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Europe must defend itself with US support in doubt, UK’s Grant Shapps says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:48:39 GMT

LONDON — Europe needs to take responsibility for its own security amid signs that American military backing for Ukraine is starting to wane, United Kingdom Defense Secretary Grant Shapps warned on Monday. At a press conference in London, Shapps said European governments needed to stop relying on the U.S. to “ride in to the rescue,” 22 months after Russia’s full-scale invasion began. Increasing military spending will be key to strengthening Europe’s ability to defend itself, he said. Lawmakers in Washington are still arguing over a multibillion-dollar tranche of aid for Kyiv, while EU governments can’t agree on their own package of support.“I actually genuinely do think Europe needs to step up and look after its own security,” Shapps said. “We can’t carry on expecting the U.S. to always ride in to the rescue of Europe.”Shapps made his remarks at a highly sensitive time for Ukraine’s war against Russian invaders, amid growing indications that Western resolve may be faltering...

Mark Rutte makes humblebrag pitch for NATO top job

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:48:39 GMT

BERLIN — He didn’t mean to say it (but he really did).Weeks after revealing his ambition to take on the NATO secretary-general post in a chat with Dutch national radio, the Netherlands’ outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte says it was a “mistake” to be so candid, while letting everyone know he’s definitely still running.“After 13 years in this job you still make mistakes,” he told a crowd at the Hertie School in Berlin on Monday. “And the mistake was that I spoke about a possible shift for me, to secretary-general, and I’m absolutely not sure whether it will happen.”“I’m not going to retract what I said,” he added, “because what I said was obviously what I meant to say, but I should not have said it.”Rutte said any thoughts of trying for the NATO top job earlier this year would have been impossible because at that time a departure from the Dutch government would have triggered a national election...

Zelensky faces impossible task ahead of meetings in Washington

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:48:39 GMT

(CNN) — The fate of billions in assistance for Ukraine remains in limbo Monday morning even as President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to make a crucial pitch to senators and House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday.Zelensky’s visit to Washington – his third since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 – is unlikely to shift a now cemented dynamic in Washington that Republicans, even those that back additional funding for Ukraine, aren’t willing to do more unless Democrats and the White House concede on major policy changes on the US southern border.It’s a complicated moment for the White House, which has made the case again and again that Zelensky and his country are at a critical inflection point in their fight for Democracy. And yet, President Joe Biden’s administration may not be able to deliver the resources it has promised if a domestic, decades-long fight over immigration doesn’t rapidly yield a breakthrough soon.Bottom Line: It’s more likely than not that Congress leav...

Pedestrian killed after hit by multiple cars on I-805; SigAlert issued

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:48:39 GMT

SAN DIEGO — A pedestrian was fatally hit by multiple vehicles on northbound Interstate 805 near Kearny Mesa, California Highway Patrol confirmed to FOX 5. All lanes through the area are closed.The incident was reported around 5:13 a.m. just south of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. According to CHP, the pedestrian was hit several times and died on the scene. The drivers of all the vehicles in the incident stopped and authorities are not considering the incident a hit-and-run. Good samaritans save man after motorcycle erupts into flames in National City Details surrounding why the pedestrian was on the freeway remain unclear at this time.A SigAlert was issued for the area. Traffic appears to be backed up to Adams Avenue near North Park. As of 6:30 a.m., traffic remains down to one lane through Clairemont.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

San Diego Police investigating string of armed robberies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:48:39 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego Police are investigating a string of armed robberies that all took place in the span of an hour overnight. Police report the suspects are believed to be a group of teens who targeted liquor and convenience stores. Bodycam footage of October officer-involved shooting in Carlsbad released There were four robberies Saturday evening into Sunday morning. The first one in Golden Hill where four males, possibly between 15 and 17 years old, were armed with handguns and held up a liquor store.Around 45 minutes later, a similar robbery in Serra Mesa. Then about two miles from there, a gas station was hit in Kearny Mesa. Police say a gun was pointed at an employee as thieves took cash and other items.  The fourth robbery, also in Kearny Mesa, was at a liquor store just after midnight.Police describe the robbers as black, wearing dark clothing and masks. There were no injuries reported.

TD Bank names Ray Chun as new group head of Canadian personal banking

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:48:39 GMT

TORONTO — TD Bank Group has named Ray Chun as its new group head for Canadian personal banking.The move came after the bank announced that Michael Rhodes, who had held the job, was leaving TD to pursue an opportunity at another organization. TD chief executive Bharat Masrani says Chun is a proven leader with a strong track record.Chun, who joined TD in 1992, was most recently the bank’s group head for wealth management and insurance.Tim Wiggan was appointed group head for wealth management and insurance.He was vice-chair and co-head of global investment banking at TD Securities.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:TD)The Canadian Press

Police: Person of interest arrested in slaying of Detroit synagogue president

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:48:39 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — A person of interest has been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a Detroit synagogue leader whose death after the start of the Israel-Hamas war prompted speculation the slaying could have been the result of antisemitism.But Police Chief James White has said the attack does not appear to be a result of antisemitism.The arrest is the second announced by the city’s police department since the Oct. 21 slaying of Samantha Woll, 40, who was found dead outside her near-downtown home hours after returning from a wedding. Investigators believe the attack occurred inside Woll’s home.A suspect initially taken into custody was released last month without any charges being filed. Detroit police did not say Sunday evening if the suspect currently being held is the same person previously arrested in the case.No other details were released.“We have a number of people that give us interest,” White said in the days after Woll’s slaying. “We are just sho...

US rapper Kendrick Lamar dazzles as he shares South Africa stage with local artists

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:48:39 GMT

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Grammy Award-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar has drawn raves in South Africa as a headliner at a music festival there over the weekend.Lamar told the crowd at the Hey Neighbor festival that his 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly was inspired by his first visit to South Africa.“It was 2014 when I first came to South Africa, right, and that inspired a particular album, one of my most favorite albums,” he said.Lamar also performed in the Rwandan capital of Kigali last week.“It is not just music, it is poetry,” festival attendee Tshepo Sedikwe said of the rapper.The festival also saw performances from Grammy-winning artists H.E.R. and Khalid.Organizers have said they hope to make the festival one of the biggest on the African continent and one where international acts perform alongside talented local musicians.The festival provided a platform for artists who have flourished with the popularity of amapiano and Afrobeats.South African amapiano artists Musa Keys and...

Report says United Arab Emirates is trying nearly 90 detainees on terror charges during COP28 summit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:48:39 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates is conducting a mass trial of nearly 90 prisoners on terrorism charges as it hosts the United Nations’ COP28 climate summit, including one man whose case was highlighted by demonstrators at the negotiations, an activist organization reported Monday. Emirati authorities did not immediately respond to questions over the report by the Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center, a group run by Emirati Hamad al-Shamsi, who lives in exile in Istanbul after being named on a terrorism list by the UAE himself. The state-run WAM news agency also has not run a report on the trial. Al-Shamsi gathered the information from multiple individuals with direct knowledge of the trial. Those on trial face charges of “establishing a terrorist organization, supporting and financing it,” the center said in a statement. The center “is highly troubled by the UAE’s apparent fabrication of new charges to extend the sentences of those already released, r...

Forget the surprise if you’re thinking of giving a pet as a holiday present

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:48:39 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Adriene Mishler was still grieving the loss of her beloved blue heeler mix when her boyfriend at the time surprised her with a Christmas puppy that was nearly identical. “I wasn’t quite ready to fall in love with another animal,” she said. “At the same time, looking back, I was also really blessed with an opportunity to pour my love into some other thing when I was feeling down and sad and alone.”That was 2014. Today, her Benji is adored by more than 12 million people who see him regularly on camera cuddling close or sleeping nearby in videos on her YouTube channel, Yoga with Adriene.There was a happy ending for Mishler and Benji, but that’s not always the case when it comes to surprising someone with a new pet, especially amid the chaos of the holiday season.Giving a pet as a blind gift isn’t recommended, but offering one without the surprise element and with a little planning can enrich the lives of animals and humans alike. That’s especially impo...