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German far-right leader says gains in state election show her party has ‘arrived’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:51 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany said on Monday that her party is no longer a primarily eastern German phenomenon after a pair of strong state election performances in the country’s more prosperous west, declaring that “we have arrived.”The 10-year-old Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is at its strongest in the country’s former communist east. It hopes to emerge as the strongest party for the first time in three state elections in that region about a year from now.However, co-leader Alice Weidel said gains for the party on Sunday in the western states of Hesse and Bavaria show that “AfD is no longer an eastern phenomenon, but has become a major all-German party. So we have arrived.”Sunday’s elections, halfway through the term of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s unpopular three-party government, followed a campaign marked by discontent with persistent squabbling in the national government and by pressure to reduce the number of mig...

UK’s Labour Party says it will invest for growth, as carnage in Israel hangs over its conference

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:51 GMT

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Britain’s main opposition Labour Party said Monday that it will focus on economic growth rather than higher taxes to “rebuild” the country after more than a decade of Conservative rule.Labour economy spokeswoman Rachel Reeves told delegates at the party’s annual conference that “Labour will tax fairly and spend wisely.”“But I must tell you, you cannot tax and spend your way to economic growth,” she said. “The lifeblood of a growing economy is business investment.”Reeves was making her pitch to British voters and businesses at the four-day conference in Liverpool, where Labour is trying to cement its front-runner status in opinion polls before an election due in 2024.The party is running 15 or more points ahead of the governing Conservatives in multiple opinion polls, as Britain endures a sluggish economy and a cost-of-living crisis driven by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and economic disruption following the U.K.’s exit from the Europea...

Major airlines suspend flights to Israel after massive attack by Hamas ignites heavy fighting

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:51 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Major airlines have suspended flights to Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas. American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines suspended service as the U.S. State Department issued travel advisories for the region citing potential for terrorism and civil unrest. American suspended service to Tel Aviv through Friday. The airline said that it has issued a travel alert providing additional flexibility for customers whose travel plans are impacted. “We continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” American said.United said it allowed two scheduled flights out of Tel Aviv late Saturday and early Sunday and accommodated its customers, crews and employee travelers who were at the airport. The airline said that its Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended until conditions improve. Delta said its Tel Aviv flights have been canceled into this week. The airline said it...

43 Malaysians were caught in a phone scam operation in Peru and rescued from human traffickers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:51 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia said Monday that 43 citizens have been rescued by police in Peru after they fell victim to a human trafficking syndicate operating a telecommunication fraud. They Malaysians were involved in the so-called “Macau scam” that reportedly originates from crime syndicates in Taiwan and China, in which scammers impersonate banks or a public official to trick a person into disclosing their personal banking details or transfer money into a third-party account. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Peruvian police found the 43 Malaysians after raiding a house in La Molina in the capital Lima on Oct. 7. It said the Malaysian Embassy in Lima had visited them and found them in good condition. “All victims have also undergone an investigation process and will be repatriated to Malaysia” soon, it said. No further details were provided on how the Malaysians were ensnared by the syndicate or how they ended up in Peru. Activists and government offi...

British government tries to assure UK Supreme Court it’s safe to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:51 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A lawyer sought to assure the U.K. Supreme Court on Monday that the British government had adequately analyzed the risks of sending asylum-seekers to Rwanda and would have people “on the ground” to make sure it’s safe and that deportees’ rights are protected.Attorney James Eadie said that the controversial policy was in the public interest of deterring immigrants from risking their lives crossing the English Channel in small boats and to stop smugglers from exploiting them. He said the British government would make sure Rwanda adheres to agreements to comply with the United Nations Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.“The appeal is, at its heart, about the judgments made by government about the future conduct of a friendly foreign state,” Eadie said. “Both the Government and the Rwandan government were fully aware of the likely controversy of the arrangements that were made when the deal was signed.”The Conservative governme...

Man, 24, shot while inside parked car on West Side

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:51 GMT

CHICAGO — A 24-year-old man was seriously injured after being shot while sitting inside a parked vehicle on the city's West Side, according to Chicago police.The shooting happened around 5:15 a.m. Monday on the 2600 block of South Christiana Avenue. Police said the man was inside a parked carwhen a person stopped near him and began to fire shots.The 24-year-old was shot in the back. He was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition. 8 injured after River North shooting: CPD No one is in custody. Area Four Detectives are invesitigating.

At least 260 killed at music festival by Hamas militants

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:51 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The night was a getaway. Thousands of young men and women gathered at a vast field in southern Israel near the Gaza border to dance without a care. Old and new friends jumped up and down, reveling the swirl of the bass-heavy beats.Maya Alper was standing toward the back of the bar with teams of environmentally conscious volunteers, picking up trash and passing out free vodka shots to party-goers who reused their cups. Just after 6.a.m., as a light-blue dawn broke and the headliner D.J. took the stage, air raid sirens cut through the ethereal trap music. Rockets streaked overhead.Alper, 25, jumped into her car and raced to the main road. But at the intersection she encountered crowds of stricken festival attendees, shouting at drivers to turn around. Then, a noise. Firecrackers? Panicked men and women staggering down the road just in front of her fell to the ground in pools of blood. Gunshots. ‘Several’ US citizens confirmed killed in Israel-Hamas conflict: NSC The...

3 Florida high schoolers arrested after making kill list of other students: sheriff

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:51 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Three Florida high school students were arrested after they were caught making a "hit list" of other students, authorities said.On Friday, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said its deputies arrested three students at Creekside High School who posed a "credible threat" to their classmates.Their youth services deputies said they found text messages between the three students that had photographs of other students with their faces circled and photos of the school grounds with an area circled out. Possibly ‘impaired’ driver crashes into road work truck on I-4 in Tampa, FHP says Deputies said there were also signs of firearm use in the messages. According to Sheriff Robert A. Hardwick, the potential victims' addresses were also listed in the messages."The 'hit list' was created for select students the group wanted to physically harm and the 'lethal hit list' was created for students the group wanted to kill," the sheriff's office said.All three students, ...

PHOTOS: Day 3 of 2023 Austin City Limits Music Festival

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Weekend One of the Austin City Limits music festival wrapped up Sunday night as thousands flocked to Zilker Park.Mumford & Sons, Odesza, Hozier, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Labrinth and many others took the stage Sunday.If you need a recap, here's a look at Day One and Day Two of the festival.Here are some pics from Day Three of Weekend One:Mumford & SonsMarcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons performs during the first weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Laura Roberts/Invision/AP)Marcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons performs during the first weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Laura Roberts/Invision/AP)Marcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons performs during the first weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Laura Roberts/Invision/AP)Marcus Mumford of...

Averill Park student pursuing acting dream

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:51 GMT

AVERILL PARK, N.Y. (NEWS10) - By day, she’s a sophomore at Averill Park High School, but by night, she’s living a double-life as an actress. Vika Grovenger is showing her peers and adults that it's never too early to chase your dreams. Discovering Saratoga: Saratoga County teen soaring into aviation career At only 15, Vika has been busy juggling school work and acting. She has appeared in major campaigns, as well as an extra in primetime television shows. She's been an extra on HBO Max’s Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, and Law and Order.Vika credits her early start in pageants for preparing her for life now. From interviews to on-camera acting, the experience has helped her gain confidence in many areas of her life. Jimmy’s Pizzeria cooking up real-world experience for local students with special needs “She's just the perfect example of a very humble, sweet young lady who is doing exactly what she wants to do outside the classroom and inside the classroom,” said Mrs. Engel, h...