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Israel vows complete siege of Gaza as it strikes the Palestinian territory after incursion by Hamas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel vowed to lay total siege to the Gaza Strip on Monday, as its military scoured the country’s south for militants, guarded breaches in its border fence and pounded the impoverished, Hamas-ruled territory in the wake of an unprecedented weekend incursion.More than two days after Hamas launched its surprise attack, the military said the fighting had largely died down for now. Israel’s vaunted military and intelligence apparatus was caught completely off guard, bringing heavy battles to its streets for the first time in decades.Israel formally declared war on Sunday and the army called up around 300,000 reservists, portending greater fighting ahead and a possible ground assault into Gaza — a move that in the past has brought intensified casualties. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy “the military and governing capabilities” of the militant group, which is deeply rooted in Gaza and has ruled unchallenged since 2007.As Israel hit more than ...

A former Goldman Sachs banker convicted in looting 1MDB fund back in Malaysia to help recover assets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A former Goldman Sachs executive convicted in the United States in the multibillion-dollar ransacking of a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund has been brought back to the country to assist in asset recovery efforts, an official said Monday. Roger Ng Chong Hwa is under police custody after arriving in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend, according to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution.Ng, a Malaysian, was convicted by a U.S. District Court jury in Brooklyn last year and sentenced in March to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors said Ng and his co-conspirators helped the Malaysian fund, known as 1MDB, to raise $6.5 billion through bond sales — only to participate in a scheme that siphoned off more than two-thirds of the money, some of which went to pay bribes and kickbacks. Ng has denied charges that he conspired to launder money and violated two anti-bribery laws. “We still have unfinished business,” Saifuddin told reporters. “The main objective of bringing him back is ...

Flights at Hamburg Airport in Germany suspended after a threat against a plane from Iran

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Flights to and from Hamburg Airport were suspended on Monday after authorities received a threat to a plane that arrived from Iran, officials said.The airport said that there had been no takeoffs or landings at the airport in northern Germany since 12:40 p.m. (1040 GMT), German news agency dpa reported.Federal police said they received an emailed threat on Monday morning of an attack on the Tehran-Hamburg flight and were taking it seriously, though they didn’t give details.The plane landed in Hamburg at about 12:20 p.m. The 198 passengers and 16 crew members were undergoing a security check, and the aircraft and luggage on board were being searched.The Associated Press

Indian rescuers are flying into the region where a flood washed out bridges and killed at least 74

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

GANGTOK, India (AP) — Air force helicopters rescued scores of stranded tourists Monday in India’s Himalayan northeast after a 6-year-old hydroelectric dam cracked open last week in intense rain, flooding a valley with glacial lake water and killing at least 74 people.Officials told the Press Trust of India news agency that they recovered 34 bodies in Sikkim state since the flooding began on Wednesday, while authorities in neighboring West Bengal state have retrieved 40 bodies from the Teesta River as the floodwaters carried them downstream. Around 100 people are still missing, police said. As weather conditions improved in Sikkim state, helicopters arrived in the worst-hit Mangan district to help some 3,000 stranded tourists.The design and placement of the Teesta 3 dam, the biggest hydroelectric dam in Sikkim, were controversial from the time it was built. A 2019 report identified Lhonak Lake as “highly vulnerable” to flooding that could breach dams and cause extensive damage....

Leading Polish candidates to debate on state TV six days before a national election

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Leading Polish candidates are gearing up for a debate Monday where they hope to sway undecided voters, six days before a national election that many Poles believe is the most important one since communism was toppled.Debates in Poland’s post-1989 democratic era have in some cases sealed the destiny of candidates, creating a sense of anticipation surrounding the event.The ruling conservative Law and Justice party is leading in the polls with around 35% support, yet it is at risk of losing its majority in parliament. Its nearest rival, the Civic Coalition led by Donald Tusk, is just a few points behind but has gained momentum lately. The Civic Coalition and two other opposition groups together have greater support than the ruling party, but they are weakened by not running together. Small swings in the performance of the smaller parties could shift the final result.The debate will be broadcast starting at 6:30 p.m. (1630 GMT) by public broadcaster TVP, whic...

Saudi Arabia formally informs FIFA of its wish to host the 2034 World Cup as the favorite to win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Saudi Arabia formally informed FIFA of its wish to host the men’s World Cup in 2034 on Monday in a bidding contest that increasingly looks designed for the kingdom to win.The Saudi Arabian soccer federation said it “submitted a letter of intent and signed declaration to FIFA to bid” in a vote that is open only to members of the Asian and Oceania soccer governing bodies.FIFA fast-tracked starting the 2034 contest last week after its ruling body also agreed to accept only one candidate for the 2030 World Cup — now an unprecedented six-nation, three-continent co-hosting plan in Europe, Africa and South America that removed those continents from bidding to get back-to-back tournaments.The Spain-Portugal-Morocco-Argentina-Paraguay-Uruguay project in 2030 will follow the inaugural 48-team, 104-game tournament in 2026 in the United States, Mexico and Canada. That allows the 2034 edition to return to Asia 12 years after Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup.Last week, FIFA set tight...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Oct. 15-21

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Oct. 15-21:Oct. 15: Singer Barry McGuire is 88. Actor Linda Lavin (“Alice”) is 86. Drummer Don Stevenson of Moby Grape is 81. Actor Victor Banerjee (“A Passage To India”) is 77. Musician Richard Carpenter of The Carpenters is 77. Singer Tito Jackson is 70. Actor Larry Miller (“The Nutty Professor”) is 70. Actor Jere Burns (“Good Morning, Miami,” ″Dear John”) is 69. TV chef Emeril Lagasse is 64. Drummer Mark Reznicek (The Toadies) is 61. Singer Eric Benet is 57. Actor Vanessa Marcil (“Las Vegas,” ″Beverly Hills 90210″) is 55. “Trading Spaces” host Paige Davis is 54. Actor Dominic West (“The Wire”) is 54. Singer Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town is 54. Singer Ginuwine is 53. Singer Jaci Velasquez is 44. Actor Brandon Jay McLaren (TV’s “Ransom”) is 43. Singer Keyshia Cole is 42. Actor Vincent Martella (“Everybody Hates Chris”) is 31.Oct. 16: Actor Barry Corbin (“Yellowstone,” ″Northern Exposure”) is 83. Bassist C.F. Turner of Bachman-Turner Overd...

1 injured in Pickering casino shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

One person has life threatening injuries after an early morning shooting at Pickering Casino Resort on Monday.Durham Regional Police say a portion of the casino is closed for the investigation.Members of the public are being asked to stay out of the area at this time.More to come 

Kimberly Palmer: How to plan for a potential inheritance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

The amount of wealth millennials and Gen Xers stand to inherit from their parents and grandparents almost defies comprehension: According to Cerulli Associates, a Boston-based research and consulting firm, $84.4 trillion in wealth will be transferred between 2021 and 2045, primarily from baby boomer households to younger generations.Inheritances aren’t just for the rich: Less than half of the total volume of transfers is expected to come from high-net-worth households.“It’s a really unique point in history because of the amount of wealth,” says Chayce Horton, senior analyst on the wealth management team at Cerulli. “It’s something we haven’t seen before.”As a result of that magnitude, inheritance recipients might not know what to do with one, and whether to count on the windfall before it arrives.If you’re wondering whether to broach the topic of a potential inheritance with your own parents or grandparents, here are some guidelines financial experts recommend:TALK ABOUT INHERITANCE...

Newfoundland jail death renews calls for accountability in provincial corrections

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:52 GMT

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — It was shortly after another death was confirmed at a notoriously harsh Newfoundland jail that Bob Buckingham wrote to his fellow defence lawyers to ask what they could do to better advocate for inmates.The August death, which sources say was a suicide, was at least the seventh death since 2017 inside jails in the province, which between 2010 and 2020 had the highest rate of inmate suicide in Atlantic Canada.Judges in Newfoundland and Labrador have recently reduced sentences for at least two inmates at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary in St. John’s in scathing written decisions condemning the 164-year-old prison’s rodent and mould infestations and its crumbling infrastructure. Buckingham wants lawyers to raise those conditions more often during pleadings and thus give judges more opportunities to take a stand, which he hopes will pressure the provincial government to make changes.“There has to be a political will, to do something to change ...