boutique wineries and artisanal wineries. Among them are vineyards and artisanal wineries operatin...

Three-bedroom home in San Jose sells for $1.6 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:48 GMT

339 Gordon Avenue – Google Street ViewA spacious house located in the 300 block of Gordon Avenue in San Jose has new owners. The 2,318-square-foot property, built in 1952, was sold on Aug. 18, 2023, for $1,560,000, or $673 per square foot. The layout of this two-story home consists of three bedrooms and two baths. On the exterior, the house is characterized by the use of wood shake roofing / shingles. Inside, there is a fireplace. The property is equipped with a heating system and a wall unit cooling system. Additionally, the house is equipped with a one-car garage, offering a dedicated parking spot and storage area. The property’s backyard is further enhanced by both a spa and a pool.Additional houses that have recently been purchased close by include:On Crest Drive, San Jose, in August 2023, a 2,979-square-foot home was sold for $1,740,000, a price per square foot of $584. The home has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.In February 2023, a 2,173-square-foot home on Valley View Avenue in S...