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Top US and Indian diplomats and defense chiefs discuss Indo-Pacific issues and Israel-Hamas war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:20 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — The diplomats and defense chiefs of India and the United States met Friday focusing on security issues involving the Indo-Pacific, China and the Israel-Hamas war.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. and India have a strong partnership and they would discuss matters with implications for the future.“The future is now,” he told reporters.“We are promoting a free and open and prosperous Asia-Pacific, including by strengthening our partnership in the Quad with Japan and Australia,” Blinken said in his remarks at the start of the meeting.He also said that the United States and India are bolstering their partnership in international peace and strengthening a rule-based order.Blinken also said defense cooperation was a key pillar in ties between the countries.India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the situation in the Middle East was a big concern.While India has condemned the Hamas attack on Israel, it has tried to...

More than 260 Canadians, permanent residents, and families cleared for Gaza exit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:20 GMT

Some 266 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their family members had their names added to the list of foreign passport holders allowed to exit the Gaza Strip today. Officials at the Rafah border crossing into Egypt were expected to start processing the latest batch of people looking to flee the latest Israel-Hamas conflict around 7 a.m. local time.Another 32 people connected to Canada were able to leave the Gaza Strip on Thursday, after an initial 75 citizens, permanent residents and family members made the trip on Tuesday.No Canadians were able to cross via official means on Wednesday because of what a U.S. State Department spokesperson described as a “security circumstance.”Global Affairs Canada has not yet issued a statement on the latest update, but said, as of late Thursday, 550 more people were still hoping to leave the territory. The White House announced on Thursday that Israel agreed to put in place a daily four-hour “humanitarian pause” on i...

Hollywood’s labor stoppage is over, but a painful industry-wide transition isn’t

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:20 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Hollywood’s months of labor unrest are coming to an end, but the post-strike landscape that awaits actors and writers may be far from happy-ever-after.The film and television industry could rightly celebrate the conclusion Wednesday of a bruising, protracted work stoppage that began in May when the Writers Guild hit the picket lines and gathered more force when Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists members walked out in mid-July.The strikes were historic in their length and cost, causing an estimated $6 billion in economic loss and leaving hundreds of thousands out of work. As Hollywood on Thursday began rushing back to production and stars again hit red carpets, many were surely still nursing wounds from a bitter feud with the studios, even after a deal that won actors a hefty boost to minimum pay and protections over the use of artificial intelligence.SAG-AFTRA’s board was to vote on approving the contract Friday afternoon.But as a...

Commission welcomes political agreement on euro instant payments

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:20 GMT

The Commission welcomes the political agreement reached on 7 November between the European Parliament and the Council on the Commission's proposal to make instant payments in euro available to all citizens and businesses holding a bank account in the EU. The new rules, which modernize the 2012 Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) Regulation, aim to ensure that instant payments in euro are affordable, secure and processed without obstacles across the EU. Instant payments offer fast and convenient solutions for citizens in everyday situations, like receiving funds promptly in case of emergencies or splitting shared costs immediately in various social settings. They also improve cash flow management for public administrations and businesses, specially SMEs, enable charities and NGOs to access funds quickly, and encourage banks to develop innovative financial services and products.Payment service providers of euro credit transfers will be obliged to offer instant payments to all their custo...

Video captures deadly hit-and-run that kills motorcyclist in San Fernando Valley

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:20 GMT

Police are searching for the driver of a vehicle involved in a deadly hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist in the San Fernando Valley Thursday night, authorities with the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to KTLA. Calls about the three-vehicle crash in the 8600 block of North Woodley Avenue in North Hills came in at around 6:40 p.m. Surveillance footage of the incident obtained by KTLA shows the driver of a Harley Davidson making a left turn out of a strip mall parking lot when the victim is fatally broadsided by the driver of a white sedan. In the aftermath of the violent collision, a heavily damaged four-door Toyota sedan with severe damage to its front end can be seen. Police have not yet confirmed that was the vehicle operated by the hit-and-run driver or if that was a second vehicle involved in the crash. Authorities have also yet to provide a suspect vehicle description or say whether the driver fled on foot or not. A motorcyclist was killed in a hit-and-run cras...

Long Beach transit bus slams into speeding car in crash caught on video

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:20 GMT

At least 14 people were injured when a speeding car ran a stop sign and was broadside by a public transit bus causing both vehicles to crash into a building in Long Beach Thursday afternoon, authorities said.Crews with the Long Beach Fire Department responded to the collision at around 3:17 p.m. at South Street and California Avenue where the bus went through the front of the Boujie Crab seafood restaurant.The preliminary investigation, according to the Long Beach Police Department, suggests the sedan was traveling southbound on California Avenue at a high rate of speed when it failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with the transit bus, sending both vehicles into the restaurant.Surveillance footage of the incident shows the driver of the sedan running the stop sign and hitting the brakes hard, lurching the car on its front two wheels, but it was too late. The bus slammed into the car at full speed and essentially carried it into the building. Fortunately, no one was in the rest...

Body discovered inside burning car in Lincoln Heights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:20 GMT

Police are investigating after a body was found inside a burning vehicle in Lincoln Heights on Thursday night. Authorities received reports of the vehicle fire near Avenue 18 and Pasadena Avenue around 7:21 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Arriving crews found the vehicle fully engulfed in flames. After extinguishing the burning car, a body was discovered inside, authorities said.Police are investigating after a body was found inside a burning vehicle in Lincoln Heights on Nov. 9, 2023. (KTLA)Police are investigating after a body was found inside a burning vehicle in Lincoln Heights on Nov. 9, 2023. (KTLA)Police are investigating after a body was found inside a burning vehicle in Lincoln Heights on Nov. 9, 2023. (KTLA)Police are investigating after a body was found inside a burning vehicle in Lincoln Heights on Nov. 9, 2023. (KTLA)Police are investigating after a body was found inside a burning vehicle in Lincoln Heights on Nov. 9, 2023. (KTLA)Police are in...

Man who plowed into sheriff’s cadets in South Whittier charged

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:20 GMT

Nearly a year after a driver plowed into a large group of jogging law enforcement cadets in South Whittier, prosecutors have announced felony charges in the case.Nicholas Gutierrez, 23, faces one count of vehicular manslaughter and nine counts of reckless driving resulting in injury, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said at a news conference on Thursday.If convicted, Gutierrez could face up to 12 years in prison.The Nov. 15, 2022 crash, which was captured on surveillance video, shows a vehicle swerve into the path of several dozen recruits who were on a training run in the area of Mills Avenue and Telegraph Road.In total, 25 cadets were hurt, five critically.Alejandro Martinez, 23, a U.S. Army Veteran, died of his injuries eight months later.The scene of the crash where 25 cadets were injured in South Whittier on Nov. 16, 2022. (KTLA)The scene of the crash where 25 cadets were injured in South Whittier on Nov. 16, 2022. (Francisco Silva)Alejandro Martinez was among...

Sharks find a formula for success. It mostly involves heroics from their goaltender

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:20 GMT

SAN JOSE – So much went wrong for the San Jose Sharks over the first three-plus weeks of the regular season that perhaps it was about time that they caught a lucky bounce.Nikita Okhotiuk’s shot from just inside the blue line toward the net went off the skate of Fabian Zetterlund and right to Tomas Hertl, who was in the perfect spot — right in front of the Edmonton Oilers net – to tap the puck past Stuart Skinner for his second goal of the season.Hertl’s second-period goal stood up as the winner as Mackenzie Blackwood made 39 saves in another stellar performance to lead the Sharks to a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday in a game between the NHL’s bottom two teams.San Jose Sharks’ Tomas Hertl (48) fights for the puck against Edmonton Oilers’ Evan Bouchard (2) in the third period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored with 2:26 left in regulation ti...

Oakland police to increase patrols in Fruitvale

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:20 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) – Oakland police are vowing to do more to protect businesses in the city’s Fruitvale neighborhood. The Oakland Police Department announced a plan to curb crime there after business owners pleaded for more police patrols.People who live and work in Fruitvale say crime is rampant, and increased patrols are long overdue. In the Fruitvale neighborhood, there have been more than 500 crimes reported in the last month, including burglary, car theft, and assault."If they don't do something about it, businesses are going to shut down,” said Adnan Mohsin, who owns Kemo Wireless on International Boulevard.  Oakland A’s fans are sending MLB owners ‘Stay In Oakland’ boxes as Las Vegas vote nears Mohsin is one of many Fruitvale business owners relieved to learn that Oakland police will be increasing patrols in the neighborhood. "Increased police presence, including our community resource vehicle, additional foot patrols, and dedicated traffic enforcement,” said OPD Captai...