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Regional integration is imperative for peace and security in the South Caucasus

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:32 GMT

The collapse of the separatist regime in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan in September completed the de-occupation process of the country’s occupied territories. This has effectively brought an end to the decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the mentioned region. The mutual recognition each other’s territorial integrity by the two countries, and in particular, Armenia's recognition of Garabagh as part of Azerbaijan, has laid a strong foundation for a more stable and peaceful future between the two nations. The statement by the Armenian parliamentary speaker Alen Simonyan on November 28 concerning Armenia’s recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity including the Garabagh region and his emphasis that “The Garabagh issue no longer exists for Yerevan” promise more constructive developments in the future, writes Vasif Huseynov1.These positive dynamics between the two countries create a good basis also for the integration amongst the three countries of the So...

Upscale rooftop restaurant in Hollywood has rat problem, workers say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:32 GMT

Warning: This article contains pictures of dead vermin.Several current and former employees of the Sky Terrace restaurant at the W Hollywood, an upscale hotel at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, are coming clean and speaking out about what they say is a rat infestation in some of the eatery's facilities.  Five cooks, servers and receivers at the rooftop restaurant said they repeatedly reported the persistent vermin problem to managers but felt like their concerns were not taken seriously.  In a complaint the group filed with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, they accuse Mosaic LLC, the management company that operates Sky Terrace and the W Hollywood, of “(1) failing to maintain premises to prevent the entrance or harborage of vermin and (2) failing to institute a continuous and effective extermination program.”  Edward Diaz, a former line cook at the restaurant, said management doesn’t seem to understand how the infestation problem affects...

L.A. County business owner frustrated at repeated break-ins

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:32 GMT

A Los Angeles County business owner fears for the safety and future of his business after it was burglarized several times over the past two years, with the latest incident happening Wednesday morning. Around 5 a.m., security cameras captured a blue Kia Soul smashing into a gate several times surrounding Glassell Park Construction and Electronics Company located in the 2300 block of North San Fernando. After breaking down the gate, at least a dozen suspects were able to break in. Moments later, the thieves were seen fleeing the scene with expensive items including instruments and equipment, ditching the Kia and racing to other getaway cars.Security cameras captured a blue Kia Soul bashing down a gate several times surrounding Glassell Park Construction and Electronics Company, allowing at least a dozen suspects to break in on Dec. 6, 2023. (Glassell Park Construction and Electronics Company)The business owner, Ryan Baggaley, says he received a phone call from the ring system an...

Skinny Puppy Say Farewell at the Belasco

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:32 GMT

Skinny Puppy Say Farewell at the Belasco: The final stop on the second leg of Skinny Puppy’s final tour was Los Angeles, and the last of four nights at this city’s Belasco took place on Tuesday evening, December 5. So unless the core members — Orge and cEvin Key — have a massive change if heart, that was the last ever Skinny Puppy show.A change of heart is unlikely; when chatting to the two men for our cover story last month, Ogre offered a swift “No” when asked if he’ll miss performing with Key. Key was a little more diplomatic.“Throughout my history of performing with Ogre, even witnessing his performances is unbelievable. The guy puts everything into the performances and into the shows. Quite honestly, most of our problems were off stage. On stage, we seem to have a huge amount of respect for what each other does. So I don’t disrespect the work.”(Brett Callwood)That’s fair enough. Skinny Puppy certainly made it their bus...

3.8 earthquake reported in Los Banos

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:32 GMT

(KRON) -- A 3.8 magnitude earthquake was reported in Los Banos on Wednesday night, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake hit about 26 kilometers southwest of Los Banos at 10:16 p.m. Los Banos is located in San Joaquin Valley in Merced County.No other information was immediately available.

San Francisco businesses ask city to pay for losses suffered during APEC

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:32 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Nearly a month after the APEC summit, business owners in San Francisco are demanding the city reimburse them for lost revenue experienced during the week-long security event.The APEC summit turned much of the South of Market area into a high-security zone, shutting down streets to traffic and requiring credentials for pedestrians. Because of that, some business owners say they lost more than $50,000 worth of business. Many of them spoke out at the Board of Supervisors budget meeting Wednesday. Alameda County supervisors ask Oakland A’s to pay for Coliseum ”San Francisco’s hosting of APEC was exactly what we said it would be for small businesses,” said Manuel Ramirez, owner of Korean fried chicken restaurant Bonchon. ”A complete disruption of our revenue streams and ability to operate.”Ramirez is one of 50 business owners who signed a petition saying they experienced financial losses during the week of the APEC summit. He says Bonchon made just 20% of its wee...

Is Europe’s new satellite initiative already outdated?  

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:32 GMT

It has taken a while, but Europe has recently recognized that for pressing defence issues a software solution is very often state of the art. Boosting defence today is often less a matter of spending ever-increasing amounts on expensive hardware: military planners now recognize that software can drastically augment the performance of new platforms as well as retrofit legacy equipment, while being cost-effective compared to large platform procurements. It can also rejuvenate the combat power of European forces limited in mass.  This shift in understanding has boosted our ability to safeguard European sovereignty in the face of technological progress by adversarial actors. In the past 12 months, the first large contracts have been awarded to pure software defence companies, and while more work remains to be done, European governments have shown they can adapt, act and achieve state-of-the-art defence.  Europe has also thankfully absorbed another insight: space has ...

US Coast Guard offloads thousands of pounds of drugs seized in eastern Pacific Ocean

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:32 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- U.S. officials made several large drug busts in the Pacific Ocean within the last two months.On Wednesday, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche offloaded approximately 18,219 pounds of cocaine, which was seized from the "drug transit zones" of the eastern Pacific Ocean. The cocaine seized is estimated to be worth more than $239 million.Thirteen people were arrested and are in U.S. custody and charges are pending, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Tara McGrath said.Officials offloaded the thousands of pounds of drugs Wednesday afternoon and transported it to a lab to be analyzed, then it will be stored as evidence through the criminal proceedings and eventually destroyed.The seizures took place between October and November from six different vessels, including a self propelled semi-submersible. Part of that seizure was caught on camera. Former FOX 5 reporter battles rare cancer "Many of these drugs came from high speed smuggl...

Democracy activist Agnes Chow says she still feels under the Hong Kong police’s watch in Canada

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:32 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow, who left Hong Kong for Canada and won’t return to meet her bail conditions, said Thursday she felt still under the watch of the Chinese territory’s police even after moving to Toronto. Chow is one of Hong Kong’s most prominent young activists and was arrested in 2020 under a Beijing-imposed national security law that was enacted following 2019 anti-government protests. While she was not charged and was released on bail, police confiscated her passport before returning her this year under certain conditions, including a visit to mainland China with authorities. Chow said in an interview with The Associated Press that Hong Kong’s national security police called her twice to ask her about her status after she left the city to pursue further studies in September.“They keep trying to make me feel like I’m under their eyes,” she said. The intimidation of Hong Kong dissidents like Chow reflected the severe erosion of the f...

Russian lawmakers set presidential vote for March 17, 2024, clearing a path for Putin’s 5th term

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:32 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian lawmakers on Thursday set the date of the 2024 presidential election for March 17, moving Vladimir Putin closer to a fifth term in office.Putin, 71, hasn’t yet announced his intention to run again, but he is widely expected to do so in the coming days now that the date has been set.Under constitutional reforms he orchestrated, he is eligible to seek two more six-year terms after his current one expires next year.Having established tight control over Russia’s political system, Putin’s victory is all but assured. Prominent critics who could challenge him on the ballot are either in jail or living abroad, and most independent media have been banned.Neither the costly, drawn-out military campaign in Ukraine, nor a failed rebellion last summer by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin appear to have affected his high approval ratings reported by independent pollsters.The March election clears the way for him to remain in power at least until 2030.The Associated Press