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Eager young Albanians risk everything for new future in UK

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

BAJRAM CURRI, Albania (AP) — Monika Mulaj’s son was in his second year of college in Albania, studying to become a mechanical engineer, when he resolved to make a daring change: He told his parents he would leave his lifelong home for a new future in Britain.“We had tried to fulfil all his requests, for books and clothing, food and a bit of entertaining. But he was still dissatisfied,” said Mulaj, a high school teacher in the northeastern town of Bajram Curri, which is in one of the country’s poorest regions.Five years later, her now 25-year-old son is working two jobs in Britain and hardly thinks of returning to his homeland. “Albania is in regress,” he complains to his mother.His path has been shared in recent years by thousands of young Albanians who have crossed the English Channel in small boats or inflatable dinghies to seek work in the U.K. Their odyssey reflects the country’s anemic economy and a younger generation’s longing for fresh opportunities.In...

Ramadan begins in Mideast amid high costs, hopes for peace

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — The first daily fast of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan began Thursday, as hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide enter a four-week period of worship.The observance comes at a time when numerous countries and governments across the Middle East are taking tentative steps towards calming enduring conflicts and crises made more acute by the costly war in Ukraine and a devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria that killed over 52,000 people.During the coming four weeks, hundreds of millions of Muslims will abstain from food and water from dawn to dusk, before gathering with family and friends for indulgent nighttime meals. According to Islam, fasting draws the faithful closer to God and reminds them of the suffering of the poor.In Sudan’s capital, families prepare and sell culinary delights weeks in advance to mark the break of the fast each evening, a meal known as Iftar.The food and drink of choice for nighttime feasts across households in the Islamic Afri...

Asian shares mixed after Fed hints rate hikes may end soon

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed Thursday after the Federal Reserve raised a key interest rate, while noting the end may be near for its economy-crunching hikes to interest rates. The Fed raised its key overnight rate by a quarter of a percentage point, the same size as its last increase, in its campaign to drive down inflation. That effort has been complicated by turmoil in the banking sector, with investors worried that more banks might fail after Silicon Valley Bank’s recent collapse. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 shed 0.2% to 27,419.61. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.7% to 6,968.60. South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.3% to 2,424.48. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.7% to 19,923.04, while the Shanghai Composite rose 0.5% to 3,282.11. Shares rose in India and Taiwan. “A risk-off tone following the recent Fed meeting has set the stage for the Asian region to follow through with some losses,” Yeap Jun Rong, a market analyst at IG, said in a commentary...

March Madness: Athletes balance privacy, online profile

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

Aliyah Boston recalls her parents prodding her to be more active on social media, to extend her brand as her basketball prowess began to draw national attention.She said she would be more active — and then post just one photo in two months, which is no way for an athlete influencer to earn big money in the era of name, image and likeness compensation.Eventually, the South Carolina superstar saw the light — and the green.“With the NIL, my mom and my dad were like: this is the time for social media to continue to brand yourself,” Boston said. “That’s when I really started to post more.”The NIL age has opened a vast new world of earning potential for athletes. Social media platforms, once solely windows into smaller worlds, are now heavily trafficked gateways to wider audiences and revenue streams. Social media also turbocharged March Madness, an event that already had communal elements — think bracket and office pool — before the internet even existed.Taking advantage of this chaotic ...

Belgium to introduce new crypto ad regulation

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

Companies sponsoring crypto advertisements in Belgium must submit to its financial regulator FSMA before any campaign, writes Oluwapelumi Adejumo. Belgium’s Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) is set to introduce a new set of crypto ad regulations by 17 May, finance magnates reported on 20 March.Belgium’s Official Gazette published on 17 March showed that the crypto ad must be accurate and contain mandatory risk information. The companies sponsoring the advert must submit it to FSMA before any mass campaign — this means that adverts targeting at least 25,000 customers must be submitted to the regulator.FSMA’s chairman Jean-Paul Servais reportedly said:“To better protect consumers, the FSMA is stepping up the pace when it comes to supervision and financial education. Thanks to the new regulation, the FSMA will be able to check whether advertisements for virtual currencies are accurate and not misleading and whether the advertisements contain the compulsory warnings of ris...

Sale closed in San Jose: $1.5 million for a three-bedroom home

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

3872 Jarvis Avenue – Google Street ViewA house built in 1965 located in the 3800 block of Jarvis Avenue in San Jose has new owners. The 1,346-square-foot property was sold on March 2, 2023. The $1,500,000 purchase price works out to $1,114 per square foot. The property features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage, and two parking spaces. The unit sits on a 7,260-square-foot lot.These nearby houses have also recently been purchased:On Bryan Avenue, San Jose, in June 2022, a 1,474-square-foot home was sold for $1,580,000, a price per square foot of $1,072. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 1,713-square-foot home on the 1400 block of Kimberly Court in San Jose sold in October 2022 for $1,950,000, a price per square foot of $1,138. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In October 2022, a 1,640-square-foot home on Jarvis Avenue in San Jose sold for $1,550,000, a price per square foot of $945. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. 

EU leaders set to endorse more military support for Ukraine

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — EU leaders are set to endorse a deal aimed at sending to Ukraine 1 million rounds of artillery shells within the next 12 months to help the country counter Russia’s invasion forces.The fast-track procedure was adopted during a meeting of foreign and defense ministers earlier this week, and leaders gathered at a summit in Brussels on Thursday will give it a political blessing, according to several senior EU diplomats.With Ukraine facing shortages of ammunition to fight Russia, the idea of setting up a joint purchasing plan of action similar to the one devised during the coronavirus pandemic to buy vaccines was first brought to the table last month by Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he has won approval for his proposal to provide 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to encourage member nations to provide artillery shells from their stocks and any orders for new rounds that they might have placed with industry.A further 1 billion...

Anger at Macron mounts as French unions hold new protests

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

PARIS (AP) — French unions on Thursday are holding their first mass demonstrations since President Emmanuel Macron inflamed public anger by forcing a higher retirement age through parliament without a vote. Strikes are upending travel, and blockades are expected at ports, refineries and garbage dumps.Violence has intensified in recent days at scattered protests against the pension reform and Macron’s leadership.Macron is stubbornly resisting the growing discontent on the streets of France, saying Wednesday that the pension bill to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 must be implemented by the end of the year.Critics attacked Macron for the remarks, describing him as “self-satisfied,” “out of touch” and “offensive.”The president’s comments Wednesday were his first since the government forced the pension bill through parliament last week for lack of enough support. The government then survived two no-confidence votes in the lower chamber of parliament Monday.The bill must now pass ...

Texas and Xavier square off in the Sweet 16

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

Xavier Musketeers (27-9, 15-5 Big East) vs. Texas Longhorns (28-8, 12-6 Big 12)Kansas City, Missouri; Friday, 9:45 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Texas -4; over/under is 149BOTTOM LINE: The No. 5 Texas Longhorns take on the No. 13 Xavier Musketeers in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament.The Longhorns are 12-6 against Big 12 opponents and 16-2 in non-conference play. Texas is sixth in the Big 12 with 23.3 defensive rebounds per game led by Timmy Allen averaging 4.3.The Musketeers’ record in Big East action is 15-5. Xavier averages 12.2 turnovers per game and is 2-0 when turning the ball over less than opponents.TOP PERFORMERS: Marcus Carr is averaging 15.8 points, 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals for the Longhorns. Jabari Rice is averaging 16.3 points over the last 10 games for Texas.Jack Nunge is averaging 14.1 points and 7.7 rebounds for the Musketeers. Souley Boum is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games for Xavier.LAST 10 GAMES: Longhorns: 8-2, averaging 7...

Alabama Crimson Tide take on the San Diego State Aztecs in Sweet 16

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

San Diego State Aztecs (29-6, 15-3 MWC) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (31-5, 16-2 SEC)Louisville, Kentucky; Friday, 6:30 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Alabama -7.5; over/under is 137BOTTOM LINE: The No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide take on the No. 18 San Diego State Aztecs in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament.The Crimson Tide have gone 16-2 against SEC teams, with a 15-3 record in non-conference play. Alabama has a 27-5 record against teams over .500.The Aztecs’ record in MWC play is 15-3. San Diego State ranks eighth in the MWC scoring 28.6 points per game in the paint led by Keshad Johnson averaging 4.9.TOP PERFORMERS: Brandon Miller is shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc with 2.9 made 3-pointers per game for the Crimson Tide, while averaging 19.1 points and 8.2 rebounds. Jahvon Quinerly is averaging 12.5 points and 4.1 assists over the past 10 games for Alabama.Lamont Butler is averaging 8.6 points, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals for the Aztecs. Matt Bradley is averaging 12.5 po...