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Judge considering blocking parts of North Carolina abortion law won’t halt broader 12-week ban

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:21 GMT

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge said Wednesday that she won’t temporarily block most of a newly revised abortion law from taking effect this weekend in North Carolina, including a near-ban on the procedure after 12 weeks of pregnancy. U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles said at a court hearing that she won’t grant the request by lawyers for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and a physician to set aside most of the new restrictions before they are to come into force on Saturday, calling it overbroad.The 12-week ban, which was approved in the spring by North Carolina’s Republican-controlled General Assembly and includes new exceptions for rape, incest and “life-limiting” fetal anomalies, would replace the current ban on most abortions after 20 weeks. The abortion providers claim in litigation that several specific provisions affecting doctors and patients in the new law approved by the General Assembly are so contradictory, vague and unconstitutional that al...

Brazil’s Antony says he did not assault former girlfriend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:21 GMT

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil winger Antony said Wednesday he did not assault an ex-girlfriend who reported him to police for alleged domestic violence. It was the first time the 23-year-old Manchester United player publicly addressed the accusations.Antony said on his social media channels that he had just given his testimony to Brazilian police. The case is under investigation in Sao Paulo but police there have have not said whether the allegations refer to England or Brazil, or both.“After this investigation is over, my innocence will be clear and justice will prevail. The damage that was initially caused to my image will be in the past,” Antony said. “Even though I was born and raised in a very poor region, I had never been through a situation like this.”Brazilian media said a former girlfriend filed a report with police that she was allegedly assaulted on May 20 by the player. ___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Madonna postpones upcoming tour due to serious illness, manager says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:21 GMT

**Related Video Above: Ticket giants promise transparency on 'junk fees'.**(WJW) — Madonna's upcoming tour, which included many sold-out stops, is reportedly in limbo after her manager announced the singer is dealing with health complications. “On Saturday, June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several-day stay in the ICU,” Guy Oseary said on social media. “Her health is improving, however, she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected. At this time we will need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour."NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 20: Madonna speaks onstage during the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on August 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)In this file photo taken on August 21, 2018 Madonna poses in the press room at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.(Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 02: ...

Good news for the 4th - Colorado one of 'most independent' states

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:21 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Colorado is one of the best places in the country to celebrate Independence Day, and a new study says that fits. Financial adviser site WalletHub released an analysis today judging the country's most independent states. In the absence of a foreign crown, analysts had to think of other things citizens might be dependent on: consumer finances, the government, the job market, international trade and personal vices. WalletHub used 39 individual measurements ranging from credit card debt to alcohol abuse rates. Camping ban gets unanimous approval in Douglas County Colorado has some distinct advantages from its high place on the nation's economic totem pole, with high education and income levels. It ranks fifth best in the nation for financial dependency, eighth for government dependency, 15th for job market dependency and sixth for international trade dependency. Only in one measurement did it rank average, 24th overall for vice dependency. In American Revolution term...

Photos: Debris from Titanic-bound submersible is returned to land

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:21 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Debris from the Titan submersible has been returned to land after a fatal implosion during its voyage to the wreck of the Titanic captured the world's attention last week.The return of the debris to port in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, is a key piece of the investigation into why the submersible imploded, killing all five people on board. Twisted chunks of the 22-foot submersible were unloaded at a Canadian Coast Guard pier on Wednesday.The Canadian ship Horizon Arctic carried a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, to search the ocean floor near the Titanic wreck for pieces of the submersible. Pelagic Research Services, a company with offices in Massachusetts and New York that owns the ROV, said on Wednesday that it has completed offshore operations. Colorado man among few who visited Titanic wreckage Pelagic Research Services' team is “still on mission” and cannot comment on the ongoing Titan investigation, which involves several government agencies...

Inter Miami confirms hiring of Tata Martino, reuniting him with Lionel Messi

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:21 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Inter Miami confirmed the hiring of Gerardo “Tata” Martino as coach on Wednesday, setting the stage for him to be reunited with Lionel Messi next month.Martino coached Messi with both Barcelona and Argentina’s national team. Messi has announced that he is coming to Major League Soccer to play for Inter Miami, with his contract set to be signed in time for a planned debut match on July 21.Martino’s hiring was widely reported before the team made the announcement. He coached Atlanta United to an MLS championship in 2018, winning the league’s coach of the year that season.Martino replaces Phil Neville, who was fired four weeks ago. Inter Miami is 5-13-0 in MLS play this season, the worst record of the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference.

More than a third of US population, from Midwest to East Coast, under air quality alerts from Canadian wildfire smoke

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:21 GMT

(CNN) — More than third of the US population is under air quality alerts, covering more than a dozen states from the Midwest to the East Coast, as smoke from Canadian wildfires sweeps across parts of the United States, prompting officials to call on the public to take safety precautions just weeks after similar wildfire smoke blanketed the Northeast.Over 120 million people are under the alerts and some of the worst air quality, which is classified as “very unhealthy,” is centered over the Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Indianapolis metro areas. Some improvement in the air quality is expected on Thursday, particularly over the Great Lakes area, where rain and storms will help cleanse the air.Canada is seeing its worst fire season on record as hundreds of blazes rage across the country – with more than 250 burning “out of control,” according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.As massive clouds of smoke cross into the US, air quality alerts have been issued for the entire ...

Madonna recovering from ‘serious bacterial infection,’ postpones Celebration world tour

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:21 GMT

(CNN) — Madonna is taking time to heal after a health scare, which will postpone at least some of her Celebration world tour that had been set to commence next month.In a post shared to his verified Instagram, Guy Oseary, Madonna’s longtime manager, shared that she “developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several day stay in the ICU” on Saturday.“Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected,” Oseary continued.“At this time we need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour,” he added. “We will share more details with you as soon as we have them, including a new start date for the tour in for rescheduled shows.”Madonna’s next tour, titled the Celebration tour, was scheduled to kick off July 15 in Vancouver, Canada, followed by two dates in Seattle starting on July 18. The tour was set to continue throughout the United States and Canada through early October, before heading to Europe.Madonna also added supplem...

Police raid Eva Kaili’s properties in Athens

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:21 GMT

ATHENS — Greek and Belgian authorities raided three properties connected to Eva Kaili in Athens, Greek police told POLITICO.A Belgian prosecutor, along with Greek and Belgian financial police, executed a European order for an investigation by Belgian prosecutors as part of the ongoing Qatargate probe, in which the Greek MEP is a key suspect, involving bags of cash and foreign bribery allegations at the European Parliament.Authorities carried out several searches in and around Athens at Kaili’s house, the house of her sister, Mantalena, and at a property where Kaili and her partner Francesco Giorgi, also a suspect, own a real estate firm, said two Greek police officials, who were granted anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to media.Mantalena Kaili was not immediately available for comment. The Belgian authorities declined to comment.Once the search began at Kaili’s sister’s house, her lawyer in Greece, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, was notified. He was then present ...

Bulgaria will invite Dutch and Austrian customs experts to help secure Schengen entry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:21 GMT

BRUSSELS — Bulgaria will invite Dutch and Austrian customs “experts” to observe operations at the Turkish border to try to ease concerns that are impeding its bid to join the Schengen passport-free travel area, Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov told POLITICO on Wednesday.Denkov identified Austria and the Netherlands as the two key skeptics on Bulgaria’s entry to Schengen, and said he would hold meetings with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Thursday to address their concerns. These largely focus on migration, particularly at the notoriously problematic Turkish-Bulgarian border, which has long been a major transit point for smuggling people, narcotics and arms from the Middle East into Europe. “We will try to involve as much as possible the partners from Austria and the Netherlands so they can see what is at the border, because it’s not easy there,” said Denkov, who was in Brussels for the first time this ...