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Israel battles militants in Gaza’s main cities, with civilians still trapped in the crossfire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces battled Palestinian militants in Gaza’s two largest cities on Monday, with civilians still trapped in the fighting even after hundreds of thousands have fled to other parts of the besieged territory.Israel has pledged to keep fighting until it removes Hamas from power, dismantles its military capabilities and returns all of the hostages taken by militants during Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack into Israel that ignited the war.The U.S. has provided unwavering diplomatic and military support for the campaign, even as it has urged Israel to minimize civilian casualties and further mass displacement. The war has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians and driven nearly 85% of the territory’s 2.3 million people from their homes.Residents said there was heavy fighting in and around the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israeli ground forces opened a new line of attack last week, and battles were still underway in parts of Gaza Ci...

Spanish league leader Girona trying to lower owns expectations after impressive start to the season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Girona was trying to lower expectations after proving itself a genuine contender for the Spanish league title with its biggest win yet in a historic start to the season.A 4-2 statement win at defending champion Barcelona on Sunday put the Catalan club in sole possession of first place nearing the halfway point, and showed that it might have what it takes to keep up with the usual powerhouses in Spanish soccer.But coach Míchel Sánchez was quick to point out that winning the league still isn’t the team’s main goal. He acknowledged that Girona can aspire for more than just avoiding relegation, which was the main objective at the start of the season, but it is too early to think about the possibility of lifting a trophy.“I think mathematically we have escaped demotion, which was the goal,” Míchel said. “I don’t think we can keep up with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid and win the league. It’s not our objective. But we are very pleased. Today soccer fans are a bi...

Denver weather: Mild Monday with a mix of sun and clouds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) - Denver begins the workweek along the Front Range with above-average highs and a mix of sun and clouds.Weather today: Hitting 50 with extra cloudsDenver weather will see a mix of sun and clouds this afternoon with lighter winds. High temperatures will be above average, reaching the 50-degree mark. Where and when Colorado roads will be most congested this holiday season Weather tonight: Partly cloudyThe extra clouds stick around Monday night as temperatures dip into the middle 20s. Winds will be light out of the northeast.Looking ahead: Wednesday snow chances, then warmingTuesday brings in more clouds, giving us overcast skies and cooler highs in the low 40s. Early Wednesday morning, Denver could see a quick dose of snow, but accumulations will be under an inch. Highs stay in the low 40s Wednesday with some afternoon and evening snow chances in the southern eastern plains. The plains could end up with 1-3 inches by late Wednesday night.Thursday brings more sunshine t...

Krispy Kreme arrives in France. Parisians can’t get enough

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

London/Paris (CNN) — In a city brimming with bakeries and artisan pastry shops, a red, white and green alien has landed. It goes by the name of Krispy Kreme.Even before the American donut chain opened the doors of its first store in France, in central Paris, at 8 a.m. Wednesday, about 400 customers had lined up on the sidewalk outside, Alexandre Maizoué, the director-general of Krispy Kreme (DNUT) France, told CNN.A handful of patrons, eager to get their hands on the iconic boxes of glazed, fried dough that have appeared in scores of American movies and television series, started lining up at 10 p.m. on Tuesday evening, Maizoué said. The first 10 in line won a year’s supply of free donuts.“The opening was just crazy,” Maizoué said. By closing time that evening, “people were banging on the windows, begging us to open the door.”“We experienced something quite extraordinary in the truest sense of the word.”Krispy Kreme plans to open 500 “points of access” across France over the n...

4 EU countries urge leaders’ summit to demand Gaza cease-fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

The prime ministers of Spain, Belgium, Ireland and Malta have called on European Council President Charles Michel to have a “serious debate” this week about the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, according to a letter seen by POLITICO. “We must call urgently for all the parties to declare a lasting humanitarian cease-fire that can lead to an end of hostilities,” the four leaders wrote. “It is time for the European Union to act. Our credibility is at stake.”This week’s European Council summit is set to focus more on Ukraine, as the EU hopes to make a historic decision on starting talks to bring Kyiv into the 27-nation club and seal a key budget deal that would throw a €50 billion lifeline to the country’s flailing war economy.But given the scale of the devastation in the Middle East, the four leaders called it “imperative for us to hold a serious debate on the war” at the summit. “We call on your leadership to steer such a...

Trump’s scrapped testimony and busy week of campaigning preview balancing act he faces in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

(CNN) — A last-minute announcement scrapping plans to testify at his New York civil fraud trial. A “Commit to Caucus” event in Iowa on Wednesday. A rally in New Hampshire next weekend.Donald Trump’s schedule just weeks before the Iowa caucuses offers a preview of the balancing act the former president and his team will face over the next several months, when a series of other trials centered on Trump are slated to begin during the height of the primary election season.On the eve of his expected testimony, the former president said Sunday that he is no longer planning to take the stand in the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is suing him for $250 million and seeking to bar him from doing business in the state. He’d sat in on the trial last week.Trump’s decision to back out of his planned testimony presents fresh questions over how the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination will hand...

Cowboys demolish rivals Eagles and a dramatic OT walk-off punt return: Everything to know about Week 14’s Sunday NFL games

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

(CNN) — As the temperature drops and the daylight begins to fade, it means NFL games begin to matter just that little bit more.And that was on display during Sunday’s slate of games, with dramatic finishes, emphatic scorelines and important results marking the occasion.Here’s everything you need to know from Sunday’s games in Week 14.Cowboys show Super Bowl credentialsThe Dallas Cowboys have risen to be the cream of the crop as the season has progressed.While the defense has been on point all year, the offense – spearheaded by quarterback Dak Prescott – is firing on all cylinders now.The latest example of their Super Bowl credentials came on Sunday when ‘America’s Team’ completely demolished its NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, 33-13, avenging its Week 9 loss to Philly.It’s quite the dramatic turnaround for Dallas, which endured a worrying stretch of the season where it looked like its title aspirations might be falling away.But the Cowboys’ ship has bee...

Rudy Giuliani defamation damages trial set to begin in DC

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

(CNN) — Rudy Giuliani’s defamation damages trial is set to begin Monday as the court considers the monetary damages the former Donald Trump attorney must pay two election workers.The trial, which is expected to last four days, marks the last step in a monthslong legal battle between Giuliani and former Georgia election workers Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and Ruby Freeman, ​​who accused Giuliani of smearing them after the 2020 election, when he served as the head of Trump’s legal team.The trial also will put on public display for the first time before a Washington, DC, jury the actions of Trump’s lawyers and campaign, months before the ex-President is set to go to trial in the same courthouse on criminal charges related to the 2020 election subversion effort. Giuliani’s efforts also factor into the criminal allegations Trump faces, and Trump, his legal team and campaign are legally considered co-conspirators in the defamation case.Giuliani has already been found liable for defamat...

Deadly tornadoes leave thousands displaced or without power in Tennessee

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

(CNN) — Thousands of Tennesseans are displaced or facing prolonged power outages after a series of powerful tornadoes and storms tore through the state over the weekend, shredding hundreds of homes and killing at least six people, including a mother and her toddler.Destruction caused by storms in Tennessee, where at least two tornadoes touched down Saturday, has prompted officials in some of the hardest-hit areas to declare local states of emergency, open shelters for displaced families and announce the closure of several schools on Monday.More than 19,000 were without power in the state Monday morning. In Nashville, a local utility estimates it may take days to restore power to some, while residents of Clarksville have been told it could take weeks.Parts of Hendersonville and the Nashville-suburb Madison were slammed by a tornado with peak winds of 125 mph, according to the National Weather Service.A single tornado traveled nearly 43 miles from the Clarksvi...

Tom Mulherin’s high school hockey crystal ball

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

Hockey is back, and along with it is Year 2 of the Crystal Ball. Every week brings a wave of exciting games to watch out for, so we look at about seven of the best or most meaningful matchups on both the boys’ and girls’ sides.The idea is to not only predict the winner of each game, but also find the games that come down to the tightest finishes. Picking out a matchup that comes down to one or two goals is always a win no matter the result, or at least that’s what I tell myself after falling just shy of 60 percent in the inaugural season.Here goes the first shot at improving that number.LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 73-46-18 **WINNERS in all CAPSBoysWednesdayTRITON at Winthrop, 6:10 p.m. – When Vikings collide. Reigning Div. 3 state semifinalist Triton has a wealth of big-game experience to help it come out on top.Franklin at CATHOLIC MEMORIAL, 7 p.m. – Premier firepower returns for both teams, but Connor Fryberger leads another win over a legitimate contender.FridayNORWOOD at Medfield, ...