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Ukraine finance minister warns of ‘huge’ budget gap in 2024

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:22 GMT

LONDON — Ukraine needs foreign help to balance its budget in 2024, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said on Thursday, calling on partners including the U.S. to “step in.”The war-torn country is confident it will balance the books this year, thanks in large part to support from the EU, the U.S., the International Monetary Fund and other donors.But it needs more external funding. “For next year, we also expect other nations to step in and cover our expenses and help us to cover our budget deficit,” Marchenko told POLITICO in an interview Thursday, on the sidelines of a Ukraine Recovery Conference hosted in London.Partners are already coming forward. The IMF reached an agreement with Kyiv in March on a $15.6 billion program aimed at ensuring macroeconomic stability. On Tuesday, the European Commission proposed a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine through 2027. This, the EU maintains, would cover 45 percent of Ukraine’s budgetary and urgent reconstruction needs, estimated at $110 bil...

Manchester, NH woman facing criminal mischief charge after allegedly ‘keying’ vehicle

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:22 GMT

A Manchester, New Hampshire woman is facing a criminal charge after she allegedly “keyed” a vehicle in a parking lot in April, police said.Emerald Anderson-Ford, 38, turned herself in to police after surveillance video showed her scratching the driver’s side door and rear quarter panel of a vehicle in the parking lot of the Puritan Conference Center on April 20, according to Manchester police.Damage was reportedly $2,500.Anderson-Ford was released on $2,500 personal recognizance bail and is slated to be arraigned on a felony criminal mischief charge on July 21.

Search for the missing Titanic submersible passes the critical 96-hour mark for oxygen supply

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:22 GMT

By PATRICK WHITTLE and HOLLY RAMER (Associated Press)The search for the missing submersible on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic passed the critical 96-hour mark Thursday when breathable air could have run out, a grim moment in the intense effort to save the five people aboard.The Titan submersible was estimated to have about a four-day supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic — but experts have emphasized that was an imprecise approximation to begin with and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And it’s not known if they survived since the sub’s disappearance.Rescuers have rushed ships, planes and other equipment to the site of the disappearance. On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard said an undersea robot sent by a Canadian ship had reached the sea floor, while a French research institute said a deep-diving robot with cameras, lights and arms also joined the operation.Aut...

2023 Ford Raptor R is ready to rumble

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:22 GMT

As Ford enters Grasso’s Garage for the first time in a while, we recognize some nice updates. One being, the new rollout of the 2023 Ford Raptor R. As Dodge made a statement with their TRX last year, Ford was a little late to the party, but with the release of their Raptor R, they might have just made up for it.Packed and stacked with a $100K+ price tag, the Raptor R means business. Not only a business expense, but one that brings a statement along with the punch. 700 horsepower directly to the wheels moves the almost 6000 pound 1⁄2 ton pickup truck which is designed for everyday usage and off-road fun. The Raptor R comes with a powerful 5.2 liter, supercharged 8-cylinder engine with 650 lb-ft of torque and is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.As the Raptor R had one primary appearance requirement to keep up with their competition and that is the stance. The Raptor R is ready to tackle anything in its path. Its ground clearance is nicely designed, sits on Fox Shocks and ...

4 things to do to welcome Summer in San Diego

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:22 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Wednesday, June 21 marks the official start of summer with the longest day of the year bringing extended sunlight to the San Diego area. With warmer temperatures expected across the county, according to the National Weather Service, this once a year occurrence may have many taking to the outdoors to celebrate.As the new season begins, here are four things to do to welcome the Summer Solstice in San Diego. 5 places to watch the sunset in San Diego Summer Solstice Bonfire at Hotel del CoronadoWhat better way to welcome the summer season than a bonfire on the beach? Grab your loved ones and head to Coronado for this "Roast experience." Fire pits can be reserved for up to 10 people for a private beach bonfire that includes all s'mores-making items. Tuck your toes in the sand and enjoy the Summer Solstice sunset with the warmth of a fire. Summer Solstice E-Bike TourEnjoy the first day of summer on two electric powered wheels. The Plunge E-Bike Tour starts in downtown...

UK recession fears mount after Bank of England hikes borrowing rates by more than expected

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:22 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Fears that the British economy is heading for recession mounted sharply Thursday after the Bank of England raised borrowing costs by more than anticipated, seeking to combat stubbornly high inflation with a hike that will hit borrowers hard, particularly homeowners who have to refinance in the coming months.On a busy day for central bank action in Europe, the Bank of England said its nine-member Monetary Policy Committee decided to lift its main interest rate by half a percentage point to a fresh 15-year high of 5%. All but two of the panel backed the half-point increase.The size of the bank’s 13th hike in a row was somewhat of a surprise, with most economists predicting a smaller quarter-point increase.Bank Gov. Andrew Bailey warned of further increases if inflation fails to show clear signs of heading down.“We are committed to returning inflation to the 2% target and will make the decisions necessary to achieve that,” he said. Clearly, rate-setters have been sp...

Stock market today: Wall Street futures follow global shares lower on rate hikes galore

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:22 GMT

TOKYO — Wall Street followed global markets lower early Thursday as countries around the world cranked up interest rates one day after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told Congress he believes inflation still isn’t under control. Futures for the Dow Jones industrials and the S&P 500 each slipped 0.3% before the bell.Powell told lawmakers in the House of Representatives Wednesday that “the process of getting inflation back down to 2% has a long way to go.” He reiterated that a couple more rate increases may be on the way, though the speed of the hikes is likely to slow after moving at a furious pace since early 2022. High rates have slowed the U.S. economy — particularly the manufacturing and housing sectors — and helped cause three high-profile failures in the U.S. banking system. The banking industry remains under pressure, even after the federal government acted quickly to provide support.Powell appears before the Senate later Thursday.Elsewhere, benchmarks in Europe tumbl...

Weekly US applications for unemployment aid remain elevated

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:22 GMT

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits remained elevated last week, a possible sign that the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes are beginning to cool a surprisingly resilient labor market.U.S. applications for jobless claims were 264,000 for the week ending June 17, the same as the previous week’s revised number, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s slightly more than analysts were expecting. The claims numbers for the past two weeks are the highest since October of 2021.The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out some of the week-to-week volatility, rose by 8,500 to 255,750. That’s the highest level since November of 2021.Overall, 1.76 million people were collecting unemployment benefits the week that ended June 10, about 13,000 more than the previous week.Matt Ott, The Associated Press

Pope short of breath, says he’s still feeling effects of anesthesia 2 weeks after surgery

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:22 GMT

Pope Francis said Thursday he was short of breath and still feeling the effects of anesthesia from abdominal surgery two weeks ago.Francis made the comments to explain why he chose not to deliver a prepared speech to visiting charity workers for Eastern rite churches. Instead, the speech was handed out.“I’m still under the effect of anesthesia,” Vatican News quoted Francis as saying. “My breathing isn’t good.”The 86-year-old pontiff underwent three hours of surgery under general anesthesia July 7 to repair a hernia in his abdominal wall and remove intestinal scar tissue. He was discharged on July 16, with his surgeon saying he was “better than before.”Francis has complained previously about feeling the effects of anesthesia long after surgical procedures, including after an operation in 2021 to remove 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his large intestine. He had cited that reaction in part in refusing surgery to repair strained ligaments in his knee.His surgeon for both the 2021 and 202...

Political future of Brazil’s Bolsonaro hangs in the balance as his trial begins

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:14:22 GMT

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil’s top electoral court on Thursday began hearing a case that could torpedo the political future of former President Jair Bolsonaro by rendering him ineligible for public office for eight years.Judges are evaluating a case filed by Brazil’s Democratic Labor Party, which claims the far-right leader abused his power by using government communication channels to promote his campaign and cast unfounded doubts on the country’s electronic voting system. While Bolsonaro often railed against the voting system, the suit’s focus is a meeting last year on July 18 that Bolsonaro convened at the presidential palace with foreign ambassadors, which was broadcast on state television for nearly an hour. Thursday’s session in the capital of Brasilia began with Judge Benedito Gonçalves reading his report on the case. Already two subsequent sessions have been slated for next Tuesday and next Thursday, but the trial could extend for several months if any of the six other jud...