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Rights group: China sentences 2 lawyers on ‘farcical’ charge

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:40 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Two prominent Chinese human rights lawyers have been sentenced to more than a decade in prison, Human Rights Watch said Monday, the latest in a crackdown by the ruling Communist Party on its critics.The rights group said Xu Zhiyong, 50, was sentenced to 14 years and Ding Jiaxi, 55, was given 12 years in prison under the vague charge of “subversion of state power.” Such proceedings are conducted under intense secrecy.“The cruelly farcical convictions and sentences meted out to Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi show President Xi Jinping’s unstinting hostility towards peaceful activism,” Yaqiu Wang, the group’s senior China researcher, was quoted as saying in a news release.The court in Shandong province, south of the capital Beijing, did not immediately respond to requests for confirmation.Xu and Ding are among a generation of Chinese who held out hope that the ruling party would adopt a more liberal approach to governance after the political chaos of the 1966-1976 Cultural Rev...

France: 4 bodies found after Marseille building collapse

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:40 GMT

MARSEILLE (AP) — Two bodies were found Monday in the rubble following an explosion that collapsed a building in the southern French city of Marseille, bringing the confirmed death toll to four as rescuers continue searching for four more people who are unaccounted-for.Two other bodies had previously been found overnight. The judicial authority will proceed to identify the victims, firefighters said in a statement.Minister for Cities and Housing Olivier Klein told reporters that at least four people have died, after he met with rescuers on site. “The hope to find survivors is still there,” Minister for Cities and Housing Olivier Klein told reporters. “It is very meticulous work done by firefighters,” he added, noting the risk for adjacent buildings to collapse. More than 100 firefighters were mobilized for the searches.Marseille mayor Benoit Payan tweeted Monday that “the pain and sorrow are great.” He expressed his thoughts for the families of the victims and ̶...

Dalai Lama apologizes after video shows him kissing boy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:40 GMT

DHARAMSALA, India (AP) — Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama apologized Monday after a video showing him kissing a child on the lips triggered criticism. A statement posted on his official website said the 87-year-old leader regretted the incident and wished to “apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.”The incident occurred at a public gathering in February at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharamsala, where the exiled leader lives. He was taking questions from the audience when the boy asked if he could hug him. The Dalai Lama invited the boy up toward the platform he was seated on. In the video, he gestured to his cheek, after which the child kissed him before giving him a hug. The Dalai Lama then asked the boy to kiss him on the lips and stuck out his tongue. “And suck my tongue,” the Dalai Lama can be heard saying as the boy sticks out his own tongue and leans in, prompting laughter from the a...

Greece: Top judge quits in legal dispute over elections

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:40 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A vice president at Greece’s Supreme Court resigned Monday in a legal dispute over an attempt by the government to ban a far-right political party from participating in a general election next month.Judge Christos Tzanerikos, one of 10 serving vice presidents at the court, tendered his resignation after the government introduced supplementary draft legislation to parliament aimed at barring the Greeks Party from the May 21 election.The Greeks Party was founded two years ago by a jailed former lawmaker of the extreme right Golden Dawn party. Parliament in February approved a legislative amendment to ban it from fielding candidates in elections. The party appointed a new leader last week to try to bypass the ban, prompting the government to submit a new amendment, broadening the scope of the ban. It is also calling for a plenary session of the Supreme Court to consider the ban, instead of a regular session. Tzanerikos publicly objected to the new amendment, descr...

Avalanche kills 6, including mountain guides, in French Alps

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:40 GMT

PARIS (AP) — The death toll from Sunday’s avalanche in the French Alps rose to six, including two mountain guides, local authorities said Monday. The prosecutor’s office in Bonneville, in the Haute-Savoie region, said the body of a sixth person has been found after searches resumed on Monday morning.The prefecture of Haute-Savoie said one person was sent to the hospital with minor injuries. Eight other people were found unharmed. No details have been provided on the identity of the victims.The avalanche on Sunday rolled down the Armancette glacier in Contamines-Montjoie, in the Haute-Savoie region, some 30 kilometers (almost 20 miles) southwest of Chamonix.The Alps are a prime vacation spot over France’s Easter long weekend. The local France-Bleu radio station put the size of the avalanche at 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) long and 100 meters (328 feet) wide. National weather agency Meteo France had not issued a specific avalanche warning for Sunday, assessing the risk as “limited....

Attempted casino heist foiled by police

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:40 GMT

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) - A man faces grand larceny charges after his plan to steal thousands of dollars from the Rivers Casino in Portsmouth, Virginia, was stopped by police, the Portsmouth Police Department says. On Feb. 27, Casino surveillance captured Troyon Johnson allegedly swiping $7,000 worth of poker chips from a table, according to court documents.Johnson attempted to cash the chips in, and while the cashier was retrieving money, he allegedly grabbed $2,600 in cash and made a run for the exit. Parents track down kidnapping suspect, tackle him in the mall But Johnson wasn't able to get away. A Portsmouth officer chased him while still inside the building. A detective who was also inside and heard the call on the radio joined in the chase.They managed to grab Johnson as he made his way outside, but lost custody of him when all three fell to the ground, court documents said.He was only able to get away for a brief time, according to the officers. They spotted him hiding in n...

Key takeaways from major US intelligence leak

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:40 GMT

(The Hill) – A trove of purported Pentagon documents have appeared online in recent days, revealing information ranging from U.S. assessments of the Russia-Ukraine war to intel on how America may be spying on adversaries and allies. The source of the leaks is not yet clear. Reuters reported that three unnamed U.S. officials said  Russia or pro-Russian elements are likely behind at least the first batch of leaks.Here’s what we do know so far about the documents: Are the leaked documents authentic? It’s not yet clear whether all the material surfacing online is legitimate, though unnamed U.S. officials have told CNN and the New York Times that the documents appear to be real. However, some have also noted that, even if the documents are authentic, some of the information in them may have been altered.Estimates of Russian troop deaths in certain documents, for example, are significantly lower than those given by U.S. officials, sparking some concern that the materi...

Spotty rain to start the work week

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:40 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Spotty to scattered showers and storms are possible for some today, but warmer temperatures can be expected for all.A few isolated showers are possible this morning as a decaying complex of storms approaches the Hill Country. More scattered storms and showers are possible late afternoon into the evening, but even then, coverage looks to top out at 30%.Rain chances drop on Tuesday and favor areas near and east of I-35. We'll warm up and dry out for Wednesday and Thursday ahead of another storm system that'll bring decent rain chances later on Friday and into next weekend.FIRST WARNING WEATHER: Stay up to date with your Central Texas forecast, sign up for our weather newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters Stay up-to-date with the First Warning Weather teamFollow the KXAN First Warning Weather team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.You can also follow our meteorologists' individual accounts for livestreams and a little bit of what goes on behind the scenes:@DavidYeomansWX...

American Red Cross aids five after Ballston Spa fire

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:40 GMT

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The American Red Cross provided immediate emergency aid to five people after a Ballston Spa Fire that happened early Easter Sunday morning. According to the American Red Cross, the fire took place on Bath Street. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The fire took place in the early morning hours around 4 a.m. The American Red Cross is providing financial assistance and other necessities such as shelter, food, and clothing for two adults and three children.

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: My Employer Thinks Giving Me A Phone Means I'm Always on Call!

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:40 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma is about working and being on call. Here's the email. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime and good morning. My name is Evan and I wonder if anyone listening to the show could call in and help me out with this dilemma I’m going through. So I was just given a promotion at work as a team supervisor. The job comes with many perks, one being they get me a new smart phone that’s just for work. I don’t have to take the phone but they will pay for it if I want one. All the other supervisors have taken the phone. I on the other hand am thinking I’d rather just use my own phone to answer calls and answer emails like I always have. The reason being, all the other supervisors have told me that the boss thinks they HAVE to answer calls even if it's on a day off or the weekend. I’m a team player and love my job and I’m grateful for the promotion but I don’t want to feel obliga...