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Hamas will release 14 Israeli hostages for Israel freeing 42 Palestinians in the second swap

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:10 GMT

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas will release 14 Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel freeing 42 Palestinian prisoners Saturday as part of an ongoing swap during a four-day cease-fire, according to a senior Egyptian official.The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to talk about details of the ongoing negotiations, said that mediators Egypt and Qatar have given Israel a list of those hostages to be released provided by Hamas. A second official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the details.The upcoming swap on day two of the cease-fire follows Hamas’ release Friday of 24 of the approximately 240 hostages it took during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war. In exchange Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison.Those freed from captivity in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals and a citizen of the Philippines.It was not immediately clear if any non-Israeli captives may also be released Saturday.THIS IS A BRE...

Brussels’ 'Winter Wonders' opens its doors for the festive season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:10 GMT

Five weeks of festive fun…that is what the City of Brussels offers with its seasonal wonderland which runs from 24 November until 7 January.The city is celebrating the 23rd edition of Winter Wonders which features one of Europe’s most popular Christmas markets and a host of different activities.The event is open every day from 12pm to 10 pm. The festivities of the Grand-Place, with its Christmas tree and sound and light show, of Place De Brouckère, with its ice rink and curling rinks, and place de la Monnaie are extended until Sunday 7 January 2024.Cut down on Wednesday 15 November in Lier, the Xmas tree is adorned with symbols carved in the wood which represent several of Quebec’s Indigenous nations. This year, the 11 Indigenous Nations of Quebec are the guests of honour at Winter Wonders. In the village dedicated to them in front of the Bourse, the “guest of honour” gives revellers the chance to discover their culinary products and local crafts plus enjoy a unique experience ...

Currys plc: A win-win international e-commerce platform

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:10 GMT

With the rapid development of the Internet and digital economy, the traditional consumption mode has been gradually replaced by the new consumption mode. The new consumption value-added model, that is, through digital and Internet technology, closely connects consumers, merchants and platforms to achieve a win-win situation of 1+1+1>3.Under the new consumption value-added mode, Currys plc e-commerce platform came into being to provide integrated digital retail solutions, linking online stores and 800+ physical stores and carrying out omni-channel business. It aims to provide customers with a comprehensive, efficient and convenient shopping experience. The platform covers a wealth of product categories, including but not limited to household appliances, digital products, smart devices, etc., to meet the needs of different user groups.Currys plc e-commerce platform takes intelligent recommendation system as its core function, and provides customized product recommendations for users b...

Horoscopes Nov. 25, 2023: Christina Applegate, finish what you start

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:10 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Katie Cassidy, 37; Jerry Ferrara, 44; Christina Applegate, 52; Bruno Tonioli, 68.Happy Birthday: You can be charming and entertaining and stick to the truth. Someone will correct you this year if you exaggerate, so keep your facts straight. Changing how you handle your professional responsibilities will help you maintain your position. High energy and discipline will help attract opportunities if you diligently finish what you start. Actions speak louder than words. Your numbers are 9, 17, 22, 28, 34, 40, 46.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Motivation, charm, enthusiasm and physical action will lead to stellar results if you do what’s necessary and go through the proper channels. Don’t let false information or empty promises ruin your chance to reach your goal. Get things right the first time. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): A receptive attitude will bring positive feedback and get others to listen and see things your way. What you contribute wil...

Bridge: Nov. 25, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:10 GMT

Unlucky Louie’s wife, Esther, had slightly rear-ended a car in front of her.“The damage was so light we didn’t even have our car repaired,” Louie told me disgustedly. “But the other driver went to one of those personal liability attorneys, alleging that he had been injured. Our insurance company settled rather than fight in court.”Insurance can be useful at bridge. A safety play is like an insurance policy: You pay a premium — you give up on taking the maximum number of tricks — but you are protected against a disastrous loss.LAST TRUMPAt today’s slam, declarer takes the king of diamonds and draws trumps. If he cashes the A-K of spades next, the 5-1 split dooms him to only 11 tricks.After South draws trumps, he should play safe by letting dummy’s ten of spades ride. When West wins and leads another diamond, South wins, takes the nine of spades, returns a club to his ace and runs the spades. He can pitch dummy’s low cl...

Word Game: Nov. 25, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:10 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — HOMICIDAL (HOMICIDAL: hom-ih-SYE-dul: Relating to, or tending toward, murder.)Average mark 33 wordsTime limit 45 minutesCan you find 45 or more words in HOMICIDAL? The list will be published Monday.YESTERDAY’S WORD — VORTEXES veer verse verso vertex vest veto vetoer vortex vote voter over overt reset rest rose rote rove terse tore tree trove erose ester ever evert exert exsert seer sere serve sever soever sore sort steer stereo store stove stroveTo 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 ...

Ask Amy: Now I’m expected to sew a custom quilt for a stranger as a gift

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:10 GMT

Dear Amy: A few years ago, I offered to make a T-shirt quilt as a graduation gift for a co-worker’s oldest son. She provided the materials, and I provided the skill and labor.Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: I heard my teen bragging about her trickery. I’m furious; my husband thinks it’s cute. Advice | Ask Amy: My boyfriend said his public insult was just a joke. Should I let it go? Advice | Ask Amy: This odd comment makes me wonder if my empty-nest parents are off the rails Advice | Ask Amy: Everyone was stunned when the other grandmother lashed out at me Advice | Ask Amy: We’re baffled by our sister’s behavior. Is a surprise visit in order? She and her son were thrilled with the quilt, and she mentioned that I would have two more to go down the road for her other two sons as they graduated.I was taken aback with this expectation, but didn’t say anything.I retired soon after and...

Missiles and Drones Among Weapons Stolen From U.S. in Iraq and Syria

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:10 GMT

U.S. military outposts in Iraq and Syria are plagued by thefts of weapons and equipment, according to exclusive documents obtained by The Intercept that show militias and criminal gangs are systematically targeting U.S. forces.Military investigations launched earlier this year found that “multiple sensitive weapons and equipment” — including guided missile launch systems as well as drones — have been stolen in Iraq. This follows hundreds of thousands of dollars in military gear that were purloined from U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria between 2020 and 2022, as reported earlier this year by The Intercept.America’s bases in Iraq and Syria ostensibly exist to conduct “counter-ISIS missions,” but experts say they are used primarily as a check against Iran. Since the October outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, these bases have come under regular rocket and drone attacks as part of an undeclared war between the U.S. and Iran and its surrogate militias.The U.S. has increasingly...

Ziegler surges from fifth to first with a near-flawless free skate to win the NHK Trophy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:10 GMT

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Ava Marie Ziegler performed a near-flawless free skate Saturday to win the NHK Trophy and lead a U.S. 1-2 finish on the podium.Fifth after the short program, Ziegler landed all of her jumps cleanly to score 138.46 points in the free skate for her first title in the Grand Prix series and a personal best total of 200.50.Lindsay Thorngren, who led after the short program, fell on a planned triple salchow but was solid with all her other jumps and placed second with 198.73 points.Nina Pinzarrone of Belgium was third with 194.66, a result that allowed her to secure a place in the Dec. 7-10 Grand Prix Final at Beijing. South Korea’s Lee Hae-in was fourth with 188.95 points.Two-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan, Isabeau Levito of the United States and Loena Hendrickx of Belgium have already qualified for the GP Final.The NHK Trophy is the sixth and last event of the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix series, which leads in the Grand Prix Final.In i...

Lee leads the Australian PGA Championship by 3 shots from Hoshino of Japan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:10 GMT

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Min Woo Lee extended his lead to three shots at the Australian PGA Championship after a 5-under 66 in overcast conditions Saturday to move to 17 under after three rounds.“It’s a course you can shoot low, so you’ll be aggressive no matter what,” Lee said. “I’m here because I played aggressively.”Rikuya Hoshino of Japan surged into second at 14 under after making six birdies on the back nine for a 64 on Saturday, moving one shot ahead of Curtis Luck (66) and three ahead of Adam Scott, who slipped to fourth place with a third-round 71.Marc Leishman (67) and Cam Davis (68) were in a group of four in seventh place at 9 under.No. 45-ranked Lee and Luck grew up in Western Australia and were regular rivals, but it’s been about a decade since they’ve both been in the leading group on the last day.The 27-year-old Luck, who won the U.S. Amateur and the Asia-Pacific Amateur in 2016 but has struggled for consistent results since turning pro, is lookin...