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Ireland soccer great Robbie Keane hired to coach Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:42 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Former Ireland great Robbie Keane was hired Monday to coach Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv, his first job leading a team that plays in European soccer competitions.The club said Keane signed a two-year contract and will arrive in Tel Aviv in the coming days.Maccabi will play in the Europa Conference League on July 27, facing Romanian club Petrocub Hîncești in the second qualifying round.The former Tottenham, Liverpool, Inter Milan and LA Galaxy forward briefly coached in India in 2018. He has been an assistant with Ireland and, for the final four games of last season, with another of his former clubs, Leeds.Keane’s 146 national team appearances and 68 goals are both Ireland records.“Robbie brings the mentality, character, energy and focus of a winner, traits he exhibited everywhere he played,” Maccabi’s owner, Canadian real estate developer Mitch Goldhar, said in a statement.Maccabi finished third in the Israeli league last season, coached for the second half ...

Denver weather: Upper 80s and sunny

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:42 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) - The Front Range and Denver weather keeps the sunny skies in the forecast with warm highs in the upper 80s Monday.Weather Monday: Nearing 90 degreesMostly sunny skies stay in the forecast Monday with highs getting close to 90 degrees. If DIA hits 90, it'll be the first time this year. Winds will get stronger in the early afternoon.Monday, June 26 will be warm with abundant sunshine and a light breeze.Weather Monday night: Clear and mildSkies stay clear overnight with a light breeze lingering. Lows will be mild, dipping into the upper 50s.Skies will be clear Monday night, it will still be warm with the low in the high 50s on June 26.Looking ahead: Storm chances, more mildAbundant sunshine is also here for Tuesday afternoon with highs in the low 90s. Wednesday will be in the upper 80s or low 90s with plenty of sunshine and a light breeze. Thursday adds in the next best chance for a spotty afternoon shower. Highs Thursday will be closer to seasonal averages in the middle...

Bitcoin hits its highest level in a year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:42 GMT

(CNN) — Bitcoin on Friday shot up to its highest level in about a year.The cryptocurrency rose above $31,400 a coin on Friday, its highest level since 2022, before paring back its gains. Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, earlier this week traded above $30,000 for the first time since April, when the collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank sent investors in search of safer places to hold their cash.Bitcoin is up by about 87% this year. Its most recent gains come after a wave of interest in crypto from financial giants. BlackRock last week applied to register a bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund, according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Crypto exchange EDX Markets, backed by firms such as Charles Schwab, Fidelity Digital Assets and Citadel, also launched its digital asset trading platform this week.Still, the renewed fervor for crypto comes against a backdrop of regulatory crackdowns. The SEC earlier this month sued Co...

Canine surfers hang ten in Huntington Beach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:42 GMT

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – The dog days of summer have arrived, and with them, a wave of four-legged surfers who made a splash in the dog surf competition in Surf City also known as Huntington Beach. As the scorching heat of summer settled in, the surfing event took center stage as part of the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge on the California beach. The adventurous pooches traded in their leashes for surfboards as they rode the waves with unmatched enthusiasm. Huntington Beach was their playground on Friday, where they showcased their skills to compete for the title of top dog in the annual canine surfing competition.The competition was in its 26th year and drew a crowd of beachgoers, along with surfing enthusiasts, who marveled at the impressive display of dog athleticism. With tails wagging and tongues lolling, these intrepid pups showcased their surfing prowess to a panel of human judges. The judges meticulously observed each dog’s ability to ride the waves a...

Germany ready to put 4,000 soldiers permanently in Lithuania

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:42 GMT

BERLIN — Germany is preparing to permanently deploy 4,000 soldiers to Lithuania, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Monday in Vilnius. Infrastructure and training facilities need to be constructed, but Pistorius said that Berlin would be putting a “robust brigade” in the Baltic country. Pistorius had traveled to Lithuania to watch NATO training drills with military alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Berlin pledged a year ago to keep a combat brigade ready to defend Lithuania. However, a permanent deployment in Lithuania has been controversial until now. Vilnius demanded it, but the German government did not immediately commit.In addition to approval from the German governing coalition, there is also support from the opposition for the decision. Foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter, a lawmaker from the center-right CDU, said it was a “decision of reason and reliability.”The ann...

Bulgaria’s economy minister hints Russians attacked ammo factory

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:42 GMT

Bulgaria’s Economy Minister Bogdan Bogdanov on Monday suggested Russia could have been responsible for an explosion in the early hours of Sunday at an arms factory in the town of Karnobat, just as Bulgaria is ramping up military exports to Ukraine.The blast comes amid an investigation by the Bulgarian authorities into a series of similar incidents in recent years at arms depots housing ammunition meant to be exported to Ukraine. The probe is looking into potential ties between the blasts and Russia.“We have taken absolutely all measures … to make sure that people are safe and that Bulgarian industry will not be affected by these kind of raids,” Bogdanov said according to the Dnevnik newspaper. The word ‘raids’ in Bulgarian suggests foreign incursions, although Bogdanov did not mention Russia by name.The major fire that broke out at the warehouse in Karnobat was the second to occur there in less than a year. Bulgaria has been exporting large quanti...

Column: What we know about the Cubs and White Sox — and what we don’t — as midseason approaches

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:42 GMT

As the 2023 baseball season nears the midpoint, here’s what we know and don’t know about the Chicago Cubs and White Sox.Tim Anderson is too good a hitter to continue at his current pace. That’s what we keep saying anyway. Anderson, the 2019 American League batting champion, was hitting .358 on June 22, 2022, before going on the injured list with a groin injury. He since has suffered finger, knee and shoulder injuries and is hitting .244 with one home run and 11 RBIs in 93 games. Anderson’s last home run was on July 15, 2022, in Minnesota.Despite winning this weekend’s series against the Boston Red Sox, the White Sox have given no reason to believe they can be even a .500 team. Giving Anderson playing time at second base should increase his trade value. The Los Angeles Dodgers could be a good fit.NBC Sports Chicago’s Chuck Garfien and Ozzie Guillén might be the Sox’s toughest critics. Both criticized Anderson during Friday’s postga...

Indiana tornado kills 1 as severe weather causes damage and power outages across multiple states

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:42 GMT

SHOALS, Ind. (AP) — A tornado struck a home, killing one occupant and injuring another as severe weather hit parts of Indiana, Tennessee and other states, an official said.The tornado that struck the home Sunday evening was part of a storm system that pushed through Martin County, Indiana, WXIN-TV reported. A tornado also touched down Sunday afternoon in Johnson County, south of Indianapolis, damaging at least at least 75 homes, authorities said.Martin County Emergency Management Agency Director Cameron Wolf confirmed the death and injury, according to WXIN, which reported that the home was in a rural area where multiple trees were brought down by high winds.Martin County emergency management officials did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking additional information about the casualties and the extent of storm damage.The town of Shoals, the Martin County seat, is about 85 miles (140 kilometers) southwest of Indianapolis and 80 miles (130 kilometers) n...

Trump feted as Man of the Decade in Michigan county he lost twice as he looks to gain ground in 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:42 GMT

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump was honored as the Man of the Decade in a Michigan county he lost twice as he returned to the state looking to reclaim territory that helped propel him to the White House but that slipped from his grasp four years later.Campaigning for a return to the presidency while facing a federal indictment for allegedly mishandling classified documents, Trump spoke on Sunday in suburban Detroit, where he lost ground between 2016 and 2020 and would need to win it back if he becomes the 2024 Republican nominee. He would have to reverse the recent trend in Michigan that has seen Democrats make some of their biggest gains nationally since Trump’s reelection loss.Trump spoke at the Oakland County GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner, where he was honored by the party as its Man of the Decade. Trump frequently attacked President Joe Biden throughout his speech Sunday, saying the Democrat was a “catastrophe” for Michigan and auto production in the state. ...

Early vote count for Guatemala’s presidential election indicates second round ahead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:42 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Preliminary results in Guatemala’s presidential election pointed to the likelihood of a second round of voting and narrowed the field considerably early Monday from nearly two dozen contenders to the two candidates leading for spots in the Aug. 20 runoff. With 97% of the votes counted early Monday, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal reported that former first lady Sandra Torres for the conservative UNE party had captured 15.6% of the vote and Bernardo Arévalo for the leftist Seed Movement had 11.8%. In a more distant third, was Miguel Conde of the ruling VAMOS party with 7.8% That is far from the 50% threshold needed to win in the first round. A cluster of other candidates hovered between 6% and 7% of the votes. Invalid ballots from a frustrated electorate led all the candidates with nearly all ballots tallied.Gabriel Aguilera, a magistrate on the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, said before dawn Monday that while not definitive, the trend showed that “we have three par...