Author: bcbegley

World News

EU mulls ways to ramp up ammunition production for Ukraine

The European Union must find ways to quickly provide thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine or face the prospect of it losing the war against Russia, top EU diplomats warned Monday, as ammunition stocks in national EU armories dwindle. “The most important, pressing issue today for the Ukrainian army is to have a continuous flow of ammunition,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said before … Continue reading EU mulls ways to ramp up ammunition production for Ukraine

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Politics

Biden invites Italian PM Giorgia Meloni to DC — despite calling her a threat to democracy

President Biden on Monday invited Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to visit the White House — despite previously calling her ascent cause to doubt whether democracy can “be sustained in the 21st century.” Biden spoke with Meloni on the phone after spending nearly 24 hours in Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of the Friday one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Meloni, who leads … Continue reading Biden invites Italian PM Giorgia Meloni to DC — despite calling her a threat to democracy

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World News

Belarus claims Ukraine army groups have massed at border, risking its security

Belarus has claimed there was a significant grouping of Ukrainian troops massed near its border and warned that this posed a threat to its security. “At present, a significant grouping of the Ukrainian army is concentrated in the immediate vicinity of the Belarusian-Ukrainian section of the state border,” the defence ministry said in a post on Telegram. “The probability of armed provocations, which can escalate … Continue reading Belarus claims Ukraine army groups have massed at border, risking its security

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World News

Madagascar, Mozambique set for “dangerous” Cyclone Freddy

A cyclone which is intensifying as it approaches the southeastern African coast has been labeled as “dangerous” by the United Nation’s weather agency on Monday as nations brace for landfall. Cyclone Freddy is projected to reach Madagascar on Tuesday evening and hurtle toward Mozambique by the end of the week. The tropical cyclone is equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane and is expected to dump … Continue reading Madagascar, Mozambique set for “dangerous” Cyclone Freddy

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World News

Pope intervenes again to restrict celebration of Latin Mass

Pope Francis has intervened for the third time to crack down on the celebration of the old Latin Mass, a sign of continued friction with Catholic traditionalists. Francis reasserted in a new legal decree published Tuesday that the Holy See must approve new celebrations of the old rite by signing off on bishops’ decisions to designate additional parish churches for the Latin Mass or to … Continue reading Pope intervenes again to restrict celebration of Latin Mass

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Space

NASA Captures the Sun Coughing Out a Thrilling X-Class Solar Flare

Our closest star has been restless recently and NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory is here to document its whims, moods and outbursts. On Friday, SDO captured views of the sun coughing out a strong X2.2 solar flare. X-class flares are the most powerful kind. On Sunday (appropriately enough), NASA tweeted a time-lapse video of the sun’s busy week where it released 36 notable flares and 28 coronal … Continue reading NASA Captures the Sun Coughing Out a Thrilling X-Class Solar Flare

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Archaeology

Archaeologists Find Homes of Europe’s First Monument Builders, and They’re Fortified

Over 6,300 years ago, prehistoric people at the cusp of the Neolithic Revolution in France built a handful of large wooden houses, surrounded by a doubled fortification fence made of wooden stakes. All this was surrounded by a ditch. Beyond these defenses, the traces of two more wooden structures were found. In fact, this fortified compound at the Le Peu archaeological site near Charmé, a … Continue reading Archaeologists Find Homes of Europe’s First Monument Builders, and They’re Fortified

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U.S. News

Housekeeper’s husband is arrested in fatal shooting of ‘peacemaker’ Catholic bishop

A housekeeper’s husband was arrested near Los Angeles on Monday in connection with the fatal shooting of a Catholic bishop, who might’ve been killed over a financial beef, officials said. Two days after the body of Bishop David O’Connell was found in his Hacienda Heights home, 65-year-old Carlos Medina was taken into custody in Torrance after a standoff with law enforcement, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert … Continue reading Housekeeper’s husband is arrested in fatal shooting of ‘peacemaker’ Catholic bishop

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World News

Report: Church Vandalism Spree Strikes Germany and France

Incidents of vandalism and arson of Christian churches have spiked in recent weeks in Germany and France, a Vienna-based watchdog group reports. Three churches were torched in Paris over the course of just one week, from January 17-26, revealed the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDACE) in a report Monday. Unknown perpetrators threw Molotov cocktails at the church of Saint Martin … Continue reading Report: Church Vandalism Spree Strikes Germany and France

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Politics

China’s Xi Jinping Plans Russia Visit as Putin Wages War in Ukraine

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is preparing to visit Moscow for a summit with Russia’s president in the coming months, according to people familiar with the plan, as Vladimir Putin wages war in Ukraine and portrays himself as a standard-bearer against a U.S.-led global order. Beijing says it wants to play a more active role aimed at ending the conflict, and the people familiar with Mr. … Continue reading China’s Xi Jinping Plans Russia Visit as Putin Wages War in Ukraine

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World News

Russia ‘aims to “absorb” Belarus by 2030 according to leaked document

Russia is allegedly planning to annex Belarus and absorb it into the Russian Federation by the year 2030, according to leaked presidential documents. The secret dossier, reportedly dated to the summer of 2021, was entitled ‘Strategic Goals of the Russian Federation in Belarus’ and set out three possible approaches – short, medium and long-term – to annexing Belarus and restoring a piece of ‘historical Russia’. … Continue reading Russia ‘aims to “absorb” Belarus by 2030 according to leaked document

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U.S. News

Florida woman killed by 10-foot alligator while walking her dog: reports

An 85-year-old Florida woman was killed Monday when an alligator attacked her as she was walking her dog.  The woman was walking the pet by a pond at a retirement community in St. Lucie when a 10-foot alligator jumped out and grabbed her, WPBF-TV reported. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to the scene at Picante Circle at the Spanish Lakes Fairways Community … Continue reading Florida woman killed by 10-foot alligator while walking her dog: reports

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Business

Crypto Analysts Scramble to Explain Bitcoin’s Pause Near $25K

Bitcoin’s (BTC) upswing has come to a screeching halt at a price level that proved to be a tough nut to crack last year. The leading cryptocurrency picked up a strong bid at the start of the year and has gained nearly 50% since then, outperforming major traditional risk assets. However, the bullish momentum has stalled since Feb. 16, with the cryptocurrency failing multiple times … Continue reading Crypto Analysts Scramble to Explain Bitcoin’s Pause Near $25K

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Space

Oddly shaped asteroid once considered an impact risk for Earth races past the planet

NASA managed to image an asteroid larger than the Empire State Building and with similar proportions as it hurtled past Earth at the beginning of February, 2023. The asteroid, designated 2011 AG5, passed safely past our planet at a distance of around 1.1 million miles (1.8 million kilometers), about five times the distance between Earth and the moon. But, while it posed no danger of … Continue reading Oddly shaped asteroid once considered an impact risk for Earth races past the planet

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Space

New type of salty ice may exist on extraterrestrial ocean moons

The mysterious red streaks crisscrossing the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa may be the result of a newly discovered kind of salty ice. Europa has long intrigued scientists because the moon has a subsurface ocean beneath a thick shell of ice. Plumes of water have been known to erupt from cracks in the ice shell, releasing the contents of the moon’s alien ocean into space. … Continue reading New type of salty ice may exist on extraterrestrial ocean moons

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Politics

Kevin McCarthy gives Tucker Carlson access to Jan. 6 riot surveillance tapes

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has granted Fox News host Tucker Carlson access to tens of thousands of hours of closed circuit camera footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol Building, leading to an outcry from some Democratic lawmakers.  The 44,000 hours of footage, most of which Carlson claims has never been seen by the public before, has been under review by … Continue reading Kevin McCarthy gives Tucker Carlson access to Jan. 6 riot surveillance tapes

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U.S. News

Ohio train derailment: Buttigieg blames rail industry, GOP blame Biden administration policies

Weeks after a massive train derailment in Ohio resulted in a fiery wreck and the release of hazardous chemicals, fingers are being pointed to and from the Department of Transportation. At issue is whether work and safety standards are up to snuff, and whether cost-cutting measures could be to blame for the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and others that have also taken place this … Continue reading Ohio train derailment: Buttigieg blames rail industry, GOP blame Biden administration policies

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Space

‘Hidden’ planet at edge of our solar system could be five times the size of Earth

A huge planet that has never been seen by astronomers could be lurking, almost invisibly, at the dark edges of our solar system, some scientists believe. By 1846, astronomers had pinpointed all the eight main planets – and have since found several other ‘dwarf planets’ including Pluto. But the search goes on for the mysterious ‘ninth planet’ which is thought to sit far beyond Neptune … Continue reading ‘Hidden’ planet at edge of our solar system could be five times the size of Earth

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U.S. News

Power-Grid Attacks Surge and Are Likely to Continue, Study Finds

Physical attacks on the U.S. power grid rose 71% last year compared with 2021 and will likely increase this year, according to a confidential industry analysis viewed by The Wall Street Journal. A division of the grid oversight body known as the North American Electric Reliability Corporation found that ballistic damage, intrusion and vandalism largely drove the increase. The analysis also determined that physical security incidents involving … Continue reading Power-Grid Attacks Surge and Are Likely to Continue, Study Finds

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Business

After Testing Four-Day Week, Companies Say They Don’t Want to Stop

A large majority of U.K. companies participating in a test of a four-day workweek said they would stick with it after logging sharp drops in worker turnover and absenteeism while largely maintaining productivity during the six-month study. In one of the largest trials of a four-day week to date, 61 British businesses ranging from banks to fast-food restaurants to marketing agencies gave their 2,900 workers … Continue reading After Testing Four-Day Week, Companies Say They Don’t Want to Stop

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U.S. News

Amid accusations of staff bullying, James O’Keefe departs from Project Veritas

Project Veritas, the controversial right-wing undercover-sting group founded by James O’Keefe in his father’s carriage house in 2010, ousted O’Keefe on Monday, O’Keefe and the nonprofit’s board said in separate statements. O’Keefe’s departure follows an internal power struggle that started spilling into the open when the board suspended him with pay earlier in February.  O’Keefe said Monday in a 45-minute video addressed to staff that … Continue reading Amid accusations of staff bullying, James O’Keefe departs from Project Veritas

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Politics

Putin has increased tensions regarding Ukraine by suspending the START nuclear pact.

Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended Moscow’s participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the U.S., announcing the move Tuesday in a bitter speech where he made clear he would not change his strategy in the war in Ukraine. In his long-delayed state-of-the-nation address, Putin cast his country — and Ukraine — as victims of Western double-dealing and said it was Russia, not … Continue reading Putin has increased tensions regarding Ukraine by suspending the START nuclear pact.

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World News

Panic as Turkey, Syria rocked again by 6.3M earthquake

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck southern Turkey near the Syrian border late on Monday, setting off panic and further damaging buildings two weeks after the country’s worst earthquake in modern history left tens of thousands dead. Two Reuters reporters said the tremors were strong and lasting, damaging buildings and leaving dust in the night air in central Antakya city, where it was centred. It was … Continue reading Panic as Turkey, Syria rocked again by 6.3M earthquake

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Archaeology

Saudi Archaeologists have discovered a pre-Islamic Musnad inscription and a bronze bullhead

Saudi archaeologists have discovered the longest pre-Islamic Musnad inscription -of the ancient south Arabian script- and three gold rings and a bronze bull’s head at the Al Ukhdud excavation site in the Najran region. The Kingdom’s Heritage Commission announced on its official Twitter account that archaeologists have unearthed pre-Islamic artifacts in a region in southern Saudi Arabia. The commission stated that the discoveries “shed a … Continue reading Saudi Archaeologists have discovered a pre-Islamic Musnad inscription and a bronze bullhead

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Business

Hong Kong shows desire to be crypto hub with new regulation

As the U.S. government continues to rein in the crypto industry with a spate of regulations, other places are emerging as new hubs for the virtual asset industry. On Monday, Hong Kong proposed rules that would let retail investors trade certain “large-cap tokens” on licensed exchanges, a stark contrast to mainland China across its border where crypto-related transactions are outright banned. The city’s Securities and … Continue reading Hong Kong shows desire to be crypto hub with new regulation

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