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Poland, Hungary threaten to derail EU leaders’ gathering in Granada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:21:25 GMT

GRANADA, Spain — A gathering of EU leaders in Granada was on the brink of collapse on Friday as Hungary and Poland threatened to block a final statement summing up countries’ views on migration and Ukraine’s future accession to the European Union.On his way into the summit, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki outlined his firm opposition to any statement supportive of a recently agreed European migration deal — effectively killing off chances for consensus around a final text.“There is no possibility of distributing illegal immigrants without the consent of individual member states,” said the Law and Justice party leader, who faces a parliamentary election on October 15. “Poland puts a strong veto to such a position.”Hungary’s Viktor Orbán was even more incendiary, saying that Poland and Hungary had been “pushed” to sign off on an EU migration reform plan earlier this week but would not endorse any compromise position in Granada. “After this, there is no chan...

Belgian socialist leader says sorry for racist remarks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:21:25 GMT

Flemish Socialist Party leader Conner Rousseau apologized for racist remarks he made last month, insisting that he was drunk and his comments were meant to be “a joke.” But his words were met with anger by several Belgian public officials, who slammed the socialist leader for his offensive remarks and criticized his apology as lackluster.Rousseau came under fire in September after it was reported that he made racist and xenophobic comments while talking to police officers during a festival in the Flemish city of Sint-Niklaas.Rousseau formally apologized during a press conference on Thursday, saying he was sorry for the “insulting statement” he made, which was offensive toward the Roma community.“It’s not consistent with who I am. My volunteer work, the person I am, my political commitment … weighs much more than one sad, clumsy moment,” Rousseau said, as reported by multiple local outlets.Rousseau insisted that he was “in a drunken state” and said t...

Massachusetts native mourned after deadly stabbing in New York City

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:21:25 GMT

A Massachusetts native who graduated from Cardinal Spellman High School in Brockton is being mourned after he was killed in a stabbing in New York City earlier this week. Ryan Carson, 32, was stabbed in Brooklyn early Monday morning. School officials in Brockton have since said Carson grew up in East Bridgewater and graduated from Cardinal Spellman in 2010. His loss, officials said, is affecting many in the community.“May God be with his family and friends as they deal with this unimaginable tragedy,” the school said in a post on Facebook Thursday evening. New York Police said Carson was with his girlfriend heading home from a wedding when 18-year-old Bryan Dowling allegedly stabbed him. Surveillance video captured the attack, showing the man police say is Dowling first walk past Carson and his girlfriend while they were sitting on a bench. Moments later, the couple got up and walked down the street. Police said Dowling then turned around and confronted Carson and his...

Seeing son Pete Crow-Armstrong play for Chicago Cubs ‘doesn’t feel real’ to Matt Armstrong, a former Naperville resident

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:21:25 GMT

Matt Armstrong recalls tears were streaming down his cheeks.His son, Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, had arrived in the majors.“I remember I just sobbed when Pete made that first catch,” Armstrong said.Crow-Armstrong’s first play in an MLB outfield came during the Cubs’ 5-4 win against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Sept. 11. He was wearing the Cubs’ gray road uniform, complete with the same blue ballcap his father grew up revering in Naperville.“I was sitting next to my wife (Ashley Crow),” Armstrong said. “My best friend was on my right, and I was sitting there with all the ghosts — my grandparents, my dad, my sister, all these people — and it was pretty overwhelming. It was quite a moment.”Armstrong, 50, teaches English and theater at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles. But Naperville was his home for nearly 25 years, until he and Crow moved to LA to pursue acting just bef...

Savannah Bananas to play at Fenway Park next summer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:21:25 GMT

Banana Ball is officially on its way to the big leagues.Following a highly successful tour that included stops in nearby Brockton, Hartford and Portland this past summer, the Savannah Bananas are set to bring their unique spin on baseball to Fenway Park next year as part of the upcoming 2024 Banana Ball World Tour.The Bananas will play at Fenway Park on Saturday, June 8, 2024, marking one of six dates the Bananas will play at a big league venue. Renowned for their entertaining antics, the Bananas have taken the baseball world by storm thanks to their in-game dances, unique rules, frequent fan interactions and on-field celebrations, celebrity cameos and more.Former Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon and New England football legend Doug Flutie both took part in August’s game in Brockton, and it’s a good bet the stars will be out in force for next summer’s showcase.Tickets for Bananas games are lottery-based, and fans interested in attending should visit thesavannahbanan...

Man pulled from burning home in El Cajon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:21:25 GMT

EL CAJON, Calif. -- A man was pulled from a burning home in El Cajon Friday morning, fire officials confirmed.Fire crews responded around 3 a.m. to a resident located in a cul-de-sac on Ellen Lane, which is in the southwest corner of the city.The El Cajon Police Department arrived on scene first and helped a man, the homeowner, out of the burning house. Fire officials say he's uninjured. Mother suing county after missing son’s body was held unidentified for months The affected resident, an elderly man, told FOX 5's Elizabeth Alvarez that he has a wood shop in an area of his garage. This section of the home is where fire officials believe the fire originated. "The bulk of the fire is put out, however, due to the conditions and the amount of contents in the shop -- in the garage -- we're having to continue to dig through and pull things out so we can completely get the fire out. We call that our overhaul period," explained Battalion Chief Dave Hardenburger with Heartland Fire ...

Eligible electric and plug-in vehicle buyers will get US tax credits immediately in 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:21:25 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Starting next year, people who want to buy a new or used electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle will be able to get U.S. government income tax credits at the time of purchase.Eligible buyers, including those that bought an EV or hybrid this year, have had to wait until they filed their federal income tax returns to actually get the benefits. The Treasury Department says the near-instant credits of $7,500 for an eligible new vehicle and $4,000 for a qualifying used vehicle should lower purchasing costs for consumers and help car dealers by boosting EV sales.Under the Inflation Reduction Act, which included the credits, buyers can transfer the credits to dealers, which can apply them at the point of sale starting Jan. 1. Plus, the government says people can get the full credits from dealers regardless of how much they owe in federal taxes.The vehicles have to qualify under guidelines spelled out in the law, and buyers’ incomes have to fall below limits. Dealers have t...

Toronto police to update missing elderly woman last seen in Midtown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:21:25 GMT

Toronto police are set to provide an update in the search for an elderly woman with dementia who has been missing for a week.Investigators say 76-year-old Tulip was last seen around 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 in the area of Mount Pleasant Road and Eglinton Avenue East. Police are concerned for her safety.“Tulip lives with dementia. Please check your backyards, property, stairwells, undergrounds, and sheds,” Toronto police wrote on X.She is described as a Black woman between five feet six and five feet seven inches tall, with a thin build, short grey hair, missing top teeth, and a mole on her forehead.Police said she may have dropped a long black coat and may travel on public transit.A command post has been moved to Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery near Mount Pleasant Road and Eglinton Avenue East.Insp. Chris McCann is expected to provide an update in the area at 10 a.m.

Puerto Rican man who bred dogs for illegal fighting for decades sentenced to 7 years in prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:21:25 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A man who bred dogs for fighting for decades, selling them worldwide and exhibiting “extraordinary cruelty,” was sentenced to seven years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Friday.Antonio Casillas Montero owned Stone City Kennels in Puerto Rico and had been accused of conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act. He pleaded guilty in May and was sentenced in late September.Authorities said he ran his business for more than 35 years, with dogs participating in more than 150 fights in countries including the United States, Mexico, Ecuador and Peru.“The government has not found a comparable case of someone with as many dogfights for as many years as Mr. Casillas,” prosecutors said during sentencing.Authorities accused Casillas of letting dogs die from their injuries instead of removing them from fights, which sometimes lasted more than an hour. In addition, dogs seized from his property had pustules, fungus, were limping and had jaw clamping, a...

A Hong Kong man gets 4 months in prison for importing children’s books deemed to be seditious

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:21:25 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong man was sentenced to four months in prison Friday after he pleaded guilty to importing children’s books that were deemed to be “seditious publications.”Kurt Leung, a 38-year-old clerk, was sentenced after he admitted to importing 18 children’s books featuring wolves and sheep. He was arrested in March after he signed for a delivery from the U.K. containing the books.The books feature sheep that lived in a village and had to defend themselves against wolves. In the series of books, the sheep take action such as going on strike or escaping by boat, which are said to allude to incidents such as the 2019 anti-government protests and the detention of the 12 Hong Kongers who attempted to escape by sea.Authorities say that the books are an attempt at inciting hatred in young children and stirring up contempt against the government in Hong Kong and mainland China.The sedition offence, which is a colonial-era law that carries a maximum penalty of up to two years’...