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Iran opens registration for candidates in next year’s parliament election, the first since protests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran on Monday began registering candidates for parliamentary elections in March, which will be the first since nationwide protests rocked the country last year.Iran has held regular presidential and parliamentary elections since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. But a clerical body vets candidates — disqualifying any seen as disloyal to the Islamic Republic — and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say on all major policies.Iran saw months of nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was being held by the morality police for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code. The protests escalated into calls for the overthrow of the ruling clerics, marking one of the biggest challenges to their four-decade rule.The protests largely died down after authorities launched a fierce crackdown in which more than 500 protesters were killed and nearly 20,000 were detained. Last month, the morality p...

Tory Lanez to be sentenced for shooting Megan Thee Stallion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rapper Tory Lanez could get a long prison term at his expected sentencing Monday after f elony convictions for shooting and wounding hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in the feet.Los Angeles prosecutors are asking a judge to hand down a 13-year sentence to the 31-year-old Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson.They wrote in a sentencing memorandum that along with the crimes for which he was convicted, Lanez has re-traumatized Megan with social media posts about the case that emboldened many among his more than 2 million followers to attack her.Megan may appear in court Monday to give a victim impact statement, or may have one read for her in her absence.Lawyers for Lanez said in their own sentencing memo that he should get only probation and be released from jail to enter a residential substance abuse program.They say the evidence that led to his conviction was “questionable at best” and that his lack of remorse should therefore not be a factor in his sentenci...

Prison probably isn’t the end of the political road for Pakistan’s ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan’s popular opposition leader, is now an inmate at a high-security prison after being convicted of corruption and sentenced to three years.It’s the most dramatic twist yet in months of political and legal wrangling between Khan and his political rivals since he was toppled in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022.Khan’s party said it will appeal what government critics describe as a flimsy case, aimed at removing the former cricket star from politics ahead of a general election meant to be held this fall. The government defended the conviction as lawful and denied that Khan is a victim of political persecution.If the conviction stands, the 70-year-old Khan would be prohibited by law from running for office or leading Pakistan Tehreek e-Insaf, the party he founded in the 1990s. However, polls indicate a strong election showing for PTI, and Khan’s imprisonment could further boost its standing....

Evacuation order, alerts issued for Mayo and other areas in Yukon due nearby wildfire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

MAYO, YUKON — Residents of the Village of Mayo are under an evacuation order and others in central Yukon are under an alert as a wildfire inches closer to the small communities.The Yukon Emergency Measures Organization says it issued the evacuation order for Mayo, located just over 400 kilometres north of Whitehorse, at 1 p.m. Sunday due to hazards to life posed by the Talbot Creek wildfire burning about seven kilometres south of the village.About two hours later, the organization issued an evacuation alert for the Village of Keno and Hecla Mine, located slightly north of Mayo, saying they are not under threat of the same wildfire but should be prepared to leave if the flames come closer.The order in Mayo covers all properties from kilometres 35 to 66 along Yukon Highway 11, known as the Silver Trail. “Evacuating a community of any size is never easy,” said fire information officer Mike Fancie with the Government of Yukon. “Everybody in Mayo is doing the best they ...

Philippines summons Chinese ambassador over water cannon incident in disputed sea, official says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine government summoned the Chinese ambassador on Monday to convey a diplomatic protest over the Chinese coast guard’s use of a water cannon against a Filipino supply boat in the disputed South China Sea, a Philippine official said.The Philippine military on Sunday condemned the Chinese coast guard ship’s “excessive and offensive” use of a water cannon to block a Filipino supply boat from delivering a new batch of troops, food, water and fuel to the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed waters.The United States, the European Union and their key allies including Australia and Japan expressed support to the Philippines and concern over the Chinese ship’s actions. Washington renewed a warning that it is obliged to defend its longtime treaty ally if Filipino public vessels and forces come under an armed attack including in the South China Sea.The tense confrontation on Saturday was the latest flare-up in the long-seething territori...

Ex-Minneapolis officer faces sentencing on a state charge for his role in George Floyd’s killing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The last former Minneapolis police officer to face sentencing in state court for his role in the killing of George Floyd will learn Monday whether he will spend additional time in prison.Tou Thao has testified he merely served as a “human traffic cone” when he held back concerned bystanders who gathered as former Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, knelt on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes while the Black man pleaded for his life on May 25, 2020. A bystander video captured Floyd’s fading cries of “I can’t breathe.” Floyd’s killing touched off protests worldwide and forced a national reckoning of police brutality and racism.Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill found Thao guilty in May of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. In his 177-page ruling, Cahill said Thao’s actions separated Chauvin and two other former officers from the crowd, including a an emergency medical technician, allowing his colleagues to continue restraining Floyd and prevent...

Suspect in custody after APD officer shot in southeast Austin, officer stable sources say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The suspect in a shooting involving at least one Austin police officer was taken into custody just after midnight Monday morning, according to APD. Sunday night, multiple sources told KXAN an Austin police officer was shot in a southeast Austin neighborhood and was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police and medics rushed to 10028 Channel Island Drive to investigate a report of gunshots around 9:15 p.m. That's in an area east of Interstate 35 and west of Onion Creek.KXAN reporter Grace Reader was at the scene and confirmed with first responder sources that the officer was shot and transported. There was a large police presence in the neighborhood with both APD and Texas Department of Public Safety personnel responding, as well as Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Fire Department overnight. SWAT teams also responded to the scene, according to KXAN crews there. APD tweeted at 10:12 p.m. and confirmed an officer-involved shooting in ...

Register now for Eurostat events on #EURegionsWeek

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

The European Week of Regions and Cities 2023 (#EURegionsWeek) is almost here, and we would like to invite you to join our events. On 10 October from 16:30 to 17:30 CET, Eurostat will be hosting the workshop, ‘Breaking barriers on cross-border statistical cooperation – Challenges and Opportunities’. The event will focus on the importance of cross-border interaction in informing decision-making and cross-border policy initiatives. Aleksandra Galic, Eurostat’s statistical officer, will be joined by Johan van der Valk, project manager at Statistics Netherlands, and Tobias Link, statistician at KOSIS-Gemeinschaft, to discuss the challenges and opportunities of cross-border statistical cooperation from the local, national, and European perspectives. They will present results and discuss practical aspects of cross-border cities, data collection and coding as well as the plans for the future in this area.”On 12 October at 11:30 CET, Eurostat will host the talk ´Five Maps and Five Persp...

Man found in barrel in Malibu beach may be connected to rapper Pop Smoke's murder

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

Authorities are investigating whether a man found dead in a barrel at a Malibu beach is connected to the 2020 murder of rapper Pop Smoke, TMZ reports.The victim’s body, identified as Javonnta Murphy, 32, was discovered on July 31 inside a 55-gallon barrel floating in the water near the Pacific Coast Highway bridge.Murphy’s brother, Jaquan Murphy, 24, was one of five people arrested for Pop Smoke’s murder after the rapper was shot and killed during a home-invasion robbery in the Hollywood Hills.Although Jaquan, along with four other suspects, were arrested for attempted murder at the time, Jaquan was later cleared of the charges.Authorities are now looking into whether Javonnta’s murder may have been in retaliation for the rapper's murder.Pop Smoke performs during the Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas, on Nov. 9, 2019. (SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP / Getty Images)PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 16: Pop Smoke attends the Louis Vuitton Menswear Fall/Winter 2020-2021 show as part of Paris Fashion...

Car set on fire with homeless man inside in South L.A.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:25 GMT

A suspect remains at large after a car with a man sleeping inside was set on fire early Sunday morning. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the arson occurred around 1:30 a.m. in the 400 block of East 102nd Street in the Green Meadows neighborhood of Los Angeles. The suspect walked up to the man's car as he was sleeping and threw a flammable liquid inside, before intentionally igniting the fire, police said.Video footage from the scene shows the car completely engulfed in flames, and once firefighters were able to put out the blaze, all that was left of the vehicle were charred metal fragments. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the arson occurred around 1:30 a.m. in the 400 block of East 102nd Street in Los Angeles on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. (OnScene TV) According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the arson occurred around 1:30 a.m. in the 400 block of East 102nd Street in Los Angeles on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. (OnScene TV) According to the Los An...