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Danny Masterson convicted of 2 counts of rape; ‘That ’70s Show’ actor faces 30 years to life

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:21 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson was led out in handcuffs from a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday and could get 30 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty on two of three counts of rape at his second trial, in which the Church of Scientology played a central role.Masterson’s wife, actor and model Bijou Phillips, gasped when the verdict was read and wept as he was taken into custody, while a group of family and friends who sat stone-faced behind him throughout both trials.The jury of seven women and five men reached the verdict after deliberating for seven days spread over two weeks. They could not reach a verdict on the third count, that alleged Masterson raped a longtime girlfriend. They had voted 8-4 in favor of conviction.Masterson, 47, will be held without bail until he is sentenced. No sentencing date was set.“I am experiencing a complex array of emotions — relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness — knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will...

Jordan’s royal wedding to get underway in ceremony packed with stars and deep symbolism

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:21 GMT

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The wedding of Jordan’s crown prince to the scion of a prominent Saudi family was set to begin on Thursday in a palace celebration that drew massive crowds and a mood of excitement around the kingdom, while presenting the young Hashemite royal as a new player on the global stage.The marriage of Crown Prince Hussein, 28, and Saudi architect Rajwa Alseif, 29, drew a star-studded VIP list headlined by Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate, who arrived at the palace and were welcomed by Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania.The celebrations hold deep significance for the region, emphasizing continuity in an Arab state prized for its longstanding stability and refreshing the monarchy’s image after a palace feud. It even could help resource-poor Jordan forge a strategic bond with its oil-rich neighbor, Saudi Arabia.Crowds were gathering at huge screens set to livestream the wedding across the country, with many attendees waving flags a...

Fifth day of fighting major wildfires in Nova Scotia could prove pivotal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:21 GMT

HALIFAX — The fight against wildfires that have forced at least 21,000 people from their homes in Nova Scotia is expected to reach a pivotal point today.Fire officials are worried about a resurgence in two major fires because of a phenomenon known as “crossover.”Wildfires can become extreme events when the temperature rises above 30 C, humidity dips below 30 per cent and wind speeds top 30 kilometres per hour — and that’s exactly what is expected to happen today.The two major fires that remain out of control — one in suburban Halifax, the other in the southwestern corner of the province — have already destroyed at least 200 homes and cottages.Still, fire officials announced this morning that 50 per cent fire near Halifax had been contained and it had not grown since Wednesday.Despite that good news, officials say firefighters are now dealing with parched conditions, rising temperatures and mounting wind speeds, which will make for an unstable environment for wildfires.“W...

US urges Sudan’s warring sides to return to cease-fire talks and abide by truce

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:21 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — The United States urged Sudan’s warring sides on Thursday to return to cease-fire talks and make a concerted effort to abide by a lasting truce after peace efforts collapsed yet again.The appeal from the U.S. State Department came after Sudan’s military on Wednesday suspended its participation in the talks, hosted in Saudi Arabia, with a rival paramilitary force. The fighting between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, broke out in mid-April. The violence has killed at least 866 civilians, according to a Sudanese doctors group, though the actual toll is likely much higher. On Wednesday, heavy shelling near a market in a neighborhood in the south of the Sudanese capital of Khartoum killed at least 17 civilians, the Sudan Doctor’s Syndicate said.The Sudanese military’s withdrawal from the talks is a setback for Washington and Riyadh, which have been mediating between the two sides....

Nebraska prison workers injured after attack by three inmates; all expected to survive

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:21 GMT

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Five staff members at a Nebraska prison were punched, kicked and stabbed with “manufactured weapons” when they were attacked by three inmates, the state’s Department of Correctional Services said.The injuries from the attack on Wednesday at the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln were severe but not life-threatening, the state agency said. All five were taken to a hospital.A news release from the Department of Correctional Services said the inmates involved in the attack were intoxicated and housed in a high-security, maximum-custody unit.“Staff responded quickly and contained the situation within minutes,” Warden Taggart Boyd said in the release. Three weapons were recovered.The news release didn’t say what prompted the assault, but Mike Chipman, head of the union representing corrections workers, told KETV-TV that an inmate faked an illness, and inmates attacked a staff member who came into his cell. When other workers arrived to help, they w...

Government body warns of increased health threats from climate change in Germany

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:21 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s disease control agency warned Thursday that rising temperatures due to global warming will increase the likelihood of heat stroke, vector-borne illnesses and other health risks in the country.The Robert Koch Institute said lung diseases from forest fires and agricultural dust may become a growing problem, as will skin cancer due to increased ultraviolet radiation as Germany experiences longer periods of cloud-free weather.In the first of the institute’s three reports on the impact of climate change in Germany, published in the Journal of Health Monitoring, the authors noted the recent arrival in the country of Hyalomma ticks — capable of carrying bacteria responsible for typhus — as an example of newly emerging disease threats.The ticks, as well as Asian tiger mosquitoes that can spread dengue, yellow fever and Zika virus, are migrating to new regions that were previously too cold for the species.Another risk comes from Vibrio bacteria that flouri...

Bishop acquitted of raping nun resigns as leader of Catholic diocese in Indian city

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:21 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — A bishop acquitted of raping a nun resigned as leader of the Catholic diocese in an Indian city on Thursday.Pope Francis accepted the resignation of 59-year-old Franco Mulakkal, who was bishop of the Jalandhar Diocese in the northern state of Punjab.The Vatican did not provide a reason for the resignation or why Francis accepted it. The normal retirement age for bishops is 75.The nun accused Mulakkal of raping her multiple times during his visits to her convent in Kuravilangad in Kerala state, in a case that became a major issue amid allegations of sexual abuse in the church.Police charged Mulakkal with rape, illegal confinement and intimidation of the nun. A group of fellow nuns launched unprecedented public protests demanding Mulakkal’s arrest in 2018. He was detained and soon released on bail.A court acquitted Mulakkal in January last year. The nun has appealed the verdict to Kerala’s High Court.Mulakkal was the official patron of the nun’s community, the Mission...

NATO presses Turkey to approve Sweden’s membership, eyes Ukraine security framework as summit looms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:21 GMT

OSLO, Norway (AP) — NATO on Thursday ramped up pressure on member nation Turkey to drop its objections to Sweden’s membership as the military organization seeks to deal with the issue by the time U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts meet next month.The 31-member alliance is also looking at boosting Ukraine’s non-member status in NATO and preparing a framework for security commitments that it can offer once the war with Russia is over. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO wants to bring Sweden into the fold by the time allied leaders meet in Lithuania on July 11-12. The allies also hope to make progress on long-term funding and the security plan for Ukraine at the same event, Stoletenberg said.He said the allies continue to agree that Ukraine will become a NATO member but that in the meantime the alliance should provide it with security commitments and substantial new funding.“Our focus today was on how we can bring Ukraine closer to NATO where it belongs,” he ...

Man fatally shot by police in Blue Island; investigation underway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:21 GMT

BLUE ISLAND, Ill. — An investigation is underway after a man was fatally shot by police in Blue Island.Around 2 a.m. Thursday, police responded to the area of Broadway and Division for a suspicious vehicle and well-being check of a man who was unresponsive in the driver's seat.Upon arrival, police said officers observed an AR-15 pistol on the front passenger seat of the vehicle. Additional officers arrived to the scene as attempts were made to wake the man.According to police, the man finally woke up and saw the officers — then reached for the front passenger seat.Police said one officer then fired one round and shot the man in the torso area. He was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead. Off-duty Chicago police officer shot on city’s Near West Side Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services responded to the scene to process evidence and the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force has launched an independent investigation...

Former Mayor Lightfoot to teach class at Harvard as fellow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:21 GMT

BOSTON — Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is headed to Harvard this fall.On Thursday morning, the university announced the appointment of Lightfoot as a Richard L. and Ronay A. Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow for the upcoming fall term.She will teach a course in the Health, Policy and Management Department tentatively titled “Health Policy and Leadership" at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, located in Boston.“I’ve always loved teaching, and the opportunity to get back to it is something I am really excited about. I learned a lot over the past four years, and this gives me an opportunity to share my experiences and perceptions of governing through one of the most challenging chapters in American history. I look forward to interacting with students who are committed to the public sector, particularly in the area of public health,” Lightfoot said. “I’ll share specifics about the way we managed the COVID-19 public health crisis, and we’ll delve into how we approached th...