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Israel-Hamas truce extended by two days, Qatari official says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:24 GMT

Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have agreed to extend the temporary cease-fire in Gaza by two days, a spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry said Monday.“The State of Qatar announces, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip,” Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, said on X, formerly Twitter.Under a previous deal struck last week and brokered by Qatar — together with the United States and Egypt — Israel and Hamas had agreed to halt hostilities in Gaza.The agreement, which included a prisoner swap that has led to the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas as well as dozens of Palestinians in Israeli detention, was set to expire on Tuesday, at 7 a.m. local time (6 a.m. CET).

Swedish PM rebukes far-right leader who said mosques should be flattened

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:24 GMT

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has condemned far-right Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson for saying mosques should be demolished, calling the statement “disrespectful.”“In Sweden, we don’t tear down places of worship,” Kristersson said on Monday, Swedish outlet SVT reported.Åkesson came under fire on Saturday for saying that Sweden should ban the establishment of new mosques, while suggesting it should also demolish existing ones in the country.“We also need to start confiscating and demolishing mosque buildings where anti-democratic, anti-Swedish, homophobic, antisemitic propaganda or general disinformation about Swedish society is spreading,” he said during a speech.While not an official part of the ruling coalition, the Sweden Democrats offer crucial support to the government, which includes center-right minority parties Moderates, Liberals and Christian Democrats.Åkesson’s comment drew backlash from across the Swedish political scene, i...

Bavaria’s premier calls for early election as budget crisis roils German politics

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:24 GMT

Bavarian Premier Markus Söder called today for an early German federal election, arguing that voters have lost faith in the country’s ruling three-party coalition following a constitutional court ruling that has plunged Germany into a budget crisis.“The whole traffic light system [i.e. coalition] is not working,” Söder, the conservative leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “That’s why a fundamental change is needed.” Early elections, he added, “would be the right way forward.”Söder’s call for an early election comes as the government grapples with the political fallout of a major budgetary crisis. Earlier this month, the country’s top court ruled it had been unconstitutional to repurpose €60 billion left over from an emergency COVID-19 fund for climate projects. More broadly, the ruling also limits the government’s ability to draw from a variety of special funds ...

Russian hackers pose ‘high’ threat level to EU, bloc’s cyber team warns

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:24 GMT

Russia’s notorious hacking group Fancy Bear is targeting European governments with cyberattacks, the European Union’s cyber emergency response team has warned officials in a note seen by POLITICO.At least seven European governments have been targeted with spearphishing campaigns, which include using custom-tailored lures to target specific, high-profile targets to download malicious software or give away access to digital systems. “We assess that the threat level posed to [EU institutions and agencies] by this activity is high,” the bloc’s Cyber Emergency Response Team for the EU (CERT-EU) said in a note classified for limited distribution (TLP Amber+Strict) sent earlier in November.Fancy Bear, also known as APT28, is a Russian intelligence-affiliated hacking group that the United States said was behind the 2016 hacks of the Democratic National Committee which contributed to Donald Trump’s election win. The group was also sanctioned by EU authorities in 2020 ...

Qatari foreign ministry spokesman says Israel-Hamas truce to be extended for two more days

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:24 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that an agreement has been reached to extend the Israel-Hamas truce for another two days.Qatar, along with Egypt, has been the key mediator in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.The announcement comes on the final day of a four day truce between the warring sides.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel and Hamas appeared open to extending a cease-fire in Gaza that has halted their deadliest and most destructive war but is set to expire after Monday, with a fourth exchange of militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel planned for later in the day.Israel has said it would extend the cease-fire by one day for every 10 additional hostages released. Hamas has also said it hopes to extend the four-day truce, which came into effect Friday after several weeks of indirect negotiations mediated by the United States, ...

Suspect in shooting of 3 Palestinian college students in Vermont pleads not guilty

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:24 GMT

(CNN) — The man suspected of shooting three Palestinian college students in Burlington, Vermont, pleaded not guilty Monday to three charges of attempted murder in the second degree.Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested Sunday afternoon near the scene of the attack, the Burlington Police Department said. At Monday’s arraignment hearing, the judge ordered Eaton to be held without bond.The case has garnered national attention amid rising reports of hate crimes since the Israel-Hamas war erupted.Authorities said Eaton lives in an apartment building in front of the shooting scene and a search of his home uncovered evidence that gave investigators “probable cause to believe that Mr. Eaton perpetrated the shooting.”During the search of the suspect’s home, authorities recovered a .380 semi-automatic Ruger pistol, a law enforcement source said. The weapon was taken to a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ballistics lab, where experts are firing a comparison bullet ...

Google to begin deleting inactive accounts this week

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:24 GMT

(CNN) — That Google account you haven’t checked in years might be getting wiped this week.Beginning Friday, Google is moving ahead with its plan to delete accounts that have been inactive for at least two years.The company announced the new policy back in May, saying it’s intended to prevent security risks: Internal findings show older accounts are more likely to rely on recycled passwords and less likely to employ up-to-date security measures like two-step-verification, making them far more vulnerable to issues like phishing, hacking and spam.Google has been sending warnings to affected users since August, with multiple alerts sent to impacted accounts and user-provided backup emails.In a phased approach, the first accounts to be cut are those that were created and then never revisited by the user, Google said in May.“We want to protect your private information and prevent any unauthorized access to your account even if you’re no longer using our services,” Goog...

Carolina Panthers fire head coach Frank Reich after 1-10 start to first season

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:24 GMT

(CNN) — Frank Reich’s time as head coach of the Carolina Panthers did not last long.On Monday, the Panthers announced Reich’s termination after the team’s NFL-worst 1-10 start to the season.“I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers,” team owner David Tepper said in a statement.“I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well.”Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will serve as interim head coach, while senior assistant Jim Caldwell will be a special advisor to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who will take over calling plays, Tepper’s statement said.This is the second year in a row the Panthers have fired their head coach mid-season. Last year, the Panthers fired then-head coach Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start to the 2022 season after two-plus years with Carolina.Reich was in his first season as Panthers head coach after replacing Rhule.His 11-game stint a...

Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:24 GMT

The Ravens again flirted with disaster thanks to a disjointed offense and a shocking 44-yard miss from kicker Justin Tucker, but their defense came up with a pair of critical fourth-quarter stops to secure a road win over the high-scoring Chargers.Here are five things we learned from the 20-10 win.This was a win to ease but not erase doubtsWe felt the dread.How could we not after similar leads evaporated, after the Ravens failed to seize similar chances, in defeats to Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland? How does a team almost never trail, yet keep its fan base in a state of near-constant anxiety? The Ravens seemed prepared to show us again after Tucker, only the most reliable kicker in the history of kicking, yanked a 44-yard attempt outside the left upright, keeping the score 13-10 with rocket-armed Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert eager to drive the other way.If you did not think the Ravens were in hot water at that juncture, you’re made of sterner (or more blindly op...

Chicago Bears Week 12 storylines: Justin Fields’ top moments, Teven Jenkins’ resurgence and the curious case of Montez Sweat’s snap count

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:24 GMT

With the sting of a late collapse against the Detroit Lions dissipating, the Chicago Bears have turned their focus to a potential rebound Monday night in Minneapolis. The Bears head into U.S. Bank Stadium for a rematch with the Minnesota Vikings, who beat them 19-13 in Week 6.The Bears haven’t beaten an NFC North opponent since late in the 2021 season and have yet to win consecutive games with Matt Eberflus as coach. As kickoff nears, here’s the inside slant on three notable storylines.Getting things rightJustin Fields’ first completion of a promising afternoon last week came on the move and off script, a blitz beater that required the Bears quarterback to quickly recognize pressure coming from Lions safety Brian Branch and adapt.Running back D’Onta Foreman did a terrific job of picking up Branch and steering him behind Fields in the pocket. Then Fields did his thing, stepping up, evading pressure up the middle and scrambling to his left while keeping his eye...