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Former US ambassador arrested in Miami, accused of serving as an agent of Cuba, AP source says

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:16:24 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — A former American diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia has been arrested in a long-running FBI counterintelligence investigation, accused of secretly serving as an agent of Cuba’s government, The Associated Press has learned.Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested in Miami on Friday on a criminal complaint and more details about the case are expected to be made public at a court appearance Monday, said two people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing federal investigation.One of the people said the Justice Department case accuses Rocha of working to promote the Cuban government’s interests. Federal law requires people doing the political bidding of a foreign government or entity inside the U.S. to register with the Justice Department, which in recent years has stepped up its criminal enforcement of illicit foreign lobbying.The Justice Department declined to comment. It was not immediately clear if Rocha ...

64-year-old man reported missing from Coral Springs back home safe, police say

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:16:24 GMT

Police have located a man who was reported missing from Coral Springs.According to Coral Springs Police, 64-year-old Ricardo Sweetney had been last seen by family members driving away from the area of 6200 block of Wiles Road, at around 8:45 a.m., Sunday.Investigators said he was supposed to drive to Faith Center Church in Sunrise and instead wound up at an AT&T store in Jupiter. He was last seen leaving the latter location at around 3 p.m.Sweetney stands 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs around 280 pounds. He was last seen wearing a tan two-piece suit, a light blue dress shirt, a bow tie and brown shoes.Police said he was behind the wheel of a white 2013 Volkswagen Passat.Just after 10:10 p.m., police confirmed Sweetney returned home safely.

The state of the climate in 9 charts

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:16:24 GMT

World leaders in Dubai for the United Nations’ COP28 climate conference are confronted with a conundrum: how to save a planet that is already burning.Preliminary data indicate that 2023 will earn the “dubious honor” of becoming the hottest year on record, according to Samantha Burgess, the director of the climate change service for the European Union. She added that “the sense of urgency for ambitious climate action has never been more critical.”Yet greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise, suggesting more climate records are likely to be shattered in the years ahead. The EU, together with a few major historical polluters like the United States and the United Kingdom, is bucking the global trend by having cut greenhouse gas emissions by around one-third since 1990. But the EU is still far from achieving its goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050.While acknowledging the progress made in tackling the climate crisis, the U.N. Environment Program’s ...

How to stop Ukraine’s NATO bid from derailing Washington summit

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:16:24 GMT

John R. Deni is a research professor at the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute. He’s the author of “NATO and Article 5.” The views expressed are his own.Marking the 75th anniversary of NATO’s founding, the alliance’s next summit in Washington is just months away, and allies are eagerly preparing the agenda.This time around, several member countries are keen to avoid the kind of divisive discussions over Ukraine’s path to membership that publicly played out at last year’s summit in Vilnius — and none more so than hosting nation the United States.Along these lines, at last week’s meeting of NATO foreign ministers, allies provided Ukraine with recommendations for priority reforms, which would be necessary to meet before the country can join the alliance. However, it’s unclear whether this will be enough to convince Central and Eastern Europeans — the most ardent supporters of pulling Ukraine into NATO — that they should drop any additional efforts in the run-up to the ...

The Qatargate Files: Hundreds of leaked documents reveal scale of EU corruption scandal 

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:16:24 GMT

The Qatargate Files: Hundreds of leaked documents reveal scale of EU corruption scandal Evidence from the European Parliament’s graft investigation provides a record of more than 300 alleged attempts to manipulate EU democracy.Elisa Braun, Gian Volpicelli and Eddy WaxIllustration by Dato ParulavaBRUSSELS — Call them the Qatargate annual reports. A vast cache of leaked documents from the police investigation into the biggest corruption case to hit the EU in decades — seen by POLITICO — uncovers the full extent of the European Parliament’s money-for-influence scandal. Over four years the files suggest that key suspects, including former Member of the European Parliament Pier Antonio Panzeri and his aide Francesco Giorgi, meticulously recorded alleged attempts to manipulate the Parliament, the EU’s foremost democratic body, and wider policy debates. Their suspected paymasters in Qatar, Morocco and Mauritania spent around €4 million for the work, according to c...

Denial, grief, acceptance: Inside the Qatargate police interrogations 

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:16:24 GMT

Denial, grief, acceptance: Inside the Qatargate police interrogations In the dramatic first few hours after they were arrested, the EU corruption suspects tried to explain themselves to police. Here’s what they said.Gian Volpicelli, Eddy Wax and Elisa BraunIllustration by Dato ParulavaBRUSSELS — On December 9 last year, the weather in Brussels turned freezing. As a blanket of icy fog engulfed the city, police began a series of raids, rounding up key suspects in a corruption scandal that would rock the European Union to its core. The suspects, who included the Parliament’s glamorous vice-president, Eva Kaili, were interrogated in custody in the hours and days that followed. Later, some received preliminary charges of membership of a criminal organization, corruption and money laundering. A cache of police documents, seen by POLITICO, includes transcripts of the initial police interviews with four of the individuals suspected of being at the center of the cas...

Brad Marchand gets natural hat trick in 3rd period; Bruins beat Blue Jackets, 3-1

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:16:24 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Brad Marchand recorded a natural hat trick in the third period to lead the Boston Bruins to a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night.Facing each other for the second time in six days, the Bruins got some payback for a 5-2 loss in Columbus with their third straight victory.“They don’t come often,” Marchand said of his first career natural hat trick. “It’s just sometimes how it goes. Sometimes you get the bounces, sometimes you don’t.”Jeremy Swayman, pulled in the loss at Columbus in the second period, made 24 saves.“He’s a world-class player,” Swayman said of Marchand. “He’s going to keep goalies guessing.”Boone Jenner scored for the Blue Jackets, who lost for the third time in five games, and Spencer Martin stopped 25 shots.Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy blocked a shot in the closing minute and skated to the bench slowly.Trailing 1-0, the Bruins tied it 1:56 into the third when Marchand’s shot from the right circle defl...

Patriots defender sounds off on offense, losing streak: ‘It’s f—ing frustrating’

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:16:24 GMT

FOXBORO — After Sunday’s shutout loss to the Chargers, the Patriots became the first NFL team in 85 years to lose three straight games while allowing 10 or fewer points in each outing.The Pats have reached historic levels of offensive futility, despite a recent change at quarterback. Backup Bailey Zappe went 13-of-25 for 141 yards Sunday in place of Mac Jones, while the offense went scoreless. Naturally, frustration has simmered in the locker room.Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux gave voice to that frustration in a long post-game interview with the Herald.“It’s frustrating. It’s frustrating. I’m not gonna sit up here and say, ‘You know, I still believe.’ It’s f—ing frustrating. Anybody can tell you that,” Godchaux said. “You know, I thought Zappe made some good throws today. I thought there was a couple balls we could’ve caught as receivers, and those guys would tell you the same thing, too. They can take acco...

Rams get 4th down stop, you get free nachos

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:16:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The Los Angeles Rams defense stopped the opposing team on the 4th down, so Southern California fans win free nachos at El Torito. The deal is redeemable at all Southern California El Torito locations, including the one on Baltimore Drive in La Mesa. You can get your free nachos after 2 p.m. on Sunday, and for two days following game day. DIRECTV Holiday Bowl: Watch Louisville vs USC live from Petco Park Just tell your server "free nachos" to get one free order of Rampage Nachos per table, per visit. The LA Rams won against the Cleveland Browns 19-36 Sunday afternoon.

11 bodies recovered after volcanic eruption in Indonesia, and 22 climbers are still missing

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:16:24 GMT

PADANG, Indonesia (AP) — The bodies of 11 climbers were recovered Monday after a furious eruption of the Mount Marapi volcano as Indonesian rescuers searched for at least 22 others reportedly missing.Mount Marapi in Agam district in West Sumatra province spewed thick columns of ash as high as 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) into the sky in a sudden eruption Sunday and hot ash clouds spread several miles (kilometers). Villages and nearby towns were blanketed by tons of volcanic debris.About 75 climbers started their way up the nearly 2,900-meter (9,480-foot) mountain on Saturday and became stranded. Eight of those rescued Sunday were rushed to hospitals with burn wounds and one also had a broken limb, said Hari Agustian, an official at the local Search and Rescue Agency in Padang, the provincial capital.West Sumatra’s Search and Rescue Agency head Abdul Malik said rescuers on Monday morning found 11 bodies of climbers as they searched for those who still missing and rescued three others.“T...