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Kennedy | Official Trailer | Anurag Kashyap | Rahul Bhat, Sunny Leone | Premieres 20th Feb on ZEE5
Kennedy, Once a man of power, Kennedy now leads a double life, being a cab driver by day and the commissioner’s hired hitman …
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First Look: Saffron Patch, Opening at Legacy Village on Monday, February 23
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This past summer, Wild Mango announced that it was closing the Legacy Village location that it had called home since 2019. At the same time, Saffron Patch revealed its plans to move into that space, trading in its longtime home in Shaker Heights for Lyndhurst. After months of renovations, the new Saffron Patch (25385 Cedar Rd.) […]
The post First Look: Saffron Patch, Opening at Legacy Village on Monday, February 23 appeared first on Cleveland Scene.
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Douglas Trattner
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HopCat to open 12th Michigan location at Great Lakes Crossing in 2026
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HopCat is expanding again in Michigan, with plans to open a new restaurant at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills early this summer.
The craft beer bar and restaurant will take over the former Bar Louie space near Entry 6 and the AMC Star Theater at 4390 Baldwin Rd., according to Project BarFly, the West Michigan-based hospitality group that operates the brand.
The 8,200-square-foot restaurant is expected to seat up to 300 guests and will include a new bar, indoor and outdoor patio space, private dining areas, updated audiovisual equipment, and a renovated exterior.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to open our doors to our 12th Michigan location,” Project BarFly CEO Craig Stage said. “We’re excited to bring our love for craft beer and comfort food to the Great Lakes Crossing Outlets and create a space where everyone feels welcome. We can’t wait to meet our neighbors, share great moments, and become a go-to spot in Auburn Hills.”
The Auburn Hills restaurant will mark HopCat’s 12th location in Michigan and 13th overall. The company also operates one location in Lincoln, Nebraska.
HopCat is known for its extensive craft beer list and its Cosmik Fries, along with a menu of burgers, sandwiches, and other comfort food. The company says it prioritizes scratch-made food and partnerships with local breweries.
The restaurant plans to hire about 170 employees. Manager positions are currently posted online, and hourly positions are expected to open in March.
Great Lakes Crossing General Manager Gary Neumann said the mall is looking forward to the addition.
“They bring a fun, energetic vibe and a great reputation for craft beer and comfort food that we know our guests will love,” Neumann said. “It’s always exciting to add a new dining option that gives people another reason to visit and enjoy their time here at the center.”
An exact opening date has not yet been announced.
The post HopCat to open 12th Michigan location at Great Lakes Crossing in 2026 appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.
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Steve Neavling
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Mass. woman charged in New Hampshire road rage knife attack
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A Massachusetts woman has been arrested after road rage led to a knife attack in Pelham, New Hampshire, last month.
Police said Lauren Sills, 38, of Lowell, is accused of attacking another woman in a Pelham, New Hampshire, parking lot on Jan. 4, according to Pelham police.
Investigators said it all started on Bridge Street in Dracut, with both cars continuing into Pelham and pulling over in the parking lot of Ace Discount Cigarettes. Sills, according to police, got out of her car and threatened the other driver with a knife. The victim ran inside the store for help.
Police are asking for the public’s help to find a woman being sought in an attack in Pelham, New Hampshire.
Police say Sills then slashed the victim’s tires and took off. No one was hurt.
Sills was arrested Thursday in Lowell and extradited to face assault charges. She was held at the Hillsborough County Jail and is scheduled for arraignment on Friday.
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Thea DiGiammerino and Erin Logan
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Premier League Tips: 6/1 Bet Builder for Man City v Newcastle
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Manchester City can close the gap at the top of the table on Saturday night when they host Newcastle United, and we have picked out a four-leg bet builder for the crucial contest.
Manchester City play host to Newcastle United in Saturday’s late Premier League fixture at 8pm and we have picked out a four-leg bet builder for this match.
Pep Guardiola’s men have a chance to reduce the gap to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table to just two points with a win at the Etihad this weekend.
Newcastle have bounced back lately after a disappointing few weeks, reeling off three successive wins in all competitions, all of which were on the road.
Can the Magpies continue their rich vein of form, or will City claim their third win on the spin over Newcastle this season and pile the pressure on the Gunners? Here are our Premier League betting selections.
Selections
- Manchester City to win @ 19/40
- Antoine Semenyo to score any time @ 1/1
- Anthony Gordon to have 1+ shots on target @ 10/11
- Both teams to score @ 11/20
Pays @
6/1
Citizens hitting top form
City are on a four-game winning run, which began with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final, while they are unbeaten in seven, drawing only once.
Another win on Saturday will see Guardiola’s side close the gap to Arsenal and this is surely plenty of incentive for the team as they bid to reclaim the title they lost to Liverpool last term, while they have the confidence of beating Newcastle in both legs of their last-four tie in the EFL Cup.
The Magpies could find solace in the fact they won the reverse Premier League tie between the clubs in November, but this game is City’s to lose.
Leg 1: Manchester City to win @ 19/40
Semenyo maintain excellent City start
Guardiola secured the services of Semenyo for a fee of £65m in the January transfer window and that is turning out to be good business.
The Ghanian has scored five goals already for City across just nine games, including one in the 2-0 win over Newcastle in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
With three goals in his five league games for the club, expect Semenyo’s excellent form to continue this weekend.
Leg 2: Antoine Semenyo to score any time @ 1/1
Confident Gordon can be a threat
Anthony Gordon shone for Newcastle in midweek, scoring four goals against Qarabag in the first half of their Champions League knockout play-off first-leg tie.
The England forward now ranks second in the Champions League for goals and assists this term with 12, but he needs to translate that form into the Premier League.
He might have registered just 0.6 shots on target per game so far, but Gordon will be full of confidence and could pose a big threat to City, particularly as a potential penalty taker.
Leg 3: Anthony Gordon to have 1+ shots on target @ 10/11
Magpies can trouble City backline
Both teams have scored in two of the three games between these two this season and four of the last seven fixtures would have seen this bet land.
In Newcastle’s last seven games, both teams have found the back of the net, while the Magpies themselves have banged in 11 goals in their current three-game road winning streak.
Given the form of both clubs, expect both keepers to be beaten this Saturday night.
Leg 4: Both teams to score @ 11/20
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Mill Valley mother among those lost in deadly Tahoe avalanche
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MILL VALLEY, Calif. (KRON) — An avalanche near Lake Tahoe has left at least eight people dead and one person missing in what officials describe as the deadliest such event in decades. Rescuers managed to save six others after the group of 15 skiers was buried alive during a winter storm Tuesday.
The victims, who range in age from 30 to 55, include mothers from the Bay Area. Nevada County sheriff’s officials reported that it took rescue crews 6 hours to reach the survivors during a blizzard that produced gale-force winds and made visibility nearly impossible.
Mother, son found dead inside Pleasanton home, say police
Rescue efforts transitioned into a recovery operation as dangerous conditions persisted in the area following the Tuesday morning event. Shannan Moon, the Nevada County sheriff, said crews utilized snowcats and specialized skiers to navigate the treacherous terrain. “A slow and steady pace going with snowcats skiers, going up into the area, which is still considered a very high danger for avalanche,” Moon said.
Snow falls on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
Experts noted that the risk of such events is typically highest immediately following major weather patterns. Craig Clements, a meteorology professor at San Jose State University, explained the specific timeline of peak risk. “Usually the first 24-48 hours after a very very large snowfall that the danger is highest,” Clements said.
Rapid snowfall and powerful winds continued to hamper efforts to reach the victims throughout the week.
The tragedy has specifically impacted the Bay Area community of Mill Valley, where some of the skiers on the trip resided. Staff at a local coffee shop in Mill Valley described one of the deceased victims as a friendly regular who frequently visited the business with her children. While officials confirmed the skiers from Mill Valley were mothers, their specific identities have not been released.
Max Perrey, the mayor of Mill Valley, addressed the impact of the loss on the community. “Our heart in Mill Valley goes out to the families that have been impacted. It’s a huge tragedy and a huge loss,” Perrey said. The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the victims were between ages 30 and 55.
Recovery crews are waiting for the current storm to lift before attempting to remove the bodies from the site. A backcountry avalanche warning from the National Weather Service remains in effect until Friday morning.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.
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Joey Horta
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LI housing market remains chilled with sales and inventory down | Long Island Business News
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The Blueprint:
- Long Island had 4,305 homes listed for sale in January 2026, 16.4% fewer than January 2025.
- There were 1,394 closed home sales on Long Island in January 2026, down 6.7% from January 2025.
- Median home prices in Nassau County rose 3% to $835,000 compared to January 2025.
- Median home prices in Suffolk County increased 4.5% to $700,000 compared to January 2025.
The Long Island housing market has started 2026 as cold as the weather, with sales and inventory down and home prices up.
While 2025 ended with a record low number of Long Island homes listed for sale, January didn’t see much improvement. There were 4,305 Long Island homes, including single-family, condos and co-ops, listed for sale with OneKey MLS at the end of last month, just 18 more than the record low of 4,287 the previous month and 16.4 percent fewer than the 5,146 homes listed for sale at the end of Jan. 2025.
The historically low inventory of homes for sale has been stifling sales and pushing prices higher. There were just 1,394 closed homes sales on Long Island last month—616 in Nassau County and 775 in Suffolk County, according to OneKey MLS data. That’s more than 17 percent fewer than the 1,685 closed home sales from the previous month and 6.7 percent less than the 1,494 closed sales from Jan. 2025.
Sales have also been impacted by high home prices, limiting the pool of prospective buyers. The median price of closed single-family home sales in Nassau in January was $835,000, same as it was the previous month and about 3 percent higher than the $810,000 median price recorded in Jan. 2025, according to OneKey MLS.
In Suffolk, the median price of closed single-family home sales last month was $700,000, same as it was the previous month, but 4.5 percent higher than the $670,000 median price of Jan. 2025. The Suffolk numbers don’t reflect all sales on the East End.
Molly Deegan So far, the lowest mortgage rates in three years have not led to an increase in listings or sales. The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 6 percent as of Thursday, lower than any point in 2025 and the lowest since Sept. 2022, according to Bankrate.com. By comparison, rates averaged 6.9 percent towards the end of Jan. 2025.
While home sales were also down nationally, the Northeast region saw the biggest decline last month, down 8.3 percent year-over-year, according to the National Association of Realtors.
“January felt noticeably slower on the ground, and that experience closely mirrors what the OneKey MLS data is showing,” Molly Deegan, broker-owner of Sea Cliff-based Branch Real Estate Group, told LIBN. “Sales were down, inventory remained tight, and pricing held firm—continuing a pattern we’ve seen for the better part of the last two years.”
Deegan said that there is also a strong seasonal and psychological element at play in the current market, with buyers and sellers waiting for clearer signals around rates, the economy, and the broader political landscape.
“Housing is deeply influenced by policy, from interest-rate decisions and inflation management to tax considerations, she said. “Uncertainty can be enough to keep people on the sidelines.”
As to what it will take to turn the real estate ship around, Deegan said a more predictable rate environment, even if rates remain higher than they were pre-2022, would go a long way toward restoring confidence.
“Increased inventory will follow as homeowners accept that ultra-low rates are unlikely to return, and life circumstances take precedence,” she said. “The good news is that the fundamentals of the Long Island market remain very strong. A diverse employment base, resilient small businesses, and deep ties to healthcare, education, and professional services continue to provide a stabilizing force and support housing demand.”
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David Winzelberg
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Pet of the Week: Meet Dracco! – WCCB Charlotte
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Rising’s Pet of the Week from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control is Dracco! A two-year-old lab mix, Dracco is a stunning mixed breed with the softest golden fawn colored fur and beautiful amber eyes. He is a gentle and loving boy who wants to be with and please his humans. He is motivated to learn and enjoys toys, scratches, and treats.
Learn more about this sweet boy HERE.
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James Scott
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Chick-fil-A is giving away free chicken biscuits. Here’s how to get one in NC
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Chick-fil-A is saying “thank you” to fans with a free breakfast biscuit.
Through Saturday, Feb. 28, Chick-fil-A One members in North Carolina and nationwide can claim a free chicken biscuit when they order on the app. Chick-fil-A One is the restaurant’s free rewards program.
Customers can claim their free biscuit during breakfast hours only. No purchase is required.
Fans of Chick-fil-A breakfast can get a free chicken biscuit when they order in the mobile app. Chick-fil-A “What better way to celebrate than by giving a breakfast classic to our Chick-fil-A One Members?” Khalilah Cooper, the chain’s vice president of brand strategy, advertising and media, said in a news release. “It’s our small way of thanking guests for being part of our story, then and now.”
The breakfast favorite debuted on menus in 1986, the same year Chick-fil-A opened its first standalone restaurant, according to the Atlanta-based chicken chain. The classic sandwich features a breaded chicken breast on a buttermilk biscuit.
This month, Chick-fil-A started testing a new offering — the Sweet Chili Lime Crunch sandwich — exclusively at restaurants in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. Customers can pick from an original, spicy or grilled filet topped with Ginger Lime Cool Crunch slaw and sweet chili sauce.
That sandwich is available through March 7.
Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.
Chick-fil-A fans in select North Carolina cities will get to try the chain’s newest sandwiches, but only for a limited time. Chick-fil-A This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 10:40 AM.
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Tanasia Kenney
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iOS 26.4: Top 5 upgrades coming to your iPhone soon – Tech Digest
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Apple Music has a new Playlist Playground feature that lets users create a playlist with a text-based prompt Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.4, and while the early beta stages suggest it will be a feature-packed update for the iPhone, one major piece of the puzzle remains conspicuously absent.
Despite rumours that this version would finally see the debut of the long-awaited, Gemini-powered “Siri 2.0,” the latest build seems to focus more on refining media, security and messaging.
Here are the five most significant upgrades coming to your iPhone with iOS 26.4.
1. Apple Music: “Playlist Playground” AI
The standout feature for many will be “Playlist Playground,” an AI-driven tool for Apple Music. This allows you to generate a 25-song playlist simply by typing a text prompt – for example, “chill acoustic tracks for a rainy afternoon” or “90s grunge hits for the gym.” What’s more, the Music app is also getting a visual refresh with full-page artwork for albums and a new “Concerts Near You” section to help you find live tour dates for your favourite artists.
2. Enhanced video capabilities for podcasts
Apple is significantly upgrading its Podcasts app to bridge the gap between audio and video content. Using new HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology, the app will now allow you to switch seamlessly between watching a video podcast and listening to the audio version without losing your place. The quality will also adjust automatically based on your network conditions, ensuring a smoother experience for those on the move.
3. End-to-End RCS encryption
Following the adoption of RCS (Rich Communication Services) in previous updates, Apple is finally testing end-to-end encryption for these messages. While currently limited to testing between Apple devices in the beta, this is a critical security step. It aims to make messaging with Android users as secure as iMessage by ensuring that texts, photos, and videos cannot be intercepted or read by third parties while in transit.
4. Stolen device protection by default
In a move to bolster user security, iOS 26.4 is expected to enable Stolen Device Protection by default for all users. Previously an opt-in setting, this feature requires biometric authentication (Face ID or Touch ID) for sensitive actions, such as changing your Apple ID password, when you are away from familiar locations like your home or office. By making this a standard setting, Apple is making it significantly harder for thieves to lock owners out of their own accounts.
5. Smart “Urgent” reminders
Building on the task prioritization introduced in iOS 26.2, the Reminders app is gaining a dedicated “Urgent” smart list. When you tag a task as urgent, it will automatically populate this list and trigger persistent alarms to ensure high-priority items aren’t buried under your daily chores. This update also adds a new “Set Battery Charge Limit” action to the Shortcuts app, allowing you to manage your device’s long-term battery health more easily.
Conclusion: The Siri-shaped hole
While iOS 26.4 brings a wealth of improvements and security patches, the absence of the smarter, more personal Siri is hard to ignore. Initial reports suggested that the AI assistant – capable of understanding on-screen context and cross-app interactions – would arrive in this cycle. However, current leaks now suggest that Apple may hold back the full Siri overhaul until iOS 27 in late 2026.
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Chris Price
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Pending home sales slip slightly in January despite improved affordability – Houston Agent Magazine
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Despite a 5.5 million increase in the number of potential buyers who would qualify for a mortgage compared to a year ago, pending home sales in January were roughly flat month over month and year over year, the National Association of REALTORS® said, citing its Pending Home Sales Report.
Sales were down 0.8% month over month and 0.4% year over year. The increase in newly qualifying borrowers comes from the slow but steady decrease in mortgage rates over the last year, which are approaching 6%, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said.
“Most newly qualifying households do not act immediately, but based on past experience, about 10% could enter the market — potentially adding roughly 550,000 new homebuyers this year compared with last year,” Yun said. “Unless housing supply increases, these additional potential buyers becoming active in the market could simply push up home prices. This will put increasing pressure on affordability, which is why it is critical to increase supply by building more homes.”
By region, month-over-month pending home sales rose in the Midwest and West and declined in the Northeast and South. Year-over-year pending home sales rose in the South and West and declined in the Northeast and Midwest.
While the topline national numbers were down slightly, several metro areas saw healthy annual gains, including Phoenix (up 11.8%), Boston (10.7%) and Miami (6.8%).
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John Yellig
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1,000 Kenyans were recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine, intelligence report says
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Protesters hold placards at a small demonstration held by Ukrainians, Russians and Kenyans against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in front of the Russian Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 26, 2022.
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NAIROBI, Kenya — A new Kenyan intelligence report says that 1,000 Kenyans were recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine after being misled with false promises of jobs in Russia before being sent to the front lines.
The report was presented to parliament on Wednesday by parliamentary leader Kimani Ichung’wah, who accused Russian embassy officials of colluding with work recruitment agencies to dupe Kenyans into believing they would be given skilled jobs in Russia. He said the Russian embassy officials issued them tourist visas.
The Russian Embassy in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, denied the allegations, saying in a statement Thursday that it never issued visas to anyone intending to travel to Russia to fight in Ukraine. It added: “the Russian Federation does not preclude citizens of foreign countries from voluntarily enlisting in the armed forces.”
Ichung’wah told parliament that said the National Intelligence Service report shows that 89 Kenyans were on the front line, 39 were hospitalized, 28 were missing in action, others had returned home, and at least one was confirmed dead. The report also provides details about the recruitment agencies that allegedly took Kenyans to Russia.
He warned that any Kenyan officials working in the country’s embassy in Moscow would be held responsible if they are found to have colluded in the scheme.
Dozens of Kenyan families have in recent weeks urged the government to bring back loved ones stranded in Russia, with some allegedly forced to fight on the front lines and others held as prisoners of war in Ukraine.
Kenyan recruits who have returned to the country have given accounts of being promised skilled jobs such as electricians and plumbers. They say they signed contracts written in Russian and were sent to battle with little or no military training.
Kenya’s foreign ministry had previously acknowledged the problem, and urged citizens to be careful.
Two recruiters were arrested last year and released on bail as they await trial.
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The Associated Press
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France Says Surprised by European Commission Presence at Board of Peace
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PARIS, Feb 19 (Reuters) – France said on Thursday it was surprised that the European Commission had sent a commissioner to the Board of Peace in Washington saying it did not have the mandate to represent member states, its foreign ministry spokesperson said.
Pascal Confavreux said as far as Paris was concerned, the Board of Peace needed to recentre to focus on Gaza in line with a United Nations Security Council resolution and that until that ambiguity was lifted, France would not take part.
“Regarding the European Commission and its participation, in reality we are surprised because it does not have a mandate from the Council to go and participate,” he told reporters, referring to the Council of the European Union’s members.
U.S. President Donald Trump is presiding over the first meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday with the event expected to include representatives from more than 45 nations.
Most European governments have opted to not send top-level representatives to the gathering, but the European Commission has said that its commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica, is attending.
“Our objective is clear: coordinated action, accountable governance, and tangible results for the Palestinian people,” Suica wrote on social media platform X on Thursday ahead of the meeting.
While Suica is attending as an observer, several EU member states have raised concerns about an EU commissioner participating in a meeting of a body many EU governments see as undermining international law.
Some diplomats have also questioned whether the European Commission has a mandate to decide on sending a representative without approval from capitals.
“It is surprising that the Commission has decided to be represented at the event, given that numerous countries have expressed concerns about its potential instrumentalisation and have questioned the credibility of an initiative that appears to seek to supplant the United Nations,” a Belgian diplomat said.
Europeans have also been divided on how to approach the U.S.-led gathering, with some sending officials in an observer capacity. The United Kingdom and Germany have sent ambassadors to the event, while France has opted not to be represented.
The Commission has defended Suica’s attendance as in line with its commitment to the implementation of a ceasefire and part of the institution’s efforts to support Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction.
(Reporting by John Irish and Lili Bayer, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout)
Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.
Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026
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Reuters
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Finding Garden Advice in the Offseason – Fine Gardening
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During the peak season, gardening advice inevitably comes at you from everywhere and everyone—whether you’re looking for it or not. When all I can focus on is staying on top of weeding, watering, and harvesting, I’m inundated with influencers on my social media feeds offering countless tips, tricks, and recommendations. As I’m hunched over my beds, sweating into the soil and wondering why I always plant so many needy tomato plants, I often have a well-intentioned friend or family member giving their opinions and suggestions.
However, when the weather turns and most of the garden goes to bed for the winter, when my time frees up and the excitement for planning and prepping surges, the advice dries up. There is always something new and shiny to check out on social media, but this time is mostly dominated by seed-starting and houseplant-care videos. If you’re looking for more inspiration for the upcoming growing season and, even more importantly, to connect with fellow gardeners about questions and concerns, we’re excited to announce a new member benefit: free monthly gardening webinars.
If you’re thinking, Hey, didn’t you guys do that before?—you’re absolutely right. Back in 2020, when the usual string of in-person gardening events were abruptly canceled, we began a series of virtual gardening events to fill that gap. Yet, as with many pandemic-era crazes, the slow shift back into real-world gatherings saw the end of these webinars as we put our attention on other initiatives such as e-learning courses.
After a bit of downtime, we’re thrilled to bring these interactive sessions back with a whole new batch of inspiring and informative topics and experts from across North America. Maybe you have already attended one of the webinars we have hosted since last fall—The Secrets to Spring Bulbs with Joseph Tychonievich, All About Growing Conifers with Mark Dwyer, Mastering Soil Health with Kirsten Kurtz, The Winter Gardening Roundtable with Andy Pulte and Jason Reeves, or Growing Heirloom Vegetables with Fionuala Campion—or perhaps you watched one of the recordings on our YouTube channel.
These hour-long sessions are the perfect place to ask your gardening questions and get specific, detailed answers straight from an expert in that field or from your region. They are also always recorded, so you can return to a certain snippet or catch a webinar you missed at a time convenient to you. Moving forward, these recordings will not be available on YouTube and will be an exclusive benefit of All Access membership here on finegardening.com.
If you’re interested in the garden tour of the Netherlands we’re hosting this September, be sure to register for the upcoming tour Q&A webinar with Annie Guilfoyle: Special Netherlands Garden Tour Q&A Webinar
And keep an eye out for our garden-design webinar with Susan Calhoun, which will open for registration soon!
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Ideal for summertime pest control, this garden cover effectively screens out Japanese beetles, potato beetles, cabbage worms, leaf miners, carrot flies and most vine borers. It transmits 97.6% of the light to your plants without allowing heat build-up, and it provides cold protection down to 41° F, to extend your growing season.
Sun Joe Cordless Telescoping Pole Chain Saw
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BAR + CHAIN: 8 in. auto-lubricating bar + chain with 2.7 fl oz oil tank capacity and oil level window. TELESCOPIC: Telescoping pole extends from 3.7 ft to 7.2 ft, providing up to 14 ft of overhead reach. ADJUSTABLE HEAD: Multi-angle head adjusts from 0º to 30º
24-VOLT SYSTEM: 24V 2.0 Ah IONMAX lithium-ion battery allows for up to 32 cuts of 4″ x 4″ pine on a single charge.VegTrug Classic Cold Frame
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Provide a natural growing habitat for your plants with VegTrug’s durable and versatile Cold Frame. A spacious and visually attractive cold frame provides the perfect microclimate environment to extend your growing season. The wood frame has 6mm double insulated and shatterproof polycarbonate that safeguards your plants from extreme weather conditions.
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Kaitlyn Hayes
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Puerto Vallarta-area timeshare was a cartel-run fraud engine, Treasury Department says
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Kovay Gardens sells itself as a secluded retreat on Mexico’s Pacific coast: a private beach along the Bahía de Banderas, four pools spilling toward the ocean and beds dressed in Egyptian cotton. Guests are promised room service, buffet breakfasts and airport shuttles to the boutique resort outside Puerto Vallarta.
But U.S. officials say that behind the 22-room beachfront timeshare is a cartel-run fraud engine that has drained millions from American visitors.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned Kovay Gardens, accusing the resort in Nayarit of operating under the direction of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, or CJNG. The move also targeted an entire network of people and companies the federal government says worked with the cartel to defraud U.S. citizens, including many older American victims who lost life savings to the schemes.
For more than a decade, CJNG consolidated control over timeshare scams in Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding Bahía de Banderas, according to the U.S. Treasury, expanding influence in a region spanning Jalisco and Nayarit and drawing tens of thousands of U.S. tourists annually.
Officials say that at Kovay Gardens, prospective buyers were lured into sales pitches that promised luxury and vowing unused weeks could generate even more in rental income. Once owners signed contracts, the resort allegedly overcharged credit cards, feeding customer data directly into CJNG-run call centers that launched waves of additional investment scams, allowing the cartel to profit repeatedly from the same victims. After initial losses, Americans were contacted again by callers posing as lawyers or officials who then claimed they could help recover the money for yet another fee, while others were threatened with fines or legal trouble unless they paid, officials say.
Treasury officials described the operation, which sat inside CJNG’s territorial base, as a vertically integrated fraud factory: a cartel-controlled resort that generated victims for a database supplying targets to boiler-room call centers that extracted payments via international wire transfers.
According to the U.S. government, timeshare fraud networks in Nayarit were overseen by cartel commander Audias Flores Silva, with lieutenants collecting payments from call centers linked to Kovay Gardens.
Officials say a U.S. alert on Mexico-based timeshare fraud issued in March 2023 has generated more than 850 suspicious activity reports flagging about $330 million in potentially fraudulent transactions, largely involving Americans wiring money to scammers in Mexico. Within the U.S. Treasury, FinCEN says it now receives roughly 40 such reports a month, while the FBI says about 6,000 U.S. victims reported nearly $300 million in losses from 2019–2023, with another $50 million reported in 2024. Still, officials believe the statistics are undercounts because many victims never come forward due to fear or embarrassment.
This week’s sanctions mark the latest U.S. action against CJNG’s diversification beyond narcotics. In addition to tourism, the cartel has also expanded into fuel theft, extortion and financial fraud, often masking those operations behind legitimate-looking businesses.
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Sam Allardyce: Former Premier League boss has his say on Tottenham’s relegation battle, Igor Tudor and Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest sacking
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Sam Allardyce has said that Tottenham’s players need reminding of their responsbility to the club if they want to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.
Spurs sacked manager Thomas Frank last week and have replaced him with interim coach Igor Tudor, with the club sat 16th in the Premier League, five points off the relegation zone.
Tudor will be thrown straight into the fire with a North London derby against league leaders Arsenal kicking off a tough run of fixtures that also includes a trip to Liverpool.
While the Croatian will be hoping to make an immediate impact, Allardyce, who steered four teams away from the drop after being appointed mid-season, believes the onus is on the players more than the new interim coach.
“We can all claim we did this and did that before the first game we managed, but we haven’t done that much really,” Allardyce told Sky Sports.
“What we hope for is that the players go out and prove themselves. Why shouldn’t you give 100 million per cent when you earn 150 grand a week? You get the best food and one of the best facilities in the country at Tottenham – and don’t give your 110 percent? You should be kicked out of the club if you don’t.”
Tudor will not have a large squad to pick from when he first takes charge against the Gunners, with 11 senior players out injured, but Allardyce was not accepting that as an excuse for the players to not give their all in the run-in
Sunday 22nd February 4:25pm
Kick off 4:30pm
“It’s a God-given right. That’s what you do for the football club: blood, sweat and tears, That’s a given,” Allardyce added. “That shouldn’t even have to be demanded or asked for. But it looks like it is.”
‘Frank will come back better; Dyche unlucky to be sacked’
Frank left Spurs with a win rate of just 26.9 per cent, the worst in the Premier Leaue for the club. However, Allardyce has backed the “brilliant coach” to learn from the experience and bounce back stronger.
“Thomas experienced what it’s like to manage a big club for the first time,” Allardyce said.
“It’s different. I’ve done it at Everton, Newcastle, West Ham. There’s a different type of mentality and pressure.
“I think he’s obviously proved he’s a brilliant coach. The experience he’s gained, if he gets another opportunity, he will be better for it once he’s analysed what he did and didn’t do.
“Thomas will reappear in the Premier League somewhere. He’ll certainly not have to wait to get a job.”
While Tudor is the new man through the door at Tottenham, Sean Dyche was shown the exit at Nottingham Forest shortly after and replaced by Vitor Pereira, a decision Allardyce puts down to a case of bad luck.
“[In the 0-0 draw with Wolves they had] 35 attempts at goal and he gets sacked,” Allardyce added.
Sean Dyche was asked about his Nottingham Forest future after the draw with Wolves, hours before he was the third boss to be sacked by the club this season.
“Normally, that’s 4-0, 5-0. Normally. It looked like it would be, but didn’t materialise.
“Some bad misses and some worldie saves. He wouldn’t have got sacked if he’d have won. Sean was unfortunate, but he knows the owner. He’s prepared to face that.
“We know what we get with the owner and we move on. We accept it. It won’t stop him getting another job.”
Spurs and Forest hires ‘a risk’
Igor Tudor gives his first interview as Tottenham Hotspur head coach. X Credit: @SpursOfficial.
In Tudor, Spurs have hired a coach with no Premier League experience, while Forest have opted to replace Dyche with Pereira, who was sacked by Wolves in November with the club having picked up just two points from their opening 10 Premier League games.
“Any coach going in at this stage, it’s a risk. It’s a challenge,” Allardyce claimed. “You’ve got to find out what the problems are – and there are problems – as quick as you can.
Italian football expert Patrick Kendrick suggests that potential Tottenham Hotspur interim head coach Igor Tudor will favour a defensive focused 3-4-2-1 formation at Spurs.
“They just need to simplify things. If you’re conceding too many goals, try to stop that. If you’re not scoring enough, try and improve that. Then we’ll start going in the right direction.”
“They [the players] need to take to what they’re trying to achieve. And it needs to be done overnight. That’s how hard the job is.”
Premier League 360 – Big Sam’s Bolton
Sunday 22nd February 8:30pm
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Isaiah Zagar, founder of Philly’s Magic Gardens, has died
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The artist behind a popular Philadelphia attraction has died.
On Thursday, Feb. 19, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens announced that the founder – Isaiah Zagar – died at the age of 86.
Zagar created the iconic mosaics on South Street and designed works on public spots in several states as well as in Mexico and Chile.
Philly’s Magic Gardens said that the artist died from complications of heart failure and Parkinson’s Disease.
Zagar was born in Philadelphia in 1939 and raised in Brooklyn. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting & Graphics at the Pratt Institute of Art in New York City.
At the age of 19, Zagar became inspired to create his own art environment after discovering the House of Mirrors — a folk art installation in Woodstock, New York — from the artist Clarence Schmidt.
Zagar was also influenced by the works of Pablo Picasso, Jean Dubuffet, Kurt Schwitters, and Antonio Gaudí.
In 1963, Zagar met his wife Julia while they were both studying art in New York. They married three months later. The couple then served in the Peace Corps in Peru for three years in the mid-1960s, working with folk artists.
They then moved to Philadelphia in 1968. It was during this time that Zagar struggled with his mental health and began using his art as therapy. Zagar also opened the Eye’s Gallery on 402 South Street in Philadelphia. The global art hub featured Latin American folk art that Zagar and his wife collected during their travels as well as Zagar’s mosaic artwork that covered the walls and ceilings of the space.
In the 1970s, Zagar helped revitalize South Street by renovating buildings and adding mosaics on private and public walls. His collaboration with other artists and activists in transforming the neighborhood and protesting a proposed highway that would have eliminated South Street became known as the “South Street Renaissance.”
After successfully saving South Street, Zagar and his wife stayed in the community and continued creating hundreds of public artworks over the next 50 years.
In 1986, Zagar bought a building at 1003 Kater Street and beautified it, turning it into a studio space. He then created art projects in vacant lots and buildings near his studio along South Street. His creation eventually became the Magic Gardens Museum which led to the incorporation of the nonprofit organization Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG). PMG then purchased the property in October 2004. The nonprofit is currently responsible for preserving and providing access to Zagar’s artwork throughout Philadelphia.
Zagar’s other work includes “The Skin of the Bride,” a 7,000-square-foot mural on the exterior walls of the Painted Bride Art Center in Old City. The mural took nine years to complete and became Zagar’s largest public mosaic.
In 2023, Zagar and his wife donated a massive 10,000-square-foot studio space on 1002 Watkins Street that’s now known as Magic Gardens Studio to PMG.
Zagar’s work was also included in the permanent collections of several art institutions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
“The scale of Isaiah Zagar’s body of work and his relentless art-making at all costs is truly astounding,” shared Emily Smith, Executive Director of PMG. “Most people do not yet understand the importance of what he created, nor do they understand the sheer volume of what he has made. It is distinctive and wholly unique to Philadelphia, and it has forever changed the face of our city. He was so inspired by other art environment sites and their creators, and, in that vein, was obsessed with creating something special, which he worked at every day for decades. He loved Philadelphia and wanted it to be known for its art scene.”
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Emily Rose Grassi and David Chang
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Apple sued by West Virginia for alleged child safety failures – Los Angeles Weekly Times
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West Virginia’s attorney general has filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Apple, alleging that it has failed to prevent child sexual abuse materials from being stored and shared via iOS devices and iCloud services.
John “JB” McCuskey, a Republican, accused Apple of prioritizing privacy branding and its own business interests over child safety, while other big tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, and Dropbox, have been more proactive, using systems like PhotoDNA to combat such material.
PhotoDNA, developed by Microsoft and Dartmouth College in 2009, uses “hashing and matching” to automatically identify and block child sexual abuse material (CSAM) images when they have already been identified as such and reported to authorities.
In 2021, Apple had tested its own CSAM-detection features that could automatically find and remove images of child exploitation, and report those that had been uploaded to iCloud in the U.S. to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
But the company withdrew its plans for the features after privacy advocates who worried that this technology could create a back door for government surveillance, and be tweaked and exploited to censor other kinds of content on iOS devices.
The company’s efforts since then have not satisfied a broad array of critics.
In 2024, UK-based watchdog the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said Apple failed to adequately monitor, tabulate and report CSAM in its products to authorities.
And in a 2024 lawsuit filed in California’s Northern District, thousands of child sexual abuse survivors sued Apple, alleging the company never should have abandoned its earlier plans for CSAM detection features, and by allowing such material to proliferate online, it had caused survivors to relive their trauma.
Apple has positioned itself as the most privacy-sensitive of the Big Tech companies, since its CEO Tim Cook wrote an open letter on the topic in 2014.
If West Virginia’s suit is successful, it could force the company to make design or data security changes. The state is seeking statutory and punitive damages, and injunctive relief requiring Apple to implement effective CSAM detection.
In an e-mailed statement, a spokesperson for Apple told CNBC that “protecting the safety and privacy of our users, especially children, is central to what we do.”
The company pointed to parental controls and features like Communication Safety which, “automatically intervenes on kids’ devices when nudity is detected in Messages, shared Photos, AirDrop and even live FaceTime calls,” as an indication of its commitment to provide “safety, security, and privacy” to users.
“We are innovating every day to combat ever-evolving threats and maintain the safest, most trusted platform for kids,” the spokesperson added.
— CNBC’s Kif Leswing contributed reporting
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