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DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Marrit Steenbergen won gold for the Netherlands in the women's 100-meter freestyle Friday at the World Aquatics Championships. “The back half is my specialty,” said Steenbergen, who also was part of the winning Dutch team in the 4x100 freestyle relay. World record-holder Sarah Sjöström of Sweden is at the championships but withdrew from the 100 free before the preliminaries. The Americans, who are three-time reigning Olympic champions, bounced back from a quarterfinal loss at last year’s world championships in Fukuoka. Hungary came up just short of its first women's world title since 2005.

Persons: Marrit Steenbergen, Siobhán Haughey, Hong Kong, Steenbergen, “, ”, Haughey, Jack, Kate Douglass, ” Haughey, Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan, Sarah Sjöström, Rachel Fattal, Ashleigh Johnson, ___ Organizations: Paris, Dutch, Doha, United, Olympic, Greece Locations: DOHA, Qatar, Netherlands, Hong, Fukuoka, Australia, Sweden, United States, Hungary, Fukuoka . Hungary, Spain

☆ Women in Iceland want you to know it's not a gender equality utopia, despite what the statistics say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

AdvertisementBoth Icelandic and foreign-born women told BI that though they largely feel safe in Iceland, it's no feminist paradise. "That was like a wake up call for many women," Thorgerdur J. Einarsdóttir, professor of gender studies at the University of Iceland, told BI. Some groups of women are more vulnerable to violence and low wages, including foreign-born women, women with disabilities, and trans women, the interviewees said. Older generations fight so younger ones can flourishBut despite these concerns, the women BI spoke to said that they largely felt safe living in Iceland. Women BI spoke to largely said they felt optimistic about the changes that future generations would bring.

Persons: —, Arni Torfason, Saadia Zahidi, Valenttina Griffin, Grace Dean, Adolphsdóttir, Einarsdóttir, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, Sigurðardóttir, Iceland's, Halldor Kolbeins, Sonja Ýr Þorbergsdóttir, Þorbergsdóttir, Inclusivity, Alice Olivia Clarke, Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix, they'd, Steinars, she'd, she's, Ása Steinars, Alondra Silva Muñoz, Griffin, Silva Muñoz, Sigrún, Rósa, that's, Shruthi Basappa, I've, it's, Jewells Chambers, Silva Muñoz –, millennials –, … Organizations: Service, Viking Women, Stockings, Women's Rights, Nordic, Red Stockings, United Nations, Farmers ' Union, University of Iceland, Getty, Iceland, UN, Statistics, Sweden –, Icelandic Teachers ' Union, SEI Locations: Iceland, Reykjavik, Icelandic, Denmark, AFP, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Statistics Iceland, Colombia, Lithuania, Spain, Poland, India, Chile, WomenTechIceland, it's, Brooklyn, New York City, Thorhildur

Opinion What Sourdough Taught Me, in the Pandemic and BeyondInside one tablespoon of active sourdough starter, the fermented culture made of flour and water used for thousands of years to leaven bread, there are billions of microorganisms. How to create a sourdough starter Repeat until bubbling with life. Add flour, water and salt. Add flour, water and salt. To avoid this exponential growth, a portion of sourdough starter is traditionally discarded at every feeding, which means there’s plenty to go around.

Persons: ”, —, Seamus Blackley, . Kan, they’ve, “, Caesar, cura, Jesus, John, we’ve, Thomas White, Gazans, Alice Spearman, Germany Chiara G, Netherlands Anna Celda Czechia Veronika Moravcikova, Allie Wist, we’re Organizations: U.S, International New York, Penn, Ala . Iowa Miss, Okla . Texas Colo, Okla . Texas Colo . Puerto Rico Wyo, Utah Idaho Mexico Ariz, Great, Netherlands France Belgium Denmark, Poland Latvia Slovenia, Poland Latvia Slovenia Italy Croatia, . Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey New Hampshire Vermont Pennsylvania, . Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey New Hampshire Vermont Pennsylvania Maryland Delaware D.C, Maine Virginia, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina Michigan Indiana South, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina Michigan Indiana South Carolina Kentucky Tennessee Wisconsin Illinois, Alabama Iowa Mississippi Minnesota Florida Arkansas, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Colorado, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Colorado Puerto Rico Wyoming, Portugal Spain, Supermarkets, United Nations, BBC, Alice Spearman Canada Locations: Barthelme, Conn, R.I . N.J, N.H . Vt, Md, Del, D.C, Maine Va, W.Va . Ohio N.C, Mich, Ind, S.C . Ky, Tenn, Wis, Ill, Ala . Iowa, Minn, Fla, Canada, Okla . Texas, Okla . Texas Colo . Puerto Rico, Mont, N.M, Utah Idaho Mexico, Ore, Calif, Iceland, Portugal Spain, Netherlands France Belgium, Netherlands France Belgium Denmark Luxembourg Sweden Germany Brazil Switzerland, Poland Latvia, Poland Latvia Slovenia Italy, Poland Latvia Slovenia Italy Croatia Hungary Bulgaria Greece Hawaii, Argentina, China Bhutan India South Africa, Malaysia Singapore, Australia, . Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey New Hampshire Vermont, . Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey New Hampshire Vermont Pennsylvania Maryland Delaware, Maine, Maine Virginia West Virginia, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina Michigan Indiana South Carolina Kentucky Tennessee Wisconsin, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina Michigan Indiana South Carolina Kentucky Tennessee Wisconsin Illinois Georgia, Alabama Iowa Mississippi Minnesota, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Colorado Puerto Rico, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Colorado Puerto Rico Wyoming Montana New Mexico, Utah Idaho Mexico Arizona Nevada Washington Oregon California Iceland, Portugal, Portugal Spain France The Netherlands Belgium Denmark Luxembourg Sweden Germany Brazil Switzerland, China Bhutan India, Africa, Uruk, France, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Ukraine, Gaza, Germany, Netherlands

☆ Jailed Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny had long been a thorn in Putin’s side
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Laura Smith-Spark | Zamira Rahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

From prison, Navalny denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine via social media and encouraged anti-war protests across the country. Navalny was detained and sent to a Russian prison in 2021 after he had returned to Russia from Germany, where he was recovering from Novichok poisoning he blamed on the Russian government. Navalny took up Nemtsov’s mantle, becoming Russia’s most prominent opposition figure. Alexey Navalny was given a suspended sentence and his brother was sentenced to a prison term. Russia launched a new fraud accusation and jail threat against Navalny at the end of 2020, increasing pressure on him.

Persons: CNN — Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Navalny, Alexei Navalny, Dmitry Lovetsky, “, Putin, ”, Kira Yarmysh, Dmitry Peskov, Alexander Litvinenko, Novichok, Sergei Skripal, Russia’s, Boris Nemtsov, Alexey Navalny, ‘ Putin, Oleg, Yves Rocher, “ Putin, ” Navalny, Dasha Navalnaya, Margarita Kotova, gaunt, Alexey, –, Putin –, Alexander Nemenov, vociferously, I’m, Yulia Navalnaya Organizations: CNN, United, Kremlin, CNN Former, Getty, Corruption, Navalny, “, Moscow’s, Peoples University, Transneft, Court, of Human Locations: United Russia, Russia, Ukraine, Siberia, Germany, Moscow, CNN Former Russian, Britain, Russian, English, Salisbury, Siberian, Tomsk, Omsk, France, Sweden, Anadolu, Melekhovo, Vladimir Region, Butyn, AFP, Moscow’s

☆ 580 courses in 365 days: How crushing a world record changed one golfer’s perspective on life and America
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Don Riddell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Patrick Koenig played golf – a lot of golf. By the time he finished his golfing trek, Koenig had played in the USA, Finland, and Sweden, completing 580 different courses in 365 days. Assuming his record application – which typically take up to 12 weeks to review, according to the Guinness World Record website – is accepted, he will have smashed the previous best total by 131 courses. As well as playing an awful lot of golf, the experience has changed Koenig’s perspective on the world. Some days I wanted to sleep because I was tired, but I was like, ‘Oh, I can get up and play golf.

Persons: Patrick Koenig, Koenig, –, ”, “, Jonathan, Cathie Weaver, I’m, spatters Koenig, I’d, Royal New Kent –, ” Koenig, I’ve, ’, Rachel Alcone, he’d, Patrick Koenig ‘, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Guinness, North, Monarch Beach, “, Royal New Locations: USA, Finland, Sweden, Canadian, California, Colorado, South Carolina, Pebble, Royal New Kent, Virginia, Royal, Sand Hills, Nebraska, Washington, Florida, Vermont, Texas, America

MUNICH (AP) — Long regarded as a celebration of the U.S.-led post-World War II international order, the Munich Security Conference this year will be more of a reflection of America’s political turmoil. And overshadowing it all will be Trump’s threat to not automatically come to the defense of European allies should they be attacked by Russia. That is a cornerstone of NATO’s founding treaty, which has taken on additional significance since Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022. Blinken, too, will be conveying that message in Munich, according to the top U.S. diplomat for Europe, James O’Brien. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz assailed Trump’s comments.

Persons: — Long, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Alejandro Mayorkas, Adolf Hitler, Harris, Blinken, laud, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Jake Sullivan, ”, James O’Brien, O’Brien, “, Olaf Scholz, Trump’s, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Munich Security, Homeland, Republican, Nazi Party, laud American, Republicans, NATO, Democratic Locations: MUNICH, U.S, Munich, Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, Bavarian, Europe, Congress, United States, Finland, Sweden

☆ ‘Vittrup Man’ was a Stone Age migrant before his violent death
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

What the team discovered while piecing together Vittrup Man’s life is shedding light on the movements and connections between different Stone Age cultures. Vittrup Man was likely born and grew up along the coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula, perhaps within the frigid climes of Norway or Sweden. Studying Vittrup Man has helped researchers gain insights about the genetics, lifestyles and ritual practices that can be traced to Stone Age societies, Sjögren said. A cartoon included with the new research depicts how Vittrup Man was possibly sacrificed in a swamp. But it’s also possible that Vittrup Man was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Persons: “, ”, Anders Fischer, piecing, Vittrup, Karl, Göran Sjögren, Lasse Sørensen, ” Sørensen, Sjögren, ” Fischer, Fischer, Niels Bach, Kristian Kristiansen, it’s, Roy van Beek, Van Beek, ” van Beek Organizations: CNN, Stone, University of Gothenburg, National Museum, Wageningen University & Research Locations: Denmark, Northern Europe, Vittrup, Sweden, Sealand, Norway, Scandinavia, subsisting, Copenhagen, Europe, Netherlands

☆ Swedish Prosecutors Turn Down Request to Reopen 'Estonia' Ferry Disaster Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors said on Thursday they had turned down a request to reopen investigations into the sinking of the "Estonia" ferry in 1994 with the loss of 852 lives, as there was no new evidence to suggest a collision, an explosion or a crime. The roll-on, roll-off ferry sank in international waters in the Baltic Sea during stormy weather on its way to Stockholm from Estonia's capital, Tallinn. Sweden's Prosecution Authority received a request in 2020 to resume investigations after footage on a television documentary showed holes in the ship's hull. Photos You Should See View All 22 Images"The case is closed," she added in a statement. The statement did not say who had made the request to resume investigations.

Persons: Karolina Wieslander, Anna Ringstrom, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Sweden's, Authority Locations: STOCKHOLM, Estonia, Baltic, Stockholm, Estonia's, Tallinn, Estonian

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s House of Representatives has ramped up pressure on the United States and Britain to end the prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange by passing a motion calling for the Australian citizen to be allowed to return to his home country. Independent lawmaker Andrew Wilkie moved the motion on Wednesday one week ahead of Britain’s High Court of Justice hearing Assange’s appeal against extradition to the United States on espionage charges. Leaders of both the government and the opposition have publicly stated that the United States’ pursuit of the 52-year-old had dragged on for too long. Assange’s brother Gabriel Shipton on Thursday welcomed the lawmakers' vote, adding that his notorious sibling could potentially be extradited to the United States next week. Senior opposition lawmaker Dan Tehan said the motion did not reflect his party’s wish that the prosecution progress more quickly.

Persons: Julian Assange, Andrew Wilkie, Anthony Albanese, Assange, Gabriel Shipton, he’ll, ” Shipton, Wilkie, Albanese, Australia’s, Joe Biden, State Anthony Blinken, Dan Tehan, ” Tehan, Tehan, Chelsea Manning, Manning, Barack Obama Organizations: —, Independent, Australian, Ecuadorian Embassy, House, U.S, State, WikiLeaks, Army, Manning’s Locations: MELBOURNE, Australia, United States, Britain, Britain’s, Ecuadorian, London, Sweden

☆ Russia Suspends Annual Payments to Arctic Council, RIA Agency Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Russia has suspended annual payments to the Arctic Council until "real work" resumes with the participation of all member countries, Russia's RIA state news agency reported, citing the country's foreign ministry. "At the moment, Russia's payment of annual contributions to the budget of the Arctic Council has been suspended until the resumption of real work in this format with the participation of all member countries," the ministry told RIA. Cooperation between the Western Arctic states of the intergovernmental body and Moscow came to a freeze after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago. The Arctic Council was created in 1996 to discuss issues affecting the polar region, ranging from pollution to local economic development to search-and-rescue missions. For now, Russia does not consider leaving the Council, the foreign ministry told RIA.

Persons: Maria Zakharova, Lidia Kelly, Jacqueline Wong, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, Arctic Council, RIA, Cooperation, Arctic, Council, TASS, Duma, Organization for Security Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, United States, Melbourne

☆ Congress acted to protect NATO. But it might not be enough to stop Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Zachary Wolf | Analysis Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Bettmann Archive/Getty ImagesPulling American generals out of NATO might force other NATO countries to seek their own nuclear deterrents. More members hit 2% benchmarkTrump frequently complains that NATO members other than the US don’t pay dues, which is a misstatement of facts. Multiple NATO countries do not hit that benchmark, although spending has risen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “It’s just like any relationship,” said Bergmann of the likelihood of permanent damage if Trump were to materially alter the NATO alliance. I know exactly what he has done and will do with the NATO alliance,” Rubio said, although he added, “But there has to be an alliance.”

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, Trump, “, Biden, Peter Bergen, Vladimir Putin, CNN’s Jim Sciutto, ” Sciutto, What’s, Kurt Volker, Chip Somodevilla, Volker, ” Volker, “ It’s, ”, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Max Bergmann, Bergmann, It’s, ” Marco Rubio, Sen, Marco Rubio, ” Rubio, he’s Organizations: CNN — Lawmakers, Trump, NATO, Republicans, Ukraine, CNN, Biden, Senate, House Intelligence, Allied, Eurasia Program, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Palais, Bettmann, World Trade Center, Pentagon Locations: Russia, “, Russian, Soviet Union, NATO, United States, Atlantic, Washington ,, Europe, American, Chaillot, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Afghanistan, France, Marco Rubio of Florida, “ State

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s first astronaut returned home to a hero’s welcome Monday, portrayed as a symbol of the country’s advances in technology and aerospace. Alper Gezeravci was greeted by bouquet-laden children at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport as he returned from a private three-week mission to the International Space Station. His space flight, for which Turkey paid roughly $55 million, was the third such journey organized by Houston-based Axiom Space with NASA and SpaceX. A new page has been opened in space science and technologies for Turkey.”Turkey established its own space agency in 2018, and said it will land on the moon by 2026. They enjoyed a few extra days at the space station, waiting for the weather to improve in the splashdown zone.

Persons: — Turkey’s, Gezeravci, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, “, Mehmet Fatih Kacir, Walter Villadei, Sweden’s Marcus Wandt, Michael Lopez, Alegria Organizations: Ankara’s, International Space, Turkey, NASA, SpaceX, ” Industry, Technology Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkish, Turkey, ”, Florida, Houston, ” Turkey

☆ Trump’s incendiary NATO remarks send very real shudders through Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

NATO gives it a global bedrock of legitimacy, support for the dollar, and the post-Soviet hegemony it thrives upon. Saturday’s misunderstanding considered, Trump’s comments come at a devastatingly bad time for Europe. The more the US bemoans its allies and their miserly neglect of NATO, and withdraw from it, the less powerful it is. Is NATO willing to go to war with Moscow over Russian-speaking parts of the Baltic state of Estonia? He is not simply saying the US won’t help NATO allies who haven’t paid.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, doesn’t, –, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Tucker Carlson, Russia’s, ’, Charles Michel, Trump’s, haven’t Organizations: London CNN, Trump, NATO, Republican, GOP, Putin, Fox News, Kremlin, Senior, Britons, European Locations: Russia, Europe, Ukraine, Kyiv, America, Moscow, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Romania, France, Baltic, Estonia, Svalbard, Russian, Finland, Sweden, Western Europe

☆ NATO chief says Trump’s comments on abandoning alliance endangers US and European troops
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In a statement Sunday, Stoltenberg said such comments put European and American soldiers at an increased risk. He also criticized American defense pacts with Asian allies Japan and South Korea. The conflict has raised concerns Putin may have further expansionist ambitions, which the leader denies, or that a NATO country may become directly embroiled. European Council President Charles Michel also hit back against the comments and said they reemphasize the need to keep the alliance strong. You got to pay your bills.”Biden said Sunday that Trump “is making it clear that he will abandon our NATO allies” and outlined the potential consequences of Trump’s comments.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Donald Trump, Trump, Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, “, NATO Ally, ”, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Trump’s, Joe Biden’s, Charles Michel, ” Michel, ” Trump, ” Biden Organizations: CNN, NATO, International Criminal, Washington, European, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Sunday, Trump, “, Ukraine Locations: Russia, Europe, South, Taiwan, Asia, Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, China, Korea, North Korea, Philippines, United States, Pacific, Soviet Union, Canada, Poland, Baltic States, Israel

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronauts from Turkey, Italy and Sweden returned to Earth on Friday, ending a private three-week mission to the International Space Station. A former fighter pilot and captain for Turkish Airlines, he became the first person from his country to fly in space. It was Axiom’s third private mission to the space station; the fourth is planned later this year. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesBefore leaving the space station, Gezeravci thanked his country for its “bold and determined decision” to send a citizen into space as part of its 100th anniversary as a republic. They enjoyed a few extra days at the space station, waiting for the weather to improve in the splashdown zone.

Persons: Alper, Gezeravci, Walter Villadei, Sweden’s Marcus Wandt, Michael Lopez, Alegria Organizations: International Space, NASA, Houston, SpaceX, Cape Canaveral, Turkish Airlines, Italian Air Force, European Space Agency, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla, Turkey, Italy, Sweden, Florida, Cape

☆ Baltic, Nordic Lawmakers Complain That US Lacks Urgency on Ukraine Aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Jonathan LandayWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior Nordic and Baltic lawmakers visiting Washington on Thursday expressed alarm at what they called a lack of urgency and a clear strategy by the United States to help Ukraine defeat Moscow's invasion. "Guys, wake up," Zygimantis Pavilionis, chairman of the Lithuanian parliament's foreign affairs committee, said in comments directed at Democrats and Republicans. All but Sweden are NATO members. Delegation members said they met administration officials and lawmakers, but mainly sought to speak to Republicans resisting fresh aid. "All of our countries around this table have (given) more than 1% of GDP of military aid to Ukraine.

Persons: Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON, Vladimir Putin, Pavilionis, Rihards Kols, Joe Biden, Marko Mihkelson, Kols, Jonathan Landay, Don Durfee, David Ljunggren Organizations: Nordic, Baltic, U.S, NATO, Lithuanian, Democrats, Republicans, Ukraine, Kyiv, Estonian Locations: Washington, United States, Ukraine, Moscow's, Russian, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, U.S, Latvian, Europe, The U.S, Russia, Moscow

PARIS (AP) — A strawberry dessert contaminated by her grandfather’s heart medication might have caused Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s positive doping test, her lawyers argued at sport’s highest court, which rejected the explanation and banned her for four years. The word “strawberry” features 43 times in the document that details why the judges rejected the argument. Athletes who test positive for doping can escape a ban if they later prove they were not at fault for ingesting a substance. It was suggested in court that Valieva’s grandfather prepared the strawberry dessert in the days before the national championships for her to take with her to St. Petersburg. The Russian team was stripped of its Olympic title by the International Skating Union, which declared the United States champions.

Persons: Kamila, “, Valieva, ___ Organizations: PARIS, Sport, TMZ, Doping Agency, Russian, International Skating Union, United Locations: Russian, sport’s, Beijing, Stockholm, Sweden, Moscow, Lausanne, Switzerland, St . Petersburg, Japan

BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that he and his NATO counterparts cautioned Hungary on Wednesday against further delaying Sweden’s membership in the military alliance, and he warned that patience in Washington has its limits. The governing Fidesz party, which holds an absolute majority in Hungary's parliament, has stalled Sweden’s bid since July 2022, alleging that Swedish politicians have told “blatant lies” about the state of Hungarian democracy. The party insists that Sweden’s prime minister must come to Hungary first. The country, along with the other 30 allies, must all agree that Sweden should stand among NATO’s ranks. Hungary is the only member standing in its way.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s, “, ” Sullivan, Sullivan, ”, Orbán, Ulf Kristersson Organizations: —, NATO, Wednesday, Fidesz, Sweden’s, Kremlin, Swedish Locations: BRUSSELS, Hungary, Washington, Hungarian, Hungary's, Sweden, Brussels, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Budapest

☆ Sweden Closes Investigation Into Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Rebecca R. Ruiz | More About Rebecca R. Ruiz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Swedish authorities on Wednesday closed a more than yearlong investigation into the undersea attack on the Nord Stream pipelines, citing a lack of authority to further pursue those responsible for sabotaging the critical piece of energy infrastructure intended to supply Western Europe with Russian gas. “Sweden does not have the jurisdiction to investigate this matter further,” the Swedish Security Service said in a statement on Wednesday. The series of underwater explosions ripped holes in three of the four strands of Nord Stream pipelines and led officials to conclude that they were most likely caused by a state actor. Some saw the attacks, which came close to damaging a cable supplying electricity from Sweden to Poland, as a warning that raised concern about what other infrastructure could be vulnerable. The blasts occurred in international waters but in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark, which gave those nations a hook to investigate.

Persons: Ukraine — Organizations: Swedish Security Service Locations: Europe, Sweden, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Denmark

☆ Wyndham Clark wins Pebble Beach Pro-Am after just 54 holes as heavy storms cut tournament short
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —American golfer Wyndham Clark was declared the winner of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after just 54 holes on Sunday, as heavy storms over the Monterey Peninsula led organizers to end the tournament early. Yet despite improved forecasts for Monday morning, the result was declared with 18 holes still to play “in accordance with PGA Tour regulations,” according to a statement from the PGA Tour Rules Committee on Sunday night. Fallen portable toilets at Pebble Beach on Sunday. Ryan Sun/APHaving gone six years without a PGA Tour triumph since turning pro, victory marks Clark’s third on the circuit in the space of nine months. Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesThe tournament is the first on the PGA Tour to be reduced to 54 holes since 2016, when the Zurich Classic of New Orleans was shortened due to similarly inclement weather.

Persons: Wyndham Clark, Clark, Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg, “, Ryan Sun, ” Clark, It’s, Ezra Shaw Organizations: CNN, Reigning, AP, Getty, PGA, Zurich Locations: Monterey, Monterey County, Beach, Orleans, California, Los Angeles

The governing Fidesz party, which holds an absolute majority in parliament, has stalled Sweden’s bid since July 2022, alleging that Swedish politicians have told “blatant lies” about the condition of Hungary’s democracy. “The prime minister pledged to convene parliament to urge parliament to act at its earliest opportunity. Kristersson has said that he will make the trip, but only after Hungary approves his country's NATO membership. But Vadai, the lawmaker, said that there was no guarantee that Orbán's party would commit to a swift approval. “I’m not sure whether the opening session will start with the Swedish ratification, unfortunately,” she said.

Persons: Viktor Orbán, Hungary's, Orbán, Jens Stoltenberg, ”, didn't, David Pressman, Pressman, expeditiously, Sen, Ben Cardin, Agnes Vadai, “, it’s, Ulf Kristersson, Kristersson, “ I’m Organizations: — Lawmakers, NATO, Fidesz, U.S, Maryland Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, ”, Democratic Coalition, Associated Press, Swedish Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Hungarian, United States, NATO, U.S, Maryland, Budapest, Swedish, Hungary's

☆ Eileen Agar: Her Jewel-Like Paintings Stretched Surrealism
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Roberta Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Titled “Eileen Agar: Flowering of a Wing: Works, 1936 -1989,” this knockout is at Andrew Kreps Gallery (through Saturday). Its title, taken from one of the canvases here, signals Agar’s lifelong devotion to nature and to ambiguous meanings. Agar may be best known for her collages and their fusion of Surrealist imagination and Cubist structure and geometry. But this show homes in on the paintings, which have a contemporary air and are plenty interesting enough. Most of the paintings here involve several shades of blue, as if haunted by Matisse’s “The Blue Window” (1913) in the Museum of Modern Art.

Persons: Hilma af, Rosie Lee Tompkins, Mary Delany, Eileen Agar, Andrew Kreps, Agar, —, Matisse, Matisse’s “ Organizations: Museum of Modern Art Locations: Hilma af Klint, Sweden, United States

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Newspaper heiress Patricia “Patty” Hearst was kidnapped at gunpoint 50 years ago Sunday by the Symbionese Liberation Army, a little-known armed revolutionary group. The 19-year-old college student's infamous abduction in Berkeley, California, led to Hearst joining forces with her captors for a 1974 bank robbery that earned her a prison sentence. Hearst, granddaughter of wealthy newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, will turn 70 on Feb. 20. Stockholm syndrome got its name from an August 1973 failed bank robbery in Sweden’s capital. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesAs a member of a wealthy and powerful family, Hearst was kidnapped to bring attention to the Symbionese Liberation Army, according to the FBI.

Persons: Patricia “ Patty ” Hearst, Hearst, William Randolph Hearst, Patricia Hearst Shaw, Bernard Shaw, Tania ”, wasn't, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton Organizations: ANGELES, —, Symbionese Liberation Army, Hearst, French bulldogs, Westminster Kennel Club, FBI Locations: Berkeley , California, Stockholm, California, San Francisco

☆ Wyndham Clark shoots course record 60 as he takes the lead at Pebble Beach Pro-Am
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —American golfer Wyndham Clark shot a course-record 60 as he moved into the lead at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am after three rounds. Clark’s historic round at the famous links course in California included two eagles and nine birdies, giving him a one-shot lead ahead of Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg. It would have been the 13th sub-60 round in the history of the PGA Tour. “Then obviously making all of those putts out of the ordinary was also pretty awesome.”Clark shot the lowest round of his career at Pebble Beach. Åberg dropped off the top of the leaderboard but is only one shot behind Clark going into the final day after a third-round 67.

Persons: Wyndham Clark, Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg, putts, ” Clark, Tracy Wilcox, Clark, Tom Kite, David Duval, Patrick Cantlay, Matthias Schwab, Hurly Long, “, Åberg, France’s Matthieu Pavon, USA’s Mark Hubbard, Belgium’s Thomas Detry Organizations: CNN, PGA, PGA Tour, week’s Farmers Insurance Locations: California, Pebble Beach

It's the kind of obstruction of key policy objectives for which Orbán has become notorious within the European Union. “We are the sand in the machinery, the stick between the spokes, the splinter under the fingernail,” Orbán said in a speech to tens of thousands of supporters in 2021. Now, frustrated EU officials are trying to determine what Orbán seeks to achieve with his obstructionist strategy, and how they might overcome it. But with his veto power, the nationalist leader will have plenty of further opportunities to sow discord within the EU. Widely considered to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in the EU, Orbán has been accused by his critics of promoting Moscow’s interests over those of his EU and NATO allies, and of preparing to lead his country out of the EU entirely.

Persons: —, Viktor Orbán, Orbán, ” Orbán, Donald Tusk, “, ”, Péter Krekó, ” Krekó, “ Orbán, Daniel Freund, Freund, it’s, he's, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, “ He’s, he’s, Krekó, Vladimir Putin’s Organizations: NATO, European Union, EU, Conservative Political, Green, United, U.S, Trump, Germany, Political Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Brussels, Polish, Ukraine, Budapest, Germany, France, Italy, Europe, United States, Washington, Netherlands, Union

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