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Belarus’ Sabalenka waits for a handshake from Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina at French Open, meets media

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:54:44 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka smacked a forehand winner to reach the French Open semifinals for the first time, then strode forward. Placing both hands atop the net tape, she leaned forward and stared directly at Elina Svitolina, her Ukrainian opponent.Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion whose nation, Belarus, helped Russia invade Ukraine to begin a war that now is in its 17th month, knew that Svitolina would not participate Tuesday in the usual postmatch handshake. Like other players from Ukraine, including Sabalenka’s first-round opponent at Roland Garros last week, Svitolina has avoided that traditional greeting after any match against someone from Russia or Belarus, for obvious reasons.Although not, apparently, obvious to the second-seeded Sabalenka in that moment; she explained — while speaking with the media after avoiding news conferences after the preceding two contests — that she went to the net out of “instinct.” Nor, apparently, obvious to some members of the crowd at ...

Ukrainian dam breach: What is happening and what’s at stake

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:54:44 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The dramatic rupture of the dam that upheld Ukraine’s largest reservoir released a torrent of water Tuesday, raising fears of widespread damage and flooding in areas where tens of thousands of people live.It’s not clear what caused the breach in the Kakhovka dam, which was already damaged. Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up the facility, while Russian officials blamed Ukrainian military strikes.WHY IS THE DAM IMPORTANT?The 30-meter-high (98-foot-high) dam and associated hydroelectric power station sit in Russian-controlled territory along the Dnieper River about 70 kilometers (44 miles) east of the city of Kherson — a flashpoint of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Together with the power station, the dam helps provide electricity, irrigation and drinking water to a wide swath of southern Ukraine, including the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula.Ukraine’s vast agricultural heartland, which is partially fed by the Dnieper river, is cruci...

El Salvador prosecutors said ex-president approved 1989 massacre of Jesuits

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:54:44 GMT

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Prosecutors in El Salvador say they have evidence that former President Alfredo Cristiani was present at a meeting that approved the 1989 massacre of six Jesuit priests and two others by soldiers. Prosecutors who announced the case against Cristiani last year presented formal charges against the former president at an arraignment hearing late Monday, saying the plot to kill the Jesuits during the country’s 1980-1992 civil war went all the way to the top. Cristiani, who left El Salvador in 2021 and whose whereabouts are unknown, has always denied knowledge of or involvement in the killings, which shocked the world. Prosecutors said that not only did Cristiani know about and approve the 1989 killings, he also held a phone call to reassure one of the priests before he was murdered. “The investigations reveal that former President Alfredo Cristiani was present at the meeting where the crime was coordinated and authorized,” the prosecutors wrote in a stat...

Sex harassment case involving Trudeau Foundation should be heard in N.L., lawyer says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:54:44 GMT

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — The lawyer representing a woman who alleges she was sexually harassed by a former Northwest Territories premier says her client would likely have to end her lawsuit if a judge determines the trial should be moved to Quebec.Kathryn Marshall, with the Toronto-based law firm Levitt Sheikh, argued in Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court today that the case should be heard in that province, because that is where the alleged misconduct took place.She says her client, Cherry Smiley, would have to bear the cost and emotional strife of starting over with a search for a new lawyer who can speak both French and English in a case that has already been difficult and slow.Smiley’s statement of claim alleges she was sexually harassed in June 2018 in St. John’s, N.L., by Stephen Kakfwi, who was her appointed mentor through a scholarship program offered through the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.The statement of claim was filed with the Supreme Court of New...

Canadian company pleads guilty to shipping banned seal oil to US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:54:44 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Canadian company has pleaded guilty to violating federal law by illegally selling seal oil capsules to American customers.The oil is made from the blubber of seals and sold as a nutritional supplement with a promise of containing healthy fats. The company, FeelGood Natural Health Stores of Whitby, Ontario, sold and transported capsules made from harp seals, the U.S. Department of Justice said Monday.The company’s actions are illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it unlawful to transport or sell any marine mammal or byproducts for most commercial purposes. The act protects the harp seal throughout its range, including the North Atlantic and Artic oceans and the waters off New England.FeelGood shipped more than 900 bottles of the capsules worth more than $10,000 to the U.S. from 2019 to 2021, the Justice Department said.“The illegal importation of marine mammal products not only violates the Marine Mammal Protection Act but al...

Vehicle theft soared in 2022, led by Quebec and Ontario: report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:54:44 GMT

TORONTO — Insurance industry group Équité Association says vehicle theft in multiple provinces surged last year.The non-profit association, which focuses on the prevention of insurance fraud and crime, says in a report that the Canadian insurance industry lost more than a billion dollars for the first time on vehicle theft claims in 2022. Vehicle theft was up by 50 per cent in Quebec year over year, by 48.3 per cent in Ontario, by 34.5 per cent in Atlantic Canada and by 18.3 per cent in Alberta.Équité Association president and CEO Terri O’Brien says vehicle theft has become a national crisis. The report says that the national vehicle recovery rate was 57 per cent, with higher rates in Atlantic Canada and Alberta. The organization says most of the stolen vehicles in Quebec and Ontario are newer, because organized crime rings are focusing on new and luxury vehicles for maximum profit overseas.  This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2023.The Canadian Press

Cause of death for Chicago native, former UNLV football player Ryan Keeler revealed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:54:44 GMT

LAS VEGAS — A cause of death has been given for a former Chicago area prep football standout who was continuing his college career in Las Vegas.Ryan Keeler, who attended Nazareth High School and was getting ready for his second season at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, died of a heart ailment according to the Clark County, Nevada coroners office. Per their autopsy, it was found that he had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes the thickening of the heart muscle. On February 20, Keeler died of a fatal irregular heartbeat at the age of 20 in his apartment in Las Vegas. UNLV, Nazareth High School react to Ryan Keeler's death A native of Chicago, the defensive lineman had just completed his first season at UNLV after transferring from Rutgers, where he spent his freshman season. He didn't see any playing time during his one season with the Scarlet Knights. During the 2022 campaign with the Rebels, Keeler played in seven games, registering eight tackles and a sack against Air ...

Meet the new star of MJ The Musical!

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:54:44 GMT

New star of MJ The Musical, Roman Banks, makes his debut Chicago television appearance on WGN Morning News. MJ will launch its North American tour at Broadway In Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph) from August 1 – September 2, 2023.For tickets, visit BroadwayInChicago.com.ROMAN BANKS (MJ) is an actor and musician best known for his historic run as the first BIPOC actor to portray Evan in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. Following the end of his stint in the title role, Banks went on to guest star as Howie in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, closely followed by his role in TikTok's first-ever commissioned livestream musical, For You, Paige.

Oh, the places they went: Top quotes from this year's commencement addresses

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:54:44 GMT

(The Hill) -- The class of 2023 has walked the stage for the last time. As millions of students and their families celebrate, universities have as usual brought in some huge names to bid farewell to their graduates, ranging from Hollywood to the White House, with Vice President Kamala Harris giving the first West Point commencement speech by a woman.Here are some of the best quotes from this year’s commencement addresses:President Joe Biden at the Air Force AcademyPresident Joe Biden speaks Thursday during the 2023 United States Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)"When people around the world see a United States gray tail flying overhead, or the stars and stripes on your shoulders, they know what that means no matter where you go: freedom, opportunity, possibilities, hope." The secret summer lives of American schools "When I was graduating from high school 300 years ago, I applied to the Naval Academy....

Young girl dies in north Austin overnight shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:54:44 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department is investigating after a young girl died after being shot in north Austin overnight.Police are investigating the incident as a homicide. This is Austin's 31st homicide of 2023, APD said. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2023? Police said they responded to a shots fired call around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning at the Bridge at Harris Ridge Apartment Complex on East Howard Lane. According to APD, officers and EMS arrived on scene and found a juvenile girl with head trauma, then began life-saving measures and took her to Dell Children's Hospital. She died at the hospital.No one is in custody at this time.Anyone with any information should call APD's Homicide unit at 512-974-TIPS. You can submit a tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. There could be a $1,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest.