Today: October 11, 2024
Today: October 11, 2024

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World

Storms and heavy rain flood roads, block railway lines in Germany

Storms and heavy rain across a large swath of Germany flooded roads and forced the closure of some major railway routes on Friday, but there was no immediate word of any injuries. Germany’s national weather service had warned earlier this week of severe storms with significant amounts of rainfall, which hit on Thursday. In the western city of Duisburg, the fire service said it rescued several people from cars that got stuck on flooded streets. Shops were flooded and streets inundated in the northern city of Braunschweig, and there were similar reports from Kassel. In Hattersheim, near

Storms and heavy rain flood roads, block railway lines in Germany
World

Interstate 95 set to reopen less than two weeks after deadly collapse in Philadelphia

Interstate 95 was set to reopen to traffic Friday less than two weeks after a deadly collapse in Philadelphia shut down a heavily traveled stretch of the East Coast’s main north-south highway. Workers were putting the finishing touches on an interim six-lane roadway that will serve motorists during construction of a permanent bridge. Crews worked around the clock and were poised to finish ahead of schedule. The interstate was scheduled to reopen at noon, according to the governor’s office. The elevated section of I-95 collapsed early on June 11 after a tractor-trailer hauling gasoline flipped on an

Interstate 95 set to reopen less than two weeks after deadly collapse in Philadelphia
World

Malaysia says it will take legal action against Meta over harmful content on Facebook

Malaysia’s government said Friday it will take legal action against Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms, for failing to remove undesirable and harmful content from its social media platform. The Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission said Facebook has recently been plagued by a “a significant volume of undesirable content” relating to sensitive issues on race, religion and royalty as well as defamation, impersonation, online gambling and scam advertisements. The commission said repeated efforts to reach out to Meta to remove harmful content were of no avail. “Meta’s response, which has been sluggish and unsatisfactory, has not

Malaysia says it will take legal action against Meta over harmful content on Facebook
World

Twitter faces 'stress test' of Europe's tough new Big Tech rules

A top European Union official is in Silicon Valley to check whether Twitter is ready to comply with the bloc’s tough new digital rulebook, a set of sweeping new standards that the world’s biggest online platforms all must obey in just two months. European Commissioner Thierry Breton, who oversees digital policy, is the EU’s point person working to get tech companies in line for the Digital Services Act, which will force companies to crack down on hate speech, disinformation and other harmful material on their sites. It takes effect Aug. 25 for the biggest platforms. The law, along with new

Twitter faces 'stress test' of Europe's tough new Big Tech rules
World

Chased from their homes by gangs, thousands of Haitians languish in shelters with lives in limbo

A gang rampaged through the Cite Soleil slum, killing and raping and setting fire to hundreds of wood-and-tin homes. Forced out of the neighborhood, one family of four lived on the streets of Port-au-Prince until they were struck by a truck as they slept. Two brothers, 2 and 9, died in the November accident. Jean-Kere Almicar opened his home to their distraught parents, then another family, then another, until there were nearly 200 people camped out in his front yard and nearby. They are among more than 165,000 Haitians who have fled their homes amid a

Chased from their homes by gangs, thousands of Haitians languish in shelters with lives in limbo
World

Tourist sub's implosion draws attention to murky regulations of deep-sea expeditions

When the Titan submersible made its fateful dive into the North Atlantic on Sunday, it also plunged into the murkily regulated waters of deep-sea exploration. It’s a space on the high seas where laws and conventions can be sidestepped by risk-taking entrepreneurs and the wealthy tourists who help fund their dreams. At least for now. “We’re at a point in submersible operations in deep water that’s kind of akin to where aviation was in the early 20th century,” said Salvatore Mercogliano, a history professor at Campbell University in North Carolina who focuses on maritime history and

Tourist sub's implosion draws attention to murky regulations of deep-sea expeditions
World

The Paris summit on finance and climate comes to an end. Time for concrete steps?

After all the talking, time for tangible solutions? The aim of the two-day climate and finance summit ending Friday in Paris was to set up concrete measures to help poor and developing countries whose predicaments have been worsened by the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine better tackle poverty and climate change. Even though the gathering of world and financial leaders has no mandate to make formal decisions, French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to deliver a to-do list that should be accompanied by a progress-tracking tool. “We have to come up

The Paris summit on finance and climate comes to an end. Time for concrete steps?
World

They fled the war in Nigeria's northeast. Then bulldozers levelled their homes at a camp in Abuja

On a breezy morning at the height of the dry season six months ago, Rifkatu Andruwus and her children were chatting in front of their house in a displacement camp in the heart of Nigeria’s capital. Suddenly, security forces stormed into the camp, followed closely by bulldozers. The family of seven had just about half an hour to pack their belongings and leave before their shanty house and about 200 others were reduced to rubble. “They sent people to come and tell us to pack,” said 66-year-old Andruwus. “Then they started demolishing.” The Durumi camp for

They fled the war in Nigeria's northeast. Then bulldozers levelled their homes at a camp in Abuja
World

Chinese human rights lawyer chased out of 13 homes in 2 months as pressure rises on legal advocates

A disbarred Chinese human rights lawyer has been forced to move 13 times in two months as part of a pattern of harassment against him and three other prominent rights advocates in Beijing that is further squeezing the country’s battered civil rights community. Wang Quanzhang said he is now living in a borrowed apartment in the suburbs where the power is frequently cut off, while another lawyer left Beijing entirely in hopes of ending the harassment. His colleague Bao Longjun said he is still in the apartment he owns, but has been barred from leaving it

Chinese human rights lawyer chased out of 13 homes in 2 months as pressure rises on legal advocates
World

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is writing a book on leadership

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Friday she is writing a book, with the focus more on leadership than on politics. In an Instagram post, Ardern said she is often asked whether she will write about her five years as New Zealand’s leader. “At first, my answer was no. I didn’t want to write a book that hauled over the internal politics of the last five years, and then someone convinced me that I didn’t have to,” Ardern wrote. “That maybe it might be worth expanding on some of things I talked about

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is writing a book on leadership
World

Suspected Russian diplomat is occupying the nation's vetoed embassy site in Australia's capital

A suspected lone Russian diplomat is apparently squatting on the site of Moscow’s proposed embassy after the Australian government vetoed the plan on security grounds. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissed the Russian act of defiance, saying a “bloke standing in the cold on a bit of grass in Canberra is not a threat to our national security.” Parliament passed emergency legislation last week blocking on security grounds Russia’s lease on the largely empty block because the new embassy would have been too close to Parliament House. A man has been living on the site in a

Suspected Russian diplomat is occupying the nation's vetoed embassy site in Australia's capital
World

None and done: Four of the top five NBA draft picks didn't play for US colleges

For the first time since 2001, four of the top five picks in the NBA draft did not play college basketball in the United States. No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama will join the San Antonio Spurs after having played in France’s top league. The third pick, Scoot Henderson, went to the Portland Trail Blazers after two seasons with the G League Ignite. Last season, he averaged 17.6 points, 6.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds in 25 games, including a 28- point outburst in a preseason game against Wembanyama’s Metropolitans 92 squad. The next two picks, twins Amen and Ausar Thompson, played

None and done: Four of the top five NBA draft picks didn't play for US colleges
World

White's homer in 11th sends LSU to College World Series finals with a 2-0 win over No. 1 Wake Forest

Tommy White hit Camden Minacci’s first pitch into the left-field seats for a two-run homer in the 11th inning, giving LSU a 2-0 walk-off victory over No. 1 national seed Wake Forest on Thursday night and clinching a spot in the College World Series finals. The win sends the Tigers (52-16) to the best-of-three CWS championship series against Florida beginning Saturday night in a rematch of the 2017 All-SEC final that the Gators won for their first national title. LSU became the first team to hand Wake Forest (54-12) consecutive losses this season. The Tigers had

White's homer in 11th sends LSU to College World Series finals with a 2-0 win over No. 1 Wake Forest
World

Canada will require Google and Meta to pay media outlets for news under bill set to become law

Canada’s Senate on Thursday passed a bill that will require Google and Meta to pay media outlets for news content that they share or otherwise repurpose on their platforms. The bill, which is set to become law, was passed amid a standoff between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government and Silicon Valley tech giants. Ottawa has said the law creates a level playing field between online advertising giants and the shrinking news industry. And Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez has promised to push back on what he describes as “threats” from Facebook and Google to remove journalism

Canada will require Google and Meta to pay media outlets for news under bill set to become law
World

Brazil's president offers to try to win release of bishop imprisoned in Nicaragua

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva offered Thursday to help try to gain the release of a Roman Catholic bishop imprisoned in Nicaragua. Lula made the comments after visiting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Bishop Rolando Álvarez was jailed by the regime of President Daniel Ortega for supposedly helping anti-government protesters. The bishop was sentenced to 26 years in prison, after he refused to board a plane carrying exiles to the United States in February. “I want to talk to Daniel Ortega about freeing the bishop,” Lula said, adding, “I am going to try

Brazil's president offers to try to win release of bishop imprisoned in Nicaragua
World

Qatar sovereign wealth fund buys stake in Washington's NBA, NHL and WNBA teams, AP source says

Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund is buying a roughly 5% stake in the parent company of the NBA’s Washington Wizards, NHL’s Washington Capitals and WNBA’s Washington Mystics as part of a $4.05 billion deal, a person with knowledge of the sale said Thursday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement between the Qatar Investment Authority and Monumental Sports & Entertainment had not been announced. It is believed to be the first time the government of Qatar is investing in U.S. professional sports. Sportico first reported the transaction, saying it is the first time any

Qatar sovereign wealth fund buys stake in Washington's NBA, NHL and WNBA teams, AP source says
World

Lee-Anne Pace shoots 66 for the first-round lead in the KPMG Women's PGA

Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa made a two-putt birdie on the final hole in fading daylight for a 5-under 66 and the first-round lead Thursday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol. Two-time major winner Brooke Henderson of Canada and Ruoning Yin and Xiyi Lin of China were a shot back as Baltusrol’s historic Lower Course yielded 16 under-par rounds to the field of 156 players. The 42-year-old Pace won her lone LPGA Tour title in 2014 in China. She’s playing in her second event in the United States this year. Wichanee Meechair of Thailand

Lee-Anne Pace shoots 66 for the first-round lead in the KPMG Women's PGA
World

2.5M Genworth policyholders and 769K retired California workers and beneficiaries affected by hack

The country’s largest public pension fund says the personal information of about 769,000 retired California employees and other beneficiaries — including Social Security numbers — was among data stolen by Russian cybercriminals in the breach of a popular file-transfer application. It blamed the breach on a third-party vendor that verifies deaths. The same vendor, PBI Research Services/Berwyn Group, also lost the personal data of at least 2.5 million Genworth Financial policyholders, including Social Security numbers, to the same criminal gang, according to the Fortune 500 insurer. The California Public Employees Retirement system said they were offering

2.5M Genworth policyholders and 769K retired California workers and beneficiaries affected by hack
World

NHL teams won't wear theme-night jerseys after players' Pride refusals caused distractions

NHL teams won’t wear special jerseys for pregame warmups during themed nights next season, the result of a handful of players refusing to use rainbow-colored Pride jerseys this past season and causing unwelcome distractions. The league’s Board of Governors agreed Thursday with Commissioner Gary Bettman’s view that the refusals overshadowed teams’ efforts in hosting Pride nights that in some cases included auctioning off the warmup jerseys. All 32 teams held Pride or Hockey is for Everyone night. Bettman, in an interview with Sportsnet following the Board of Governors meeting in New York, said he suggested teams stop having special warmup

NHL teams won't wear theme-night jerseys after players' Pride refusals caused distractions
World

Victor Wembanyama is the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, with expectations of stardom

Victor Wembanyama is the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, headed to San Antonio with enormous expectations to become basketball’s newest sensation. The selection of the 19-year-old from France that had been a foregone conclusion for months was announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, followed by chants of “Wemby! Wemby” from a group of Spurs fans waving signs from the first row of seats. Wembanyama arrives with far more height and hype than most No. 1 picks. Listed at 7-foot-4, he dominated his French league in his

Victor Wembanyama is the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, with expectations of stardom
World

Spurs draft Wembanyama and now look for French phenom to help end NBA playoff drought

The San Antonio Spurs are looking to end their four-year playoff drought with the addition of Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs selected the French phenom with the top pick in Thursday night’s NBA draft that was held in New York. There was little to no doubt San Antonio would select Wembanyama, who is listed at 7-foot-4 but says he is 7-3. An emotional Wembanyama said hearing NBA Commissioner Adam Silver call his name brought him to tears, saying he has been waiting for the moment. “I’ve dreamed of this … I got to cry.” It marks the

Spurs draft Wembanyama and now look for French phenom to help end NBA playoff drought
World

8 Mexican army soldiers arrested in 2014 disappearances of 43 students

A Mexican military official confirmed Thursday that eight soldiers have been detained and taken to a military prison for their possible involvement in events surrounding the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from a rural teacher’s college in southern Mexico. The eight are awaiting the possible filing of charges by civilian prosecutors, said the official, who was not authorized to be quoted by name. In September, the Attorney General’s Office came under fire for cancelling some 21 arrest orders for suspects — including 16 members of the military — without explanation. It was not clear whether the

8 Mexican army soldiers arrested in 2014 disappearances of 43 students
World

NBA draft day arrives, and for Wembanyama a big man will realize his big dreams

The day Victor Wembanyama has dreamed of for years has arrived. The 19-year-old from France figures he was about 12 when he began thinking about being an NBA player and then being selected No. 1 in the draft, which seems certain to happen Thursday night in Brooklyn. The San Antonio Spurs have that pick and the opportunity to add a player who is being considered a can’t-miss prospect, perhaps the likes that hasn’t been seen since LeBron James in 2003. Wembanyama has thrown out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium and said he hoped to visit

NBA draft day arrives, and for Wembanyama a big man will realize his big dreams
World

Deion Sanders says he will undergo surgery for blood clots in both legs

Deion Sanders is scheduled to undergo surgery Friday for a blood clot in each leg, the University of Colorado football coach revealed in a video he posted. The news of Coach Prime’s impending procedure began to spread Thursday after Pat McAfee discussed on his podcast with longtime NFL defensive back Adam Jones what was referred to as an emergency surgery for Sanders. Later in the day, Sanders posted a video to clarify: “It’s time for the horse to talk. You heard from everybody else but you hadn’t heard it from me.” Sanders explained in the video on YouTube that his

Deion Sanders says he will undergo surgery for blood clots in both legs
World

Rule against blocking the plate leading to outs becoming runs even without a collision

As former big league catchers, Bob Melvin and Bruce Bochy certainly had their share of plays at the plate, and the current managers played in an era when big collisions with runners trying to score were just part of the game. The rules have changed over the years to protect catchers, but runners are now sometimes safe even after being tagged out, and without any collision. That happened this week to Melvin’s San Diego Padres and Bochy’s Texas Rangers. San Francisco’s Blake Sabol was originally called out in the fifth inning Wednesday night against the Padres. The call was changed

Rule against blocking the plate leading to outs becoming runs even without a collision

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