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Sudan’s government declares UN envoy no longer welcome; warring sides agree to 24-hour cease-fire

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:30 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — The Sudanese government announced that the U.N. envoy to the country and key mediator in its brutal conflict is no longer welcome as the warring sides in the African nation agreed to a new, 24-hour cease-fire.Sudan’s Foreign Ministry issued a terse statement late Thursday, weeks after the military chief, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, demanded in a letter that envoy Volker Perthes be removed from his post. The ministry said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres was notified that Perthes was declared “persona non grata.”Since mid-April, Sudan’s military, headed by Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have been locked in a violent conflict. The fighting has killed more than 860 civilians, according to Sudan’s Doctors’ Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties, though the actual death toll is likely much higher.On Friday, the military and the RSF agreed to a another truce, to last 24 hours, starting 6 a.m...

DC’s air quality improves minimally as region shifts to Code Orange

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:30 GMT

The air quality in the D.C. area shifted into Code Orange early Friday morning but is expected to remain unhealthy for some groups throughout the day. Here’s what you need to know.What is a Code Orange Air Quality Alert?While Code Red means some members of the public may experience health effects and some individuals in sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects, Code Orange is slightly better.Code Orange means air quality is still unhealthy, and likely to have negative effects for sensitive groups. The majority of the D.C. area — the general public — is far less likely to be impacted by these outcomes.(Courtesy AirNow)Air quality will likely linger in this range for a fourth day as smoke from Canadian wildfires sweeps through the D.C. region. The change brings sighs of relief after decreasing air quality caused a nearly-unprecedented Code Purple, the worst air quality rating in decades.Alex Koo, an emergency physician with MedStar Health, told WTOP that the h...

After a pair of pandemic delays, Champions League final finally returns to Istanbul

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:30 GMT

ISTANBUL (AP) — The last time the Champions League final was in Turkey, the match became known as the “Miracle of Istanbul.”It’s taken nearly two decades to miraculously bring the game back.Istanbul was supposed to host the 2020 Champions League final. It didn’t happen. Then the 2021 final. Also didn’t happen.The coronavirus pandemic upended those plans only weeks before kickoff. Both finals were instead played in Portugal.Finally, though, Istanbul’s time has come again — 18 years after Liverpool somehow overcame AC Milan’s 3-0 first-half lead to win the iconic European Cup trophy on penalties.On Friday, the city was dressed in the indigo-themed “Istanbul 23” flags, and banners on streets, bridges and in metro stations welcomed the Inter Milan and Manchester City teams and fans arriving for Saturday’s title match.At a waterside park in the Yenikapi port district, on the European side of the city looking across the Bosphorus Strait to Asia, concerts and DJ performances st...

Teachers rally behind family of teen killed by police

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:30 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A group of Aurora teachers are rallying around the family of a teen who was killed by police during an alleged armed robbery. Jor'dell Richardson, 14, was shot and killed by Aurora Police on June 1 after they responded to an armed robbery at a vape store near 8th Avenue and Dayton Street. Interim Police Chief Art Acevedo said Richardson had a semiautomatic pistol when he threatened the store clerk.At least two others were taken into custody in the incident. Police said they were also searching for several suspects who fled in a Kia Sedona minivan.Richardson was a student at Aurora West College Preparatory School. He had just completed eighth grade and was preparing to start high school in the fall. Tim Hernandez, a teacher at Aurora West College Preparatory School, has been an advocate for stopping youth and police violence. Questions raised about police shooting of 14-year-old in Aurora "A young person's life was taken under circumstances of excessive force. A 14-...

Ohio fire department uncovers copper time capsule revealing glimpse into 1905

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:30 GMT

(CNN) — Marion City firefighters stumbled upon a hidden time capsule while retrieving the cornerstone from their retired fire station before its scheduled demolition. The unassuming copper container, believed to have been sealed over a century ago, yielded a treasure trove of artifacts, providing a captivating glimpse into life in 1905.Among the remarkable finds inside the time capsule was a well-preserved roster of city officials, newspapers, and a contract to build the station.A flyer for the Second Annual Fire Department Ball was also discovered, shedding light on the social gatherings and celebrations that brought the community together in the early 20th century. The intricately designed invitation reminded the community of the rich history of camaraderie among firefighters.To ensure the preservation and public accessibility of these invaluable historical artifacts, the Marion County Historical Society has been entrusted with their safekeeping where the artifacts will be careful...

Bond set at $154,000 for Florida woman arrested in the shooting death of a Black mother who knocked on her door

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:30 GMT

(CNN) — Bond for the Florida woman charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of her neighbor, a Black mother who confronted her during a dispute over children playing outside, was set at $154,000 on Friday.A judge set bond at $150,000 for the felony charge and another $4,000 for four misdemeanor counts for Susan Louise Lorincz, who earlier told the court she could only afford a bond of $1,700.She also said she is unemployed and owns about $3,000 worth of furniture.The state requested a $200,000 bond.The owner of the apartment where Lorincz lives told detectives she was being evicted, according to a prosecutor – and the judge recommended Lorincz not return there.Lorincz was arrested Tuesday, four days after investigators say she fatally shot Ajike “AJ” Owens through the front door of Lorincz’s home near Ocala, Florida, as Owens repeatedly knocked on her door, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.Owens was demanding that Lorincz come out of her apartment after the 58-year-old...

Hong Kong’s famous rubber duck returns — and now there are two

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:30 GMT

(CNN) — A decade since it famously appeared in Victoria Harbour, Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s “Rubber Duck” sculpture has returned to Hong Kong. And this time it has a friend.Creative studio AllRightsReserved, which often orchestrates public art displays in the city, announced Thursday that a pair of Hofman’s inflatable ducks will float in Hong Kong’s waters for two weeks later this month. The company dubbed the new installation “Double Ducks.”In an apparent test run for the installation, the two outsized bath toys were spotted being tugged by boats in the waters off Tsing Yi, the territory’s fifth largest island in May. At 18 meters (59 feet) tall, they are slightly larger than the one that made global headlines when it was installed in Hong Kong 10 years ago.In a press release announcing the project, organizers compared the inflatable duo to the symmetrical Chinese characters “xi” (known as “double happiness”) and “peng” (friend), both of which feature two identical components...

Elderly Lower Keys resident duped out of over $80,000 in Facebook Messenger scam

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:30 GMT

MONROE COUNTY, FLA. (WSVN) – A Lower Keys resident fell victim to an online scam, losing more than $80,000 to a fake businessman who initiated contact through Facebook Messenger, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.The elderly victim, whose identity remains confidential, reported being introduced to an individual claiming to be associated with the health department through the popular social media platform. The fraudulent persona convinced the victim to send money as part of an elaborate investment scheme. Subsequently, the criminal instructed the victim to withdraw cash from her bank account and mail it to various names and addresses.According to MCSO, scammers frequently employ deceitful tactics, assuming false identities as businesspeople, lawyers, or employing various ruses to manipulate victims into parting with their money. These fraudulent individuals often request personal information such as full name, address, passport details, phone number, and dem...

UK Labour suspends shadow minister Bambos Charalambous after complaint

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:30 GMT

LONDON — Shadow Foreign Minister Bambos Charalambous has been suspended as a Labour MP following a complaint about his behavior.Charalambous — the MP for Enfield Southgate — said Friday he was “aware that there is an allegation that requires investigation by the Labour Party.”And he added on Twitter: “It is right and proper that process is allowed to take place. I will cooperate fully and play my full part.“It is not appropriate to say anything further at this time.”Under Labour’s current complaints system, details of what has triggered an investigation into an MP are not publicly disclosed by the party. Those under investigation are administratively suspended while the process plays out.The Guardian first reported Charalambous’ suspension, and said he had stood down from his role on Labour’s shadow foreign affairs team.The suspension means he is the latest British MP ordered to sit in the House of Commons as an independent.

Ukraine likely to get NATO support message, not full invite, US ambassador says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:30 GMT

BRUSSELS — Western allies are unlikely to invite Ukraine to join NATO during the war but are still negotiating language to signal their long-term commitment to Kyiv, the U.S. ambassador to the alliance told POLITICO.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been imploring NATO leaders in recent weeks to put Ukraine on a concrete path to accession, threatening not to attend the alliance’s annual summit in Vilnius next month if they can’t deliver.But in an interview with POLITICO at the alliance’s headquarters, U.S. Ambassador Julianne Smith conceded that allies can’t invite Kyiv to join NATO at the moment. “I think the allies now are in agreement that a proper invitation is unlikely while they’re engaged in a full-scale war,” she said. But she insisted NATO still wants Ukraine to get the message that it is with the war-torn country for the long haul — and is trying to find a way to show that in Vilnius.“We want to signal to President Zelenskyy — if he comes in perso...