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Former Belarusian operative under Lukashenko goes on Swiss trial over enforced disappearances

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:37 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — A former member of Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko’s special security forces was going on trial Tuesday in Switzerland over the enforced disappearances of political opponents in the late 1990s — seen as a landmark case of international justice. Yuri Harauski, a former member of a military unit known as SOBR, exited a tinted-window van wearing a hood as he entered the courthouse in the northern city of St. Gallen. Activists have said the two-day trial marks a pivotal moment in international justice that could trigger prosecutions abroad of other Belarusian officials — including Lukashenko. The court case was brought under a rarely applied legal principle known as universal jurisdiction, under which foreign courts can prosecute severe crimes that happened in other countries.Harauski will be tried over the enforced disappearances of Yuri Zakharenko, a former interior minister who was fired by Lukashenko in 1996; opposition leader Viktor Gonchar; and publisher A...

No winner for Powerball, jackpot climbs to $672 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:37 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Better luck next time. No one won Monday night's Powerball jackpot, and the total has climbed to $672 million.There were no $2 million winners, and a $1 million ticket was sold in Massachusetts.Monday's numbers were: 2, 21, 26, 40, 42, and red Powerball 9. The Power Play was 3X. The next Powerball drawing will be Wednesday at 10:59 p.m. ET.At that size, this jackpot ranks as the 10th-largest in Powerball. It’s also the third-largest of 2023 — in February, there was a $754.6 million jackpot won by a ticket in Washington, and in July, a California ticket landed a $1.08 billion prize. Both of those prizes rank among the largest in the game’s history.Here are the 10 largest Powerball jackpots on record:$2.04 billion: Nov. 7, 2022 (California)$1.586 billion: Jan. 13, 2016 (California, Florida, Tennessee)$1.08 billion: July 19, 2023 (California) $768.4 million: March 27, 2019 (Wisconsin)$758.7 million: Aug. 23, 2017 (Massachusetts)$754.6 million: Feb. 6, 2023 (Washington)...

COVID-19: Commission authorizes second adapted vaccine for member states' autumn vaccination campaigns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:37 GMT

The Commission has authorized the Spikevax XBB.1.5-adapted COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Moderna. This is another important step in the fight against the disease. It is the third adaptation of this vaccine to respond to new COVID variants.Health and Food Safety Commission Stella Kyriakides (pictured) said: “With COVID-19 and seasonal influenza co-circulating this autumn and winter, vaccination remains our most effective tool against both viruses. I encourage those concerned, especially those aged 60 years and above, persons with weakened immune systems and underlying health conditions, to get their booster dose with the latest updated vaccines targeting the variants that are currently spreading as soon as possible. We all need to continue being vigilant and help protect each other.”The European Medicines Agency (EMA) carried out a stringent evaluation of the vaccine under the accelerated assessment mechanism. Following this evaluation, the Commission authorised the adapted vaccine ...

Bridge: Sept. 19, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:37 GMT

“My short-term memory isn’t what it used to be,” one of my club’s seniors said to me.“Is that your only problem?” I asked.“Well, my short-term memory isn’t what it once was.”Today’s declarer forgot the auction from a few minutes earlier. When West’s bid of one diamond came around, South bid a direct four spades, expecting North to hold a few points. West led high diamonds, and South ruffed the third diamond and led a trump. East took the ace and returned a trump.South next led a heart to dummy’s ace and a heart back to his jack. West’s queen won for down one.OPENING BIDSouth had a lapse. East had not responded to the opening bid and had shown the ace of trumps. He couldn’t have the queen of hearts. South should cash the ace of clubs and run his trumps.At the end, dummy has the queen of clubs and A-7 of hearts, and South has his three hearts. West must save his king of clubs so only two hearts. South ...

Horoscopes Sept. 19, 2023: Jimmy Fallon, stick to the truth

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:37 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Kevin Zegers, 39; Alison Sweeney, 47; Jimmy Fallon, 49; Trisha Yearwood, 59.Happy Birthday: Discipline will help you achieve things, but don’t let it stifle your creativity. Emotions will brew, and although keeping your secrets safe and sound is favored, sharing essential information with those close to you is necessary. Keep the conversation flowing. Having a willingness to adopt change that keeps you updated is vital to your success. Stick to the truth and complete your mission. Your numbers are 9, 17, 26, 32, 38, 44, 49.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Emotional matters will cost you if you lack realism. Sidestep joint ventures and proceed alone to maintain control. Being able to do things your way will give you limitless energy and enthusiasm to outmaneuver anyone who tries to get in your way. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll gravitate toward serious people pursuing a similar mission. Don’t get consumed in someone else’s dre...

Word Game: Sept. 19, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:37 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — PHARMACY (PHARMACY: FAR-muh-see: A place where medicines are compounded or dispensed.)Average mark 19 wordsTime limit 35 minutesCan you find 25 or more words in PHARMACY? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — WEDLOCK weld woke deck dock dole dowel lewd lock lode lowed owed clew clod code coed coke cold cole cowed cowlTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

Ask Amy: We made it through this horrible wedding, and then we learned the couple’s secret

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:37 GMT

Dear Amy: Your recent answer to “Disgruntled Guest” regarding a destination wedding inspired me to write.For those who want to have a destination wedding, my suggestion is to focus on each other and the moment. Come home afterward and have a gathering with family and friends.My wife and I attended a formal beach wedding. Sand was blowing and we couldn’t hear the officiant over the waves. Afterward, we attended a formal dinner and ate the worst food ever.We attended out of obligation, an obligation I wish we’d never agreed to. It was five days of enforced partying with a small group of people we wouldn’t choose to vacation with. (We gave the couple a very generous gift, as well.)Then we learned that they were married by a judge months before their destination wedding.A few months after the destination wedding, they had a very large formal gathering again, and more money was forked out.It was the Never-ending Wedding!– Never AgainDear Never Again: I’m picturing a marrying ...

Victor Wembanyama will be aiming for the gold medal with France at Paris Olympics

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:37 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama will be aiming for the gold medal with France at the Paris Olympics.The San Antonio Spurs rookie reaffirmed his commitment to France’s national squad at the Summer Games next year in his home country. He spoke in the wake of France’s poor showing at the World Cup last month, where he did not play.“Performing well at the Olympics would be a great story,” Wembanyama told French media. “I’ll be present at the Olympics, and there’s no other goal than gold.”“The World Cup was very disappointing,” he was quoted as saying on Tuesday. “But I have no judgment to make as I wasn’t there.”The No. 1 draft pick had decided not to play at the World Cup in order to prepare for his rookie season.France came to the World Cup as the reigning Olympic silver medalists but failed to qualify for the second round. ___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nbaSource

¿Por qué los cubanos están luchando en la guerra de Rusia contra Ucrania?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:37 GMT

Santa Clara, Cuba (CNN) — Durante meses, cientos de cubanos han abandonado silenciosamente la isla para luchar por Rusia en su guerra en Ucrania, persiguiendo promesas de dinero y ciudadanía rusa de reclutadores en línea en la sombra, dijeron miembros de familias cubanas a CNN.En gran parte de Cuba, la economía se ha estancado debido a la fuerte caída del turismo, el aumento de la inflación y las renovadas sanciones de Estados Unidos. En lugares como Santa Clara, una ciudad de unos 250.000 habitantes con frecuentes apagones diarios de varias horas de duración y más caballos y carretas en la carretera que automóviles, parecía haber un número ilimitado de hombres desafectos a los que reclutar.Hombres como Miguel, que en julio viajó a Rusia y poco después se encontraba en primera línea de la guerra con Ucrania, según declaró su madre Cecilia a CNN. “Mi hijo ganaba unos 2.000 pesos al mes”, haciendo trabajos ocasionales en Santa Clara, dijo. “Ahora no se puede co...

1 killed, 2 hurt in Denver shooting, car crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:49:37 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — One person was killed and two others were taken to the hospital following a shooting and car crash in the City Park West neighborhood Monday night.It happened in the 1700 block of East 17th Avenue, according to the Denver Police Department. FOX31 was at the scene about 10 p.m., where police had the road blocked off at Williams Street.Originally, police said three victims were taken to the hospital after a shooting, but later provided an update that two of the three people were shot and suffered gunshot wounds, while the third person was taken to the hospital but was not shot. Woman sought in LoDo shooting that injured 5 According to DPD based on preliminary information, a suspect fired shots and hit a man who was driving on East 17th Avenue. The man crashed his car and died from his injuries. His female passenger sustained injuries from the crash but was not shot.DPD said a security guard in the area saw the crash and went to help. The guard was also shot by the su...