PARIS — Belgium’s new government vows to boost the defense budget over the coming years to ensure the country, notoriously one of NATO’s worst performers on military spending, starts pulling its weight in the alliance. The government of Prime Minister Bart De Wever plans to set the Belgian defense budget on track to reach current NATO spending targets by 2029, and the coalition agreement underpinning the government calls for investing in air defense, more F-35 fighter jets and a third frigate. “The time of rebuilding our defense has started,” Minister of Defence Theo Francken, who was sworn in last week,…
Author: MAK Gojar
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A family about to embark on a trip involving airplanes and cars wonders how to prepare their dog for the journey. Planning a vacation with your dog? You’ll need to plan ahead. (Getty Images) DEAR JOAN: My wife and I are planning a vacation that will take us to a few different cities and states, and we want to bring our 1-year-old dog with us. He’s a small dog, but he’s definitely a mutt. Right now, we’re trying to decide whether to fly to our first location and then rent a car to visit the other places, or whether we…
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Wall Street is taking President Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride, on the whole, and U.S. stocks are rising on Monday. The S&P 500 was up 0.6% in morning trading, coming off a losing week that was bookended by worries about how potential tariffs could push up inflation and threaten the economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 137 points, or 0.3%, as of 10:15 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.1% higher as Nvidia and other Big Tech stocks led the way. The bond market also remained relatively firm, with Treasury yields ticking lower…
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The president’s lawyers argued that the distinction between civil servants and political appointees was unworkable and unconstitutional. A hearing is set for Friday. The president’s lawyers argued that the distinction between civil servants and political appointees was unworkable and unconstitutional. A hearing is set for Friday. Lawyers for the Trump administration argued late Sunday that a court order blocking Elon Musk’s aides from entering the Treasury Department’s payment and data systems impinged on the president’s absolute powers over the executive branch, which they argued the courts could not usurp. The filing by the administration came in response to a lawsuit…
JD Vance stepped onto the world stage this week for the first time as U.S. vice president, using a high-stakes AI summit in Paris and a security conference in Munich to amplify Donald Trump’s aggressive new approach to diplomacy. The 40-year-old vice president, who was just 18 months into his tenure as a senator before joining Trump’s ticket, is expected, while in Paris, to push back on European efforts to tighten AI oversight while advocating for a more open, innovation-driven approach. The AI summit has drawn world leaders, top tech executives, and policymakers to discuss artificial intelligence’s impact on global…
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The decision stems from a lawsuit filed by a group called the Marin County Homeless Union. The group sued Novato in 2021 after the city adopted camping restrictions. Christal Gift, a former occupant of the city camp for homeless people at Lee Gerner Park in Novato, passes a cluster of tents at the site on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal) A federal judge has issued a ruling that allows Novato to close its camp for homeless people at Lee Gerner Park. The decision by Magistrate Judge Robert Illman stems from a lawsuit filed by a group called…
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There’s $1.39 billion in bets riding on the Super Bowl this weekend. Here’s what sportsbooks do — and don’t — want to see happen.There’s $1.39 billion in bets riding on the Super Bowl this weekend. Here’s what sportsbooks do — and don’t — want to see happen. There’s $1.39 billion in bets riding on the Super Bowl this weekend. Here’s what sportsbooks do — and don’t — want to see happen.
MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers have unveiled a patch they will wear on their uniform this season to honor longtime broadcaster Bob Uecker, who died last month. The patch will appear on the sleeve of the Brewers’ uniforms. It features Uecker’s signature over a gold-and-navy plaid print to honor the various sportscoats he occasionally wore. The patch was introduced Monday and will make its debut when the Brewers open their preseason schedule Feb. 22 by facing the Cincinnati Reds in Phoenix. Uecker died Jan. 16 at the age of 90. He had completed his 54th season of broadcasting Brewers games…
Going into the Super Bowl, the “Taylor Swift effect” on the NFL looks even stronger than it did at this time last year. Here’s why.Going into the Super Bowl, the “Taylor Swift effect” on the NFL looks even stronger than it did at this time last year. Here’s why. Going into the Super Bowl, the “Taylor Swift effect” on the NFL looks even stronger than it did at this time last year. Here’s why.
L3Harris on Monday unveiled a software platform, Amorphous, for controlling large swarms of uncrewed systems across multiple domains, allowing aerial drones, ships and other platforms to operate together seamlessly. The software is designed with an open architecture to be platform-agnostic and scalable. To date, the company has demonstrated the ability to connect multiple systems, but it envisions Amorphous eventually managing thousands of payloads — a key requirement for the U.S. Defense Department as it looks to better integrate uncrewed systems into operations. Jon Rambeau, president of integrated mission systems at L3Harris, told reporters in a briefing last week the company’s…
Every player who wins the Super Bowl will get a $171,000 bonus from the NFL. Some stars will also get bonuses from their team.Every player who wins the Super Bowl will get a $171,000 bonus from the NFL. Some stars will also get bonuses from their team. Every player who wins the Super Bowl will get a $171,000 bonus from the NFL. Some stars will also get bonuses from their team.
Improving international sales helped McDonald’s overcome some weakness at home in the fourth quarter, but the company said it expects U.S. sales to pick up later this year. McDonald’s said its sales are continuing to recover from an E. coli outbreak last fall tied to its Quarter Pounder hamburgers. The Chicago burger giant said it’s also struggling to get low-income consumers back into its stores despite expanding discounts. McDonald’s U.S. same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, fell 1.4% in the fourth quarter. On a conference call with investors Monday, McDonald’s Chairman, President and CEO Chris…