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Israeli delegation attends UN heritage conference in Saudi Arabia in first public visit by officials

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:20 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to attend a U.N. conference on world heritage sites, in the first public visit by government officials to the kingdom, an Israeli official said.The delegation is led by the head of Israel’s Antiquities Authority, Eli Escusido, and includes diplomats, the official said. It is not a bilateral visit, and it was unclear whether they would meet with Saudi officials. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter with media and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official noted that Israel took part in a video game competition in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.The visit comes as Washington is pushing to broker normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which are believed to have quietly cultivated ties in recent years over their shared suspicion of Iran. A formal agreement would be a historic step toward integrating Israel into the wider region, but it faces major challenges.The Saudis ...

Biden says Vietnam deal is about global stability, not containing China.

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:20 GMT

HANOI (AP) — President Joe Biden insisted Sunday that he is not trying to start a “cold war” with China as he made his first visit to Vietnam, saying his goal is to provide stability around the world by building U.S. ties with Vietnam and other Asian countries.“We have an opportunity to strengthen alliances around the world to maintain stability. That’s what this trip is all about,” Biden said at a news conference. “It’s not about containing China. It’s about having a stable base.”The U.S. president came to Hanoi as Vietnam is elevating the United States to its highest diplomatic status as a comprehensive strategic partner, evidence of how far the relationship has evolved from what Biden referred to as the “bitter past” of the Vietnam War.The expanded partnership reflected a broader effort across Asia to counter China’s influence as Biden has said Vietnam wants to show its independence and U.S. companies want an alternative to Chinese factories. But Biden is pursuing the...

Mossad chief accuses Iran of plotting deadly attacks, vows to hit perpetrators ‘in heart’ of Tehran

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:20 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency on Sunday said that Israel is prepared to strike “in the heart of Tehran” to track down the perpetrators of what he said were over two dozen Iranian attempts to hit Israeli and Jewish targets around the world.Speaking at a security conference, David Barnea said that Israel and its allies had foiled 27 attacks over the past year in Europe, Africa, southeast Asia and South America.“The plots being pursued by these teams were orchestrated, masterminded and directed by Iran,” Barnea told the conference at Reichman University. He added that “as we speak” Iran is trying to carry out additional attacks.“Our message is loud and clear and determined,” he said. “Make no mistake, those of you who decided to dispatch the teams. Be assured that we will get to you, and justice will be done for all to see. This has been proven in the past, and in the future, we will ramp it up to the next level.”Barnea said Israel would go after the agents in...

‘The Nun II’ conjures $32.6 million to top box office

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:20 GMT

Like many horrors before it, bad reviews didn’t scare off moviegoers from buying tickets for “ The Nun II.” The sequel to the 2018 hit, released in 3,728 theaters by Warner Bros., topped the box office in its first weekend in North American theaters earning an estimated $32.6 million, the studio said Sunday.Horror is perhaps the most reliably critic-proof genre, at least when it comes to opening weekend. The Michael Graves-directed sequel starring Taissa Farmiga and Storm Reid fell far short of the debut for the first film ($53.8 million), but it’s still a solid launch. “The Nun” movies are part of the so-called Conjuring universe, which now has nine films, and $2.1 billion in box office, to its name. “The Nun II” bumped Denzel Washington’s “ Equalizer 3 ” to second place in its second weekend. The Columbia Pictures release added $12.1 million, bringing its domestic grosses to $61.9 million and its worldwide earnings to $107.7 million. Third place went to another new movie: Th...

Vatican ordered investigation into Catholic clerics linked to abuse, Swiss Bishops’ Conference says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:20 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The Vatican has ordered an investigation into high-ranking Catholic clerics in Switzerland in connection with sexual abuse, the Swiss Bishops’ Conference said on Sunday.The group said in a statement that there were allegations against several active and retired bishops as well as other clergy for their handling of abuse cases. Specifically, they are accused of covering up abuse cases. There are also accusations that some committed sexual assaults themselves in the past.“There are accusations against some of them of having committed sexual assaults themselves in the past,” it said.According to the bishops’ conference, the Vatican received a letter with the allegations in May and subsequently appointed Swiss Bishop Joseph Bonnemain to head a preliminary investigation in June. Bonnemain has a history of investigating sexual assaults around the church, the statement said.Father Nicolas Betticher, a priest at the Bruder Klaus church in the Swiss capital Bern, co...

Man wanted for punching woman in face, knocking her out at TTC subway station

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:20 GMT

A man is wanted in a violent attack after he punched a woman in the face, knocked her unconscious and assaulted a stranger at Castle Frank Station.Toronto police responded to reports of an assault at the TTC subway station in Rosedale around 3:30 p.m. on September 5.It’s alleged that a woman and a man were waiting for the subway on the eastbound platform, and as the two began to embark on the train, an altercation ensued.Authorities said the man punched the woman in the face, knocking her unconscious. Another man on the train attempted to stop the attack and was punched in the face by the same suspect.The man then fled the subway station.He is described as approximately 55 to 60 years old with a large build, short dark hair, and a grey mustache.Police said he was last seen wearing an orange t-shirt, a coloured baseball cap, black pants, black shoes and a black coloured backpack.Photo: Toronto police.

Is pumpkin spice really made of pumpkin?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:20 GMT

(WHTM) — Fall is almost here and that means chillier weather, leaves changing, nights getting longer, and football season. It also means another thing, that pumpkin spice has made its grand return.But is pumpkin spice actually made of pumpkin? Well, you may be surprised that there is no pumpkin in the pumpkin spice flavor. According to Food and Wine, pumpkin spice is the seasoning that can flavor pumpkin pie. This seasoning blend usually consists of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. This spice blend has been around for a very long time. Food and Wine says the spice can be traced back to the 1930s when Thompson & Taylor Spice Co. and McCormick & Company came out with pumpkin pie spice. Instead of buying five or six different spices, they could buy these premixed blends. Wendy’s launching pumpkin spice Frosty, cold brew this fall Today, McCormick's blend includes four spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice, plus sulfating agents, according to Food and W...

Weekend Break: CAMP

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:20 GMT

Check out today's Weekend Break with Shannon Halligan where she visits CAMP, a fun store in Lincoln Park with interactive experiences for kids.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Ex-NFL receiver Mike Williams needs 'Hail Mary,' mother says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:20 GMT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – The mother of former NFL wide receiver and Buffalo native Mike Williams said her son was still breathing Saturday night in a Tampa hospital, but used a football analogy to convey the outlook: "I need a Hail Mary."Williams was taken off a ventilator Friday in accordance with his wishes, but remained unresponsive more than 24 hours later, according to his mother, Mary Rosenthal. The 36-year-old had been on life support after suffering complications from a workplace accident."He said, if this ever happens to me, to pull my plug because I don’t want to live like that," Rosenthal told Nexstar's WIVB. "Those are his wishes. When he was a football player, he had already signed the papers."Those close to Williams are asking for continued prayers for his recovery. Rosenthal added a second request: Get your money back if you donated to the GoFundMe set up by Williams' biological father. Paul Reubens’ death certificate reveals cause of Pee-wee Herman actor’s death Rose...

What's the most popular car in Illinois?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:20 GMT

(iSeeCars) -- While the average used car price is 3.6 percent less than it was last year, used car prices still remain higher than pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, new car prices have increased by 7.4 percent compared to last year. A decrease in used car prices has led to an increased demand for used cars, which are selling 6.1 percent faster than they were last year according to a recent iSeeCars analysis. Conversely, an increase in new car prices has led to a decrease in demand for new cars, which are selling 25.7 percent slower during the same period. Analyzing over 228,000 cars sold in July 2023, iSeeCars.com found that the average used car takes 49.2 days to sell, while the average new car takes 48.2 days.Fastest-Selling Used Cars by StateWhat were July’s fastest-selling used cars across the country? Here are the new vehicles in the highest demand by state:Fastest-Selling Used Car in Each State - July 2023StateVehicleAverage Days to SellAlabamaGMC Yukon27.1Alaska--Ariz...