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Russia extends detention of US journalist Evan Gershkovich by 3 months

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:29 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court on Tuesday extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months, Russian news agencies reported.Gershkovich, an American citizen, was ordered held until Aug. 30. He had been arrested in March on espionage charges on a reporting trip in Russia. He, his employer and the U.S. government have denied the charges.Tuesday’s court hearing wasn’t announced in advance, and the entire case has been wrapped in secrecy.Russian authorities haven’t detailed what — if any — evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges. Various legal proceedings have been closed to the media, and no details immediately emerged about whether Gershkovich or U.S. Embassy representatives attended Tuesday’s hearing or what was said. Tass said the session was closed because the reporter was accused of possession of “secret materials.”Gershkovich is the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges, and hi...

Shelters fill, residents rush to safety as Super Typhoon Mawar approaches Guam

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:29 GMT

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER (Associated Press)HONOLULU (AP) — President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration as an intensifying Super Typhoon Mawar approached Guam, where anyone not living in a concrete house was warned to seek safety elsewhere and emergency shelters began to fill ahead of what could be the most powerful storm to hit the U.S. Pacific territory in two decades.Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said on social media that the declaration will support the mobilization of resources into Guam, which is “especially crucial given our distance from the continental U.S.” Guerrero ordered residents of coastal, low-lying and flood-prone areas of the territory of over 150,000 people to evacuate to higher elevations.“I anticipate that this situation will be of such severity and magnitude that an effective response will be beyond the capability of the government of Guam and supplementary federal assistance will be necessary to save lives and to protect property, p...

Russia claims it defeated incursion from Ukraine in 24-hour battle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:29 GMT

By SUSIE BLANN (Associated Press)KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian troops and security forces quashed an alleged cross-border raid from Ukraine on Tuesday, claiming to have killed more than 70 attackers in a battle that lasted around 24 hours, a senior Moscow official said.Moscow blamed the raid that began Monday on Ukrainian military saboteurs. Kyiv portrayed it as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans. It was impossible to reconcile the two versions or to say with any certainty who was behind the attack or what the aims were.The battle took place in the Belgorod region, about 80 kilometers (45 miles) north of the city of Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine. The region is a Russian military hub, home to fuel and ammunition depots.It was not the first time Russia has alleged an incursion by Ukrainian saboteurs, but it was the first time the operation to counter the raid continued into a second day. The effort embarrassed the Kremlin and highlighted the struggles Moscow faces...

Former Patriots captain Devin McCourty lands primetime NFL analyst job

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:29 GMT

Devin McCourty won’t be playing for the Patriots this season, but he should still be a part of your NFL Sundays.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots-Steelers regular-season game could change after new NFL rule New England Patriots | Jim Brown, all-time NFL great and social activist, dead at 87 New England Patriots | Patriots sign UDFA DL Justus Tavai to fill vacant roster spot New England Patriots | Patriots waive backup O-lineman, clear $2.7 million in cap space New England Patriots | Patriots O-linemen high on new position coach Adrian Klemm McCourty is joining NBC Sports’ studio show “Football Night in America” as an analyst, the network announced Tuesday. McCourty will work alongside fellow former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison among others. During the NFL season, “Football Night in America” serves as a weekly bridge from the late-afternoon games on Sun...

NOAA releases summer weather predictions for California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:29 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – This summer could be a warm one in California. In its long-range weather outlook for June, July and August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts most U.S. states are leaning toward a hotter-than-average summer. The national temperature map (below) is lit up in shades of orange and red. The darker the color, the higher the probability of above-normal temperatures. El Niño’s arrival is imminent and there’s a 90% chance it lasts all year, forecasters say California is shown as leaning toward a hotter-than-average summer, especially in the northern part of the state. The predictions for this summer's precipitation are more of a toss-up for California, where most of the state sees little rain during the dry season. NOAA gives the state equal chances of below-average and above-average rain. Thanks to a particularly wet winter, the state isn't in a dire drought situation for the time being. The latest data shows only 6% of the state experiencin...

Guyana girls dorm fire that killed 19 was deliberately set by student, official says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:29 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Investigators in Guyana believe a fire that killed 19 mostly girls trapped in a school dormitory was deliberately set by a student who was upset that her mobile phone was confiscated, a top official said Tuesday.The suspect in the fire late Sunday, who is among several injured people, had been disciplined by the dorm administrator for having an affair with an older man, National Security Adviser Gerald Gouveia said. The student allegedly threatened to torch the dorm and later set a fire in a bathroom area, Gouveia said.The fire raced through the wood, concrete and iron-grilled building after it had been locked for the night by the dorm administrator — or house mother — to prevent the girls from sneaking out, Gouveia said.“She did this out of love for them. She felt she was forced to do so because many of them leave the building at night to socialize,” Gouveia told The Associated Press. “This is a very sad situation, but the state is going to work with the s...

Illinois attorney general to discuss investigation of Catholic clergy sexual abuse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:29 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois’ attorney general on Tuesday will discuss his office’s more than four-year investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy in the state going back decades — a probe launched by his predecessor after she found the church’s own investigation to be seriously lacking.Kwame Raoul continued Lisa Madigan’s investigation after he took over from her as the state’s top law enforcement official in 2019. Madigan issued a blistering preliminary report on the state’s investigation in 2018 just before she left office, saying Catholic dioceses in Illinois had not released the names of at least 500 clergy who had been accused of sexually abusing children.The preliminary report found that the church’s six dioceses had done a woefully inadequate job of investigating allegations, and in some cases didn’t investigate them at all or notify the state’s child welfare agency. The abuse claims dated back decades and were m...

Investor-occupants made up almost 10% of B.C. homeowners in 2020: Statistics Canada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:29 GMT

Investor-occupants made up almost 10 per cent of homeowners in British Columbia in 2020, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.A new report from the data agency shows B.C.’s share of investor-occupants, who own a single property with multiple units, including their primary residence, sat at 9.6 per cent that year, much higher than in other provinces.Investor-occupants made up 2.5 per cent of New Brunswick’s homeowners, 1.8 per cent in Nova Scotia, 0.8 per cent in Ontario and 0.7 per cent in Manitoba, while other provinces weren’t part of the study.Statistics Canada attributed the high numbers of investor-occupants in B.C. to incremental forms of density, such as single-detached houses with secondary suites or laneway units, duplexes, or triplexes.About 12.5 per cent of Vancouver owners and 12.2 per cent of Victoria owners were investor-occupants in 2020.The average income for investor-occupants in Vancouver was $65,000, equal to the income for non-investors, while in-prov...

Zellers expanding pop-up locations across Canada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:29 GMT

Perhaps this is an indication the relaunch of Zellers is doing well. Hudson’s Bay says it has raised $240 million in additional liquidity to invest in expanding more locations of the discount retailer across the country.“We have always said that we will listen to Canadians, and they will tell us where to grow,” said Sophia Hwang-Judiesch, Hudson’s Bay president. “With these pop-ups, our expansion strategy will be fueled by the interest and feedback from our customers across the country.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zellers (@zellersofficial)Zellers locations are currently tucked away in certain Hudson’s Bay locations nationwide.“Initially through a series of pop-up boutiques within Hudson’s Bay stores, Zellers intends to open larger footprint stores in some or all of those same locations. The first pop-up will launch at Hudson’s Bay’s flagship downtown Toronto Queen Street store in June, wit...

Italy OKs aid mega-package for flooded north, with museum ticket surcharge to help pay for it

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:29 GMT

ROME (AP) — The Italian government on Tuesday approved more than 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) in aid for the flood-stricken region of Emilia-Romagna in the north, including for farmers and business owners in one of the country’s most productive regions.The government is envisioning raising by 1 euro ($1.1) the price of admission tickets to state museums, Premier Giorgia Meloni said. The money would be earmarked to help pay for repairs to damaged cultural institutions. Also being considered is a special lotto game to raise funds. Meloni told reporters that the assistance approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday includes the suspension of tax payments as well as utility bills over the coming months. Mortgage payments in areas considered disaster zones will also be suspended.“In the situation which Italy finds itself, finding 2 billion euros in a few days isn’t an easy thing,” Meloni said. She cited many of the categories receiving aid, including education, wh...