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Putin rejects theory about Ukrainian role in pipeline blasts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:23 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday dismissed as “sheer nonsense” allegations that Ukrainians could be behind the blasts that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea last year, and again pointed the finger at the U.S.Putin spoke after The New York Times, The Washington Post and German media published stories last week citing unidentified U.S. and other officials as saying there was evidence Ukraine, or at least Ukrainians, may have been responsible. The Ukrainian government has denied involvement.Germany’s Die Zeit newspaper and German public broadcasters ARD and SWR reported that investigators believed five men and a woman used a yacht hired by a Ukrainian-owned company in Poland to carry out the attack. German federal prosecutors confirmed that a boat was searched in January but have not confirmed the reported findings.Putin rejected the notion as “sheer nonsense.” “Such an explosion, so powerful and at such depth, could only be conducte...

Florida advances bills on gender identity, defamation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:23 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republicans on Tuesday advanced a proposal to ban classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity through the eighth grade, expanding the controversial law critics call “Don’t Say Gay.”The bill, which was approved by a House subcommittee, still must clear another committee before moving to the full House. A separate House subcommittee approved a bill that would make it easier to sue journalists for defamation, a priority for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who frequently criticizes what he calls “legacy media.”The education measure also would prohibit school staffers or students from being required to refer to people by pronouns that don’t correspond to the person’s sex. Florida came under intense national scrutiny last year over the so-called Don’t Say Gay law, which prohibits instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade. DeSantis has been a fierce defende...

Belarus rights group says scores detained in new clampdown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:23 GMT

Rights advocates in Belarus sounded the alarm on Tuesday about a new heavy crackdown on dissent by the authoritarian government that saw over 100 people — including several psychologists and psychiatrists — detained in a week.Viasna, Belarus’ oldest and most prominent rights group, said mass arrests took place in the capital Minsk, as well as in the east and the west of the country. The authorities targeted opposition activists, journalists, medical workers, members of shooting sports clubs and people working with drones.Viasna’s Pavel Sapelka told The Associated Press that Belarus’ security forces are waging “sweeping raids and searches” on those suspected of involvement in a recent attack on a Russian warplane stationed near the Belarusian capital. “Guerillas” from the country’s opposition BYPOL movement claimed responsibility of the attack on a Beriev A-50 parked at the Machulishchy Air Base near Minsk. Russia used the territory of its ally Belarus to inva...

Canada at crossroads on submarines as cost, need butt heads and allies press ahead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:23 GMT

OTTAWA — The federal government is at a crossroads on replacing Canada’s aging submarines, as cost considerations butt up against warnings about the need for such vessels and allies press ahead with their own plans.The Royal Canadian Navy revealed in July 2021 that it had launched a long-anticipated push to replace the country’s four Victoria-class submarines, creating a special team to figure out exactly what the military needs in a new fleet.The move came amid growing concerns about the need to start working on such a project given the age of Canada’s existing fleet and estimates that it would take at least 15 years to design and build new vessels.Yet it also came absent a formal commitment from the Liberal government to build and operate a new submarine fleet after the Victoria-class vessels are retired in the mid-2030s — a commitment that still hasn’t been made nearly two years later.Defence Minister Anita Anand’s spokesman on Tuesday described subm...

Transport minister pledges to close passenger compensation loophole used by airlines

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:23 GMT

MONTREAL — Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said Tuesday the federal government will close a loophole that allows airlines to deny customers compensation for cancelled flights.The reform will come as part of an overhaul of passenger rights to be tabled in Parliament this spring, he said at a press conference.Asked whether he would end the exemption that lets carriers reject compensation claims by citing safety issues, Alghabra answered in the affirmative.“The short answer is yes. We are working on strengthening and clarifying the rules to ensure that we make a distinction,” he said.“Obviously we don’t want planes to fly when it’s unsafe to do so. But there are certain things that are within the control of the airlines, and we need to have clearer rules that puts the responsibility on the airlines when it’s their responsibility.”Alghabra’s pledge came during a press conference at Toronto’s Pearson airport Tuesday morning, where he...

Airline investigating after flight attendants allegedly fight over passenger's request, refuse to work with each other

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:23 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – SkyWest Airlines has launched an internal investigation into allegations that a recent flight from California to Texas was delayed following a spat between “petty” flight attendants.  The flight, operated by SkyWest for American Eagle, had boarded in Los Angeles and was scheduled to leave for Houston when one of the first-class passengers requested to switch seats with someone in coach so she could sit next to her husband, according to a passenger who filmed part of the incident. A male flight attendant told the passenger it was OK, but a female flight attendant quickly interjected and said it was against the carrier’s policy, she said.“They kept bickering and going back and forth in the middle of the aisle about the rules, and what was right and what was wrong,” said Ashley Brewer, an anchor and reporter with ESPN who claims she was seated beside the first-class passenger. “They just had some beef or something.”Brewer said the male flight attendant began yelling at...

Skilling: 'Pineapple Express' storm to bring wind, rain to Chicago Thursday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:23 GMT

The ATMOSPHERIC RIVER STORM sweeping California—the 11th such storm since Dec 22---will cross the Rockies, plug into Gulf moisture and bring Thursday afternoon and nighttime rains to Chicago amid strong southerly winds expected to begin boosting city temps tomorrow (Wednesday).An estimated 30-million California residents are being impacted by this 11th atmospheric river system to hit the state since Dec. 22. Forty of California's 58 counties are under a State of Emergency as the latest Pacific storm system sweeps in with drenching rains, high winds and, above 8,000 ft. 3 to 5 feet of additional snow. And from all indications, it won't be the last. Severe more are to hit in the the next week and a half. LEARN MORE: Satellite images show ‘Atmospheric River Storm’ drench California Ominously, the NWS Weather Prediction Center (WPC) assesses as a HIGH RISK the threat of flooding and notes that 40% of the country's flood fatalities have occurred in regions declared at HIGH RISK for exc...

'Did we really just do this?': Illinois women's basketball makes 1st NCAA Tournament in 20 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:23 GMT

CHAMPAIGN - It's a moment that she's been working to make happen for 12 months, but the journey for the program she leads was much longer than that. Yet first year head coach Shauna Green was just as amazed as those who've been a part of or followed Illinois women's basketball for years when the school's name popped on the big screen on Selection Sunday at the State Farm Center."This was the goal, this was the vision, this is what I believed could happen, and to do it in year one, it's still kinda, almost like Jada (Peebles) said, it's surreal," said Green. "Did we really just do this?"Indeed, the Illini did.In one of the more surprising turnarounds of the 2022-2023 women's basketball season, Illinois went 22-8 and 11-7 in the Big Ten to clinch an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They're an 11th seed and will face Mississippi State in a play-in game on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend. This ends a 20-year program drought for the tournament, with the team las...

Fashion Designer Of The Year, Nipiy Iskwew, Among Notables At 2023 Juno Awards

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:23 GMT

Arrest warrant issued for another suspect in Austin street takeovers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police were able to obtain an arrest warrant for a man they said is a suspect in the street takeovers across Austin on Feb. 18, according to an affidavit.The man was identified as Keshun Jamal Semere, 21.According to previous court records, the takeovers happened at prominent intersections across the city beginning around 6 p.m. on Feb. 18 and ending around 1 a.m. on Feb. 19. During each takeover event, multiple crashes occurred, pedestrians were hit by vehicles, property — including police vehicles — was damaged, people were injured and several vehicles tried to get away from law enforcement, the affidavits said.The street takeovers on Feb. 18 resulted in more than 400 emergency 911 phone calls for the night, according to the affidavits.Several others were arrested in connection with the street takeovers, and police are continuing their investigation with the latest suspect being Semere, who was not arrested at the time this article was published. Arrest warrants ...