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Russia, Belarus have Paralympic membership suspension overturned, but athletes still barred

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:21 GMT

BONN, Germany (AP) — Russia and its ally Belarus have had their suspension from membership of the International Paralympic Committee overturned on appeal but their athletes remain barred from competing in IPC-run events.The IPC said Friday that its independent appeals tribunal had ruled that the IPC membership should have considered more evidence before voting to suspend the two countries’ national Paralympic organizations in November, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The IPC said the tribunal decision on Wednesday was taken on a “technicality” and that some of the evidence the tribunal heard wasn’t available when the vote was taken last year. IPC President Andrew Parsons called the ruling “a decision we certainly respect, but disagree with.”The issue is now set to be considered again by IPC members in September. That meeting was already expected to consider the IPC’s approach to Russian and Belarusian athletes in preparations for the Paralympics in Paris...

Serbia’s populist leader denounces planned Belgrade bridge blockade after shootings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:21 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s populist leader has sharply denounced opposition plans to block a key bridge and motorway in Belgrade on Friday to press their demands in the wake of last week’s mass shootings in the Balkan country that left 17 people dead, including many children.President Aleksandar Vucic said that the planned opposition protest later on Friday amounted to “violence in politics” and “harassment” of citizens. But, Vucic said, police would not intervene to prevent it “unless people’s lives are in danger.”“What gives them the right to block other people’s normal lives?” said Vucic, adding that the opposition were “abusing the tragedy” following the shootings that deeply rattled the nation and triggered calls for change.“They are harassing citizens and not allowing them to travel,” Vucic insisted. “But we don’t like to beat protesters, like France and Germany do.” The rally on Friday comes a week after thousands marched in Belgrade. They ...

Islamabad high court gives ex-PM Imran Khan reprieve from arrest in graft case, grants bail

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:21 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A high court in Islamabad on Friday granted former Prime Minister Imran Khan protection from arrest in a graft case and ordered him freed on bail. The ruling came as the government and legions of Khan’s supporters were on edge after days of violent confrontations sparked by the arrest of the former prime minister earlier this week. The government has vowed it will find a way to take Khan back into custody, a move that would likely cause a resurgence of riots and mob attacks.Friday’s ruling by the Islamabad High Court gave Khan protection from arrest on one of several corruption cases against him for a period of two weeks, a form of interim bail that usually is renewed in the Pakistan judicial system. Khan, however, remained in the court after the decision as his lawyers petitioned the judges for similar protection in a number of other corruption charges, trying to close off a legal avenue for the government to arrest him again. Khan’s chief lawyer, Babar...

UN human rights report says at least 500 believed to have died in Mali village massacre last year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:21 GMT

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Malian forces backed by foreign military personnel are believed to have killed at least 500 people over several days in a village last year, the U.N. said Friday, significantly raising the death toll from what already has been called the worst single atrocity in Mali’s decade-long fight against extremist groups.The new report from the U.N. Human Rights Office details the violence that took place in the village of Moura in central Mali over the course of five days, and raises a previous toll of 300 dead given by Human Rights Watch.U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called the findings “extremely disturbing.”“Summary executions, rape and torture during armed conflict amount to war crimes and could, depending on the circumstances, amount to crimes against humanity,” Turk said.Malian authorities have said that their operation last March neutralized extremists and didn’t allow U.N. investigators to visit the village. U.N. investigators a...

Air Canada reports Q1 revenue nearly doubled compared with a year ago

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:21 GMT

MONTREAL — Air Canada reported its first-quarter revenue nearly doubled compared with a year ago, boosted by strong demand.Air Canada chief executive Michael Rousseau says the financial results exceeded both internal and external expectations and that the airline expects demand to persist, supported by strong advance bookings for the remainder of the year.The airline reported net income of $4 million for the quarter ended March 31, up from a loss of $974 million in the same quarter last year.Revenue totalled $4.89 billion, up from $2.57 billion in the first three months of 2022.On an adjusted basis, Air Canada says it lost 53 cents per diluted share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted loss of $2.09 per diluted share a year earlier.The average analyst estimate had been for an adjusted loss of 74 cents per share and $4.35 billion in revenue, according to estimates compiled by financial markets data firm Refinitiv.This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12...

FIFA fund for unpaid wages helps 225 players at clubs in Portugal and Greece

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:21 GMT

ZURICH (AP) — A FIFA fund to compensate for unpaid wages helped 225 players in the latest round of payments, including 61 in Portugal and 50 in Greece, the governing body of soccer said Friday.The $16 million FIFA Fund for Football Players was created in 2020 with the FIFPRO player union. Some clubs were suspected of closing down to avoid paying salaries and then re-started anew as a “phoenix” operation.FIFA allocated $4 million to applications for financial help from the 2021 calendar year.The payments included 22 for players from Greek club Doxa Drama, plus 19 from CD Aves and 18 from Uniao da Madeira in Portugal.Cases in China came from Shanghai Shenxin, Beijing Renhe, Taizhou Yuanda and Guangdong South China Tiger.“Given that it’s deeply frustrating for players not to receive their salaries, we’re pleased that the FIFA (fund) is again providing them with a safety net to ensure that they receive part of what they are owed,” FIFPRO legal director Roy Vermeer said in a statement.FI...

Woman found shot to death in South Side house fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:21 GMT

CHICAGO — A woman was found fatally shot in the head in a house fire in the city's Englewood neighborhood.According to police, officers on patrol came across a small fire on the side of a house in the 6400 block of South Damen around 12:45 a.m. Friday. Police then requested the help of the Chicago Fire Department.As emergency crews conducted a search, they discovered an unresponsive 32-year-old woman in the rear of the property with a gun shot wound in the back of the head.She was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.No word on what may have caused the fire.No one is in custody. Area One detectives are investigating the incident as a homicide.

Friday Forecast: Scattered showers with possible thunderstorms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:21 GMT

Friday: Mainly cloudy, cooler lakeside, 60% showers/storm, ESE 5-10. High: 73, Low: 67Chicago Area Radar | WGN TVFriday Night: Mainly cloudy, rain/storms, NE 5-10. Low: 56Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Saturday's forecast is looking mainly cloudy, 20% shower chance, cooler lakeside, ENE 5-10 G20. High: 70, Low: 627DAY wgntv.com/weather

Car hits train after chase, driver dies; traffic delays expected

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police said the driver of a car that hit a train Friday morning in east Austin following a chase between police has died. Officials believed the chase was with a suspected drunk driver.According to police, officers attempted to stop the driver at East Seventh and Neches Streets at 2:36 a.m. but the driver took off. The driver then hit the train at the crossing of Seventh Street and Northwestern Avenue. That's just west of Pleasant Valley Road. According to Austin Travis County EMS, paramedics took the patient to the hospital. ATCEMS said the patient had critical injuries but later died.Austin Police said both directions of Seventh Street were closed as of 3 a.m.APD also said train crossings at 6th Street at Northwestern, 7th and Northwestern and Webberville and Northwestern would be blocked.CapMetro said it was expecting rails delays Friday morning due to the crash being on its tracks."Bus bridge will assist customers between MLK and Downtown stations," CapMet...

ALERT: Severe storms, flash flooding risk begins tonight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:46:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Impactful weather bringing the threat for severe storms and, more significantly, flash flooding looks set to begin as early as late Friday afternoon and continuing through the weekend into early next week.FRIDAY (DAYTIME)Today starts with a mainly cloudy sky and a few pockets of light rain. Isolated storms are possible late afternoon through evening, but coverage will be few and far between to start. NEW BLOG: HOW TO PREPARE FOR FLASH FLOODING Our main concerns with any isolated severe storms would be large hail and damaging winds coming ahead of our main round of heavy and widespread rain much later at night.Slight risk (2 out of 5) for severe storms late Friday into early SaturdayA Flood Watch has been issued for all of Central Texas beginning 7 p.m. Friday through Saturday 8 p.m. with the potential this could get extended into Sunday. A Flood Watch means conditions are favorable for flash flooding or stream, creek or river flooding during the watch period.Flood...