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Two wars threaten to overload Europe’s leaders

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:35:02 GMT

BRUSSELS — As EU leaders meet at a summit on Thursday, they will insist they can handle both the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East at the same time — while also keeping an eye on the tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, to say nothing of Armenia and Azerbaijan.  That all has to be taken with a grain of salt. Increasingly, the conflict between Israel and Hamas is shunting Ukraine out of the political limelight, with a whirl of European leaders spinning through the Middle East and the battle for Gaza set to dominate the meeting. “It’s clear that the conflict in the Middle East is casting a bit of a shadow over what’s going on in Ukraine,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Wednesday.Despite the ambitions of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to mold the EU into a “geopolitical” powerhouse, the two conflicts are testing the limits of the EU’s foreign policy reach, especially as European leaders are having trouble aligning their positions...

Don’t let Gaza be another example of ICC double standards

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:35:02 GMT

James A. Goldston is executive director of the Open Society Justice InitiativeIn the days following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), issued several official statements expressing his “concern” over the events unfolding in the region. He invited ICC member countries to refer the situation to his office to “further expedite matters,” and in short order, over three dozen governments spoke up to demand court action.No similar wave of state support has emerged in response to the appalling violence and destruction unleashed in Israel and Gaza since October 7. It should.The ICC is already engaged in this conflict. Though Israel — like the United States, China and Russia — declined to join the court, since 2014, it has had jurisdiction over all perpetrators of crimes committed in what it terms “the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War in June 1967: namely the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, an...

Keir Starmer sees fragile Labour Party unity collapse over Israel

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:35:02 GMT

LONDON — Keir Starmer must have breathed a sigh of relief when the annual Labour Party conference passed off without internal strife this month, given that it came immediately after Hamas’ murderous assault on Israel. The show of party unity did not last long.Since the moment Hamas launched its attacks on October 7, the Labour leader has maintained a position of near-total unity with his Conservative rival, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Both Starmer and Sunak have been consistent in condemning Hamas as terrorists and insisting on Israel’s right to defend itself, while requesting humanitarian aid for the stricken residents of Gaza. But as Israel’s assault on the strip intensifies, the Labour leader is facing growing calls from party members and MPs to take a stronger line and demand a ceasefire. Starmer’s refusal to do so is causing ructions within the party rarely seen in his three-and-a-half years as leader.“It won’t last,” predicted one angry left-w...

British spy agencies warn of AI threat to democracy

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:35:02 GMT

LONDON — Generative artificial intelligence systems will pose a stark threat to political systems within the next two years, British intelligence agencies have warned.As Rishi Sunak prepares for a major speech on AI ahead of next week’s London-hosted global safety summit on the tech, the U.K. government on Wednesday night unveiled a series of papers laying out the risks and opportunities posed by AI. The paper focusing on risks was largely informed by British intelligence assessments and examined near-term threats in the run-up to 2025.It warns that the rise of generative AI systems — such as ChatGPT or other input-based content creating AI models — will “significantly increase risks to safety and security,” with those risks increasing in likelihood as the tech develops. It points to “Digital Risks,” such as cybercrime and hacking, as an area where generative AI models are likely to have the largest negative impact. But it also flags potential threats t...

At least 22 dead, police searching for gunman in Lewiston, Maine mass shooting

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:35:02 GMT

(CNN) — At least 22 people are dead and dozens are injured following two mass shootings Wednesday night in Lewiston, Maine, officials say. An intensive manhunt is underway for a suspect in the shootings, according to officials and law enforcement sources.A city administrator said 22 people had been killed, Lewiston City Councilor Robert McCarthy told CNN.A suspect remains at large, the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on Facebook.“We are encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate,” the sheriff’s office said earlier Wednesday evening.—WATCH: 7NEWS law enforcement expert discusses situation in Lewiston, Maine —The sheriff’s office released images of a “suspect for identification.” The person was seen holding a high-powered assault-style rifle.In a Facebook post, Lewiston police shared an image of a vehicle they are looking for, which appears to be...

Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson gets 2 interceptions to break 28-game streak without one: ‘I deserve to be paid’

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:35:02 GMT

Jaylon Johnson jumped in front of Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams to grab the interception, raced 39 yards for a touchdown and then made a beeline for the FOX broadcast camera.As Johnson’s teammates gathered around to celebrate his second career interception — and his first of two picks Sunday — Johnson smirked at the camera and swiped one hand up over the other, raining imaginary money over the Soldier Field end zone.Was he sending a message with that celebration in the Bears’ joy-filled 30-12 victory over the Raiders, you ask?“You damn right,” Johnson said. “100%.”Johnson’s two interceptions — one off veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer and one off rookie Aidan O’Connell — were part of a banner day for the Bears defense against a Raiders team missing starter Jimmy Garoppolo. Tremaine Edmunds also intercepted Hoyer. The Bears let the Raiders in the end zone just once, held them to 39 yards rushing and...

Craig Breslow leaves Chicago Cubs front office to be the Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:35:02 GMT

It was only a matter of time before another organization hired Chicago Cubs executive Craig Breslow for a top front-office position.The Boston Red Sox on Wednesday tabbed Breslow, 43, to become their new chief baseball officer. He replaces Chaim Bloom, whom the Red Sox fired last month.The Cubs hired Breslow in January 2019 as director of strategic initiatives for baseball operations, and he worked his way up to assistant general manager and vice president of pitching as a trusted voice in president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer’s inner circle.Under Breslow’s oversight of adjustments to the pitching infrastructure, the Cubs saw gains in velocity and homegrown arms during his five seasons in the organization.The Cubs’ struggles to develop homegrown arms contributed to their inability to build off their 2016 World Series title. This season represented another important step forward on that front.Left-hander Justin Steele became a Cy Young Award contender during a ...

Celtics far from perfect, but prove resilient late in season-opening win over Knicks

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:35:02 GMT

NEW YORK — Joe Mazzulla admitted before Wednesday’s season opener that the Celtics didn’t have an identity last season. The circumstances of the beginning of that training camp simply didn’t give them enough time. But with enough preparation going into this season, Mazzulla emphasized the importance of setting one.“Humility. Mindset. Toughness. Passion. Togetherness. Just be nasty,” Mazzulla said. “So we’ll see if that happens.”The first test came Wednesday. In control for most of their opener, the Celtics suddenly let go of the rope. They were unraveling. The Knicks and their rabid Madison Square Garden crowd smelled blood. But they never tasted it.The expectation is that these Celtics, with their superior top-end talent, should breeze to at least the conference finals, if not win the whole thing. But Wednesday revealed they’re unsurprisingly not close to a finished product. On Wednesday, they relied on that newly formed identity to tough out an ugly but gritty 108-104 victor...

At least 16 dead in Maine shooting and dozens injured, officials say

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:35:02 GMT

By David Sharp, Associated PressLEWISTON, Maine (AP) — A man opened fire at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night, killing at least 16 people and engulfing the state’s second-largest city in chaos. The suspect remained at large as authorities ordered residents and business owners to stay inside and off the streets.Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press dozens of people also had been wounded. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.Lewiston Police said in an earlier Facebook post that they were dealing with an active shooter incident at Schemengees Bar and Grille and Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley about 4 miles (6,4 kilometers) away. The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office released two photos of the suspect on its Facebook page that showed a gunman walking into an establishment with a weapon raised to his shoulder.“Please stay off the ...

UN Security Council fails again to address Israel-Hamas war, rejecting US and Russian resolutions

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:35:02 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council failed again Wednesday to address the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, rejecting rival United States and Russian resolutions.The council is the U.N.’s most powerful body, charged with maintaining international peace and security, but its divisions have left it impotent and scrambling to try to find a resolution with acceptable language.The resolution drafted by the United States, Israel’s closest ally, would have reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defense, urged respect for international laws — especially protection of civilians — and called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver desperately needed aid to Gaza.In Wednesday’s vote in the 15-member council, 10 countries voted in favor, Russia, China and the United Arab Emirates voted against, and Brazil and Mozambique abstained. The resolution was not adopted because permanent council members Russia and China cast vetoes.The Russian resolution, which was then put to a vote, would have called for ...