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After Biden meeting, new Speaker Johnson says GOP won’t abandon Ukraine but will aid Israel first

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:41 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden met with new House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries at the White House on Thursday to discuss his request for nearly $106 billion for Israel, Ukraine and other national security needs.Johnson, a staunch conservative allied with Donald Trump, has shown little interest in providing additional money from Congress to support Ukraine in its war against Russia. Later, the new Republican speaker insisted Congress is “not going to abandon” Ukraine. Instead, Johnson said House Republicans would first bring a separate bill to provide $14.5 billion in aid to Israel, but they need more information about the Biden administration’s Ukraine strategy.“We can’t allow Vladimir Putin to prevail in Ukraine because I don’t believe it would stop there,” Johnson said on Fox News’ “Hannity,” referring to the Russian president. But he said, “We must stand with our important ally in the Middle East and that’s Israel.” The...

Fox and Schneider get a goal and an assist each, Quick posts shutout, Rangers top Oilers 3-0

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:41 GMT

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Adam Fox and Braden Schneider each had a goal and an assist, Jonathan Quick made 29 saves and the New York Rangers beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 on Thursday night.Alexis Lafreniere also scored for the Rangers (5-2-0), who have won three games in a row. Quick earned his 59th career shutout.The Rangers broke a scoreless deadlock on the power play 3:32 into the second period as Fox took a feed from Vincent Trocheck and sent a slapshot that eluded Stuart Skinner, who finished with 29 saves.Schneider added to the lead at 12:03 when he managed to keep a back pass in at the blue line before unleashing a long shot that beat Skinner high to the stick side.After hitting a pair of posts, the Rangers extended their lead with less than two minutes to play in the second period.Artemi Panarin picked up his second assist of the contest and pushed his scoring streak to seven games with a long pass to Lafreniere, who unleashed a one-timer before the Oilers goalie could get acr...

AP PHOTOS: Pan American Games bring together Olympic hopefuls from 41 nations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:41 GMT

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Athletes from 41 nations are competing at The Pan American Games in the capital of Chile, Santiago, and many are looking to qualify for the Olympics. The Games are the largest multi-sport event in the Americas and are held every four years, preceding the Olympics by a year.This gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made of competitions this week. Read more of AP’s coverage of The Pan American Games.Follow AP visual journalism:AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnewsX: http://twitter.com/AP_ImagesSource

US strikes Iranian-backed ammo sites in Syria

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:41 GMT

The U.S. conducted two airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia groups in eastern Syria Thursday night in response to a series of attacks on U.S. forces this month.“These strikes are a direct response to a series of ongoing attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria that began on October 17,” a senior defense official told reporters Thursday.While the sites were used by local militias, the official said they are funded and equipped by Iran.“Let’s be clear, Iran is responsible” for the attacks on U.S. forces, the official said.American F-16s hit the two locations near Abu Kamal, one of which was a weapons storage area while the other was an ammunition storage area, according to a military official.It is not yet clear if any Iranians were present at the sites, said the two officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the topic.American troops have come under attack by a mix of one-way drones and rockets 19 times in Syria and Iraq this month.Overall, 21 service membe...

Orbán wants Ukraine to ‘negotiate’ for military aid cash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:41 GMT

Presented by ASD By LAURA KAYALI with JOSHUA POSANER and CALEB LARSON PRESENTED BY View in your browser or listen to audioSNEAK PEEK— As EU leaders meet again today, Viktor Orbán is still refusing to free more cash for military aid to Kyiv. — Ammunition: Beyond the pace of production, the next biggest issue is cost. — In Ukraine, the future of warfare is a $400 drone killing a $2 million tank. Good morning, and welcome to Morning Defense. Tips to [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] or follow us at @joshposaner, @LauKaya and @calebmlarson.DRIVING THE DAYEUCO BUDGET TALKS: It’s Day Two of the latest summit of EU leaders, with debate on aid to Ukraine bubbling in the background. Some, such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have said that more could be done to reallocate existing EU budget cash rather than ask countries themselves to cough up €66 billion toward extra military funding for Kyiv,...

Mass arrests target LGBTQ+ people in Nigeria while abuses against them are ignored, activists say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:41 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Law enforcement authorities in Nigeria are using the country’s same-sex prohibition law to target the LGBTQ+ community while ignoring abuses against them, rights groups and lawyers say, in the wake of fresh mass arrests of gay people.Nigeria is one of more than 30 of Africa’s 54 countries where homosexuality is criminalized in laws that are broadly supported by the public, even though the constitution guarantees freedom from discrimination, and the right to private and family life. Mass arrests and detention of queer Nigerians that continued this week were done without proper investigations and could further expose them to danger amid the anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments in Africa’s most populous country, rights groups said.The country’s paramilitary agency on Monday announced the arrest of more than 70 young people – 59 men and 17 women – in the northern Gombe state, accusing them of “holding homosexual birthdays” and having “the intention to hold a same-sex marriage.”F...

Friday opens unseasonably mild—then temps begin to plummet as coldest air of the season approaches; first snowflakes likely for Halloween

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:41 GMT

Friday opens unseasonably mild; it will continue into early afternoon—then readings begin to plummet as the first of two cold surges arrives Friday/early Saturday temperature snapshots:Heaviest area rainfall totals through 9pm Thursday—(rainfall since midnight)One final mild day before "colder than normal" readings take holdUpper-level winds/anomalies from normalFrom an unseasonably warm, southwest flow to a buckling jet stream which shifts steering winds northwest directly from Canada---this will help deliver the season’s coldest air to date with early December level temperatures expected for Halloween.Markedly colder air hits Friday evening Predicted temperature change late tomorrow night compared to Thursday night FORECAST AM WIND CHILLS MONDAY AND TUESDAY   In addition to the COLD AIR arrival, the season’s first snowflakes are likely to fall Halloween afternoon Tracking the flurries/snow showers arrival Tracking the season’s coldest air—from unseasonably mild...

Commission endorses Lithuania's €3.8 billion modified recovery and resilience plan, including a REPowerEU chapter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:41 GMT

The Commission adopted a positive assessment of Lithuania's modified recovery and resilience plan, which includes a REPowerEU chapter. The plan is now worth €3.85 billion (€2.3bn in grants and €1.55bn in loans) which is nearly double the size of the initial recovery and resilience plan.The REPowerEU chapter includes one reform and three investments to deliver on the REPowerEU Plan's objectives to make Europe independent of Russian fossil fuels well before 2030.In addition to this, Lithuania has added further investments to its original plan, notably two funds that will provide loans for the clean energy transition. One of these funds will incentivise the uptake of renewable energy by businesses, while the other will boost the transition of businesses towards green and high value-added technologies. Lithuania has also scaled up measures which were already included in the original plan, such as strengthening the state's cybersecurity capabilities.For four out of 48 measures related to...

2 dead, including suspect, after stabbing in downtown L.A.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:41 GMT

Two people are dead, including the suspect and another person is in critical condition after stabbing Thursday in downtown Los Angeles, authorities confirmed to KTLA. Officers responded to the area of West 6th and South Spring streets at about 3:45 p.m.Initial reports indicate one victim, a male in his 60s, was found with stab wounds to his stomach outside of a Starbucks. Two people were transported to area hospitals, a LAPD spokesperson told KTLA. Authorities did not say which one of the victims died. The scene at 6th & Spring in downtown Los Angeles. Oct. 26, 2023. Additional officers were called in to apprehend the suspect, an Asian male, who was hiding inside the Hayward Hotel, police said. Authorities said that when the suspect was located, he was harming himself with a sharp object and said they believe that contributed to his death. Police did not say if force was used on the man. Spring Street was closed to traffic in both directions while police investigated.

During manhunt for suspect in Maine shooting that killed 18, authorities twice converge Thursday on his last known residence

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:41 GMT

Bowdoin, Maine (CNN) — A manhunt for a suspect accused of killing 18 people in a bowling alley and a restaurant in Maine surpassed 24 hours Thursday evening – on a day that saw law enforcement twice converge on the suspect’s last known address for searches.The second time authorities massed at Robert Card’s residence in Bowdoin on Thursday brought tense moments in the evening, as law enforcement officials surrounded the home and one officer could be heard saying “come out with your hands up.”But that episode appeared to end uneventfully, with authorities leaving the scene two hours later and Maine State Police saying they were done there for the night. Investigators had thought they detected something inside or near the home, which prompted the activity, a law enforcement official said.Authorities were simply doing their due diligence while trying to execute search warrants, Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss told CNN Thur...