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UK police urged to investigate sex assault allegations against comedian Russell Brand

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:28 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A senior British politician on Monday urged police to investigate sexual assault allegations against Russell Brand, as entertainment industry figures faced questions about whether the comedian’s bad behavior went unchallenged because of his fame.Brand denies allegations of sexual assault made by four women in a Channel 4 television documentary and The Times and Sunday Times newspapers. The accusers, who have not been named, include one who said she was sexually assaulted during a relationship with him when she was 16. Another woman says Brand raped her in Los Angeles in 2012.Brand, 48, has rejected all the claims, saying in a video statement that his relationships were “always consensual.”The Times said Monday that more women had contacted the newspaper with allegations against Brand and they would be “rigorously checked.”Conservative legislator Caroline Nokes, who chairs the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, urged police in both Britain and the United S...

Pope meets with new Russian ambassador as second Moscow mission planned for his Ukraine peace envoy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:28 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Russia’s new ambassador to the Vatican met Monday with Pope Francis for a protocol visit, as signs emerged that the Vatican’s Ukraine peace envoy could soon be undertaking a second mission to Moscow. The Vatican said Ambassador Ivan Soltanovsky was presenting his credentials to Francis, signaling the official start of his term. His motorcade was seen leaving the Russian embassy Monday morning, bound for the Vatican, and returning about two hours later. Soltanovsky replaced Ambassador Alexander Avdeev, whom Francis met with on Feb. 25, 2022 in a remarkable in-person papal visit to the embassy the day after Moscow’s forces invaded Ukraine.The credential presentation appointment comes after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in recent days that Moscow was ready to meet again with Francis’ Ukraine peace envoy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, a veteran of the Catholic Church’s peace initiatives.“The Vatican is continuing its efforts. The papal envoy will c...

Report on racism against Roma and Sinti in Germany shows widespread discrimination

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:28 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s leading Roma and Sinti group recorded hundreds of incidents of discrimination and racism against the minority community in the past year, a report said Monday, warning that increasing nationalism and right-wing extremism is contributing to violence against Germany’s minorities. The Central Council of German Sinti and Roma said that of the 621 incidents recorded, most were cases of discrimination and “verbal stereotyping.” But there were also 11 cases of threats, 17 attacks and one case of “extreme violence,” the group said, adding that racism against Roma and Sinti is likely much higher because many cases are not reported. Roma and Sinti are recognized minorities in Germany. Around 60,000 Sinti and 10,000 Roma live in Germany, according to Germany’s Federal Agency for Civil Education. The report “clearly shows the dangers of increasing nationalism and right-wing extremism, which again leads to aggression and violence against Sinti and Roma a...

Ontario elementary teachers voting on whether to give union strike mandate

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:28 GMT

Teachers in Ontario’s public elementary schools are set to start voting Monday on whether they want to give their union a strike mandate.The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is holding in-person strike votes for its members between today and Oct. 17, with teachers in various regions voting on different days.ETFO has filed for conciliation, citing what it calls the “unacceptably slow pace of bargaining,” but has rejected a government proposal to leave any outstanding issues to be decided by an arbitrator.RELATED: Ontario elementary teachers reject government’s arbitration offer ahead of strike voteThe Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation has tentatively agreed to negotiate with the government until the end of October and then move to binding arbitration, which would eliminate the possibility of a strike.Education Minister Stephen Lecce has urged the other teachers’ unions to accept the same deal, but they have said no.The O...

Judge will hold hearing on ex-DOJ official’s request to move Georgia election case to federal court

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:28 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge who rejected efforts by former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to move his charges in the Georgia election subversion case to federal court is set to hear arguments Monday from former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark on the same issue.Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has accused Clark and Meadows, along with former President Donald Trump and 16 others, of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory and keep Trump in power. The 41-count indictment includes charges under the state’s anti-racketeering law. All 19 defendants have pleaded not guilty.Clark is one of five defendants seeking to move his case to federal court. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, who will preside over Monday’s hearing, rejected Meadows’ attempt for removal earlier this month, saying the actions outlined in the indictment were taken on behalf of the Trump campaign and ...

Hot temperatures make a return

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Monday looks mostly sunny and warm, but it will feature the lowest humidity of the week with dew points in the 50s in the afternoon! Delightful! NEW BLOG: El Niño into 2024: What that means for winter and spring Monday's forecast CENTRAL TEXAS RAINFALL TOTALS Humidity builds through the week ushering at least some morning clouds by mid-late week. A spotty shower is possible Thursday and again on Sunday, but generally rainfall chances stay low for the final days of summer.Muggy meter this weekThe extended outlook looks a little more promising for rainfall with odds of wetter than normal for the final days of September. Fingers crossed!Extended rainfall forecast STORY: Central Texas drought ‘top one or two driest’ Austin Interactive Weather Stats (2023) FIRST WARNING WEATHER: Stay up to date with your Central Texas forecast, sign up for our weather newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters Stay up-to-date with the First Warning Weather teamFollow the KXAN First Warn...

Libya: EU strengthens assistance for flood emergency

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:28 GMT

The EU continues to support the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Libya through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. New offers from EU Member States include: a medical team of 53 people from France; shelter items, heavy machinery, including rubble removal trucks, one diving specialised team with three zodiac boats and two transport vehicles, and two search and rescue helicopters from Italy; one technical expertise team, including IT, logistics and mapping experts from the Netherlands.These offers come in addition to assistance already provided by Germany, Romania and Finland in the form of shelter items, generators, food items, as well as hospital tents and water tanks channelled via the Mechanism. Furthermore, the EU released yesterday an initial €500,000 in humanitarian funding to tackle the most urgent needs of people in Libya affected by the impact of Storm Daniel.EU humanitarian aid experts are being deployed to the field to rapidly assess the emerging humanitarian needs on...

Atmospheric Brussels bistro: A reminder of what Belgium does best

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:28 GMT

Belgium is, of course, best known for its chocolate and beers, writes Martin Banks.As good as both are (and they are) there’s the temptation to forget that the Low Country is also richly endowed when it comes to producing its own agricultural produce.Down the years, this has enabled it to come up with its very own traditional plates, such as carbonnade a la flamande, stoemp, chicons gratin and boudin.While these Belgian “classics” may not be particularly well known elsewhere, they can, of course, be found in abundance here.That includes at one Belgian resto that proudly – and rightly - bills itself as “100 per cent Belgian.”That is a claim that others may make but, to be honest, with rather less conviction than at Zotte Mouche.This quaint and cosy eatery, just round the corner from the Grand Place in Brussels, really is “all things Belgian” and that, of course, also extends to a very good array of Belgian beers.It is unique is another sense: it is one of three restos under the same ...

Bridge: Sept. 18, 2023

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:28 GMT

Cy the Cynic allows that it’s better to give than to receive. Then you don’t have to bother with exchanging the gifts you got.In today’s deal, South’s leap to four spades bought the contract, and West led his singleton ace of clubs. East diagnosed the lead and followed with the deuce, his lowest club as a suit-preference signal to show a possible entry in diamonds, the low-ranking side suit.West duly shifted to a diamond. South took dummy’s ace and led a trump to his ace, declining a finesse since West had opened the bidding. But West won the next trump, led a diamond to East and ruffed the club return. Down one.CLUB RUFFThe danger of a club ruff was clear, so South couldn’t let East win a trick before all the trumps were drawn. South should have exchanged one loser for another.At Trick Three South must lead dummy’s king of hearts and discard his last diamond — a loser on a loser. East can never get in, and South loses only one more tr...

Ask Amy: I really do want to go outside, but I need air conditioning

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:28 GMT

Dear Amy: My husband and I have been talking about spending more time outside, whether it be working, camping or just sitting outside.I love working outside and I love working with my husband. We work so well together that when we get on the same page, we can get a lot accomplished.My problem is that I’ve been so busy raising the kids (I’m a SAHM) that my work ethic isn’t there and I can’t work outside for more than five minutes without sweating my head off!I feel like I’ve been so spoiled by turning the air conditioner on as much as I have been, but when there’s no breeze and it’s 80°F, I have to turn it on, otherwise it gets so hot in our kids’ room that they struggle to sleep.I do open windows and we leave ceiling fans on all the time (hot or cold). Is there anything else I can do to keep it comfortable without turning on the air?I feel so lazy (or too spoiled) because I can’t stand working outside anymore.My past jobs were housekee...