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Making a mark: London’s historic blue plaques seek more diversity as 1,000th marker is unveiled

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:35:20 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A resounding thump breaks the silence as Julia Land drops a lump of grey-brown clay onto the slab roller before Ned Heywood cranks it through the machine once, twice, three times, creating a rectangle about an inch thick.Laying a pattern on top of the slab, Heywood slices through the clay to create a disc the size of an extra-large pizza that will become one of the blue plaques that dot the walls of buildings throughout London, marking the places where scientists, artists, politicians and activists have made history.As English Heritage prepares to unveil its 1,000th blue plaque on Tuesday, the charity is working to broaden the program to include more women, people from minority ethnic backgrounds and community groups so that it better reflects the diversity of the capital. The latest installation marks the offices where the Women’s Freedom League “campaigned for women’s equality” in the early 20th century, satisfying at least two of those goals.“The names are no ...

Diplomats expelled as Trudeau links Indian government to B.C. Sikh leader’s death

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:35:20 GMT

OTTAWA — Senior diplomats have been ordered expelled in both Canada and India after Prime Minster Justin Trudeau linked agents of India’s government to the shooting death of a Sikh leader near Vancouver.Hardeep Singh Nijjarwas killed in the parking lot of his gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., on June 18. While Sikh community leaders in Canada have insisted the government of India was involved, police previously said they had not made any link to foreign interference. But in a sombre address to the House of Commons Monday afternoon, Trudeau said there is credibility to the allegations.“Over the past number of weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen,” he said.“Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty. It is contrary to the fundam...

Commissioner Simson in Finland this week to discuss EU energy policy with policymakers and stakeholders 

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:35:20 GMT

This week, Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 September, Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson (pictured) is in Finland to discuss the EU's energy policy with policymakers and stakeholders. On Monday morning, Commissioner Simson met Finland's Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo. She then held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Climate and the Environment, Kai Mykkänen, to discuss the ongoing reforms of the EU's electricity and gas markets, as well as the role of nuclear power and the EU's climate target for 2040. In the afternoon, the Commissioner visited the Loviisa power plant to get insights into the disposal of spent nuclear fuels. During the second day of her country visit, the Commissioner will meet with members of the Finnish Parliament's Commerce and Environment Committees as well as with representatives of Energiateollisuus (Finnish Energy), a trade organisation for the Finnish energy sector, representing around 260 companies.

USA-Caribbean Investment Forum: Partnering for sustained development in the Caribbean

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:35:20 GMT

The Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) proudly announces the highly anticipated USA-Caribbean Investment Forum, scheduled for 15-16 September 2023, in New York City. This forum is a pivotal event for investors, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders seeking to capitalize on the numerous opportunities within the Caribbean region.As the premier platform for collaboration between potential investors and the Caribbean’s business ecosystem, the USA-Caribbean Investment Forum offers an array of benefits for participants:Speed-to-Market Opportunities: Discover fast-track entry points to the Caribbean market, leveraging the expertise of regional professionals to expedite your business endeavors.Explore Public-Private Partnership Opportunities: Uncover potential collaborations with governmental bodies to drive sustainable development projects across the Caribbean.Shovel-Ready Site Availability: Identify prime investment locations ready for immediate development, reducing...

Magnitude 4.5 quake hits in Diablo Range, is felt in Bay Area

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:35:20 GMT

DIABLO GRANDE – A magnitude 4.5 earthquake hit Monday night in the Diablo Range east of San Jose and was felt throughout the Bay Area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.The quake was reported at 9:13 p.m. about three miles north of Diablo Grande, a bedroom community nestled in the mountains between San Jose and Patterson, the USGS reported.A “felt report” on the USGS website indicated the earthquake was felt throughout the Bay Area, including San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland, and as far north as Portola in Plumas County, as far east as Mammoth Lakes and as far south as Visalia.There were no immediate reports of any injuries or damage.The quake was preceded by two others Monday in the same general area – a magnitude 4.0 around 5:15 p.m. and a magnitude 3.6 around 8:45 p.m., according to the USGS.The magnitude 4.5 earthquake was followed by a pair of magnitude 3.2 quakes at 9:40 p.m. and 10:25 p.m., the USGS reported.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Responde...

Croatia won’t import Ukrainian grain, says prime minister

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:35:20 GMT

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said his country will not import Ukrainian grain and did not rule out a ban on such imports in line with Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.“Croatia’s stance and desire is that we are a transit country, not a country receiving enormous amounts of Ukrainian grain that is cheaper than ours, which would mean our farmers are in trouble,” Croatian national broadcaster HINA quoted Plenković as saying. Kyiv launched legal action on Monday against the three European Union countries at the World Trade Organization, over their refusal to drop a ban on Ukrainian agricultural products.Poland, Hungary and Slovakia implemented unilateral bans to protect their domestic agricultural industries from a surge in cheap grain exports from Ukraine, defying the European Commission, which last Friday decided to allow Ukrainian grain sales across the EU.When asked whether Croatia would implement a similar ban, Plenković would not say, but reiterated that ...

After two years in detention, a Chinese #MeToo journalist and a labor activist face trial this week

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:35:20 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — After two years in detention, a Chinese journalist active in the #MeToo movement will go on trial this week, along with a labor rights activist who was detained with her in 2021, one of their supporters said.China often silences activists by holding them incommunicado for a long time and then sentencing them to prison. A pretrial hearing was held on Tuesday and a trial set for Friday in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, the supporter said, citing a family member. The supporter requested anonymity out of fear of government retaliation.Huang Xueqin, an independent journalist, helped spark China’s first #MeToo case in 2018 when she helped a graduate student go public with accusations against her Ph.D. supervisor. The other activist, Wang Jianbing, is more known for his labor rights activity but also helped women report sexual harassment.It’s not clear what got them into trouble with authorities. Both have been charged with subversion of state power, their sup...

YouTube suspends Russell Brand from making money off the streaming site after sex assault claims

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:35:20 GMT

LONDON (AP) — YouTube said Tuesday that Russell Brand will no longer make money from the video streaming site after several women made allegations of sexual assault against the comedian-turned-influencer.YouTube said monetization of Brand’s account, which has 6.6 million subscribers, has been suspended “following serious allegations against the creator.”“This decision applies to all channels that may be owned or operated by Russell Brand,” the Google-owned video service said.Brand, 48, denies allegations of sexual assault made by four women in a Channel 4 television documentary and The Times and Sunday Times newspapers. The accusers, who have not been named, include one who said she was sexually assaulted during a relationship with him when she was 16. Another woman says Brand raped her in Los Angeles in 2012.The four allegations date from between 2006 and 2013. London’s Metropolitan Police force said that since those claims were made public it had received a report of a...

Turkey’s Erdogan says he trusts Russia as much as he trusts the West

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:35:20 GMT

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he trusts Russia as much he trusts the West. Explaining his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Erdogan said he had failed to get him to resume the Black Sea grain deal the Kremlin withdrew from in July but had elicited a pledge for Russia to supply 1 million tons of grain to Africa.“I have no reason not to trust them,” Erdogan said during an interview late Monday with U.S. broadcaster PBS in New York, where he is attending the U.N. General Assembly.“To the extent the West is reliable, Russia is equally reliable. For the last 50 years, we have been waiting at the doorstep of the EU and, at this moment in time, I trust Russia just as much as I trust the West.”Ankara has maintained close ties with both Russia and Ukraine during the 19-month war. In July last year, Turkey and the U.N. engineered a deal to allow Ukrainian grain to be safely shipped from its Black Sea ports, helping alleviate a global food...

Australian wildfire danger causes fire ban in Sydney and closes schools

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:35:20 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Sydney experienced its first total fire ban in almost three years on Tuesday and several schools along the New South Wales state coast to the south were closed because of a heightened wildfire danger, caused by unusually hot and dry conditions across southeast Australia.Authorities have forecast the most destructive wildfire season during the approaching Southern Hemisphere summer in Australia’s populous southeast since the catastrophic Black Summer fires of 2019-20 that killed 33 people, destroyed more than 3,000 homes and razed 19 million hectares (47 million acres).A total fire ban has been declared for the Greater Sydney area and the coastal communities to the south. It is the first such declaration for Sydney, Australia’s most populous city after Melbourne, since late November 2020.Sydney matched its September maximum temperature record of 34.6 degrees Celsius (94.3 degrees Fahrenheit ) on Tuesday. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology described it as an unusually ...