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Serbian border troops to maintain highest state of alert after ethnic clashes inside Kosovo

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:10:32 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia on Saturday condemned NATO-led peacekeepers stationed in neighboring Kosovo for their alleged failure to stop “brutal actions” by Kosovo police against ethnic Serbs, and said that its armed forces stationed near the border will remain on the highest state of alert until further notice.Serbia’s top political and security leadership, led by President Aleksandar Vucic, met in Belgrade on Saturday following violent clashes a day earlier between Kosovo police and ethnic Serbs that injured more than a dozen people.In response to the clashes, Vucic on Friday ordered troops closer to the border with Kosovo. “Due to the brutal use of force by (Kosovo Prime Minister) Albin Kurti and his forces against the Serbian people in Kosovo … the armed forces of the Republic of Serbia will remain at the highest level of combat readiness,” said a statement after the meeting of the top Serbian leadership on Saturday.The statement also said that an international civilian miss...

Germany says Russia set to expel German diplomats, teachers, cultural staff

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:10:32 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Russia will start expelling German diplomats, teachers and employees of German cultural institutions next month, the German Foreign Office said Saturday — a move that will further enhance tensions between the two countries that have already had very fraught ties since Russia invaded Ukraine early last year.The German foreign ministry sharply criticized Russia’s move, calling the upcoming expulsions a “unilateral, unjustified and incomprehensible decision.”The expulsion will affect several hundred German state employees, including teachers and staff of the Goethe Institute, which promotes German culture and language abroad, daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported.The expulsion comes in response to the reduction of the presence of Russian intelligence services in Germany earlier this year.“The Russian Foreign Ministry had made public in April its decision to introduce a cap on the number of staff at our missions abroad and at German intermediary organizations in Russia...

Advocacy group says Iran, Taliban fight on border with Afghanistan as sound of gunfire heard

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:10:32 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Taliban and Iran reportedly exchanged gunfire Saturday on the Islamic Republic’s border with Afghanistan, an advocacy group said, as tensions rise over water rights between the two nations. Neither Iranian state media nor Taliban-controlled media in Afghanistan acknowledged the fighting on the border of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province and the Afghan province of Nimroz. The advocacy group HalVash, which reports on issues in the predominately Sunni province of Sistan and Baluchestan, quoted residents in the area describing the fighting as starting Saturday morning. The group put the fighting near the Kang district of Nimroz, saying some people in the area had been evacuated. Videos posted online, purportedly from the area, included the crackle of machine gun fire in the distance. The apparent clash comes as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi earlier this month warned the Taliban not to violate Iran’s water rights to the Helm...

Andreas Kluth: A pattern in Putin’s list: domestic foes of a previous U.S. president

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:10:32 GMT

The bizarre and unsavory strongman bromance between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump continues. If you’re a MAGA Republican and not having second thoughts by now, something’s wrong with you.The latest head-scratcher and jaw-dropper is a new list of sanctions slapped on American individuals by the Russian president. That’s already weird. Aren’t we in the West the ones imposing sanctions on him for waging a genocidal war of conquest against Ukraine?But there it is. Putin, as ever, peddles his own narratives that wantonly invert reality. So in the Kremlin’s book, it’s Russia that must punish the West for its aggression.The creepier part is Putin’s pick of the 500 Americans on that list. Quite a few of them have nothing whatsoever to do with Russia or American policy toward the Kremlin. They instead share a different distinction: They’re domestic foes of the former U.S. president.There’s Letitia James, for example, the attorney genera...

From Mexico to Norway and Poland to Senegal, international horror films deliver

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:10:32 GMT

If you enjoyed “Stranger Things” and want a Spanish-language take on similar themes, look no further. An homage to “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” set in modern-day Australia? It’s in here. A West African soldier-of-fortune caper with shades of Quentin Tarantino and “The Walking Dead”? You’re in tons of luck. A somber Norwegian whodunnit that brings together death metal rockers and upper crust religious zealots? Ja, you’ve come to the right place!The past five years have delivered horror fans a tasty smörgåsbord of scary movies from around the world, instantly available on streaming services such as Shudder, Amazon Prime, HBO Max and Netflix. Here are 15 reasons why international horror represents much of the best of the genre, and those tired of brain eaters can relax — only one of these could even partially qualify as a zombie flick.“Bring Back Alice” (Poland, 2023)“Bring Back Alice” is a Max series about a weal...

Years before the Doughertys bought a vintage lake resort, it belonged to another family

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:10:32 GMT

Editor’s note: One of Minnesota’s oldest fishing camps is open again as Wambolts Cabins, a seasonal lake resort, thanks to Anne and James Dougherty of St. Paul.But the Doughertys are not the first family to have operated the business on Upper Bottle Lake in Hubbard County.Karen Mauer, 60, of Atlantic, Iowa, shared her family’s story with the Pioneer Press in a series of emails, which have been lightly edited:The cabins of what was then called Wambolts Resort, back when the Mauer family owned it. (Courtesy photo)My parents, Dareld and Rosemary Mauer, purchased Wambolt’s Camp in 1969 from Louise (Wambolt) and Leo Arnold.Louise was the daughter of Bud Wambolt, who built the resort.  A few years later, we changed the name to Wambolts Resort, as Mom felt the Camp part made it sound like a campground instead of a resort.We spent our summer at Wambolts and our winters in Atlantic, Iowa. My parents both had full-time jobs during these months. They were lucky to have employ...

Ask Amy: Donor father now wants biological siblings to meet

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:10:32 GMT

Dear Amy: A few years back, I discovered that I had fathered an adult child resulting from my being a sperm donor decades ago.This child was raised by a single mother and has no siblings.This child sought me out because they “wanted more family.” We have become good friends and I treasure this relationship.I have encouraged the adult child I raised (also a biological child) to meet their half-sibling but, although there has been sporadic texting, the adult child I raised has not made much effort to meet their half-sibling.They are very close in age.I don’t want my encouragement to be misinterpreted.Should I discontinue encouraging these two to connect?— New FatherDear New Father: You should continue to encourage these two to connect, but your encouragement should be a soft-sell, understanding that these two adults have the right to face — and pace — the possibility of their own relationship in their own way.You should relate to each of them as individuals, and be transpa...

Horoscopes May 27, 2023: Paul Bettany, make a difference

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:10:32 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Chris Colfer, 33; Shanola Hampton, 46; Jack McBrayer, 50; Paul Bettany, 52.Happy Birthday: Think before you speak, and avoid emotional problems with those you live or work with this year. Researching will play a role in keeping you out of trouble. Get your facts straight and put your time and energy into making your life better. Travel, conferences and observation will be necessary if you want to contribute or make a difference in your community. Your numbers are 5, 11, 19, 23, 31, 36, 44.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t overdo it or let anyone take advantage of you. Relax, rethink your plans and adjust whatever is slowing you down. Don’t structure your life to suit others when success is your responsibility. Take better care of your health, home and happiness. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Think big and get involved in something that makes you feel good about yourself. Hard work will make a difference and give insight into how you want t...

Bridge: May 27, 2023

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:10:32 GMT

“Simple Saturday” columns focus on improving basic technique and developing logical thinking.I’ve heard it said that the best thing about rules is knowing when you can enjoy breaking them. To be sure, many defensive “rules” that players learn have exceptional cases.In today’s deal, West leads the nine of spades against four hearts, and declarer plays the queen from dummy. Suppose East “covers an honor with an honor,” as the rule enjoins. South takes the ace and cashes the A-K of trumps. When West discards, South tries the A-K of clubs and a club ruff.GOOD CLUBWhen the suit breaks 3-3, South goes to dummy with the jack of spades and throws his last spade on a good club as East ruffs. West gets two diamond tricks, but South makes his game.East defeats the contract if he ignores a rule. If he plays low on the first spade, he deprives South of a late entry to dummy, and the defenders get four tricks in all.Beware of “rules.” Th...

Word Game: May 27, 2023

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:10:32 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — SERENADED (SERENADED: seh-rih-NADE-ed: Played or sang a love song to.)Average mark 43 wordsTime limit 45 minutesCan you find 53 or more words in SERENADED? The list will be published Monday.YESTERDAY’S WORD — SILICONE scion scone silicon silo since sine slice sloe soil sole sone sonic icon incise insole isle lenis lens lesion lice lien line lion loin lone lose clone close coil coin cole cone cosine once nice nicoise noel noes noil elisionTo 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 not allo...