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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stands in solidarity with Israel in Surfside news conference

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:29 GMT

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, joined by Israel Consul General Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, addressed the media on Tuesday during a news conference at The Shul of Bal Harbour in Surfside. The conference began at 8:45 a.m. and touched upon various subjects, including the tragic events in Israel and the strong ties between Surfside and Israel.Governor DeSantis expressed condolences for the victims of the recent violence in Israel. “We too, pray for the family of [Israel Defense Forces] Captain Abraham Hankin in North Miami Beach, who was killed in battle against Hamas terrorists Saturday night.  And we pray for the several dozen Florida residents who have since returned to Israel to fulfill their commitment to Israel’s armed forces and defense of what needs to be done.He emphasized the duty of Israel to defend itself against aggression “Israel has the duty to defend itself in a way that Hamas terrorist infrastructure in networks are eradicated from the Earth.”The...

Historic start to the season for the Dolphins’ offense means little to coach Mike McDaniel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:29 GMT

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — When asked his thoughts on the Miami Dolphins’ historic start to the season, coach Mike McDaniel raised his eyebrows and smirked.“Mission accomplished,” McDaniel said sarcastically. “We had the whole time, the whole offseason, that was our goal — was output after five games.”Miami has totaled 2,568 yards of offense — the most by any NFL team through five games. But McDaniel knows the Dolphins (4-1) haven’t reached their ceiling, and continued improvement is necessary if the team wants to make a deep playoff run.“All that means is that people are going to give you their best shot,” McDaniel said, “and you’d better continue to work and progress in your game if you’re going to be satisfied because you’re going to have a bullseye on your back.”During their 31-16 win over the undermanned New York Giants on Sunday, the Dolphins had some offensive miscues that could be a problem against a tougher opponent — like the Eagles, Chiefs or Bills, all of who...

UEFA will not let Russian junior teams back into football competitions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:29 GMT

Russian youth teams will not be allowed into continental football competitions during this season, European football’s governing body UEFA announced Tuesday.The governing body said “no technical solution to allow Russian teams to play could be found,” backtracking on a previous move to end its blanket ban on all Russian teams.Russian international and club teams have been banned from participating in European competitions by UEFA since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but the governing body last month had announced plans to ease the ban and allow under-17 boys and girls teams to play.That announcement had triggered a backlash around Europe, with several countries saying they wouldn’t play against Russian teams despite UEFA’s ruling. It also forced the body’s Swedish vice president, Karl-Erik Nilsson, to resign as chairman of the Swedish Sports Confederation, due to his support for ending the ban.However, football’s ...

Keir Starmer slams ‘shallow men of Westminster’ in Labour conference pitch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:29 GMT

Labour leader Keir Starmer railed against Westminster’s “shallow” political class and promised a “decade of national renewal” in a party conference speech designed to pitch him as the U.K.’s next prime minister.Addressing delegates in Liverpool, Starmer — whose party has a commanding lead in the polls ahead of an expected general election next year — shrugged off an angry protest that preceded his speech, and tried to tap into voters’ anxieties about the cost of living, the state of public services, and scarce housing supply in the U.K.Positioning himself as the man to fix a country “ruined” by 13 years of Conservative rule, Starmer set out plans to boost housebuilding, hand more economic power to local leaders, increase neighborhood policing, and double down on green investment.Voters, said Starmer, are “looking to us because they want our wounds to heal — and we are the healers.”“People are looking to us ...

Finnish pipeline leak points to ‘external activity,’ president says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:29 GMT

A leak in a Baltic Sea gas pipeline over the weekend suggests “external activity,” Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said Tuesday, in comments likely to stoke fears among EU countries worried about threats to their critical infrastructure.Finnish gas system operator Gasgrid reported a leak early Sunday morning after the 77 kilometer-long Balticconnector pipeline that links the countries via the Gulf of Finland saw an “unusual” drop in pressure.“The damage to the underwater infrastructure has been taken seriously and its causes have been investigated,” Niinistö said in a statement, adding that “what specifically caused the damage is not yet known.”Finnish telecoms operator Elisa also said Tuesday it had detected a malfunction at a sea cable it uses to verify communication connections at around the same time as the gas leak, even if services were not disrupted.Niinistö said Finland would conduct its cooperation with the help of Estonia, and said NATO “was ready to assist wi...

Biden interviewed as part of the special counsel investigation into handling of classified documents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:29 GMT

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and ERIC TUCKER (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has been interviewed as part of an independent investigation into his handling of classified documents, the White House said late Monday. It’s a possible sign that the investigation is nearing its end. Special counsel Robert Hur is examining the improper retention of classified documents by Biden from his time as a U.S. senator and as vice president that were found at his Delaware home, as well as at a private office he used after his service in the Obama administration.Biden has said he was unaware he had the documents and that ” there’s no there there. ”Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House counsel’s office, said in a statement that the voluntary interview was conducted at the White House on Sunday and Monday as Biden and his national security team grappled with their response to the surprise weekend attack on Israel by Hamas militants and as t...

Soldiers asking for donations to help with housing, food costs: memo to Gen. Eyre

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:29 GMT

OTTAWA — The military’s chaplain-general says many soldiers are struggling with the high cost of living and morale is the lowest it’s been in recent memory. Chaplains say in a briefing note written to the chief of the defence staff that more Armed Forces members are asking for help to make ends meet. The briefing note was sent to Gen. Wayne Eyre last month based on information gathered by chaplains in the first six months of the year.It says that some soldiers have said they’re considering releasing from the military to avoid postings in certain locations.Recent changes to the military’s housing allowance mean that more junior members will get help, but more senior members say they’re struggling to find housing.The memo also says staff shortages at many bases and wings have led to “ever-present” tensions and conflicts in the workplace.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2023.The Canadian Press

4 Britons who were detained in Afghanistan are released by the Taliban

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:29 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The Taliban released four Britons who were detained in Afghanistan on allegations that they broke the laws of the country, the U.K. government said Tuesday. The Foreign Office said in a brief statement that it welcomed the release of the four Britons, and expressed apologies on behalf of their families “to the current administration of Afghanistan for any violations of the laws of the country.”“The U.K. government regrets this episode,” it added. The Foreign Office didn’t provide details on who the four were or what laws they allegedly broke. It wasn’t immediately clear if the four were still in Afghanistan or returning to the U.K.Scott Richards, co-founder of the U.K.-based nonprofit Presidium Network, which was involved in negotiations to help secure the Britons’ release, said one of the four was Kevin Cornwell, who had been working with the United Nations in a medical capacity.Cornwell was detained in January in a Kabul hotel housing nonprofit workers, a...

New California law aims to force people with mental illness or addiction to get help

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:29 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — More Californians with untreated mental illness and addiction issues could be detained against their will and forced into treatment under a new law signed Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a move to help overhaul the state’s mental health system and address its growing homelessness crisis.The new law, which reforms the state’s conservatorship system, expands the definition of “gravely disabled” to include people who are unable to provide themselves basic needs such as food and shelter due to an untreated mental illness or unhealthy drugs and alcohol use. Local governments say current state laws leave their hands tied if a person refuses to receive help.The law is designed to make it easier for authorities to provide care to people with untreated mental illness or addictions to alcohol and drugs, many of whom are homeless. The bill was aimed in part at dealing with the state’s homelessness crisis. California is home to more than 171,000 homeless peop...

Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial resumes with ex-CFO Allen Weisselberg on the witness stand

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:29 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — As Donald Trump’s longtime finance chief, Allen Weisselberg helped spare his real estate empire from its last existential threat, staving off insolvency after casino bankruptcies and an airline failure in the 1990s.On Tuesday, after a recent jail stint for tax fraud, Weisselberg was again front and center at a key moment for the Trump Organization. Weisselberg took the stand in the civil trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud lawsuit against the Republican former president and his company.Weisselberg, a defendant testifying as a prosecution witness, was expected to testify about his role in preparing Trump’s annual financial statements — including conversations they had while finalizing the documents, which were given to banks, insurers and others to make deals and secure loans. James’ lawsuit alleges that Weisselberg engineered Trump’s financial statements to meet his demands that they show increases in his net worth and signed off on lo...