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UAE police say they have seized $1 billion worth of Captagon amphetamines hidden in doors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Police in Dubai seized 86 million tablets of the amphetamine known as Captagon hidden in a shipment of doors and decorative building panels, authorities said Thursday, estimating its street value at just over $1 billion.The bust comes as sales of the amphetamine have become a Mideast-wide problem during Syria’s long war.A surveillance video released by the Interior Ministry in the United Arab Emirates shows suspects trying to bring the Captagon tablets through Dubai’s massive Jebel Ali Port. They were hidden in five shipping containers of doors and panels, with the drugs themselves weighing over 13 tons, authorities said.The UAE “stands as an impenetrable fortress against any threat aimed at jeopardizing the security and well-being of the Emirati society,” Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a statement. Authorities did not identify the arrested suspects but described their operation as an “international criminal o...

Who is dressing Miss Virginia for the national stage? Fairfax Co. high schoolers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

Students in the Fashion Careers program at Fairfax Academy are dressing Ashley Williams, this year’s Miss Virginia, for the national stage. (WTOP/Sandra Jones)When Miss Virginia walks the runway at the Miss USA competition later this month, one thing is for sure: No contestants will show up in the same dress.That’s because students in the Fashion Careers program at Fairfax Academy are dressing Ashley Williams, this year’s Miss Virginia, for the national stage.“A lot of people, they outsource their wardrobe for the pageant from well-known and famous designers,” Williams said. “But I’m grateful to be wearing our high schoolers to show them that the world is their oyster.”The project is the result of a collaboration between Williams and Fairfax Academy’s Kendall Barry, who teaches in the program and also owns her own luxury swimwear brand, ISAMEL.“I think it’s really great and I really appreciate how much she is relying ...

No. 8 Washington, Michael Penix head to Michigan State to headline Pac-12 action

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

Here are some things to watch this week in the Pac-12 Conference:GAME OF THE WEEKNo. 8 Washington (2-0) at Michigan State (2-0), Saturday. The Huskies will travel to East Lansing to face either a distracted Spartans team or one that is especially motivated. Michigan State coach Mel Tucker was suspended after USA Today reported he allegedly sexually harassed an activist and rape survivor. This is Washington’s last nonconference game, and though Michigan State is a name opponent, this isn’t a typical Spartans side. Washington is favored by 16 1/2 points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, so anything but a convincing victory would be a disappointment for a school with a shot at the College Football Playoff. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is making an early case for the Heisman Trophy, with a pair of 400-yard passing performances. Michigan State QB Noah Kim was named Big Ten Conference offensive player of the week after completing 18 of 22 passes for 292 yards and three touchd...

Oil prices creep higher, raise inflation concerns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices are creeping higher and raising concerns about the impact on inflation’s cooling trajectory, consumers’ wallets and the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy.U.S. crude oil prices started rising in early summer after slipping or holding relatively steady for most of the year. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. measure, is up 8% for the year and approaching $90 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard is up 5% for the year and has already breached the $90 mark.Higher oil prices trickle down to everything from gasoline prices to transportation and production costs for consumer goods. The unwelcome pressure on inflation comes as prices have been generally cooling throughout 2023.Investors, economists and consumers are all hoping for the cooling trend to continue so the Federal Reserve can consider a longer pause after more than a year of aggressive interest rate hikes.Gasoline prices are among consumers’ biggest concerns, as it remains a ...

ESPN College GameDay coming to Boulder for Rocky Mountain Showdown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — ESPN College GameDay is coming to Boulder for the Rocky Mountain Showdown. The University of Colorado Buffaloes will face rival Colorado State University this weekend.College GameDay is a pregame show on ESPN that highlights a different game each week, and it's visiting the Buffs for the first time since 1996. 4 things you need to know about CU Buffs football It's proof that a team can rise to the top of the college football conversation immediately after a season in which their only win was from a disputed touchdown in overtime.The No. 18 Colorado Buffaloes are gaining popularity thanks to new coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders who has overhauled the program since he was hired in 2022. As a result, the team has already broken last season's record with two back-to-back wins.Season tickets sold out months in advance, more people are betting on the Buffs than any other team, and last week's game broke viewership records, becoming the most viewed Pac-12 regular season ...

Adam Sandler to perform at Ball Arena during national tour

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The one and only Adam Sandler has announced a massive North American tour, and he's making his way to the Mile High City.On Wednesday, Sandler posted "Let's have some fun" in an Instagram post accompanied by the announcement of his "The I Missed You Tour."The actor and comedian is heading to 25 cities. This tour follows the success of the "Adam Sandler LIVE" tour that sold out earlier this year. Red Rocks announces ‘Sessanta’ tour dates, Riley Green concert in 2024 Sandler is hitting the road in just a few days with the first show kicking off in Vancouver on Oct. 12.The comedian will close out his tour in Denver and perform at Ball Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 12. So get your credit cards ready, tickets go on sale in just a few hours.Tickets go on sale ThursdayLive Nation is holding a presale on Sept. 14 at 12 p.m.Tickets will be sold on Ticketmaster with additional venue and official platinum presales going on sale on Thursday, as well.For the general public, tickets wi...

Surfer recounts terrifying shark bites him in face New Smyrna Beach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — Mark Summerset, the surfer who encountered a shark off New Smyrna Beach, is now sharing his account of the incident. Speaking out for the first time since the attack, Summerset described the terrifying moment when a shark bit him in the face and the subsequent fight for survival.“It felt like a bear trap. It was definitely a fight or flight situation,” Summerset recounted. Summerset had been out surfing earlier this week and was about to reposition himself on his board when the unexpected incident occurred.“When he closed in, he closed in like this,” Summerset explained, gesturing to the area near his face where he sustained injuries. “He came in like this, as you can see, I got the abrasion on the bottom, and on here I got a gnarly battle wound.”The surfer’s recollection of the attack provides a firsthand glimpse into the intensity of the encounter with the shark.Following the attack, a quick-thinking woman o...

Dolphins’ defense hoping to adjust, stop the run after poor performance against Chargers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Jevon Holland didn’t want to make excuses after the Miami Dolphins’ defense gave up 234 rushing yards in a season-opening win over the Los Angeles Chargers.“We need to be better,” the third-year safety said. “Plain and simple.”Growing pains were expected as the Dolphins transition to the scheme of new coordinator Vic Fangio. They struggled to get pressure with their front four in the opener and were gashed on the ground after finishing 2022 with the league’s fourth-best run defense.Coach Mike McDaniel praised the defense for ultimately sealing the win with two timely sacks of Justin Herbert on the Chargers’ final drive, but said he wants to see a “constant mode of progression” from the unit this week as the team prepares to face New England Sunday night.“I think there’s a lot of people with the right motivations that were trying to independently make plays and not thinking about technique and fundamentals,” McDaniel said.Miami made ...

China trying to ‘headhunt’ powerful Brits, UK government claims

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

LONDON — Chinese spies are actively trying to recruit Brits “with sensitive knowledge and experience,” the U.K. government claimed Thursday, as it defended its efforts to clamp down on interference by Beijing.In a long-awaited response to a piercing report about the U.K.’s efforts to take on Chinese spying, Rishi Sunak’s government said some of Beijing’s work “crosses the line from influence into interference” — and accepted it needs to up its game.The report came as Westminster continues to digest news that a British parliamentary researcher with links to senior Conservatives had been arrested in March on suspicion of spying for China, as first reported by the Sunday Times. The researcher, who has not been charged with an offense, has insisted he is “completely innocent” in a statement issued by his lawyers.Parliament’s cross-party intelligence and security committee warned in July that Britain has so far proven “comp...

ECB lifts interest rates to record high, even as it slashes growth outlook

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:52 GMT

FRANKFURT — The European Central Bank raised its key deposit rate to an all-time high, but signaled that it thinks it has done enough to end the worst bout of inflation in four decades. “Based on its current assessment, the Governing Council considers that the key ECB interest rates have reached levels that, maintained for a sufficiently long duration, will make a substantial contribution to the timely return of inflation to the target,” the ECB said in a statement.The move showed that, in the near term at least, the bank is still more concerned about inflation staying above target than about risking a recession. “The ECB didn’t blink in the face of growing speculation that it would hit pause on the rate-hiking cycle,” said UBS economist Dean Turner after the announcement.  “We expect this to be the last hike from the ECB in this cycle, but that does not mean the era of tight monetary policy is over. Interest rates are likely to remain at these lev...