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‘We are at war,’ Netanyahu declares after surprise attack on Israel by Hamas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:05 GMT

Israel was struck by a surprise attack by Hamas early Saturday morning in one of the most serious escalations in years between Israel and the Islamist militant group. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was “at war.”The massive assault combined a barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel and dozens of heavily armed gunmen attacking the country’s south from Gaza.“We are at war, and we will win,” Netanyahu said in a message to Israelis.The chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, earlier declared a state of war readiness.Following a security cabinet meeting at the Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv Saturday, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Hamas “made a grave mistake,” the Associated Press reported.Israel’s national emergency service said that one person has been killed and another 15 wounded in the onslaught that hit towns an...

Baltimore baseball fans rise with their playoff-bound Orioles: ‘This is so exciting, it’s like Christmas’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:05 GMT

Nine years — not that long ago in the span of the ballclub’s relationship to Baltimore — have passed since Delmon Young’s line drive rocketed down the left field line to give the Orioles their last home playoff victory.Camden Yards throbbed with passion that afternoon in a way it has not since. The Orioles were swept out of the American League Championship Series later that October, and their postseason ambitions died with a single heartbreaking loss in 2016.They wandered into the baseball wilderness after that, losing 115 games in 2018, 108 in 2019 and 110 in 2021. Many fans opted to hibernate rather than experience the hopelessness of those years.That helps explain the intense hunger and joy they feel now that the Orioles are back, preparing to host the Texas Rangers in the first game of the American League Division Series on Saturday afternoon.For young fans, this is a chance to feel the Orioles Magic their parents and grandparents were raised on, to b...

Netanyahu tells Israel 'We are at war' after Hamas launches an unprecedented attack on the country

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:05 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The ruling Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. Six hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities in a surprising show of strength that shook the country. Social media was replete with videos of Hamas fighters parading what appeared to be stolen Israeli military vehicles through the streets and at least one dead Israeli soldier within Gaza being dragged and trampled by an angry crowd of Palestinians shouting “God is Great." The military declined to give details about casualties or kidnappings as it continued to battle the infiltrators.“We are at war,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address, declar...

Netanyahu tells Israel ‘We are at war’ after Hamas launches an unprecedented attack on the country

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:05 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The ruling Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. Six hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities in a surprising show of strength that shook the country. Social media was replete with videos of Hamas fighters parading what appeared to be stolen Israeli military vehicles through the streets and at least one dead Israeli soldier within Gaza being dragged and trampled by an angry crowd of Palestinians shouting “God is Great.” The military declined to give details about casualties or kidnappings as it continued to battle the infiltrators.“We are at war,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address, ...

MIURA 1 SN1 mission test flight - PLD Space successfully completes first private space rocket launch in Europe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:05 GMT

The Spanish company PLD Space has made history after successfully completing the launch of the first private European rocket, MIURA 1. The maiden flight of its suborbital launcher showcases the advanced level of technology and know-how that has been developed by the company since 2011. This milestone achievement furthermore reinforces PLD Space's leading position in the global space race, while building national and European strategic capabilities.The first launch of MIURA 1 took place at 02:19 CET (00:19 UTC) in the early hours of Saturday 7 October at the facilities of the El Arenosillo Experimentation Centre (CEDEA), belonging to the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA). PLD Space has fulfilled the primary mission objectives related to engine thrust, trajectory tracking and launcher behaviour.The flight lasted 306 seconds in which MIURA 1 reached apogee at an altitude of 46 kilometres. The mission concluded with the rocket landing in the Atlantic Ocean and t...

2023: The resurgence of anti-semitism

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:05 GMT

110 years ago, in 1913, Mendel Beilis, a Jewish factory manager in Kyiv faced false accusations of murdering a Christian boy. The Beilis trial was one of the most high-profile cases of a blood libel against Jews — a prejudice that goes back to ancient times and has cost the lives of countless Jewish people. The trial was followed by a series of pogroms throughout the Russian Empire, which in turn triggered a wave of emigration of Jews from Russia. Today we are witnessing a disturbing revival of a centuries-old practice that has taken on more sophisticated forms. This week, a number of major Western media outlets, including CNN, AP, The Globe and Mail, ABCNews to name a few, simultaneously published materials suggesting that Israeli weapons played the main role in Azerbaijan's retaking of its territory of Karabakh from the separatists. Do not be deceived: behind the sanitised phrases lies the same sinister innuendo: because of the actions of the Jews, Christians have suffered once ag...

Word Game: Oct. 7, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:05 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — SECTION (SECTION: SEK-shun: A distinct part or portion of something.)Average mark 35 wordsTime limit 40 minutesCan you find 42 or more words in SECTION? The list will be published Monday.YESTERDAY’S WORD — SERPENT seen seep seer sent sept sere sneer spent spree steep steer step stern strep enter erne rent repent resent reset rest peen peer pent perse pert pest pester peter preen present preset nest nester teen tense tenser tern terse treeTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allo...

Ask Amy: They kept talking during the minute of silence. What should I have done?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:05 GMT

Dear Amy: I was on an Alaskan cruise in September. On Sept. 11 the ship made an announcement at about noon that we would have a minute of silence to commemorate 9/11.I was in the dining area. Within a few seconds there was silence among most of the hundreds of people there, many of whom were probably not Americans.At the table adjacent to me was a family (who were not speaking English) who continued to talk among themselves.I was tempted to walk over with an image of the World Trade Center on my phone to explain what was going on without speaking.However, I did not do anything but reverently bow my head as the minute passed. They continued to talk during the whole observance.Should I have taken some action?If I was visiting a country where I did not know the language and everyone was suddenly silent I would have followed the crowd and been silent myself.– Alaskan TravelerDear Traveler: If you are traveling in a country where you don’t speak or understand the language, announcements ...

Harriette Cole: I outed a cheating husband, and I didn’t expect the repercussions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:05 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently found out that my friend’s husband has been cheating on her.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: It’s hard to resist getting even with my no-show friend Advice | Harriette Cole: It seems like my co-workers are avoiding me. Is it because of how I got hired? Advice | Harriette Cole: When she acted puzzled about my marriage, it got me thinking Advice | Harriette Cole: I’m wondering if his new wife is the reason he won’t see me Advice | Harriette Cole: People say I’m clairvoyant, but in this case it didn’t help me When I had all the facts and knew with 100% certainty that he was cheating, I decided to tell her about his infidelity. I presented her with all the factual evidence, and she believed it.Unfortunately, my friend ultimately decided that it wasn’t a big deal. She confronted him about it, and they worked it out. Now her husband d...

What’s open, closed on Indigenous Peoples’/Columbus Day 2023 in DC area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:05 GMT

FILE - A sign is held aloft during an Indigenous Peoples Day march, Oct. 9, 2017, in Seattle. Native American people will celebrate their centuries-long history of resilience on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, through ceremonies, dances and speeches. The events across the United States will come two years after President Joe Biden officially commemorated Indigenous Peoples Day. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)(AP/Elaine Thompson) FILE - A sign is held aloft during an Indigenous Peoples Day march, Oct. 9, 2017, in Seattle. Native American people will celebrate their centuries-long history of resilience on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, through ceremonies, dances and speeches. The events across the United States will come two years after President Joe Biden officially commemorated Ind...