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Florida Gov. DeSantis picks up backing from 15 South Carolina lawmakers as he makes a campaign swing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:21 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is rolling out endorsements from 15 South Carolina lawmakers, hoping their support for his Republican presidential campaign will help him make his case to voters in the first-in-the-South primary state.The endorsements, shared first on Thursday with The Associated Press ahead of DeSantis’ town hall in North Augusta, come from 11 state House members and four state senators from across the state, with a heavy concentration in South Carolina’s conservative Upstate. It’s a show of force for DeSantis in a state that current Republican front-runner Donald Trump won handily in the 2016 primary and where he has maintained popularity.The list includes Sen. Josh Kimbrell, a Spartanburg Republican who has been bullish on DeSantis’ candidacy since before he officially entered the race. On Thursday, he called the governor “the only candidate in this race who can defeat” President Joe Biden.Many of the new endorsements are fr...

13-year-old boy escapes alligator attack in Winter Springs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:21 GMT

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. (WSVN) — A 13-year-old boy had a harrowing encounter with a reptile in Winter Springs, narrowly escaping with his life after being bitten by an alligator in his right hip and mid-thigh area, but the resilient teenager managed to flee the scene and promptly dialed 911 for help.“I’m OK, though. I can walk and I can stand” Gabriel Klimis told dispatchers. “It just stings a little bit, but I’m good.” When questioned about the alligator’s whereabouts, the teenager admitted he was unaware of its current location after he hastily retreated from the creek. His mother, a doctor who was not present during the incident, advised Klimis to contact emergency services. Promptly responding to the distress call, paramedics arrived shortly before 7 p.m. transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.Local authorities shed light on the elusive nature of the reptilian predators.“It doesn’t have to be very deep water for...

Russia launches lab to study Xi Jinping ideology

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:21 GMT

Xi-ism is on the march.Russia has set up the first-ever program outside China to study the ideology of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the autocratic leader in Beijing who keeps a fierce grip on civil society and recently moved to become ruler for life. The Xi Jinping Thought Research Laboratory has been established at a major China studies institute in Moscow, with the goal of researching Xi’s ideas on economics, foreign and domestic policy, social policy, culture, art and ideology, according to the institute’s website. China and Xi remain among the Kremlin’s top global allies, even after Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February last year. In 2025, the center will publish a series of scientific studies to acquaint Russian readers, including the authorities, with Xi’s ideas, and their significance for the development of China and Russia-China relations.“We are well aware that today Xi Jinping’s ideas determine Chin...

The end of Erdoğanomics? Turkey almost doubles interest rates to fight inflation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:21 GMT

Turkey almost doubled interest rates on Thursday as part of efforts to combat rampant inflation and attract foreign investment, marking an apparent departure from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s long-standing economic mantra of keeping rates low.In a decision announced by the country’s central bank on Thursday, officials said the benchmark one-week lending rate would rise from 8.5 percent to 15 percent. Turkey “decided to begin the monetary tightening process in order to establish the disinflation course as soon as possible, to anchor inflation expectations, and to control the deterioration in pricing behavior,” the central bank said in a statement. While eye-catching by international standards, the hike is significantly less than expected, and the bank noted that it would not rush to act again: “Monetary tightening will be further strengthened as much as needed in a timely and gradual manner.” Still, this U-turn on rates marks a high-stakes political ...

Belgium’s FM on the brink over Iran visas fallout

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:21 GMT

BRUSSELS — Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib is under mounting pressure from both the opposition and some of her own government partners after Belgian authorities allowed an Iranian delegation to attend a summit in Brussels last week.Lahbib, who will face a grilling from Belgian lawmakers Thursday, now finds herself in a tight spot — though it’s unclear whether she will resign.“It can still go both ways,” a Belgian government official who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue, told POLITICO. “A lot will depend on what she will say in front of Parliament tonight.”Lahbib is under fire over the delivery of visas to 14 Iranian officials, including Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani — a regime hard-liner — to attend the Brussels Urban Summit last week. The saga has already led to the resignation of Brussels Secretary of State Pascal Smet on Sunday. Lahbib already fought to defend herself in front of the Belgian federal parliament on Wednesday. “A visa refusal would...

Hungarian law forcing migrants to seek asylum abroad is illegal, top EU court rules

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:21 GMT

The EU’s top court has once again reprimanded Hungary over its migration policy.The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled Thursday that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s push to outsource asylum applications to the Hungarian embassies in Belgrade and Kyiv is a breach of EU law.The law, which effectively limited migrant flows to Hungary, requires foreign nationals to submit a pre-asylum application at the country’s mission to Serbia or Ukraine before applying for international protection in Hungary. It means asylum candidates already present in Hungary must travel abroad to file their request. Hungary says certain people — such as Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion — are exempt.In their ruling on Thursday, EU judges wrote that the law amounts to “a disproportionate interference with the right of those persons to make an application for international protection upon their arrival at a Hungarian border.”The court also argued that Hungary had violated the bloc’s internatio...

Tale of Two Patterns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:21 GMT

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was an age of summer fun in the sun, it was an age of ducking and covering from summer storms, it was an epoch of humidity, it was an epoch of warmth, it was the season of summer that weather-wise, offered both hope and despair. Alright, alright, while I won’t go all Charles Dickens on you and give you high school English class flashbacks, we do have a pattern change ahead, but one that still offers unsettled weather. Cliff notes please? Sure. The pattern that has brought us continued cool weather and clouds will end after today. It’ll be replaced by a different pattern, one that offers summery warmth, much higher humidity, but yet again though, the risk of storms from time to time. Today’s shower chance is highest this afternoon across SE Mass/RI/CT. Temps run warmest north, coolest south. Tonight, it’s fair game for anyone to catch a passing shower or two as the leading edge of warmer air and high hum...

Search to resume for missing kayaker in Westfield

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:21 GMT

Public safety agencies will resume search operations Thursday morning at Hampton Ponds State Park in Westfield for a kayaker missing since late Wednesday evening. The missing kayaker is a young man from East Longmeadow. His kayak capsized in a pond at the park yesterday shortly before 7 p.m. Teams searched until approximately 11:30 p.m. without locating the kayaker and will resume their efforts shortly.Responding agencies include the Westfield Fire Department, Westfield Police, the Massachusetts State Police Underwater Recovery Unit and Marine Unit, Massachusetts State Police Troop B and detective unit personnel, and the Massachusetts Environmental Police.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Encore Boston Harbor workers from 2 unions vote to authorize strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:21 GMT

More than 98 percent of Encore Boston Harbor workers who are members of UNITE HERE Local 26 and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25 voted in favor of a labor strike Wednesday that will begin at midnight on Saturday, June 30.The affected workers include room attendants, cocktail servers, bar porters, cooks, dishwashers, public area cleaners, and drivers. Since EBH opened in June 2019, members from both unions have bargained together; their first contract expired on April 19, 2023. Negotiations for a new contract began on March 9 this year. UNITE HERE Local 26 President Carlos Aramayo said in a statement, “Going on strike is not easy for anyone, but the workers have spoken and they are united. They want a better future for themselves, for their families, and for each other. They are not asking for anything outrageous; they simply want Encore Boston Harbor to be the best place to work in Everett. They are ready to do what it takes to win th...

Yellen says it’s critical to maintain U.S.-China ties after Biden’s dictator remarks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:21 GMT

By SYLVIE CORBET (Associated Press)PARIS (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday that it’s “critical” the U.S. and China maintain a relationship so they can “work together” on global challenges, coming just after President Joe Biden’s remarks calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping a “dictator” drew condemnation from Beijing.Speaking at a news conference in Paris, Yellen said that “with respect to the comments, I think President Biden and I both believe it’s critical to maintain communication … to clear up misperceptions, miscalculations. We need to work together where possible.”“But we have disagreements, and we are also forthright in recognizing we do have disagreements,” she added.Yellen has recently advocated for improving relations between the U.S. and China, arguing cooperation is needed for the sake of maintaining global stability.Biden’s remarks at a fundraiser Tuesday, when he also said China had “real economic difficulties,” opened a new rift just after U.S. Se...