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Battenfeld: The Big Apple circus opens today

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:57 GMT

Donald Trump’s indictment and arraignment is swirled in secrecy – escalating fears of a politically motivated kangaroo court more fit for a totalitarian regime than a democracy.The sealed indictment of the former president, along with a possible gag order on Trump and a camera ban in the courtroom, is exactly the opposite of a transparent process that should be taking place.While the indictment is supposed to be released today when Trump is officially booked, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s decision to keep it secret until now has only fueled speculation about what charges Trump will face. It reportedly includes about two dozen counts related to hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.Trump’s lawyers are asking the Manhattan court to ban cameras during Trump’s arraignment, a move that the media is fighting.Trump’s lawyers also reportedly fear the judge in his case will try to implement a gag order on the former president, effectively muzzling him for months in the middle of his ...

ASK IRA: Should there be a preference among potential opponents for Heat in play-in round?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:57 GMT

Q: Hello, Ira. Should Heat fans be praying that Atlanta and not the Bulls nor the Raptors capture the No. 7 seed? – Carlos, West Park.A: There always is a be-careful-what you-wish-for reality with such opponent shopping. And beyond that, the only control the Heat have in the process is where they finish, already done with their season series against the Hawks, Raptors and Bulls. All of that said, I can appreciate your concern, with the Heat having gone 1-3 against the Raptors and 0-3 against the Bulls. Yet, while the Heat went 3-1 against the Hawks, there always is the possibility of Trae Young single handedly sparking a win. The bottom line is that unless the Heat secure a No. 7 or No. 8 play-in seed, they will have to face at least two of those teams to advance.Q: Well, well, Ira, if the Heat are in the play-in, they would wind up against the Celtics or Bucks. That could be humiliating. – Andy.A: And that certainly is a possibility, something resembling the Heat’...

Mike Preston: With or without QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens’ offense can succeed under OC Todd Monken | COMMENTARY

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:57 GMT

It’s not all doom and gloom at The Castle.Regardless of the outcome of the team’s negotiations with star quarterback Lamar Jackson, there is faith in the Ravens’ new coordinator Todd Monken and his ability to turn around a sputtering offense.Monken, who left Georgia after winning back-to-back national championships to join the Ravens in mid-February, has yet to call a play and spent the last two seasons as a college offensive coordinator, but his resume is certainly more impressive than Jackson’s postseason statistics and win-loss record.Because of the stalled negotiations with their dynamic signal-caller, there seems to be some worry surrounding the Ravens and their ability to build a championship contender. There is more doubt than ever in general manager Eric DeCosta being able to sign a highly touted free agent receiver like Odell Beckham Jr. or make a trade for Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins, but the Ravens have always been reluctant to make those types...

Editorial: Don’t gag Donald Trump

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:57 GMT

It’s folly to slap a gag order on former President Donald Trump. It’s a recommendation Manhattan DA  Alvin Bragg will probably make and the judge should immediately reject.Let Trump maintain his right to free speech as this case plays out in the courts.If Bragg is really being nonpolitical — and we have serious doubts about that — he should allow Trump to speak his mind. A gag order will speak volumes about Bragg’s true intentions. What is he afraid of?If the indictment really is robust, then that’s what will stand up in court — not a paper-thin example of prosecutorial abuse a weak case will say.Former Suffolk prosecutor Timothy M. Burke, one of the more straight-talking legal experts in the city, also cautions against “prior restraint” — or a gag on a defendant and all involved in a case.“It just adds more complications to an already complicated case,” Burke told the Herald Monday. “And good luck trying ...

Finland set to join NATO, dealing major blow to Russia

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:57 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Finland is poised to join NATO on Tuesday, a historic realignment brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the head of the military alliance said it would not send more troops to the Nordic country unless it asked for help.Russia has already warned that it would bolster defenses along its border with NATO if the alliance deploys any additional troops or equipment to its new member.“There will be no NATO troops in Finland without the consent of Finland,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels a few hours before the country joins.But he refused to rule out the possibility of holding more military exercises there and said that NATO would not allow Russia’s demands to dictate the organization’s decisions.“We are constantly assessing our posture, our presence. We have more exercises, we have more presence, also in the Nordic area,” he said.Later Tuesday, Finland is set to officially become the 31st member of NA...

Swedes arrest 5 suspected of terror, ties to Quran burning

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:57 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Five men have been arrested “on suspicion of aiding and abetting terrorist offenses,” Sweden’s SAPO domestic security agency said Tuesday, adding the case was related to the burning of a Quran in January in Stockholm and that an attack is not imminent.In a statement, Susanna Trehörning, deputy head of SAPO’ s counterterror unit said that the case had “international links to violent Islamist extremism.” Swedish public radio said the suspects had links to the Islamic State group.Trehörning said that Tuesday’s arrests came following “extensive intelligence and investigative work “after the protests that were directed at Sweden in connection with the high-profile burning of the Quran in January and where there are international calls for attacks.” She told Swedish broadcaster SVT that the suspects were in ”a planning phase” and that they “had not immediately thought of doing anything here and now.”In January, a far-right activist from Denmark received permis...

Credit Suisse chairman admits failure, anger to shareholders

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:57 GMT

ZURICH (AP) — The chairman of Credit Suisse apologized Tuesday to shareholders for failures of the once-venerable bank and acknowledged the shock and anger felt as the troubled Swiss lender is set to be swallowed up by rival UBS in a government-arranged takeover.Axel Lehmann, who took the top board job only last year after joining Credit Suisse from UBS in 2021, decried “massive outflows” of customer funds in October and a “downward spiral” that culminated last month as turmoil from a U.S. banking crisis spilled overseas. “The bank could not be saved,” he said, and only two options awaited — a deal or bankruptcy.“The bitterness, anger and shock of those who are disappointed, overwhelmed and affected by the developments of the past few weeks is palpable,” Lehmann told what is likely the last Credit Suisse shareholder meeting in its 167-year history. “I apologize that we were no longer able to stem the loss of trust that had accumulated over the years and for disappointing you,”...

Montenegro’s new president says country firmly on EU path

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:57 GMT

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Montenegro’s president-elect Jakov Milatovic is pledging to speed up the small country’s bid for membership to the European Union and to adhere to the bloc’s policy line toward Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, Milatovic says he will advocate for stronger ties with Serbia and other Balkan neighbors. “One of the key foreign policy priorities for Montenegro, as well as myself as the new president of the country, will be to speed up the country’s EU accession so that Montenegro hopefully becomes the next EU member within the next five years of my mandate,” Milatovic told The Associated Press in an interview on Monday.The president-elect’s commitment to EU membership appears to bely accusations by detractors that he is somehow a puppet of Moscow.Milatovic, a 36-year-old Western-educated economics expert, won the presidential runoff election in Montenegro on Sunday, defeating pro-Western incumbent Milo Djukanovic who has been in pow...

NATO flags raised in Helsinki as Finland joins alliance

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:57 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — NATO’s blue and white flags fluttered against the backdrop of Helsinki’s deep blue sky as Finland was on the cusp of its historic entry into NATO Tuesday, a step that doubles the Western alliance’s border with Russia and ends decades of non-alignment for the Nordic nation.The country’s foreign minister traveled the night before to Brussels carrying papers in a suitcase that when handed over to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will seal Finland’s entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.It’s a moment that most Finns had never even sought as they balanced friendly ties with both the West and Russia. But all that changed with Russia’s full-scale and brutal invasion of its neighbor Ukraine last year, creating a sudden and strong sense of insecurity that pushed the nation toward membership to the security alliance.Newspapers showed Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto with a smile on his face as he traveled to Brussels late Mo...

Taiwan defies China pressure before US House speaker meeting

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:57 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan pushed back against threats of retaliation by China, ahead of an expected meeting between the island’s president and the U.S. House speaker Wednesday that will underscore her government’s claim to sovereignty.President Tsai Ing-wen is finishing a tour of Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic allies in Latin America, Belize and Guatemala. The most politically sensitive part of her trip will be a meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles while she transits on her way back home. China views Taiwan as its own territory and treats any dealings between U.S. and Taiwanese officials as a challenge to its sovereignty. Tsai’s tour is a bid to demonstrate that her government has international support.Belize and Guatemala are two of just 13 countries that formally recognize Taiwan, a number that has dipped as China has put pressure on and funneled money into isolating the island. Tsai’s Latin American trip comes just a week ...