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Leaked Report: “CIA Does Not Know” if Israel Plans to Bomb Iran

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:52:23 GMT

Whether Israel’s escalating threats of war with Iran over its nuclear program are saber-rattling or something more serious is a mystery even to the CIA, according to a portion of a top-secret intelligence report leaked on the platform Discord earlier this year. The uncertainty about the intentions of one of the U.S.’s closest allies calls into question the basis of the “ironclad” support for Israel publicly espoused by the Biden administration.The report — which was first covered by the Israeli channel i24 News and subsequently posted by DDoSecrets, a group that publishes leaked documents — reveals an undisclosed military exercise conducted by Israel. “On 20 February, Israel conducted a large-scale air exercise,” the intelligence report, produced by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on February 23, states. The exercise, it says, was “probably to simulate a strike on Iran’s nuclear program and possibly to demonstrate Jerusalem’s resolve to act against Te...

Taylor hits 44th career homer, TCU routs Kansas State 16-3

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:52:23 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brayden Taylor hit his 44th career home run to tie the program record, Karson Bowen went 4 for 4 with two RBIs and TCU routed Kansas State 16-3 in seven innings on Wednesday to begin the Big 12 Tournament.Taylor opened the scoring with a three-run homer as TCU batted around in a five-run first inning. Taylor added an RBI double in the second and a two-run double in the fourth to make it 16-2.Fourth-seeded TCU (34-22), which closed out the regular season with a 2-1 series win at Kansas State, advances to the winners’ bracket on Thursday while Kansas State (33-23), the No. 5 seed, plays in a consolation game.TCU starter Cam Brown (4-2) struck out four in 3 1/3 innings of work before three walks and a hit batter gifted Kansas State its first run of the game. Jax Traeger took over and worked out of a jam, leaving the bases loaded.TCU answered in the bottom of the fourth with six runs and Traeger struck out three in the sixth.Owen Boerema (7-2) allowed eight...

Police in Wales face investigation over e-bike deaths of 2 teens that sparked Cardiff riot

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:52:23 GMT

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — A police watchdog said Wednesday it will investigate whether officers were chasing two boys who died in an e-bike crash that sparked rioting in the capital of Wales.The Independent Office for Police Conduct, which investigates deaths police may have been involved in, said it would investigate the South Wales force after video appeared to show a police van trailing behind a bike that had two people on it, shortly before the fatal crash Monday.Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died in the crash. Dozens of youths took to the street later, pelting police with objects and setting cars and trash bins ablaze. Fifteen officers were injured and 11 needed hospital treatment, police said. Several people were arrested.Police have said the boys weren’t being chased and that rumors of a chase on social media led to the rioting. The force referred itself to the watchdog for investigation.Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Bacon said late Wednesday that camera footag...

Convicted murderer and ex-attorney Alex Murdaugh facing federal charges of fraud, theft

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:52:23 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh is facing federal charges for the first time after being indicted on 22 financial fraud charges over allegations that the disgraced former attorney schemed to steal settlement money from clients.The indictments unsealed Wednesday don’t appear to reveal any new allegations against Murdaugh, a once prominent attorney in South Carolina who is serving a life sentence without parole for killing his wife and younger son. He is also awaiting trial on around 100 other state charges including insurance fraud, tax evasion and theft.But Murdaugh’s lawyers indicated he is talking with federal prosecutors and added this part of his legal difficulties may be resolved soon.“Alex has been cooperating with the United States Attorneys’ Office and federal agencies in their investigation of a broad range of activities. We anticipate that the charges brought today will be quickly resolved without a trial,” lawyers Jim Griffin and D...

After a year of long overdue Hollywood love, actor James Hong is still having his moment

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:52:23 GMT

Greeted with a standing ovation at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, James Hong could easily have just basked in the applause and moved on. But for the 94-year-old, the mostly Asian cast of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” winning best cast seemed like an opportunity for a stark reminder that Hollywood wasn’t always so open.“It just came out of me that after all these years of working with producers and directors, and they were always saying, ‘Oh the Asian, the Chinese, are not good enough to play the leading role,’” Hong told The Associated Press recently. “But look at Michelle (Yeoh) and all these colleagues now coming forward to be recognized … You can’t help but say ‘Look at us now.’”Looking at Hong now, you will see perhaps the busiest nonagenarian in show biz. The last year for him has been a wild ride. A year ago he finally received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Shortly after, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and the overwhelming re...

Matchbox Twenty returns after long absence to offer an album of exuberance, ‘Where the Light Goes’

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:52:23 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — More than a decade has passed since the last Matchbox Twenty album, so, fans can be forgiven for thinking it was the end of the line. That’s what Matchbox Twenty was thinking, too. “We had pretty much come to terms that we didn’t think we’re ever going to make another record. We thought ‘North’ was the last record. Maybe we’d tour every few years, put out a song or two and kind of that’ll just be it,” says singer-songwriter Rob Thomas.So fans can thank guitarist-keyboardist Kyle Cook for “Where the Light Goes,” the band’s 12-track album of new music — the first since 2012 — out this Friday. Cook floated the idea of giving fans who had waited through the pandemic a full album of fresh tunes. As the album’s songs started coalescing, Thomas realized that they were on the sunny side, with nods to the ’80s throughout, like Peter Gabriel, T’Pau, Go West and Level 42. It was turning out to be a post-pandemic record, one of exuberance.“We weren’t maki...

Florida’s Bill Zito among finalists for NHL’s GM of the year award

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:52:23 GMT

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Paul Maurice remembers exactly what he was doing, and what he was thinking, when Panthers general manager Bill Zito called him last summer to say that the team was trying to acquire Matthew Tkachuk.Maurice was packing for his move to Florida. He didn’t expect that Tkachuk would be joining him.“Yeah, there’s no way you’re going to pull that off,” Maurice said to himself when the call with Zito ended.But Zito pulled it off. And that trade — the league’s first sign-and-trade, actually, and a move that’s sparked Florida’s deepest postseason run in 27 years — is just one of the reasons why Zito was announced Wednesday as one of three finalists for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award, along with Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars and Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins.Sweeney won the award in 2018-19. Nill and Zito would be first-time winners. The award will be presented June 28 at the NHL draft in Nashville.Zito is a finalist for...

F1 drivers face new speed limits in double yellow flag zones to improve safety

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:52:23 GMT

MONACO (AP) — Formula One drivers will be bound by stricter speed limits while driving behind safety cars in double yellow flag zones in a bid to improve safety, governing body FIA said Wednesday.The new measures apply to driving behind both safety cars and virtual safety cars being deployed and will begin at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. The decision was made following research and reviews of previous incidents and in consultation with the teams and drivers, FIA added in a statement.Previously, drivers where required only to significantly reduce their speed and not overtake in zones where, for example, debris was blocking the track or where marshals were stood nearby.“That requirement will be become more precise and strictly enforceable, with drivers now being required to meet a set maximum speed limit in areas where double yellow flags are displayed,” the FIA said.The FIA’s technical director Tim Goss said things will become easier on track for both drivers and tra...

Still down 3-1 to Heat, Celtics cling to hope as East finals shift back to Boston

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:52:23 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics’ season didn’t end in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference finals matchup with the Miami Heat, and now there is a flicker of hope. Whether Boston’s 116-99 victory on Tuesday night was the start of a miraculous revival or simply a momentary reprieve from what NBA history suggests is still inevitable remains to be determined. At the very least, the Celtics’ win made their chances of becoming the first NBA team in 151 tries to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series move from insurmountable to iffy heading into Game 5 at TD Garden on Wednesday.That’s good for a team that had spent most of this series looking nothing like the one that earned the conference’s second seed. “We’ve just got to go win another one. That’s all that matters,” Celtics guard Marcus Smart said. “We take it one game at a time. We understand the odds are stacked against us, but we’re a team that believes in us no matter what, and we’ve just got to keep going, and all tha...

Muere una mujer de 95 años tras ser atacada con una pistola paralizante en su residencia de la tercera edad en Australia

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:52:23 GMT

Brisbane, Australia (CNN) — Una mujer de 95 años falleció luego de que fue electrocutada por un policía con una pistola paralizante la semana pasada en su residencia para la tercera edad en Australia, según informó este miércoles la Policía de Nueva Gales del Sur.Clare Nowland, bisabuela de 95 años, se encontraba en estado crítico en el hospital debido a las graves heridas que sufrió en la cabeza cuando cayó al suelo tras ser electrocutada.Policía le dispara con un “taser” a una mujer de 95 años que se movía en un andador y tenía un cuchillo, dice la Policía“La señora Nowland falleció pacíficamente en el hospital justo después de las 7 pm de esta tarde, rodeada de familiares y seres queridos que han pedido privacidad durante este momento triste y difícil”, dijo la Policía en un comunicado publicado en Facebook.El agente que presuntamente electrocutó a Nowland fue acusado de varios delitos, entre ellos lesiones graves por imprudencia y agresión.La comisa...