Germany tells Israeli government to stop West Bank settlement construction

Germany tells Israeli government to stop West Bank settlement construction

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany on Friday called on the Israeli government to stop settlement construction in the West Bank after Israel's far-right finance minister said work would start on a plan for thousands of home that would divide the Palestinian territory. Germany "firmly rejects the Israeli government's announcements regarding the approval of thousands of new housing units in Israeli settlements in the West Bank," said a foreign ministry spokesperson in a statement. Plans for the "E1" settlement and the expansion of Maale Adumim would further restrict the mobility of the Palestinian population in the West Bank by splitting it in half and cutting the area off from East Jerusalem, said the spokesperson. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Thursday that work would start on the long-delayed settlement, a move that his office said would "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state. In a statement, Smotrich's spokesperson said the minister had approved the plan to build 3,401 houses for Israeli settlers between an existing settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Germany has repeatedly warned the Israeli government to stop settlement construction in the West Bank, which violates international law and U.N. Security Council resolutions. Such moves complicate steps towards a negotiated two-state solution and end to Israeli occupation of the West Bank, said the spokesperson. (Writing by Miranda Murray, Editing by Rachel More)

byMario Satorik

in

August 15, 2025

Germany tells Israeli government to stop West Bank settlement construction

Germany tells Israeli government to stop West Bank settlement construction BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany on Friday called on the Israeli governm...

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Turkish authorities detain Istanbul district mayor in sweeping crackdown on opposition

Turkish authorities detain Istanbul district mayor in sweeping crackdown on opposition

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish authorities detained the mayor of a key Istanbul district along with some 40 other officials on Friday, intensifying asweeping crackdown on the country's opposition. Inan Guney, mayor of Istanbul's Beyoglu district, was taken into custody as part of an investigation into alleged corruption, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Guney's bodyguard, his advisor and other aides were among those detained, the Birgun newspaper and other media reported. Beyoglu district is held by the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP. Municipalities controlled by the CHP have faced waves of arrests this year, beginningwith the targetingofIstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamogluin March. A popular opposition figure, Imamoglu is widely regarded as the main challenger to PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan'stwo-decade rule and is the CHP's candidate for a presidential election due in 2028. Critics argue the legal actions are politically motivated, aimed at undermining the CHP's growing influence. Erdogan's government insists the courts operate independently without political interference. Istanbul and a string of major cities fell to the CHP in 2019, with the opposition further extending its control inlast year's municipal elections. Imamoglu's jailing led tothe largest protests in Turkeyfor more than a decade, with demonstrators denouncing a democratic backsliding under Erdogan.

byMario Satorik

in

August 15, 2025

Turkish authorities detain Istanbul district mayor in sweeping crackdown on opposition

Turkish authorities detain Istanbul district mayor in sweeping crackdown on opposition ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish authorities detained th...

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Arch Manning doesn't make Manning Award watch list

Arch Manning doesn't make Manning Award watch list

Arch Manning is the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, but he's not officially on the radar of the award named after his family. Yet. The watch list for the 2025 Manning Award, which recognizes the nation's top quarterback,was released Thursdaywith 27 different quarterbacks making the cut. Manning, whose family is the namesake of the award, wasn't one of them. Manning entered the Texas program as one of the most-hyped recruits in college football history and is taking over the starting job after two seasons of backing up Quinn Ewers. Hewas the favorite to go first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, untilhis grandfather Archie said he expected him to stay at Texas for his senior season. There is a reason for Manning not making the Manning Award watch list, though. Every quarterback who made the cut saw significantly more action last year than the 21-year-old, who appeared in 10 games but started only two for Longhorns. The Manning Award's announcement makes clear that additional quarterbacks will be added to the watch list as the season progresses, and you would figure that Manning will be an easy choice if he performs as expected. And if he is one of the frontrunners, we'll see how he does with a voting panel that includes multiple family members. The Manning family might even be in on some kind of joke here, as Archie is directly quoted in the release saying they will review the newcomers: "We're looking forward to another exciting year of college football," said Archie Manning. "I'd like to thank the Sugar Bowl for continuing to build the tradition of the Manning Award which now has over 20 years of honoring the top quarterbacks in the country for the entire football season. This year we have another great group on our preseason Watch List; in October, we'll review the transfers and other newcomers and then boost the Watch List with the best from that group." If you're curious, here's the full list of quarterbacks on the preseason watch list, which includes Penn State's Drew Allar and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, the new favorites to go first overall in the draft next year. Drew Allar, Sr., Penn StateLuke Altmyer, Sr., IllinoisCJ Bailey, So., NC StateRocco Becht, Jr., Iowa StateTucker Gleason, Sr., ToledoTaylen Green, Sr., ArkansasJosh Hoover, Jr., TCUBlake Horvath, Sr., NavyKatin Houser, Jr., East CarolinaKeyone Jenkins, Jr., FIUKevin Jennings, Jr., SMUAvery Johnson, Jr., Kansas StateColton Joseph, So., Old DominionHaynes King, Sr., Georgia TechCade Klubnik, Sr., ClemsonSam Leavitt, So., Arizona StateMaddux Madsen, Jr., Boise StateOwen McCown, So., UTSABehren Morton, Sr., Texas TechParker Navarro, Sr., OhioGarrett Nussmeier, Sr., LSUDiego Pavia, Sr., VanderbiltMarcel Reed, So., Texas A&MSawyer Robertson, Sr., BaylorLaNorris Sellers, So., South CarolinaBrendan Sorsby, Jr., CincinnatiNicholas Vattiato, Sr., Middle Tennessee

byMario Satorik

in

August 14, 2025

Arch Manning doesn't make Manning Award watch list

Arch Manning doesn't make Manning Award watch list Arch Manning is the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, but he's not officially on...

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Robert MacIntyre birdies last six holes to seize BMW lead

Robert MacIntyre birdies last six holes to seize BMW lead

Robert MacIntyre of Scotland birdied his last six holes to blow past Scottie Scheffler and grab the first-round lead of the BMW Championship on Thursday in Owings Mills, Md. MacIntyre posted an 8-under-par 62 at Caves Valley Golf Club, which also hosted this tournament in 2021 and produced a plethora of low scores, including a 27-under winning mark for Patrick Cantlay. Nobody went lower than MacIntyre to open this year's edition. He will take a three-stroke lead over Englishman Tommy Fleetwood into Friday. Scheffler (4-under 66) is alone in third after taking the lead into the clubhouse in the day. MacIntyre entered the week 20th in the FedEx Cup standings. The top 30 after Sunday qualify for next week's Tour Championship, and a strong finish in Maryland would take MacIntyre far away from that bubble. The 29-year-old said he didn't believe a 62 was likely for anyone Thursday. "There's chances. If you drive the ball well, it does give you chances," MacIntyre said. "... I'm sure the next couple of days won't be as easy." MacIntyre birdied the 11th hole but bogeyed the 12th to sit at 2 under for his round Thursday afternoon. His remarkable birdie run began with a 66-foot putt at the par-3 13th and a 40-footer at No. 14. In fact, the first five birdies of that streak all came from at least 11 feet out. At No. 18, he knocked his approach shot to inside 5 feet for the exclamation point. "Probably the last six holes is probably as good as I've ever putted in a stretch of holes," said MacIntyre, whose big moment this year was a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open. "Just so consistent." Fleetwood's bogey-free 65 included a long putt of his own, a nearly 34-foot left-to-righter on the final hole to move past Scheffler for second. "To go bogey-free around there is really, really good," said Fleetwood. "I think I made like two or three really good par saves, but apart from that, I did a lot of things well." Fleetwood nearly captured his first PGA Tour victory last week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship but a late bogey kept him out of a playoff eventually won by countryman Justin Rose. There was a two-hour, 13-minute delay in the afternoon due to lightning in the area. When play resumed, Scheffler birdied three of his final four holes to set the early pace at 4-under 66. "Significantly softer," Scheffler said of how the course changed. "The fairways were really rolling out to start the day. Greens were firm. So yeah, golf course changed pretty significantly after the delay." Tied at 3-under 67 are Rickie Fowler, Ben Griffin and Norway's Viktor Hovland. Hovland, the 2023 BMW and FedEx Cup champion, needs a strong week to stay inside the top 30; he entered at No. 28. "It's still another tournament," Hovland said. "I've still got to play well, and then we'll see how it shakes up. If I play halfway decent, that top 30 shouldn't be an issue. Just trying not to lose my mind out there if it goes south." Fan favorite Fowler leapt from No. 64 to No. 48 by tying for sixth last week at the St. Jude. Another high finish could place him in the Tour Championship field for just the second time this decade. "I feel like things have been heading in the right direction, and I've been in a good spot for a few months now of knowing where the game is and it's continuing to get better," Fowler said. "This (course) is a bit different. It's a lot different test than what Memphis gave us last week, but with how the game has been, in a way kind of playing the last two weeks -- more so this week probably in a way, more so nothing to lose." --Field Level Media

byMario Satorik

in

August 14, 2025

Robert MacIntyre birdies last six holes to seize BMW lead

Robert MacIntyre birdies last six holes to seize BMW lead Robert MacIntyre of Scotland birdied his last six holes to blow past Scottie Schef...

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FBI returns 16th-century stolen document signed by conquistador Hernán Cortés to Mexico

FBI returns 16th-century stolen document signed by conquistador Hernán Cortés to Mexico

A 16th-century document signed by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés has been found decades after it was stolen from Mexico's national archives and was repatriated to the country on Aug. 13, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced. The "priceless cultural artifact" was returned to the government of Mexico in a ceremony, according to the FBI. Special Agent Jessica Dittmer, a member of the FBI's Art Crime Team, said the document was the original manuscript page signed byCortéson Feb. 20, 1527. Authorities believe the manuscript page was stolen in the 1980s or 1990s, according to the FBI. Dittmer noted that no one will be charged in connection with the theft because the document had changed hands various times in the decades since its disappearance. "Pieces like this are considered protected cultural property and represent valuable moments in Mexico's history, so this is something that the Mexicans have in their archives for the purpose of understanding history better," Dittmer said in a statement. The manuscript page is thesecond Cortés documentthe FBI has returned to the Mexican government, according to the agency. In July 2023, the FBI returned a letter — which dates back to April 1527 — from Cortés authorizing a purchase of rose sugar. The FBI said the repatriation of the document was a result of collaboration between the agency, the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Mexican government. For decades, Mexico has sought the repatriation of cultural artifacts, including a delicate headdress made of iridescent quetzal feathers thought to have belonged to Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II, currently housed in an Austrian museum. Many ended up in US museums:Nazis seized hundreds of artworks from anti-Hitler comic. Before the document went missing, the FBI said Mexico's General Archive of the Nation had counted the manuscript in a collection of historical documents that were signed by Cortés. While archivists were microfilming the collection in October 1993 for inventory, they discovered that 15 pages of the manuscript were missing. It is believed that the manuscript page was stolen between 1985 and 1993 due to a wax numbering system used by archivists in the mid-1980s, according to Dittmer. The system also helped investigators find and authenticate the document, the FBI said. In 2024, the Mexican government asked for the assistance of the FBI's Art Crime Team in locating the manuscript page, according to the agency. The FBI said further investigation and research revealed that the document was likely in the United States. Investigators then worked with the FBI Atlanta Field Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York to find the relevant records and track down the missing manuscript. The FBI is still searching for the other missing pages and has urged the public to contact their New York Field Office withany potential informationon the documents. Cambodian artifacts:Family of late billionaire agrees to return 33 stolen artifacts to Cambodia The manuscript page "outlines the payment of pesos of common gold for expenses in preparation for discovery of the spice lands, so it really gives a lot of flavor as to the planning and preparation for unchartered territory back then," Dittmer said. She added that the document is considered historically significant because it contains a complete account of logistical and planning details tied to Cortés' journey through what eventually became the territory of the Spanish Empire, known as New Spain. The territory stretched from present-day Washington state to Louisiana and down through Latin America, according to the FBI. Cortés landed in Mexico with a small army in 1519 when he formed alliances with local groups that opposed the Aztec empire, which helped him capture the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan — modern-day Mexico City — just two years later. The date of the document, Feb. 20, 1527, was days before one of Cortés' top lieutenants was appointed co-governor of the conquered territory. It was a key year for the formation of royal and religious institutions that would rule over the indigenous peoples of Mexico until the War of Independence. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:FBI returns 16th-century document signed by Hernán Cortés to Mexico

byMario Satorik

in

August 14, 2025

FBI returns 16th-century stolen document signed by conquistador Hernán Cortés to Mexico

FBI returns 16th-century stolen document signed by conquistador Hernán Cortés to Mexico A 16th-century document signed by Spanish conquistad...

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On India's Independence Day, Modi vows to punish Pakistan for future attacks

On India's Independence Day, Modi vows to punish Pakistan for future attacks

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan that India will punish its neighbor if there are future attacks on India as he marked 78 years of independence from British colonial rule. Modi's remarks Friday come three months after nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan engaged infour days of intense fighting, their worst clash in decades. Modi addressed the country from New Delhi's 17th-century, Mughal-era Red Fort, saying India has established a "new normal" that does not differentiate between "terrorists" and those who support terrorism. He said he would not tolerate what he called Islamabad's "nuclear blackmail." "India has decided that it will not tolerate nuclear threats. For a long time, nuclear blackmail had been going on but this blackmail will not be tolerated now," Modi said. Pakistan previously has rejected India's statements about nuclear blackmail as provocative and inflammatory. India celebrates its Independence Day one day after Pakistan. The two states came into existence as a result of the bloody partition of British India in 1947. The process sparked some of the worst communal violence the world has seen and left hundreds of thousands dead. It triggered one of the largest human migrations in history and some 12 million people fled their homes. India and Pakistan exchangedtit-for-tat military strikesin May that brought them to the brink of a war. The fighting between the two countries was sparked by anApril massacreby gunmen in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists. India blamed the attack on Pakistan-backed militants. Islamabad denied responsibility while calling for a neutral investigation. Days after the massacre,India launched strikes on Pakistanand said it had hit nine "terrorist infrastructure" sites. "Terror infrastructure was turned to rubble," Modi said in his speech Friday. Pakistan responded by sending waves of drones into India, as well as missile and artillery bombardments. Dozens of people were killed on both sides until a ceasefire was reached May 10 after U.S. mediation. Pakistan immediately claimed it shot down six Indian aircraft during the clashes, including a French-made Rafale fighter. India acknowledged some losses but did not provide details. Last week, India's air force chief said India shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other military aircraft during clashes in the first such public claim by India. Pakistan rejected it, saying both sides should open their aircraft inventories to independent verification. During his Friday speech, Modi also hinted India would continue its unilateral suspension of the Indus Water Treaty. The treaty, which India suspended after the April massacre, allows sharing of the Indus River that runs about 2,897 kilometers (1,800 miles) through South Asia and is a lifeline for both countries. "Rivers from India were irrigating the lands of enemies while my country's farmers and land faced a deficiency of water," Modi said. "India has now decided that blood and water will not flow together." Pakistan has said any effort by India to stop or divert the water from flowing into Pakistan would be considered an "act of war." Modi did not directly mention U.S.President Donald Trump'stariffs on Indiain his Independence Day speech but said he would not compromise on the agriculture sector, one of the main sticking points in trade negotiations with the U.S. Earlier this month, Trump imposed a 25% penalty on India in addition to 25% tariffs forbuying oiland weapons from Russia. India has resisted U.S. pressure to open its markets to some farm products as Modi's government is unwilling to risk angering farmers, who are a powerful voting bloc. "India will not compromise on interest of farmers," Modi said.

byMario Satorik

in

August 14, 2025

On India's Independence Day, Modi vows to punish Pakistan for future attacks

On India's Independence Day, Modi vows to punish Pakistan for future attacks NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned...

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Little League World Series pleads for fans to not bet on games involving children

Little League World Series pleads for fans to not bet on games involving children

Gambling has become ubiquitous at nearly every level of every sport these days. The organizers of the Little League World Series would like it to stay away their tournament. Withthe LLWS in full swing, Little League Internationalreleased a statement Thursdaystating there is no place for sports betting on its games or any other youth competition. The full statement: While Little League® International continues to monitor the complexity and ever-evolving world of sports betting, we feel strongly that there is no place for betting on Little League games or on any youth sports competition. Little League is a trusted place where children are learning the fundamentals of the games and all the important life lessons that come with having fun, celebrating teamwork, and playing with integrity, and no one should be exploiting the success and failures of children playing the game they love for their own personal gain. The 2025 Little League World Series is currently taking place with its championship game scheduled for Aug. 24. While no major sportsbooks offer odds on a tournament that features children ranging from 10 to 12 years old, the same is not true for unregulated, overseas sportsbooks. The brand manager of one such firm, in its fourth year of offering LLWS odds,told the Patchit will see more bets on Little League games than "any professional tennis or soccer match over the next two weeks." The floodgates opened for sports betting with a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2018, with each state allowed to determine the legality and advertisements flooding the media environment. MLB, the NFL, the NBA and many more leagues all have official gambling partners. The transition has definitely not been without incident. Setting aside the ethical concerns ofgambling addictionsandpersonal bankruptcies, problems in baseball have included players sidelined forallegedly tipping the scales on micro-bets involving their pitchesandhorrific death threats against players they supposedly let down. It's understandable why Little League doesn't want that influence to reach its players, with all of its advertisers banned from using any sort of gambling imagery. Still, the bettors are clearly out there.

byMario Satorik

in

August 14, 2025

Little League World Series pleads for fans to not bet on games involving children

Little League World Series pleads for fans to not bet on games involving children Gambling has become ubiquitous at nearly every level of ev...

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