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Former Austrian chancellor to go on trial over alleged false statements to parliamentary inquiry

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:04 GMT

VIENNA (AP) — Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is set to go on trial Wednesday on a charge of having allegedly made false statements to a parliamentary inquiry into alleged corruption in his first government.The charges center on his testimony to the inquiry that focused on the coalition he led from 2017, when his conservative People’s Party formed a government with the far-right Freedom Party, until its collapse in 2019. Kurz pulled the plug on that government after a video surfaced that showed the vice chancellor and Freedom Party leader at the time, Heinz-Christian Strache, appearing to offer favors to a purported Russian investor.Kurz is accused of giving false evidence in June 2020 regarding his role in setting up and appointing the leadership of a holding company, OeBAG, that administers the state’s role in some companies. The charge of giving false evidence carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison.Kurz has denied any wrongdoing.A few months after his first ...

Revision of EU long-term budget: Why Parliament wants improvements 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:04 GMT

The war in Ukraine and inflation have depleted the reserves in the EU's long-term budget. The EU needs more funds so that it can react to crises, say MEPs, EU affairs.What is the EU long-term budget?The EU long-term budget, also known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF.), is the seven-year financial plan that determines how much money the EU can invest in different priorities, such as supporting farmers, regions, businesses, students or researchers.The long-term budget sets limits for the EU’s annual spending. The current framework covers the period 2021-2027. As it spans so many years, it is subject to a mid-term review in 2023 to see if changes are needed.Find out more about the EU long-term budget.Why changes in the EU long-term budget are neededMany unforeseen developments have taken place since the EU adopted its current long-term budget at the end of 2020.The war in Ukraine has dramatically changed the geopolitical situation on the continent. The EU has committed to s...

Single-family residence in San Jose sells for $2 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:04 GMT

5454 Muir Drive – Google Street ViewA 1,876-square-foot house built in 1959 has changed hands. The property located in the 5400 block of Muir Drive in San Jose was sold on Sept. 25, 2023. The $1,950,000 purchase price works out to $1,039 per square foot. This single-story home presents a roomy floor plan, featuring four bedrooms and two baths. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. In addition, the home includes a two-car garage, ensuring ample room for parking and storage.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:On Milligan Drive, San Jose, in June 2023, a 1,448-square-foot home was sold for $1,900,000, a price per square foot of $1,312. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 1,598-square-foot home on the 1700 block of Myra Drive in San Jose sold in August 2022, for $1,910,000, a price per square foot of $1,195. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In December 2022, a 1,868-square-foot home on Alan Avenue in San Jose sold for $1,999,000, a price...

San Jose Sharks’ Quinn blasts ‘soft, slow’ play after latest home loss

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:04 GMT

SAN JOSE – David Quinn and the San Jose Sharks know they need to be a much harder team to play against this season to have any chance of improving over last year.While the Sharks had moments to that effect in the first two games of the season, Tuesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes easily represented a step in the wrong direction.After seeing his team play some of its best hockey of the season through the first five minutes of the third period, Quinn witnessed his team revert to some unfortunate habits the rest of the way in a 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes at SAP Center.A one-goal Sharks lead with 11 minutes left in the third period turned into a three-goal deficit in a matter of six minutes thanks to two penalties and an unwillingness to skate and engage. As a result, the Sharks fell to 0-2-1 with the Boston Bruins coming to San Jose on Thursday.“I didn’t like the way we played for most of the night,” Quinn said. “I didn’t think we skated the way we had been, I didn’t th...

Marchessault breaks tie in shootout, unbeaten Golden Knights beat Stars 3-2

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:04 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jonathan Marchessault broke a shootout tie in the Vegas Golden Knights’ 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night in a Western Conference final rematch.Marchessault gave Vegas (4-0) a 2-1 edge in the shootout after teammate Shea Theodore and Dallas’ Matt Duchene traded goals. Dallas had a chance to extend the shootout, but Roope Hintz’s shot hit the crossbar.“I don’t know that I’ve ever won a shootout without making a save,” Knights goalie Adin Hill said.Kaedan Korczak and William Karlsson each had a goal and an assist for the Knights, and Hill stopped 24 shots. Craig Smith and Joe Pavelski scored for Dallas, and Jake Oettinger made 32 savess.This was the first meeting since the Knights eliminated Dallas in six games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, where Vegas won the championship. They traded goals and plenty of punches in the second period in which each team received two fighting majors. It was the first time since March...

Seth Jarvis scores 2 power-play goals, Hurricanes beat Sharks 6-3

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:04 GMT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Seth Jarvis scored two power-play goals and the Carolina Hurricanes scored four times in the third period to beat the San Jose Sharks 6-3 on Tuesday night.Martin Necas and Stefan Noesen each had a goal and an assist as Carolina improved to 2-1 on a six-game trip. Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin also scored.Jarvis broke a tie with 8:09 remaining to help the Hurricanes to their fourth consecutive victory against the Sharks.“We were playing solid all game,” Slavin said. “We had chance after chance. We knew we just had to stick with it.”Added Noesen: “I thought we played really well all night and some calls didn’t go our way. But we battled through it and found a way to capitalize in a big third.”Fabian Zetterlund, Filip Zadina and William Eklund scored for the Sharks. They were outshot 42-16.“I didn’t like the way we played for most of the night,” San Jose coach David Quinn said. “I don’t think we skated the way we have been. I don’t think we were physical e...

AUTO RACING: Larson the new favorite in NASCAR championship chase?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:04 GMT

NASCAR CUP SERIES 4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1Site: Homestead, Florida.Schedule: Saturday, practice, 9:05 a.m., and qualifying, 9:50 a.m.; Sunday, race, 2:30 p.m. (NBC).Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway.Race distance: 267 laps, 400.5 miles.Last year: Kyle Larson won after starting fifth.Last race: Larson became the first driver locked into NASCAR’s title-deciding finale in the opening playoff race of the round of eight, winning at Las Vegas and keeping him in contention for a second Cup title in three years. Fast facts: Larson, the 2021 champ, moved to the top of the playoff standings, followed by William Byron, 2017 champ Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin. The four on the outside looking in with two races left to jumble things are Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and Chris Buescher. … Blaney was disqualified after the race for an illegal front shock, but the penalty was later overturned. He finished sixth. … Truex won the regular-season title but has had a t...

Breaking, sports climbing and skateboarding set for debut at Pan American Games

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:04 GMT

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — The Pan American Games in Santiago will try to reach new audiences and seduce a younger crowd by bringing breaking, sports climbing and skateboarding into the program. The two latter were hits at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, while the dance sport will have its debut in Paris next year.The Pan American Games, the largest multi-sport event in the Americas, are held every four years and precede the Olympics by a year. The Chilean capital will play host for more than 6,800 athletes from 41 countries and territories between Friday and Nov. 5 in its debut as host. The sports climbing and breaking competitions in Santiago will offer direct spots in Paris. Skateboarding athletes will be able to add points in the Olympic ranking so they can attend.Breaking, a dance that emerges from his hop culture and is characterized by acrobatic movements, will have men’s and women’s contests. The competition will be based on the footwork of the athletes, combinat...

Biden admin doesn’t want Israel-Hamas to suck U.S. back into the Middle East

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:04 GMT

President Joe Biden heads to Israel tomorrow not just to show support for a country during one of its darkest hours but to prevent the administration from getting bogged down in a larger Middle East conflict — one that could derail its agenda.Biden has been privately adamant that the administration needs to demonstrate it has Israel’s back, said five U.S. officials, all granted anonymity to discuss sensitive internal deliberations. The decision to make a one-day visit to the country was crafted with that in mind.But those officials also said there was a subtler objective inside the administration. No one, in the Oval Office or elsewhere in the West Wing, has an appetite to make Israel’s fight against Hamas the top foreign policy priority — and especially with mounting domestic concerns and a growing struggle to sustain support for Kyiv in its war with Russia.“We’re going to keep helping the Israelis wage this fight,” said one of the officials, adding that “there’s no interest in see...

Into the honey pot: Serbia and China ink free trade deal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:04 GMT

Serbia and China signed a free trade deal on Tuesday, bringing the two countries closer together at a time when much of Europe is seeking to “de-risk” trading ties with China.Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on Tuesday, told reporters in Beijing the agreement was “a big step forward” for Serbia.“I am grateful to President Xi Jinping for the importance he gives to Serbia,” Vučić wrote on Instagram.The Serbian leader said he hoped the agreement would enter into force by May or June next year.It is the fourth free trade deal China has struck with a European country, after Switzerland, Iceland and Georgia. Though the details of the agreement have not been made public, it will particularly benefit Serbian producers of honey, Vučić said, as well as the country’s winemakers. It comes as the European Union, which does not have a free trade agreement with Beijing, is seeking to “de-risk&#...