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Qatargate suspect Eva Kaili to resume her duties at EU Parliament

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:53 GMT

ATHENS — European parliamentarians could soon expect a reunion with their colleague Eva Kaili.Five months after being arrested by Belgian police as part of the ongoing investigation into corruption allegations that rocked the European Parliament, EU lawmaker Eva Kaili now intends to return to work.A day after the Belgian prosecutor’s office announced that the once-feted EU lawmaker is no longer under house arrest, Kaili’s lawyers said she’s set to resume her duties at the European Parliament.“As of today … Eva Kaili is free to leave her residence and to fully exercise all her rights and obligations, deriving from her status as a member of the European Parliament,” her lawyers Sven Mary and Michalis Dimitrakopoulos said in a joint statement.“The restrictive condition of the ban on leaving Belgium, which was imposed, does not upset her, since Kaili will return to Greece only after her judicial vindication,” they said, adding that “the evidence that documents Kaili’s innoce...

Attorney for 11-year-old Mississippi boy shot by police says there’s ‘no way’ he could have been mistaken for an adult

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:53 GMT

(CNN) — An attorney for an 11-year-old Mississippi boy who was shot by a police officer after he called 911 for help said Thursday there was “no way” the boy could have been mistaken for an adult.The attorney, Carlos Moore, is asking for “a full and transparent investigation” of the shooting.Aderrien Murry is recovering after being released from the hospital, according to his family, who has called for the officer to be fired and charged with the shooting. The boy is traumatized and will require counseling, according to Moore.Aderrien was shot in the chest by an Indianola Police Department officer early Saturday morning while the officer was responding to a domestic disturbance call at the child’s home, according to his mother, Nakala Murry, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.Moore told CNN Thursday there is “no way” the boy could have been mistaken by the officer for the adult who was the subject of the 911 call – a man “over 6 feet tall.”“This 11-year-old child was a...

Celine Dion cancels entire tour due to health issues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:53 GMT

(CNN) — Celine Dion’s “Courage World Tour” dates through 2024 have been canceled as she continues to battle a rare neurological disorder, it was announced Friday.“I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again,” an announcement on the singer’s social media read. “I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%. It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again. I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!”Dion postponed several shows in December after she announced she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a condition, she said, that doesn’t allow her “to sing the way I’m used to.”The disorder is “a rare, progressive syndrome that affects the nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord,” according to the National Institute...

After yearslong delay, DEA revokes license of drug distributor over opioid crisis failures

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:53 GMT

By JOSHUA GOODMAN and JIM MUSTIAN (Associated Press)The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration stripped one of the nation’s largest drug distributors of its license to sell highly addictive painkillers Friday after determining it failed to flag thousands of suspicious orders at the height of the opioid crisis.The action against Morris & Dickson Co. that threatens to put it out of business came two days after an Associated Press investigation found the DEA allowed the company to keep shipping drugs for nearly four years after a judge recommended the harshest penalty for its “cavalier disregard” of rules aimed at preventing opioid abuse.The DEA acknowledged the time it took to issue its final decision was “longer than typical for the agency” but blamed Morris & Dickson in part for holding up the process by seeking delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its lengthy pursuit of a settlement that the agency said it had considered. The order becomes e...

Orioles unveil new Camden Yards mural inspired by City Connect jerseys and designed by Baltimore artist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:53 GMT

When the Orioles play Friday night for the first time in their newly released City Connect gear, another design that forges a connection with the city will also make its debut: a stadium mural that captures the spirit of Baltimoreans.“I’m a little shocked,” Baltimore artist Shan Wallace, 32, said of the opportunity to collaborate with the Orioles on the mural located on the concourse behind home plate. The new Camden Yards artwork “[pays] homage to…the neighborhoods, the artists, the everyday people who contribute to the brilliance and resilience of the city,” she added.In the mural, scattered among patches of color and darkness, there are depictions of Baltimoreans and their homes, of bicycles and hopscotch games.The unveiling of the newest Birdland Murals series design coincides with the Orioles City Connect campaign, which features jerseys that appear toned-down on the outside but boast a hidden burst of color inside.The mural project, in partn...

15 arrested at Pacific Beach DUI checkpoint

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:53 GMT

SAN DIEGO — Fifteen people were arrested at a driving under the influence (DUI)/Driver’s License Checkpoint in Pacific Beach Thursday night, authorities said.The San Diego Police Department said officers conducted the checkpoint 2475 Grand Ave. from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m. Friday. Suspected DUI driver collides with moped rider; man dies During that time, 15 drivers were arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol at or near the checkpoint, authorities confirmed.The identities of those arrested have not been released.According to the police department, 1,208 vehicles traveled through the overnight checkpoint and 755 of them were screened by officers. Authorities say a total of 16 vehicles were impounded.SDPD says these types of checkpoints have been shown to lower DUI deaths and injuries. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI...

Man found stabbed at Colinas Del Sol Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:53 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A man was found with a stab wound at Colinas Del Sol Park on Thursday, authorities said.According to the San Diego Police Department, an individual was riding a bike through the park shortly before midnight and saw a man who was sitting slumped over. Pedestrian hit by two separate vehicles killed The bike rider approached the man, who police say was 47-years-old, and noticed he was bleeding, promoting him to call police, authorities explained.When officers arrived, SDPD says they noticed the man had been stabbed in the right lower abdomen. He was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The man, whose identity has not been released, told authorities he did not know what happened. There is no suspect information available at this time.San Diego Police Mid City Detectives are investigating the incident. Anyone with information related to the double collision is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

Rights group: Uyghur student missing in Hong Kong after texting that he was interrogated by police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:53 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — A Uyghur student has been missing in Hong Kong for more than two weeks since he sent a message saying he was being interrogated by Chinese police at the city’s airport, a human rights group said Friday.Amnesty International said Abuduwaili Abudureheman, who was born in Xinjiang in western China, traveled to Hong Kong from South Korea to visit a friend on May 10 but has not been heard from since he texted his friend about being interrogated after his arrival. “The unknown fate of Abuduwaili Abudureheman is deeply worrying, given the background of crimes against humanity committed against Uyghurs by the Chinese government in Xinjiang, and its ongoing pursuit of Uyghurs who have traveled overseas,” Amnesty International China researcher Alkan Akad said in a statement. He said the student appears to have been detained and interrogated, and that raised questions about the Hong Kong government’s possible involvement in human rights violations committed against...

OpenAI boss downplays fears ChatGPT maker could leave Europe over AI rules

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:53 GMT

LONDON (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Friday downplayed worries that the ChatGPT maker could exit the European Union if it can’t comply with the bloc’s strict new artificial intelligence rules, coming after a top official rebuked him for comments raising such a possibility. Altman is traveling through Europe as part of a world tour to meet with officials and promote his AI company, which has unleashed a frenzy around the globe. At a stop this week in London, he said OpenAI might leave if the artificial intelligence rules that the EU is drawing up are too tough. That triggered a pointed reply on social media from European Commissioner Thierry Breton, accusing the company of blackmail. Breton, who’s charge of digital policy, linked to a Financial Times article quoting Altman saying that OpenAI “will try to comply, but if we can’t comply we will cease operating.”Altman sought to calm the waters a day later, tweeting: “very productive week of conversations in europe a...

Céline Dion cancels European concerts ‘until I’m really ready to be back on stage’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:53 GMT

Céline Dion has canceled all her scheduled tour dates through April 2024 as she continues treatment for a rare neurological disorder.“I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again,” the singer said in a statement on social media. “I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%. It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again.A total of 42 European dates have been canceled, including stops in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Austria, England, Scotland and Ireland.Earlier this year, Dion said stiff person syndrome was causing spasms that affect her ability to walk and sing.“Unfortunately, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and...