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The mystery of the British government’s vanishing WhatsApps

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

LONDON — Downing Street’s former top officials face grillings from Britain’s public inquiry into COVID-19 this week. But the headline news may not be their testimony, but the WhatsApp messages they were sending at the time.As the nation awaits evidence sessions likely to reveal pandemic-era chaos at the heart of Downing Street, nerves in Whitehall are on edge. The inquiry has demanded the mass disclosure of messages from the encrypted app, despite an unsuccessful attempt to block their release by the government. Conservative former Chancellor George Osborne suggested late last week that messages revealed at the inquiry will contain “disgusting and misogynistic language.” Dominic Cummings, the acerbic aide to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has already chosen to publicize some of his own colorful missives ahead of time. Other witnesses have been less forthcoming, claiming their phones have long since been wiped.Nevertheless, the probe has already published a...

French Jews live in fear amid rising antisemitism following Hamas attacks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

SARCELLES, France — In the usually lively “Little Jerusalem” neighborhood of Sarcelles, the only people loitering are gun-toting French soldiers on patrol.Since Hamas’ deadly assault against Israel on October 7, this largely Jewish enclave in the northern suburbs of Paris has gone eerily quiet, with locals keeping their movements to a minimum, and with restaurants and cafés bereft of their regular clientele — fearing an increasing number of antisemitic attacks across France.“People are afraid, in a state of shock, they’ve lost their love for life” said Alexis Timsit, manager of a kosher pizzeria. “My business is down 50 percent, there’s no bustle in the street, nobody taking a stroll,” he said in front of a large screen broadcasting round-the-clock coverage of the war.France has seen more antisemitic incidents in the last three weeks than over the past year: 501 offenses ranging from verbal abuse and antisemitic graffiti, to deat...

Russia’s shadow fleet is a disaster waiting to happen

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

Elisabeth Braw is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and adviser at Gallos Technologies and a regular columnist for POLITICO.Earlier this month, the Cameroon-flagged Turba — a tanker transporting contraband Russian oil — was found adrift off the coast of Indonesia.Because the Turba is a shadow vessel, operating outside the official maritime sector, she lacks protection against such misfortunes. And suddenly, she was Indonesia’s problem.Turba’s misfortune occurred just a few months after a similar fate befell Pablo, another shadow tanker that was thought to be transporting Iranian oil, which caught fire off the coast of Malaysia. And that’s just, so to speak, the tip of iceberg.Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, a steady stream of such rickety vessels without insurance protection have been joining the dark fleet (as the vessels are also known) — and many of them have been having accidents. This situation poses enormous risks to law-abiding ships, the environment and...

Biden says Mideast leaders must consider two-state solution

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — As the 3-week-old Israel-Hamas war enters what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says could be a “long and difficult” new stage, President Joe Biden is calling on Israeli and Arab leaders to think hard about their eventual postwar reality.It’s one, he argues, where finally finding agreement on a long-sought two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict should be a priority.“There’s no going back to the status quo as it stood on Oct. 6,” Biden told reporters, referring to the day before Hamas militants attacked Israel and set off the latest war. The White House says Biden conveyed the same message directly to Netanyahu during a telephone call this past week.“It also means that when this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next, and in our view it has to be a two-state solution,” Biden said.The push for a two-state solution — one in which Israel would co-exist with an independent Palestinia...

Firearms charge against Washington state senator Jeff Wilson dismissed in Hong Kong court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

Associated Press (AP) — A Hong Kong court dismissed a gun charge Monday against a Washington state senator who had been arrested after he carried a gun into the Chinese territory in what he called an “honest mistake.”Republican Jeff Wilson self-declared he was carrying the gun at the airport Oct. 21, has a clear criminal record in Hong Kong and made his admission in an open manner, the prosecution said at the court hearing.Principal Magistrate Don So approved the arrangement for a bind-over order rather than a plea to possessing an unlicensed firearm, saying he was inclined to believe Wilson was innocent. The bind-over order requires Wilson to keep the peace and avoid committing further firearms offenses for two years. The magistrate said Wilson would be fined 2,000 Hong Kong dollars ($255) for breaching the order if he doesn’t comply.With the case dispensed without a conviction, Wilson is free to leave the territory. A statement posted earlier on the Longview lawmaker’s...

China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court on Monday adjourned a winding up hearing for property developer China Evergrande Group’s until Dec. 4. Evergrande has been in crisis since it defaulted on its debt obligations two years ago. The firm is the world’s most heavily indebted real estate developer, with more than $300 billion in liabilities, and is at the center of a property market crisis that is dragging on China’s economic growth.For over a year, Evergrande has been working on a debt restructuring proposal for its offshore debts. However, Evergrande chairman Hui Ka Yan was detained and investigated for illegal crimes last month, a development that called into doubt the firm’s ability to complete its debt restructuring proposal.Top Shine, an investor in Evergrande unit Fangchebao, brought the winding-up petition against Evergrande in June 2022. It has accused Evergrande of not repurchasing Fangchebao shares from the firm as previously agreed.Evergrande did not immediately comment.In Se...

Herbert throws for 3 touchdowns, Chargers get back on track with 30-13 victory over Bears

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert passed for 298 yards and three touchdowns, including a 39-yarder to Austin Ekeler, and the Los Angeles Chargers stopped a two-game slide by routing the Chicago Bears 30-13 on Sunday night.Herbert, who had struggled with accuracy the past two games after breaking the middle finger of his left, non-throwing hand four weeks ago, completed his first 14 passes and was 31 of 40 in front of a prime-time audience.Herbert directed the Chargers to points on their first five drives, marking the first time in six seasons they have accomplished that feat. Bears Report: Get the latest news and updates It was the first time in two years that Herbert passed for three TDs in the first half, finding Ekeler, Simi Fehoko and Donald Parham to help stake the Chargers to a 24-7 lead at the break.Cameron Dicker added three field goals, including two in the second half. Ekeler finished with seven receptions for 94 yards and 15 carries for 29 yards on the ground.Chic...

Cold, wet and windy Monday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Our strongest cold front of the season dropped temperatures from the upper 70s to the upper 50s within an hour on Sunday and temperatures are still falling, but more slowly now.Temperatures have dropped into the 40s and will stay there through Monday, some parts of the Hill Country may even dip down briefly in the 30s on Monday.Our forecast high of 46º in Austin on Monday would be the coldest high temperature for the date and one of the coldest October highs on record!Monday afternoon highsRain chances go back up tonight with a widespread soaking arriving overnight and through Monday morning making for a cold rain to start the work and school week.Widespread rain Monday morningRain coverage becomes more scattered for the afternoon and evening before drier weather returns for Halloween on Tuesday.Generally rainfall amounts will range from a quarter of an inch to an inch, but heavy downpours could slow the Monday morning commute and we can't rule out very localized fl...

Broncos on trade deadline after empathic win over Chiefs: “We need to keep this going”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

This season, the Broncos allowed 70 points to the Miami Dolphins. They blew a 21-3 lead to the Washington Commanders and lost to a New York Jets team missing quarterback Aaron Rodgers.But none of that seemed to matter in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against Kansas City.When safety Justin Simmons intercepted quarterback Patrick Mahomes with under five minutes left in the fourth quarter and kicker Wil Lutz drilled a 28-yard field goal to solidify a 24-9 win, there was a sense of belief inside Empower Field at Mile High that hasn’t been felt all season.“I’ve been in this organization (for a while),” said left tackle Garett Bolles, who played in his 90th career game for Denver. “I’ve sweated (and) I’ve bled. I love this organization more than anything. My family has grown up here. So for us to win a big game like that and knowing that there’s an opportunity to play in bigger games, God is good.”The Broncos seemingly hit rock bottom after starting the season 0-3, punctuated by a 7...

Santa Ana winds batter SoCal: Here are the strongest gusts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

The first Santa Ana wind event of the season hit Southern California Sunday, bringing with it incredibly high wind gusts in some areas.Data collected by the National Weather Service shows which locations across SoCal have experienced the highest peak wind gusts through midday Sunday:Magic Mountain Truck Trail: 92 miles per hour Boney Mountain: 73 miles per hour Camarillo Airport: 70 miles per hour Chilao Campground: 65 miles per hour Miller Ranch: 65 miles per hour Escondido Canyon: 62 miles per hour Saddle Peak: 62 miles per hour Dough Flat Trailhead: 61 miles per hour Malibu Creek: 61 miles per hour Backbone Trail: 60 miles per hour LAFD Camp Nine: 59 miles per hour Mt. Lukens Truck Trail: 59 miles per hour Ramirez Canyon: 58 miles per hour East Simi Valley: 57 miles per hour Malibu Hills: 56 miles per hour With the strong winds comes the risk for wildfires; a brush fire broke out in Camarillo early Sunday ...