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Israel ramps up feud with UN, vowing to ‘teach them a lesson’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:42 GMT

Israel said Wednesday it has denied a visa to a senior United Nations official to “teach them a lesson,” escalating the country’s growing dispute with the U.N.On Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said during a Security Council meeting that the violent Hamas attack against Israel on October 7 “did not happen in a vacuum,” triggering furious reactions from Israel.In response, Israel’s U.N. ambassador Gilad Erdan told Israeli radio on Wednesday morning that the country has denied a visa to U.N. Under Secretary-General Martin Griffiths, following Guterres’ comments. “Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to U.N. representatives … The time has come to teach them a lesson,” Erdan told Army Radio, reported Times of Israel.Guterres followed up in the early hours of Wednesday morning, saying that the “horrendous attacks” by Hamas “cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”Guterres’ initial “...

Championship or bust: 5 keys for Celtics as pursuit of long-awaited title begins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:42 GMT

Coming close to a championship doesn’t cut it in Boston. This summer, the Celtics put their money where their mouth is.Less than a month removed from a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Heat, and a year after coming two wins short in the NBA Finals, they shook everything up to their core. Literally. Marcus Smart – the franchise’s cornerstone, heartbeat and backbone – was shockingly traded as they acquired Kristaps Porzingis.“Sometimes really, really hard decisions have to be made,” Brad Stevens said shortly after.If it wasn’t already clear the Celtics weren’t messing around, they doubled down on the eve of training camp. In the wake of Milwaukee’s acquisition of Damian Lillard, the C’s didn’t hesitate to jump ahead of other contenders to trade for Jrue Holiday.The message was simple: It’s time to win. Now.“Is there pressure?” Jayson Tatum said. “Yeah, we have a really good team. We have really good players. People expect us to get to the championship and win, and when we don’t, we di...

Belgian police are looking for a Palestinian man following media report he could plan an attack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:42 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian authorities said Wednesday they were “actively” searching for an asylum-seeker of Palestinian origin after media reported that he had threatened an unspecified attack. The Brussels prosecutor’s office said it was aware of the threat mentioned in the media and added police forces were out looking for him. Only last week, an Islamic extremist shot dead two Swedes and wounded a third. Authorities said the Tunisian suspect died following a police operation trying to arrest him.The killings laid bare inefficiencies within the government and judicial apparatus, which had allowed the suspect to roam free in Brussels even though Tunisia had actively sought his extradition. The justice minister resigned over the incident last weekend. Since the attack, the terror alert level in Belgium was raised to the second highest level, meaning the threat is considered “serious.” The Associated Press

Russian parliament’s upper house rescinds ratification of global nuclear test ban

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:42 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — The upper house of the Russian parliament on Wednesday revoked the ratification of a global nuclear test ban in what Moscow has describes as a move to establish parity with the United States.The Federation Council voted to endorse a bill rescinding the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, also known as the CTBT. The bill will now be sent to President Vladimir Putin for final approval. The lower house approved the bill last week.The vote follows a statement from Putin, who warned earlier this month that Moscow could revoke its 2000 decision to ratify the bill to “mirror” the stand taken by the U.S., which has signed but not ratified the nuclear test ban.The CTBT, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world but the treaty was never fully implemented. In addition to the U.S., it is yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran and Egypt.There are widespread concerns that Russia could move to resume nuc...

Man with previous conviction for IS membership detained in Germany, suspected of murder plan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:42 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A man with a previous conviction for membership in the Islamic State group has been detained in Germany and is under investigation on suspicion of conspiring to commit murder, prosecutors said Wednesday.The 29-year-old, whose identity wasn’t released in keeping with German privacy rules, was detained Tuesday at his apartment in the western city of Duisburg.Prosecutors in Duesseldorf said there were indications the suspect “may have been in contact with a person resident abroad in a criminally relevant way.” They did not elaborate. Neither they nor police addressed German media reports, which named no sources, that investigators suspect the man may have intended to attack a pro-Israel demonstration, possibly using a truck.Prosecutors said the Duesseldorf state court in 2017 gave the man a five-year sentence under juvenile law for membership in IS and other offenses, which he served. The Associated Press

Relatives of victims of alleged war crimes in Myanmar seek justice against generals in Philippines

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:42 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Relatives of victims of alleged war crimes committed by Myanmar’s military filed a criminal complaint in the Philippines against their nation’s ruling generals as they increasingly seek to hold them accountable in courts outside the violence-wracked country.Human rights lawyers representing five Myanmar nationals, who filed the joint complaint before the Department of Justice, contend that a 2009 Philippine law that promotes human rights obligates the Philippines to prosecute war crimes committed elsewhere in the world under the principle of universal jurisdiction.Those named in the complaint are Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmar’s ruling military council, eight of his military commanders and a state minister.Myanmar and the Philippines are both members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a conservative 10-nation bloc that has a policy of not intervening in each other’s domestic affairs. Critics say such an approach has allo...

U.N. warns Gaza blockade could force it to sharply cut relief operations as bombings rise

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:42 GMT

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees warned Wednesday that without immediate deliveries of fuel it will soon have to sharply cut back relief operations across the Gaza Strip, which has been blockaded and hit by devastating Israeli airstrikes since Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel more than two weeks ago.The warning came as hospitals in Gaza struggled to treat masses of wounded with dwindling resources, and health officials in the Hamas-ruled territory said the death toll was soaring as Israeli jets continued striking the territory overnight into Wednesday.The Israeli military said its strikes had killed militants and destroyed tunnels, command centers, weapons storehouses and other military targets, which it has accused Hamas of hiding among Gaza’s civilian population. Gaza-based militants have been launching unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel since the conflict started.The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said the airstrikes killed at lea...

Australia state visit to feature talk of submarines and tech partnerships – and a lavish dinner

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is pressing forward with this week’s state visit from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, carving out time to nurture the relationship with a critical U.S. ally in the Pacific against the backdrop of escalating fighting between Israel and Hamas. The state visit, only the fourth since Biden took office, is a reminder of how he’s pursuing long-term plans to counter China’s influence even as bloody conflicts in the Middle East and Europe, where the Russian invasion continues after almost two years, remain the most immediate concerns. Senior administration officials said Biden and Albanese would be focused on innovative partnerships intended to support economic development among Pacific island nations, a key arena as the U.S. seeks the upper hand in the region. —The U.S. and Australia plan to work together on building maritime infrastructure and laying undersea cables to strengthen internet connectivity, according to the of...

Hurricane Otis weakens to Category 4 storm while heaving rains, flash floods batter southern Mexico

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:42 GMT

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Otis slammed into Mexico’s southern Pacific coast as a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane early Wednesday, bringing dangerous winds and heavy rain to Acapulco and surrounding towns, stirring memories of a 1997 storm that killed dozens of people.Now a Category 4 storm, the hurricane was expected to continue to weaken quickly in Guerrero state’s steep mountains. But the five to 10 inches of rain forecast, with as much as 15 inches possible in some areas, raised the threat of landslides and floods. Otis was about 25 miles north northwest of Acapulco with its maximum sustained winds decreasing to 130 mph (215 km/h) and moving at 10 mph (17 km/h). The center of Otis is expected to move farther inland over southern Mexico through Wednesday night.Otis had strengthened rapidly, going from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in 12 hours Tuesday. Residents of Guerrero’s coast scrambled to prepare, but the storm’s sudden intensity appeared to catch many ...

Justin Neely sets sights high during ACL recovery

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:42 GMT

ALBANY, NY (NEWS10) -- Justin Neely entered last season with high hopes, and high expectations. After winning the Rookie of the Year award in the America East Conference, he entered his second season as the focal point of the UAlbany basketball team. But just five games in, everything changed in an instant. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! On November 12, 2022, the Albany Cup game between UAlbany and Siena returned to MVP Arena in front of nearly 10,000 fans. Just eight minutes into the game, Neely tore the ACL in his left knee. "It was just an upsetting event that happened," said Neely. "It's a part of the game unfortunately." "My heart went out to him," said head coach Dwayne Killings. "I felt really bad for Justin, not that you want it to happen to anybody in the world, but not him. I think he works the right way, he's got a great family, they all believe in him. He's had a really good story, he was the valedictorian in his ...