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Israeli forces shell southern Lebanon border village after rocket lands near disputed territory

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli forces shelled a southern Lebanese border village on Thursday after several explosions were heard in a disputed area where the borders of Syria, Lebanon and Israel meet.Tensions continue to flare in the border area over two tents erected by the militant group Hezbollah and Israel’s building of a wall around the Lebanese part of a village that Israeli troops captured during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.A Lebanese military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of not being cleared to provide information to journalists said one rocket was fired toward Israel from the border town of Kfar Chouba and that Israeli forces responded with two rocket attacks.The Israeli Defense Forces first said no explosion took place in their territory and only on the Lebanese side of the border near Ghajar. Minutes later, they said a Lebanese rocket landed in Israeli territory near the border and that Israeli forces have since shelled parts of Kfar Chouba. It was un...

Jailed man in Fairfax Co. dies at hospital

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

A death investigation is underway after a man being held at Fairfax County, Virginia’s Adult Detention Center died at a hospital.Todd Matthew Gleason, 51, was arrested on June 17 for an outstanding warrant for petit larceny and failure to appear on a felony offense.After his arrest, Fairfax County police said Gleason asked to be taken to the hospital for a preexisting injury. He was hospitalized and medically cleared for release that same day, before being taken to the detention center.“There was no force used” during Gleason’s arrest, according to a news release.Police said after Gleason complained about stomach and leg pain on the morning of July 3, an ambulance transported him to a hospital. A magistrate released Gleason from custody while hospitalized later that night.Gleason died at the hospital the next morning. An autopsy is planned.Source

No more free coffee on your birthday? Companies rein in customer rewards programs — here’s why

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Reward programs, including birthday freebies and discounts, have long been a way for brands to build loyalty and incentivize spending. But now some companies are becoming a bit more stingy — and customers are taking notice.Last fall, for example, many balked at Dunkin’s decision to stop offering a free drink on their birthday and instead give them triple loyalty points on their purchase. On June 1, Sephora started requiring a $25 minimum purchase for online customers looking to claim a free gift and 250 loyalty points during their birthday month. And Red Robin added a dine-in only and $4.99 minimum purchase requirement for customers to get their free birthday burger.Changes to birthday rewards or redemption requirements aren’t new. Starbucks, which gives its rewards members a free drink or food item for their birthdays, progressively limited the timeframe for redeeming that gift over the years — from 30 days, to one week, to four days and, finally, to just th...

Emergency crews block off 2 right lanes on I-395 causing traffic delays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

A crash on Interstate 395 (MacArthur Causeway) caused significant traffic in Miami, Thursday morning. Just before 6 a.m., emergency crews, beyond Watson Island, have blocked off two right lanes on the eastbound lanes of the causeway as they examine the wreckage. Travelers heading east on the causeway are forced to pass through one left lane, where congestion will be evident. Morning commuters may take Interstate 195 as an alternate route.

A big change is coming to Subway restaurants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

New York (CNN) — To undercut its fast-growing rivals, Subway is making a big change to its meats.The chain’s roughly 20,000 US locations will freshly slice their deli meat beginning Wednesday, marking Subway’s biggest change since two years ago, when it began refreshing its menu offerings, ingredients and restaurant appearances to boost once-sagging sales and make itself an attractive acquisition target.Subway has struggled in recent years as competition in the industry has ramped up, and the staid brand has fallen out of favor with customers. As part of its turnaround effort, the company added customization to its menu – a feature many rivals have popularized – which helped lift sales nearly 8% at American stores last year. Subway doubled down on pushing orders to its app, which helped digital sales. Fresh-sliced meat is another step in that direction, although the payoff remains to be seen.Around 80% of stores will display the $6,000 slicers prominently (space permitting) near the...

EU’s disability card needs to go beyond good intentions, say activists

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

An EU scheme to make urban life easier for people with disabilities promised to do away with bureaucracy and help them access key services — but cities and regions aren’t all on the same page, frustrating rights groups.The European Disability Card was intended to extend mutual recognition of disability status across eight EU countries — Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Malta, Romania and Slovenia — and give holders access to a variety of benefits like public transport passes, free tickets to cultural venues and discounts for gyms and swimming pools.Touting the success of the pilot program, which was launched in 2016, the European Commission has pledged to present a proposal for an EU-wide disability card by the end of 2023. But people with disabilities and activist groups say the scheme needs urgent fixes before it can be expanded across the bloc.“The pilot projects did not go far enough, did not cover important areas and services, and many places and provi...

French senators want a wider TikTok ban

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

PARIS — French senators want Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok to be banned for the staff of strategic companies, according to a 183-page long report released Thursday. “ByteDance and TikTok are dependent on China on every level: technical, capital, political and legal,” the rapporteur, Senator Claude Malhuret, told reporters. In March, the French Senate launched an inquiry committee into the popular platform, in a bid to look at “the use of the social network TikTok, its exploitation of data, its strategy of influence, propaganda and disinformation.”After weeks of hearings — including with Digital Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, regulators, TikTok France lobbyists and researchers — the lawmakers have listed 21 recommendations. Among them is an extension of the TikTok ban on civil servants’ phones to the staff of so-called operators of vital importance. For security reasons, the list of such operators is not public, but includes organizations in the military, ...

2 NJ firefighters die while battling cargo ship blaze

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

(WHDH) — Two New Jersey firefighters were killed and several others injured while battling a multi-alarm blaze on a cargo ship, officials said.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Border Patrol weapon among items stolen from Maine home where 4 were killed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

BOWDOIN, Maine (AP) — Two people are being held in the theft of items including a federal officer’s gun from a home where four people were killed in April, a sheriff said Wednesday.Several guns that were stolen June 19 included a service weapon belonging to a U.S. Border Patrol agent whose parents — Robert Eger, 72, and Patti Eger, 62 — were killed in the attack two months earlier, Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry said.The agent was staying in his parents’ home when the items were taken, Merry said.The Egers, along with their longtime friends Cynthia Eaton, 62, and David Eaton, 66, had been killed in the home. The Eatons’ son, Joseph Eaton, 34, has been charged in the killings and is awaiting trial.It’s not known if the people under investigation for the burglary, Michael J. Hall, 40, of Brunswick, and Jeanne I. Doughty, 43, of Bowdoin, knew about what had happened in the home, Merry said.Hall and Doughty were being held without bail on Wednesday, nearly a week ...

Grant Williams going to Mavs from Celtics in a 3-team trade that includes Spurs, AP source says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

The Dallas Mavericks are acquiring Grant Williams from Boston in a sign-and-trade deal that includes the San Antonio Spurs, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Wednesday night.Dallas is sending guard Reggie Bullock and a 2030 pick swap to the Spurs, while the Mavericks and Celtics will receive multiple second-round picks, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no trades can be finalized before Thursday.Williams’ contract is for $54 million over four years.The Mavericks made it clear they thought their roster needed work after missing the playoffs when the pairing of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving faltered in the two months after the blockbuster deal that brought Irving from Brooklyn in February.Irving and the Mavs have agreed on a $126 million, three-year contract that should become official when free agent deals can be signed, starting Thursday. Center Dwight Powell also is set to return.The 6-foot-6 Williams will cha...