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Oman’s second-largest bank pursues merger with smaller rival

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:18 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Oman’s second-largest bank is pursuing a potential merger with its smaller rival, potentially creating a lender with just under $20 billion in assets, according to regulatory filings made on Tuesday. The filings on the Muscat Stock Exchange show Bank Dhofar’s interest in its smaller rival, Ahli Bank. Bank Dhofar has over $11 billion in assets, while Ahli has under $8 billion. Ahli said it would study Bank Dhofar’s offer. Bahrain’s Ahli United Bank owns over a third of Oman’s Ahli Bank. Stock in Bank Dhofar rose over 3% in trading Tuesday on the Muscat Securities Market, to more than 40 cents a share. The sultanate of Oman sits on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. While a smaller oil producer than other Gulf Arab states, analysts expect Oman to use higher crude prices to bring down its budget deficits. Ratings firm Fitch noted in December that Bank Dhofar “remains highly dependent on government spending.” The A...

UN agency investigating humanitarian food theft in Ethiopia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:18 GMT

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — The United Nations food relief agency is investigating the theft of food aid from lifesaving humanitarian operations in Ethiopia, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press.The World Food Program’s Ethiopia director, Claude Jibidar, says in the letter that “WFP is very concerned about the large-scale sale of food in some markets” which “poses not only a reputational risk but also threatens our capacity to mobilize more resources for the needy people.”He adds that it “is therefore imperative that immediate actions be taken to curb … the misappropriation and diversion of humanitarian food” in the country.The letter is dated April 5 and addressed to humanitarian partners of WFP in Ethiopia, where drought and internal conflict have left 20 million of the country’s 120 million people reliant on aid. Jibidar asks the partner organizations to share “any information or cases of food misuse, misappropriation or diversion that you are...

Germany: ‘Uncooperative’ squirrel freed from manhole cover

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:18 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Firefighters say they have freed an “uncooperative” squirrel that was stuck in a manhole cover in western Germany — echoing a similar incident that happened in the same city four years ago.The Dortmund fire department said it was alerted to a distressed squirrel by a pedestrian Monday afternoon, after she spotted its head peering out of a hole in the road. The woman covered it with a scarf to calm it down before calling for help.A crew of firefighters who arrived at the scene carefully removed the manhole cover and tried to free the rodent.“This turned out to be quite complicated as the squirrel was uncooperative,” the fire department said.After further attempts the crew was able to extract the animal unharmed and it vanished up a nearby tree.Dortmund firefighters have some experience of saving stuck squirrels. In 2019, a similar squirrel rescue drew international attention. “It could not be determined if it was the same squirrel that had to be rescued from the same si...

Irish PM seeks to restore Northern Ireland power-sharing within coming months

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:18 GMT

Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, pledged on Sunday (9 April) to work with Rishi Sunak in an intensified effort to restore power-sharing government to Northern Ireland. He hopes to end the impasse in the coming months.The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which has been boycotting the devolved assembly for a year, in protest at post Brexit trade rules, has announced that it will not abandon the deal made by the United Kingdom in February to reduce trade barriers.London stated that it will not negotiate any portion of the new agreement.Varadkar stated that they had put in a lot of effort over the past few months to reach an agreement on revisions, reforms and changes to the protocol. He was referring to the check on goods between Northern Ireland (and the rest of the UK) which has angered many pro British unionists."The next step now is deep engagement both with the British government as well as with the five Northern Ireland parties to try and get these institutions up and runn...

Single family residence sells for $1.6 million in San Jose

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:18 GMT

1585 Ferndale Drive – Google Street ViewA 1,465-square-foot house built in 1960 has changed hands. The new owners acquired the property in the 1500 block of Ferndale Drive on March 15, 2023. The property located in the 1500 block of Ferndale Drive in San Jose was sold on March 15, 2023. The $1,558,000 purchase price works out to $1,063 per square foot. The house, built in 1960, has an interior space of 1,465 square feet. The property features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage, and two parking spaces. It sits on a 7,035-square-foot lot, which also has a pool.Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby:On Carter Avenue, San Jose, in September 2022, a 2,211-square-foot home was sold for $1,730,000, a price per square foot of $782. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In February 2023, a 1,420-square-foot home on Joseph Lane in San Jose sold for $1,530,000, a price per square foot of $1,077. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 1,211-square-foot home on the 1500 ...

Macron visits Netherlands after Taiwan comments make waves

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:18 GMT

AMSTERDAM (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron begins a two-day state visit to the Netherlands on Tuesday and is making a speech on his vision for the future of Europe.The speech Tuesday afternoon at a theater in The Hague comes after Macron raised eyebrows with comments on Taiwan after his recent visit to China.“The question we need to answer, as Europeans, is the following: Is it in our interest to accelerate (a crisis) on Taiwan? No,” Macron was quoted as saying in an interview published Sunday in French newspaper Les Echos and Politico Europe. “The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the U.S. agenda and a Chinese overreaction.”The remarks raised questions about whether Macron’s views are in line with the European Union’s position and whether the bloc of 27 is able to become the “third superpower” that Macron says he hopes to build within “a few years.”The interview was Friday, before China launched large-sc...

Braves face the Reds leading series 1-0

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:18 GMT

Cincinnati Reds (4-5) vs. Atlanta Braves (7-4)Atlanta; Tuesday, 7:20 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Reds: Luis Cessa (0-0); Braves: Kyle Wright (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -227, Reds +187; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves lead 1-0 in a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds.Atlanta is 7-4 overall and 2-3 in home games. The Braves have a 3-0 record in games when they hit two or more home runs.Cincinnati has a 4-5 record overall and a 1-3 record in road games. Reds hitters have a collective .431 slugging percentage to rank ninth in the majors.The matchup Tuesday is the second meeting between these teams this season.TOP PERFORMERS:LAST 10 GAMES: Braves: 6-4, .000 batting average, 3.90 ERA, outscored opponents by three runsReds: 4-5, .000 batting average, 4.55 ERA, outscored by four runsINJURIES: Braves: Travis d’Arnaud: 7-Day IL (concussion), Michael Harris II: 10-Day IL (back), Collin McHugh: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Max Fried: 15-Day IL (left ha...

Rockies bring 1-0 series advantage over Cardinals into game 2

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:18 GMT

St. Louis Cardinals (3-7) vs. Colorado Rockies (5-6)Denver; Tuesday, 8:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (0-0); Rockies: Kyle Freeland (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cardinals -166, Rockies +143; over/under is 11 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Rockies bring a 1-0 lead into the next game of the series against the St. Louis Cardinals.Colorado had a 68-94 record overall and a 41-40 record at home last season. The Rockies scored 4.3 runs per game while allowing 5.4 in the 2022 season.St. Louis has a 3-7 record overall and a 1-3 record on the road. The Cardinals have gone 0-5 in games when they have allowed at least one home run.Tuesday’s game is the second time these teams match up this season.TOP PERFORMERS:LAST 10 GAMES: Rockies: 4-6, .000 batting average, 5.65 ERA, outscored by 16 runsCardinals: 3-7, .000 batting average, 4.97 ERA, outscored by nine runsINJURIES: Rockies: German Marquez: day-to-day (forearm), Daniel Bard: 15-Day IL (anxiety), Randal ...

Phillies face the Marlins with 1-0 series lead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:18 GMT

Miami Marlins (4-7) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (4-6)Philadelphia; Tuesday, 6:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Marlins: Jesus Luzardo (0-0); Phillies: Aaron Nola (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Phillies -157, Marlins +135; over/under is 7 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies lead 1-0 in a three-game series against the Miami Marlins.Philadelphia has a 3-1 record in home games and a 4-6 record overall. Phillies hitters are batting a collective .285, the best team batting average in the NL.Miami went 69-93 overall and 35-46 on the road a season ago. The Marlins batted .230 as a team in the 2022 season with a .658 OPS.The teams meet Tuesday for the second time this season.TOP PERFORMERS:LAST 10 GAMES: Phillies: 4-6, .000 batting average, 5.40 ERA, outscored by 10 runsMarlins: 4-6, .000 batting average, 5.59 ERA, outscored by 29 runsINJURIES: Phillies: Darick Hall: 10-Day IL (thumb), Noah Song: 15-Day IL (back), Cristopher Sanchez: 15-Day IL (left tricep), Bryce Harper: 10-Day IL...

New York Mets and San Diego Padres play in game 2 of series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:18 GMT

San Diego Padres (6-5, third in the NL West) vs. New York Mets (6-5, second in the NL East)New York; Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Padres: Ryan Weathers (0-0); Mets: David Peterson (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Mets -143, Padres +122; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The New York Mets play the San Diego Padres, leading the series 1-0.New York has gone 3-1 in home games and 6-5 overall. The Mets have a 5-0 record in games when they out-hit their opponents.San Diego has a 6-5 record overall and a 3-2 record in road games. The Padres are fifth in the majors with 15 total home runs, averaging 1.4 per game.The matchup Tuesday is the second time these teams meet this season.TOP PERFORMERS:LAST 10 GAMES: Mets: 5-5, .000 batting average, 4.50 ERA, outscored by four runsPadres: 6-4, .000 batting average, 4.08 ERA, outscored opponents by eight runsINJURIES: Mets: Omar Narvaez: 10-Day IL (calf), Sam Coonrod: 60-Day IL (lat), Bryce Montes de Oca: 60-Day IL (elbow), Tommy Hun...