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NATO chief says Turkey agrees to send Sweden’s NATO accession protocol to Parliament swiftly

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:44 GMT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — URGENT: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to send Sweden’s NATO accession protocol to the Turkish Parliament “as soon as possible.”Stoltenberg made the announcement after talks with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the eve of a NATO summit in Lithuania.Sweden’s NATO accession has been held up by objections from Turkey since last year.—-Earlier, President Erdogan on Monday introduced a new condition for approving Sweden’s membership in NATO, calling on European countries to “open the way” for Turkey to join the European Union.The surprise announcement by Erdogan before departing for a NATO summit in Lithuania’s capital added new uncertainty to Sweden’s bid to become the alliance’s 32nd member, which Turkey initially blocked by saying Sweden was too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers security threats.It was the first time that Erdogan l...

Suspect arrested for voyeurism and burglary in Weston, public tips lead to capture

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:44 GMT

Detectives in Weston have apprehended a suspect accused of voyeurism and burglary, thanks to tips from the public.Authorities have identified the suspect as Marcos Patricio Bravo, 40, who was captured on surveillance camera engaging in inappropriate behavior inside the patio enclosure of a Key West Court area residence last month. On Monday, Bravo was arrested by deputies and now faces charges of burglary of an occupied dwelling and voyeurism.The arrest follows an incident that occurred on Monday, June 26. According to authorities, Bravo allegedly entered the enclosed patio area of the home while dressed in business attire and proceeded to engage in lewd behavior, even though there were individuals inside the residence at the time.BSO released surveillance images to the public on July 3, prompting several tips to be shared with Broward Crime Stoppers, all pointing to Bravo as the individual depicted in the video. A subsequent investigation conducted by BSO detectives ultimately led ...

Turkey agrees to back Sweden’s NATO membership bid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:44 GMT

VILNIUS — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday agreed to drop his resistance to Sweden joining the NATO alliance and submit the ratification to the Turkish parliament “as soon as possible,” the alliance’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.“Sweden will become a full member of the alliance,” Stoltenberg said ahead of a summit of NATO leaders starting Tuesday.He said Erdoğan had given a “clear commitment” to move on Sweden’s accession.

Mark Rutte era comes to an end as Dutch elections loom

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:44 GMT

After 13 years, the Netherlands’ longest-serving prime minister is switching his office in The Hague for a classroom. Mark Rutte surprised his colleagues on Monday by announcing his retirement from politics, following his government’s collapse on Friday.Rutte had initially said late Friday he still had the “energy and ideas” to continue, but this weekend he decided to put an end to his 17 years as leader of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). “I do this with mixed feelings, with emotions. I love the team dearly. But it feels right.” The outgoing prime minister is currently teaching social studies once a week at a local school in The Hague. “Maybe I will do that for a few days,” he added. Rutte will stay on as a caretaker prime minister until the general election in November for the 150-seat lower house of parliament. His 13-year tenure in power won him the nickname “Teflon Mark,” for his ability to power through a series of political crise...

Upon Return, Healey Makes Sumner Center First Stop

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:44 GMT

Gov. Maura Healey pledged Monday to ride the Blue Line and other transit modes this summer during the two-month shutdown of the Sumner Tunnel, and transportation officials predicted the heaviest travel impacts from the tunnel closure may hit on Thursday.The closure began last Wednesday, coinciding with lighter traffic volumes surrounding July 4 vacations. TV news reports on Monday morning captured some of impacts, using words like “crawling” and “slow” with videos of vehicles inching along roadways, including a livestream posted by Boston 25 News. Other reports warned of “lengthy” traffic delays around the city.“This whole week will be a test,” Healey told reporters after a brief visit to MassDOT offices in downtown Boston. She was joined by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca, MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng and Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, among other officials.For now, the project is proce...

Biden administration asks appeals court to block order limiting its contacts with social media

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:44 GMT

By KEVIN McGILL (Associated Press)NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Biden administration asked a federal appeals court Monday to temporarily block a lower court’s order limiting executive branch officials’ discussions with social media companies about controversial online posts.The request for an emergency stay was filed at the 5th U.S. District Court of Appeals shortly after U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty rejected an administration motion that he put his own July 4 order on hold. The order came in a lawsuit filed by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, as well as a conservative website owner and four individual critics of government COVID-19 policies.The lawsuit claimed the administration, in effect, censored free speech by using threats of regulatory action or protection while pressuring companies to remove what it deemed misinformation. COVID-19 vaccines, legal issues involving President Joe Biden’s son Hunter and election fraud allegations were...

Like Wordle for baseball nerds, the Immaculate Grid has become this summer’s viral internet sensation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:44 GMT

These days the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is grab my phone, open up my new favorite game and plunge myself into the deepest recesses of my memory bank, straining like hell to remember Carlos Pena.All my friends are doing it too, and the group chat blows up around 9 a.m., as we eagerly await to share which Guys we’ve Remembered, kind of like friends calling each other on Christmas morning to discuss their presents. “You got Octavio Dotel?! Dude, nice, I can’t believe it!!”This has become a way of life for sports fans over the last week and a half or so, a ritual that feels perfect for this moment, as the summer heat sets in, Fourth of July leftovers are still in the fridge and many of us are looking for a reason to text our friends as we tackle that latest work project from our couches.The Immaculate Grid has become a viral sensation, like a Wordle or Sudoku for sports fans, only with childhood memories included.Since its Twitter account became active in April, th...

The UK will start charging visitors an entry fee in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:44 GMT

Mia Taylor | (TNS) TravelPulseCome next year, the United Kingdom will start charging visitors a nominal entry fee.The nations intend to roll out an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) requirement in 2024 that will cost £10, which amounts to about $12.50.According to the U.K. government page, the ETA is a new requirement for people who do not need a visa to come to the U.K. Having the ETA gives visitors permission to travel to the U.K., and will be electronically linked to each individual’s passport.Travelers who will require an ETA to visit the United Kingdom include:—Those who plan to visit for up to six months for tourism, to spend time with family or friends, to conduct business, or to study.—Individuals who plan to come to the U.K. for up to three months on what’s known as the Creative Worker visa concession.—Travelers who simply transit through the U.K. — including if you’re not even going through U.K. border patrol as part of that transit.The new fee however, does not apply ...

Yankees pick George Lombard Jr., Mets take Colin Houck in 2023 MLB Draft

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:44 GMT

The Yankees and Mets selected highly regarded high school shortstops with their top picks in the 2023 MLB Draft, continuing a recent emphasis on the position by both teams.George Lombard Jr. went 26th overall to the Yankees on Sunday after a standout career at the Miami-area Gulliver Preparatory School. Colin Houck of Georgia’s Parkview High School then went to the Mets with the 32nd pick.The Mets later used the 56th pick on Brandon Sproat, a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher from the University of Florida, whom they originally drafted last year but failed to sign.In Lombard, the Yankees get a 6-foot-3, 190-pound talent with major league lineage. His father, George Lombard, played six MLB seasons and is now the Detroit Tigers bench coach.The younger Lombard, 18, hit .478 with six home runs and 22 RBI in 29 games during his senior season at Gulliver Prep. He is committed to Vanderbilt, like former first-round pick Anthony Volpe was when the Yankees drafted him.MLB Pipeline ran...

VEGAS NOTEBOOK: Victor Wembanyama shuts it down; Knicks’ Trevor Keels has a lot to prove

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:44 GMT

LAS VEGAS — The curtain fell on Victor Wembanyama’s Summer League after a much better final act.The towering Frenchman put on an impressive show Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center, dropping 27 points with 12 rebounds and three blocks in San Antonio’s 85-80 defeat to the Blazers.The 19-year-old, who has been through a rollercoaster the last few weeks with the draft, media scrutiny and a beef with Britney Spears, was then shut down for the rest of the tournament, the Spurs announced.He will miss at least two games.“In the past month, I think basketball wasn’t even 50 percent of my schedule,” Wembanyama said. “I can’t stand it. I know it’s a special moment in my life, but I’m glad it’s over. Honestly, I just want to hoop.”Sunday was quite the turnaround performance from Wembanyama, who struggled mightily in his debut two days prior and acknowledged feeling lost/overwhelmed.He lasted one more Summer League game ...