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Live updates | Both sides say close on deal for cease-fire that would free some hostages

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:18 GMT

Senior Hamas officials said Tuesday that an agreement could be reached soon in which the militant group would release hostages and Israel would free Palestinian prisoners. Meanwhile, Israeli officials announced that meetings of key decision-making bodies would be held late Tuesday to discuss “the issue of the release of hostages.”Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, have been negotiating for weeks over a hostage release that would be paired with a temporary cease-fire in Gaza and the entry of more humanitarian aid. Similar predictions of a hostage agreement in recent weeks have proven premature.Israel’s army is widening its operations across northern Gaza, where they battled Palestinian militants on Tuesday in the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp, the territory’s largest.The military said forces are “preparing the battlefield” in the Jabaliya area, just north of Gaza City, and have killed dozens of militants in recent days. Troops discov...

Deliveroo riders aren’t entitled to collective bargaining rights, UK court says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:18 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s top court said Tuesday that riders for one of the country’s biggest meal delivery companies don’t have collective bargaining rights because they aren’t employees, a setback for gig economy workers who are pushing for better pay and working conditions.The Supreme Court’s ruling came in a case filed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, which had sought to organize the people who deliver takeout meals for Deliveroo, a rival of companies like Uber Eats and Just Eat. After Deliveroo refused to negotiate, the union appealed, arguing that the company was violating rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.But the court ruled that the right to collective bargaining applies only when there is an “employment relationship” between the workers and the company. Deliveroo riders aren’t employees because their contract gives them the “virtually unfettered right” to pass deliveries on to a substitute, the court said.The decision is the latest...

Teen driver suspected of DUI hasn’t been charged in Fairfax Co. crash that seriously injured 6 other teens

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:18 GMT

Six teenagers were seriously injured and another teen was arrested after a single-vehicle crash Monday morning in Fairfax County, Virginia. (WTOP/Shayna Estulin) Six teenagers were seriously injured and another teen was arrested after a single-vehicle crash Monday morning in Fairfax County, Virginia. (WTOP/Shayna Estulin) A day after a crash in Fairfax County, Virginia, where several teenagers were ejected from an SUV, six of them continue to battle life-threatening injuries Tuesday. The teen who was suspected of driving under the influence has not been charged, police say.The crash happened in the intersection of Pioneer Lane and Shreve Road just before 5 a.m. Monday, according to a new release from police.A 17-y...

Founder of Binance, world’s largest crypto exchange, pleads guilty to anti-money-laundering charge

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:18 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — The founder of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge that he failed to take steps to prevent money laundering as the company agreed to pay more than $4 billion following an investigation by the U.S. government.CEO Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to one count of failure to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering program in federal court in Seattle. Binance is a Cayman Islands limited liability company.The plea comes as the company agreed to pay over $4 billion as part of an agreement with the U.S. government, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press. The person confirmed the amount on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details of the agreement ahead of an expected announcement.Over the summer, the company was accused of operating as an unregistered securities exchange and violating a slew of U.S. securities laws in a lawsuit from regulators. That case w...

Trump felicita a Milei por su triunfo electoral: “Verdaderamente harán a Argentina grande otra vez”

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:18 GMT

(CNN Español) — Donald Trump, expresidente de Estados Unidos, felicitó este martes a Javier Milei por su triunfo en las elecciones presidenciales del domingo en Argentina.En su cuenta de Truth Social, Trump realizó su felicitación e hizo énfasis en que el Gobierno de Milei logrará dar la vuelta a la situación en el país sudamericano, que actualmente registra una inflación interanual de 142,7%.“Una muy especial felicitación a Javier Milei por una gran carrera por la presidencia en Argentina. El mundo entero estaba observando y estoy muy orgulloso de ustedes. Le darán vuelta a la situación en Argentina y verdaderamente harán a Argentina grande otra vez”, indicó el exmandatario, quien es el político que lidera las encuestas para ser elegido como el próximo presidente de Estados Unidos en 2024.Las primeras medidas anunciadas por Javier Milei como presidente electoTrump utilizó la frase en inglés “Make Argentina Great Again”, lo que es una referencia a su tí...

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts lower in a rare stumble following its big rally

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:18 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is drifting lower Tuesday following a strong rally that had vaulted it to its highest level since the start of August.The S&P 500 was 0.2% lower in afternoon trading and on track for just its third loss in the last 17 days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 66 points, or 0.2%, as of 2:30 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.6% lower.Retailers were mixed after several reported their earnings for the latest quarter and, more importantly, their forecasts for the upcoming holiday shopping season.Lowe’s sank 3.2% despite reporting better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of Wall Street’s estimates, and it also cut its forecasts for revenue and profit over the full year. Sales for do-it-yourself projects have been lower than expected at the home improvement retailerBest Buy fell 1.4% after likewise beating analysts’ expectations for profit in the latest quarter but falling short on revenue. Its...

Hombre resulta herido en aparente tiroteo al volante en Richmond Highway

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:18 GMT

Un hombre que fue encontrado con una herida de bala en la cara dentro de un automóvil en Arlington, Virginia, el lunes por la noche recibió un disparo durante un aparente acto de furia al volante a lo largo de Richmond Highway, informó la policía.Alrededor de las 7:45 p. m., un BMW entró a toda velocidad en el estacionamiento afuera de un “hookah bar” en el área de Lyon Village en Langtston Boulevard, donde luego un hombre en el asiento del pasajero fue encontrado con heridas de bala, según la policía del condado Arlington. Un testigo dijo a nuestra cadena hermana News4 que el hombre parecía haber recibido un disparo en la cara. Los oficiales ayudaron al hombre antes de que llegaran los médicos para llevarlo a un hospital.Los investigadores dijeron el martes que el hombre y otra persona en el automóvil conducían por Richmond Highway cuando un sedán negro con dos personas adentro se detuvo junto a ellos y comenzó una discusión.Alguien dentro del sedán negro comenzó a disp...

AP Player of the Week: Hunter Dickinson of No. 1 Kansas starred in marquee win vs. No. 16 Kentucky

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:18 GMT

The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s basketball for Week 2 of the season:HUNTER DICKINSON, KansasThe 7-foot-2, 260-pound Michigan transfer made a huge impact for the top-ranked Jayhawks in a marquee matchup with Kentucky. He had a game-high 27 points and career-high 21 rebounds — tied for the most in Division I so far this year — as Kansas rallied from 14 down to beat the 16th-ranked Wildcats. He posted the Big 12’s first 25-point, 20-rebound performance against a ranked opponent since Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin in November 2008, along with becoming the first Jayhawk to hit those numbers in any game since Thomas Robinson in December 2011.RUNNER-UPTrey Alexander, Creighton. The junior guard averaged 21.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists in the eighth-ranked Bluejays’ wins against Iowa and Texas Southern. He nearly became the first Creighton player in program history to record a triple-double that included assists (23 points, 11 rebounds and nine ass...

AP Player of the Week: Ayoka Lee of Kansas State averaged 21 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:18 GMT

The Associated Press national player of the week in women’s basketball for Week 2 of the season:AYOKA LEE, Kansas StateThe 6-foot-6 senior center from Byron, Minnesota, led the Wildcats to two wins last week, averaging 21 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. She scored 22 points and had 12 rebounds to help Kansas State win 65-58 at then-No. 2 Iowa while making 9 of her 14 shots from the field. RUNNER-UPCameron Brink, Stanford. The senior center and preseason AP All-American had a career-high 29 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks to help the Cardinal top Duke 81-79 in overtime on Sunday. She made all 10 of her free throws and has hit 72 in a row from the foul line.HONORABLE MENTION Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Madison Scott (Ole Miss), Lucy Olsen, Villanova.KEEP AN EYE ON Antwainette Walker of Eastern Kentucky. The graduate student averaged 29 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals while helping the Colonels to the first 5-0 start in school history before the team lost to Utah in ...

ETFO reaches tentative agreement with province

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:18 GMT

The Elementary Teachers Federation Ontario (ETFO) has reached a tentative agreement with the Ontario government, averting a strike for roughly 80,000 teacher and occasional teacher members at English speaking public schools in the province. Members had previously voted 95% in favour of strike action, with union leaders saying they would continue to push for a deal at the bargaining table. ETFO President Karen Brown said in a statement that the union was committed to keeping cuts out of the agreement during what became the longest run of bargaining in the union’s history. “After 14 months of central bargaining, we’re pleased to be able to bring forward a tentative agreement to our teacher and occasional teacher members that protects their collective agreement entitlements and also addresses key bargaining goals,” said ETFO President Karen Brown.“We remained focused on getting government cuts off the table and on addressing members’ working conditions, which ar...