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Israel orders mass evacuations as it widens offensive; Palestinians are running out of places to go

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:36 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli military on Monday renewed its calls for mass evacuations from the southern town of Khan Younis, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in recent weeks, as it widened its ground offensive and bombarded targets across the Gaza Strip.The expanded offensive, following the collapse of a weeklong cease-fire, is aimed at eliminating Gaza’s Hamas rulers, whose Oct. 7 attack into Israel triggered the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades. The war has already killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of the territory’s population of 2.3 million Palestinians, who are running out of safe places to go.Already under mounting pressure from its top ally, the United States, Israel appears to be racing to strike a death blow against Hamas — if that’s even possible, given the group’s deep roots in Palestinian society — before another cease-fire. But the mounting toll of the fight...

Heavy rains lash India’s southern and eastern coasts as they brace for a powerful storm

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:36 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Heavy rains and strong winds pelted India’s southern and eastern coastlines on Monday and states were put on high alert after a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a powerful storm, authorities said. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh states in the south and Odisha in the east braced for flooding as authorities issued warnings for tropical storm Michuang, which is likely to hit the southern coast on Tuesday with maximum sustained winds of 90-100 kilometers (56-62 miles) per hour with gusts up to 110 kph (68 mph), the Indian Meteorological Department said. IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that based on its current trajectory, the storm could make landfall on Tuesday afternoon close to Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh state.The Andhra Pradesh state government shut schools on Monday while authorities in Tamil Nadu declared a public holiday in four districts that are likely to bear the brunt of the downpours. In the eastern state of Odisha, a number of ...

Commission proposes to extend Interim Regulation allowing providers to continue voluntary detection and reporting of child sexual abuse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:36 GMT

On 30 November, the Commission proposed an extension of the Interim Regulation from certain provisions of the e-Privacy Directive. This will allow providers of certain number-independent interpersonal communication services to continue voluntary detection and reporting of child sexual abuse on their services and removing of child sexual abuse material from them.The Interim Regulation is a temporary solution to enable the continuation of these voluntary activities until new permanent EU rules are in place. This Interim Regulation is due to expire on 3 August 2024. If no new rules are in place by then, when this happens, these providers would lack a legal basis in the EU to detect and report child sexual abuse on their services. This would make it easier for predators to share child sexual abuse material, groom children in the EU and to get away with it unpunished. This at a time when evidence of child sexual abuse is growing in volume and severity and its reports play a key role to i...

Matthew Stafford throws 3 TD passes as Rams win 3rd straight, 36-19 over Browns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:36 GMT

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams have shown since coming off their bye week that this might not be another rebuilding season after all.Stafford threw three touchdown passes as Los Angeles pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 36-19 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.The Rams have won three straight for the first time since the 2021 season, when they won the Super Bowl. They are one of four teams at 6-6 in the NFC and in a race for the last two wild card spots.“We came to life in the most important moments,” coach Sean McVay said. “If we continue to play this way, then you continue to have conversations where you’re relevant to maybe earn an opportunity to play afterwards.”The Browns (7-5) remain playoff contenders in the AFC, but they’re headed in the opposite direction. Cleveland dropped its second straight in the debut of Joe Flacco, the injury-plagued team’s fourth starting quarterback this season.Since returning from a thumb i...

Texas bound: No. 15 Notre Dame to face No. 21 Oregon State in Sun Bowl

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:36 GMT

No. 21 Oregon State (8-4, Pac-12) vs. No. 15 Notre Dame (9-3, independent), Dec. 29, 2 p.m. ET.LOCATION: El Paso, TexasTOP PLAYERSOregon State: QB DJ Uiagalelei, 2,638 yards passing, 21 touchdowns.Notre Dame: QB Sam Hartman, 2,689 yards passing, 24 touchdowns.NOTABLEOregon State: The Beavers started the season with an 8-2 record before dropping its final two games to Washington and Oregon, the two teams that played in the conference title game.Notre Dame: Hartman is the active Division I leader with 15,656 career yards passing.LAST TIMEOregon State 38, Notre Dame 21 (Dec. 28, 2004).BOWL HISTORYOregon State: Third appearance in the Sun Bowl, 20th bowl appearance in school history.Notre Dame: Second appearance in the Sun Bowl, 42nd bowl appearance in school history.___Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballSource

Taylor Swift on hand at Lambeau Field to watch Travis Kelce, Chiefs face Packers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:36 GMT

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Taylor Swift was on hand at Lambeau Field to watch Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs in their Sunday night game against the Green Bay Packers.It was the fifth Chiefs game Swift has attended since the pop superstar and the four-time All-Pro tight end started their relationship. The Chiefs won all four of their previous games in front of Swift, but they lost this one 27-19.The 33-year-old Swift watched from a suite at Lambeau alongside Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.Swift hadn’t attended a Chiefs game since an Oct. 22 triumph over the Los Angeles Chargers largely because of conflicts with her tour schedule, which is currently on a break. She first watched Kelce in person in a home victory over Chicago, then traveled to games at the New York Jets and Denver.Kelce had four catches for 81 yards, and he now has averaged 102.6 yards receiving in the games Swift has attended. He has averaged 50 yards in his other six games....

Hungary’s Orbán rejects talks on Ukraine’s EU bid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:36 GMT

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán looks set to derail a decision on opening talks on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, which is set to take place at a European Council later this month.“It is clear that the proposal of the @EU_Commission on Ukraine’s EU accession is unfounded and poorly prepared,” Orbán said late Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. “There is no place for it on the agenda of the December #EUCO!” the Hungarian prime minister added.Orbán has adamantly opposed the opening of accession negotiations for Ukraine, after the European Commission gave the green light to start membership talks in November.The Commission assessed that war-torn Ukraine, which is still fighting off Russia’s full-scale invasion, had made enough progress to warrant the opening of negotiations.The next step is for EU leaders to approve a plan to begin talks from the EU’s executive body during a summit in Brussels on December 14 and 15 — unless O...

Ukrainian diplomats negotiate both climate change and Russia’s war on their nation at COP28 in Dubai

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:36 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — While Ukrainian diplomats take part in negotiations at the United Nations COP28 climate talks, Russia’s war on the country lurks just in the background — even as the United Arab Emirates has seen its business ties to Moscow surge despite Western sanctions.As Ukraine announced a 450 million euro ($489 million) expansion Monday of a wind farm in its Mykolaiv region, officials highlighted how its turbines would be spread far enough apart to survive any Russian missile attack. They decried continued attacks by Moscow on its energy infrastructure as snow storms grip the country. And an American diplomat forcefully denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin at an event that’s seen demonstrators stopped from naming Israel in their protests over its pounding airstrikes and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip against Hamas. “The war in Ukraine — Putin’s invasion — represents a fundamental challenge to the international system that the United Stat...

Live updates | Israel’s military calls for more evacuations in southern Gaza as it widens offensive

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:36 GMT

Israel’s military called for more evacuations in southern Gaza as it widened its offensive aimed at eliminating the territory’s Hamas rulers. The war has already killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, who are running out of safe places to go.The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the territory since Oct. 7 has surpassed 15,500, with more than 41,000 wounded. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, but said 70% of the dead were women and children.Israel says it targets Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants, accusing them of operating in residential neighborhoods. It claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence. Israel says at least 81 of its soldiers have died.Hopes for another temporary truce faded after Israel called its negotiators home over the weekend. Hamas said talks on releasing more of th...

Magnitude 5.1 earthquake shakes northwest Turkey. No damage or injuries reported

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:36 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A moderately strong earthquake struck northwest Turkey on Monday, sending people out into the streets in fear. There was no immediate report of injuries or damage.The magnitude 5.1 earthquake was centered in the Sea of Marmara, off the town of Gemlik in Bursa province, according to the disaster management agency, AFAD. It struck at 10:42 a.m. local time (07:42 GMT), at a depth of some 9 kilometers (5.6 miles)HaberTurk television said it was felt in Istanbul and other nearby regions where people left homes and offices in fear.In February, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake devastated 11 southern and southeastern Turkish provinces as well as part of northern Syria. More than 50,000 people were killed in Turkey.The Associated Press