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Islamists arrested in Antwerp and Brussels, 'well advanced' terror attacks averted

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:24:58 GMT

Belgian press has reported on the arrests of eight people following house searches in the Brussels and Antwerp areas. At least five of those arrested, two in Antwerp and three in Brussels, are suspected of preparing a terrorist attack."At least two of those involved are suspected of having made preparations to commit a terrorist attack in Belgium," the federal prosecutor's office said in a press release. "The target of the attack has not yet been determined."Nevertheless, plans for the attack were reportedly well advanced, and those arrested are described as “Islamists”.The investigation will seek to ascertain who influenced the aspiring terrorists.“We are seeing more and more the phenomenon that young people are becoming radicalized in a short period of time,” the federal prosecutor said. “Sometimes that happens in just a few weeks.”There are reportedly links between the Antwerp and Brussels suspects, but further research will have to show to what extent the two groups were co-ordi...

Miss Manners: I was told I should have lied about this walk in the park

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:24:58 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I recently attended a dinner party where one of the other guests was someone whom I had met once, several years ago, and hadn’t seen since. At that time, we were part of a large group visiting a park. Apparently she and I spent an hour or two walking around together and talking.To be honest, I had no recollection of this event. She asked if I remembered, and seemed somewhat surprised and offended when I said I didn’t.After the dinner, a family member told me that I should’ve just nodded and said, “Oh yes, I remember, what a pleasant afternoon,” or something like that. I was worried that I would be caught out in a lie — I’m not a good liar — and just confessed that I didn’t remember.What do you think I should have done?GENTLE READER: Certainly not asserted something that would quickly be revealed as untrue.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Best man is on the hook for 5-day bachelor party and two ...

Dear Abby: They were a happy young couple until the unthinkable happened

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:24:58 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My daughter “Claudia” has been dating and living with “Justin” — the boy next door. They moved to Florida months back and loved each day together.Then, the unthinkable happened. Justin’s father was diagnosed with a rare disease and died two weeks later. His last words to Justin were, “Take care of your mom.”Justin and Claudia immediately returned to New York. Each day has been a nightmare with his mom. She ignores Claudia and talks only to her son. Justin is 25 and hasn’t lived at home for years. When she calls, she yells at him and he goes running to her. She no longer talks to us, although we had a nice relationship when her husband was alive.Justin loves his mom, but he’s torn. What can my daughter do? Justin ignores how she’s being treated and the tears it has caused.It breaks my heart. We love and adore him. Please help.HURTING FOR THEMRelated ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: I was at a dinner pa...

UBS brings back former CEO with Credit Suisse deal ahead

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:24:58 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — UBS said Wednesday that it’s bringing back former CEO Sergio Ermotti to lead the Swiss bank as it moves forward with a government-orchestrated plan to take over struggling rival Credit Suisse.Ermotti, who was the bank’s top executive for nine years, will take over next Wednesday from CEO Ralph Hamers. Hamers took up the job in November 2020 and will remain at UBS during a transition period “to ensure a successful closure of the transaction and a smooth handover,” the bank said in a statement.UBS credited Ermotti for having “cut its footprint” and changing the culture of the bank — and it pointed to his experience in bringing big financial institutions together. The hastily arranged, $3.25 billion deal for Credit Suisse aimed to stem the upheaval in the global financial system after the collapse of two U.S. banks and jitters about long-running troubles at Credit Suisse led shares of Switzerland’s second-largest bank to tank and customers to pull out their mo...

Priyanka Chopra Jonas dice que dejó Bollywood porque se sentía “arrinconada”

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:24:58 GMT

(CNN) — Priyanka Chopra Jonas dice que dejó Bollywood para darle una oportunidad a Hollywood porque se sentía “arrinconada en la industria”.En el episodio de este lunes del podcast “Armchair Expert”, Chopra Jonas dijo que “había gente que no me hacía castings” y que “tenía problemas con gente” de Bollywood. Añadió que “nunca había dicho esto” antes.La estrella de “Matrix Resurrections” tenía una próspera carrera como actriz de Bollywood en la India antes de venir a Estados Unidos, pero admitió que, en aquel momento, estaba “cansada de la política”.“Necesitaba un descanso”, dice.Priyanka Chopra Jonas en el festival SXSW en marzo, en Austin, Texas. (Crédito: Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images)Ese descanso de la actuación en la India llegó cuando se le presentó la oportunidad de viajar a Estados Unidos y trabajar en la industria musical, lo que finalmente llevó a Chopra Jonas a firmar u...

Fairfax Co. parents turn out at community meeting to learn about the threat of fentanyl

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:24:58 GMT

Concerned that the deadly drug fentanyl is in schools and neighborhoods, parents gathered at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia, Tuesday night to learn what they can do to protect their kids.One hundred or more residents heard from a panel of experts, including school leaders, police and experts in substance abuse treatment.More Fairfax County NewsMore Education NewsA veteran detective with Fairfax County police told parents that pills laced with fentanyl are a big threat. They sell for $8 to $10 per pill, about four times cheaper than just two years ago.A community meeting where about 100 people head from a panel about the dangers of fentanyl held at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia, on Tuesday, March 29, 2023. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity sponsored the community meeting to boost awareness about the risks fentanyl poses to the school community.“The goal here is really to educate, to let parents know what to look...

UK Labour aims to declare China’s treatment of Uyghurs ‘genocide’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:24:58 GMT

LONDON — The U.K. Labour Party will pursue legal routes toward declaring China’s crackdown on Uyghur Muslims a “genocide” if it wins the next election, the shadow foreign secretary has announced.David Lammy said that if Labour formed the next British government, he would “act multilaterally with our partners” to seek recognition of China’s actions as genocide through the international courts.China has detained Uyghurs at camps in the northwest region of Xinjiang, where there have been allegations of torture, forced labor and sexual abuse. The Chinese government claims the camps carry out “re-education” to combat terrorism. China’s actions have already been branded genocide by the U.S. State Department, and as potential crimes against humanity by the U.N. But successive Conservative governments in the U.K. have resisted using the term, saying it is up to international courts to declare a genocide.  Lammy made the commitment Tuesday in conversation with POLITICO at an...

EU transport chief set to leave his post over free Qatar flights, officials say

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:24:58 GMT

BRUSSELS — A top European Union official is set to leave his role in charge of transport policy, following POLITICO’s revelations that he accepted free flights on Qatar Airways while his team negotiated a major aviation deal with the Gulf state, according to three officials.Henrik Hololei, director general of the European Commission’s transport department, faces an internal investigation into the flights, and whether he was right to clear himself of any conflict of interest. According to two Commission insiders and another person familiar with the matter, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the matter, Hololei will leave his job as director general of the transport department and will become a political adviser in the Commission’s department in charge of international partnerships. A spokesperson for the Commission declined to comment, citing policy not to discuss human resources issues. POLITICO revealed a month ago that Hololei flew b...

Amsterdam tells British sex-and-drug tourists: Stay away!

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:24:58 GMT

“So, coming to Amsterdam for a messy night? Stay away.”That’s the message from Amsterdam city authorities, who have launched an online advertising campaign to warn visitors against “let[ting] loose” in the Dutch capital.People who look up terms like “stag party Amsterdam,” “cheap hotel Amsterdam” or “pub crawl Amsterdam” on the internet ahead of a visit to the Dutch city will be shown short videos stressing “the risks and consequences of nuisance and excessive alcohol and drug use,” the city of Amsterdam said in a statement published Tuesday.Initially targeting “British men aged 18 to 35,” the campaign could be extended to tourists from the Netherlands or EU countries “in the course of the year,” the statement read. The 30-second videos are brutally straightforward.To the sound of sirens, broken glass and threatening music, one video depicts an unconscious young man being taken to t...

One dead, two unaccounted for in fire at New Bedford rooming house

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:24:58 GMT

Two people remained unaccounted for Wednesday morning in connection with a fire at a rooming house in New Bedford that killed one person, hurt several others, and displaced more than two dozen people, according to local officials. Firefighters were called to the scene around 3 p.m. and remained on scene overnight, pouring water on the four-story structure on the corner of Tallman Street and Acushnet Avenue. Officials announced earlier Tuesday afternoon that at least one person had died. Five other people were taken to the hospital, with three in serious condition. Officials later said the person who died was an adult male. New Bedford Fire Chief Scott Kruger said the building’s roof caved in during the response, posing a challenge as crews had to pull back.“Once you lose the roof, it makes all of the walls more unstable, especially the top floor,” Kruger said. SKY7 was over the area earlier Tuesday afternoon, when video showed flames shooting from the windows of the b...