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A brief history of the ECB in 25 moments

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:59:20 GMT

FRANKFURT – The European Central Bank is turning 25. It’s been a wild ride. POLITICO has looked back at the 25 most exciting moments over the years.  1998: Bright new dawnThe ECB is established, with EU leaders solemnly signing off on the make-up of its first board and governing council. The moment is somewhat spoiled as a newswire spellchecker — for a few glorious minutes until an editor notices — turns Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Sirkka Hämäläinen and Klaus Liebscher into Thomas Pad-Stopper, Sirocco Hemline and Klaus Lobster, respectively.Meeting of the Subcommittee on Monetary Affairs | EP2000: ‘Dim Wim’The first ECB president, Wim Duisenberg, learns the realities of communication the hard way: the euro hits an all-time low below 85c to the U.S. dollar after he nonchalantly rules out intervention to support it.Wim Duisenberg | EP2001: The Trojan HorseGreece joins the euro on January 1, marking the first expansion of a currency union that has since grown to 20 member states....

Celtics implode in Game 7

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:59:20 GMT

To paraphrase the late Dennis Green, the Celtics are who some observers thought they were.In the end, the Celts were a team that was far too reliant on the three-point shot to be championship caliber. They got away with a clang-fest (7-for-35 in threes) in their dramatic Game 6 win in Miami that was pulled out of the fire by a great Derrick White moment. But that’s all it was – a moment that just staved off elimination in Game 6 by a Miami Heat team that few people gave a chance against the more talented Celtics.In Monday’s massacre, however, the Celts got what they usually deserve when they shoot badly from three-point land. On the strength of 9-for-42 shooting on threes, the Celts fell to the Heat with a whimper, losing 103-84 in the mother of all buzzkills. The final score was charitable.Asked if his team relied too much on the three, coach Joe Mazzulla remained defiant to the end.“No,” said the coach flatly.There might be a few folks who’d debate the coach on t...

Celtics fail to make history as season ends with painful Game 7 loss to Heat

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:59:20 GMT

The Celtics knew that their miraculous Game 6 victory wouldn’t have mattered if they didn’t follow it up with a memorable performance. Their resilience to respond with three consecutive victories to force an unthinkable Game 7 wouldn’t have mattered if they didn’t finish the job.The Celtics weren’t celebrating Saturday night in Miami. Jaylen Brown said that win meant nothing if they laid an egg Monday night on their home floor.Then, that’s exactly what happened.One of the rowdiest home crowds in TD Garden history came to celebrate the possibility of witnessing history, hoping to see the Celtics become the first NBA team to overcome an 0-3 series deficit and advance to the NBA Finals.Instead, they were history. Instead, boos followed these Celtics into a long, agonizing summer after a painful 103-84 loss to the Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, one of the most disappointing defeats in Boston sports history.“We failed,” Brown said. “We let the whole city down.”They lear...

Police fire tear gas and protesters burn vehicles near home of Senegal’s main opposition leader

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:59:20 GMT

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Police fired tear gas and demonstrators burned cars Monday near the home of Senegal’s main opposition leader, as tensions rise in the capital days before a court verdict is expected on charges against the politician. Ousmane Sonko is being tried for rape and death threats against a woman working at a massage parlor, and could face up to 10 years in prison. If convicted, he would would be barred from running in next year’s presidential elections. Sonko and his supporters maintain his legal troubles are part of an effort by President Macky Sall’s government to derail his candidacy.The clashes came a day after police stopped Sonko’s “freedom caravan,” traveling from his hometown of Ziguinchor, in the south and where he is the mayor, to the capital, Dakar, where he was forced into a home he has in the city.The interior minister, Antoine Felix Diome, said Sonko had not been arrested but was caught breaking the law — partaking in an unauthorized car...

9 injured in shooting near beach in Hollywood, Florida

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:59:20 GMT

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) — Nine people were injured Monday evening when gunfire erupted along a beach boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida, sending people frantically running for cover along the crowded beach on Memorial Day.Several of the victims were taken to a children’s hospital, police spokesperson Deanna Bettineschi said.The nine victims included six adults and three children, according to Yanet Obarrio Sanchez, a spokesperson for Memorial Healthcare System. All of the victims were in stable condition, she said.However, Bettineschi said four children between the ages of 1 and 17 were hit along with five adults between 25 and 65. One was in surgery late Monday while the others were stable, she said.It was not immediately clear if the hospital was counting the 17-year-old as an adult.Bettineschi said the shooting happened shortly before 7. A fight broke out, at least one gun was pulled and shots were fired. At least one person was in custody, but police were looking for more suspec...

CP News Alert: NDP Leader Notley wins seat in Edmonton-Strathcona

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:59:20 GMT

EDMONTON — Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley has been re-elected as the legislature member for Edmonton-Strathcona.The Canadian Press

25 NATO-led peacekeepers injured in Kosovo in clashes with Serbs outside municipal building

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:59:20 GMT

ZVECAN, Kosovo (AP) — The NATO-led peacekeeping force said on Monday that 25 of its troops were injured in clashes with ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo after they tried to take over the offices of one of the municipalities where ethnic Albanian mayors took up their posts last week.The Serbs clashed with NATO troops and Kosovo police in the municipality of Zvecan, 45 kilometers (28 miles) north of the capital. The soldiers fired tear gas and stun grenades to protect the Kosovar officers and disperse protesters, according to witnesses. The assembled Serbs responded by throwing rocks and other hard objects at them.“Several soldiers of the Italian and Hungarian KFOR contingent were the subject of unprovoked attacks and sustained trauma wounds with fractures and burns due to the explosion of incendiary devices,” said the NATO peacekeepers in a statement.Some Kosovo police vehicles and one belonging to journalists were damaged and sprayed with Serb nationalist symbols. Addressing the nati...

CP News Alert: Smith secures seat in Alberta legislature

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:59:20 GMT

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. — Alberta United Conservative Leader Danielle Smith has been re-elected as the legislature member for Brooks-Medicine Hat. The Canadian Press

AP News in Brief at 11:09 p.m. EDT

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:59:20 GMT

Debt ceiling deal: What’s in, what’s out of the bill to avert US defaultWASHINGTON (AP) — The details of the deal between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy were released Sunday in the form of a 99-page bill that would suspend the nation’s debt limit through 2025 to avoid a federal default while limiting government spending.The Democratic president and Republican speaker are trying to win over lawmakers to the plan in time to avert a default that would shake the global economy. But Congress will be scrutinizing and debating the legislation, which also includes provisions to fund medical care for veterans, change work requirements for some recipients of government aid and streamline environmental reviews for energy projects.McCarthy said the House will vote on the legislation Wednesday, giving the Senate time to consider it before June 5, the date when Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the United States could default on its debt obligations if l...

6 adults, 3 children injured in shooting near beach in Hollywood, Florida; all in stable condition

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:59:20 GMT

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) — Nine people were injured Monday evening when gunfire erupted along a beach boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida, sending people frantically running for cover along the crowded beach on Memorial Day.Several of the victims were taken to a children's hospital, police spokesperson Deanna Bettineschi said. However, authorities have not yet released the ages of the victims.The nine victims included six adults and three children, according to Yanet Obarrio Sanchez, a spokesperson for Memorial Healthcare System. All of the victims were in stable condition, she said. Tennessee woman goes missing during cross-country trip with boyfriend A preliminary investigation shows that an altercation between two groups resulted in gunfire, police said. One person has been detained and another suspect is being still being sought.The shooting happened about 6:30 p.m. on the broadwalk near a convenience store, a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream store and a Subway sandwich shop.Alvie Carlton ...