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Fire rips through Iraqi wedding hall, killing around 100 in shock to Christian community

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:26 GMT

MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — As they watched the bride and groom start their slow dance, Faten Youssef imagined the future wedding of her son, seated next to her at a reception table. Within moments, however, disaster struck when an inferno erupted that would leave nearly 100 dead in the northern Iraqi wedding hall.As the dance began, a ring of pyrotechnics machines on the floor released fountains of sparks into the air. As the music played, ceiling panels above the machines burst into flames.The around 250 panicked guests in the the Haitham Royal Wedding Hall in the predominantly Christian Hamdaniya area stampeded for the exits as flaming decorations and pieces of ceiling rained down on them.Authorities on Wednesday said around 100 people were killed, with the toll expected to rise with at least 100 injured, including many critically burned. Authorities said highly flammable building materials contributed to the disaster. The tragedy Tuesday night was the latest to hit Iraq’s Christian minor...

Italy at the Rugby World Cup: ‘We’re coming for the All Blacks’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:26 GMT

The All Blacks are coming.And here’s what Italy says: The Azzurri are coming, too.The former All Black who has transformed Italy into a respectable outfit talked up his Rugby World Cup team to boldly go on Friday in Lyon where no Italians have gone before: To victory against New Zealand.“We are not going out there to try to keep the score down. We are going out there to try to win the game,” coach Kieran Crowley said on Wednesday. “We’ve got to show some courage, we’ve got to play.”Italy and New Zealand are in the same boat in Pool A: Chasing host France for one of the two quarterfinal places. Italy has a 2-0 record and wants to make the quarterfinals for the first time. New Zealand has a rare 1-1 record, and needs the win to ensure its progress towards the quarters.Crowley believes his team is ready. They are fitter, more disciplined, set-piece strong with threats in the backline, and play hard to the end.After coming from behind at halftime to beat Uruguay 38-17 ...

Late-night TV shows announce their return after Hollywood writers strike ends

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:26 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — TV’s late-high hosts planned to return to their evening sketches and monologues by next week, reinstating the flow of topical humor silenced for five months by the newly-ended Hollywood’s writers strike.Bill Maher led the charge back to work by announcing early Wednesday that his HBO show “Real Time with Bill Maher” would be back on the air Friday. By mid-morning, the hosts of NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” on CBS had announced they’d also return, all by Monday. “Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver was slated to return to the air Sunday.Fallon, Meyers, Kimmel, Colbert and Oliver had spent the latter part of the strike teaming up for a popular podcast called “Strike Force Five” — named after their personal text chain and with all proceeds benefiting their out-of-work writers. On Instagram on Wednesday, they announced “their mission complet...

MillerKnoll, Peloton rise; Progress Software, NextEra Energy fall, Wednesday, 9/27/2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:26 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that are trading heavily or have substantial price changes on Wednesday:Jabil Inc. (JBL), up 98 cents to $105.98.The electronics manufacturer is selling its Mobility business to BYD Electronic for $2.2 billion.AutoNation Inc. (AN), up $3.29 to $153.93.The auto retailer reportedly offered to buy British automotive retailer Pendragon.Progress Software Corp. (PRGS), down $1.54 to $53.83.The business software maker gave investors a weak profit forecast for the current quarter.MillerKnoll Inc. (MLKN), up $5.45 to $24.60.The furniture maker raised is profit forecast for the year.Peloton Interactive Inc. (PTON), up 1 cent to $4.63.The exercise bike and treadmill company named Nick Caldwell as its new chief product officer.AAR Corp. (AIR), up $1.33 to $60.55.The airplane maintenance company reported strong fiscal first-quarter financial results.NextEra Energy Inc. (NEE), down $3.86 to $61.48.The parent company of Florida Power & Light Co. sold its Florida City Gas...

A Turkish film festival has been threatened by accusations of censorship

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:26 GMT

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s oldest film festival has been thrown into turmoil after jury members resigned and filmmakers withdrew their work from the competition over accusations of censorship.The producers and directors of 27 entries at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival on Wednesday announced they were pulling out, days after 20 members of the festival jury quit over the organizers’ removal of a documentary.“Kanun Hukmu,” or “The Decree,” focuses on a teacher and doctor dismissed from their jobs under the state of emergency imposed in Turkey following an attempted coup in 2016.Festival director Ahmet Boyacioglu said the documentary had been removed from the national documentary film category because of ongoing legal proceedings against one of the people featured.“For this reason, it has been decided to exclude the film from this year’s selection in order not to affect the judicial process and impartiality,” he said.However, the film’s director, Nejla Demirci, said that was an “e...

La Justicia española cita al exseleccionador femenino y a dos altos cargos de la Real Federación Española de Fútbol por presuntas coacciones a Jennifer Hermoso

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:26 GMT

(CNN Español) — El titular del Juzgado Central de Instrucción Uno de la Audiencia Nacional de España, Francisco de Jorge, citó como “investigados” por el presunto delito de coacciones al exseleccionador de fútbol femenino, Jorge Vilda, así como al director de la selección masculina, Albert Luque, y al director de Marketing de la Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF), Rubén Rivera, según informó el tribunal este miércoles en un comunicado.Los tres deberán acudir al juzgado de instrucción el 10 de octubre para declarar por las supuestas presiones a las que habrían sometido a Jennifer Hermoso para que justificara el beso no consentido que el expresidente de la RFEF, Luis Rubiales, le propinó durante la entrega de medallas de la final del Mundial de Fútbol Femenino en Sydney.CNN se contactó con la RFEF y Vilda para obtener comentario sin haber recibido respuesta hasta el momento.Jorge Vilda calificó su despido de “injusto” e “inesperado” en su primera entrevista desde su desti...

IMF says Sri Lanka needs to boost reforms and collect more taxes for its bailout funding package

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:26 GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka has so far failed to make enough progress in boosting tax collection and other economic reforms for the International Monetary Fund to release a second tranche of $330 million in the country’s $2.9 billion bailout from bankruptcy, the IMF said.An IMF team led by Peter Breuer and Katsiaryna Svirydzenka concluded a visit to the island Tuesday and said in a statement that discussions would continue an agreement on how to keep up the momentum of reforms, and to unlock the second installment of funding that was due at the end of this month.“Despite early signs of stabilization, full economic recovery is not yet assured,” the statement said, adding that the country’s accumulation of reserves has slowed due to lower-than-projected gains in the collection of taxes.“To increase revenues and signal better governance, it is important to strengthen tax administration, remove tax exemptions, and actively eliminate tax evasion,” the statement said.Sri Lan...

Napoli forward Victor Osimhen angered after his club posts a mocking video online

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:26 GMT

NAPLES, Italy (AP) — Napoli forward Victor Osimhen has deleted almost all pictures of himself in the team’s shirt from his social media accounts after the soccer club posted a mocking video of him online.Napoli posted a video Tuesday that appeared to make fun of Osimhen’s penalty skills after he missed a spot kick in Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Bologna.It later deleted the video but Osimhen responded by deleting almost all pictures of himself in a Napoli shirt. His agent also reacted angrily.“What happened today on Napoli’s official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable,” Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda, said in a post. “A video mocking Victor was first made public and then, but now belatedly, deleted.“A serious fact that causes very serious damage to the player and adds to the treatment that the boy is suffering in the last period between media trials and fake news. We reserve the right to take legal action and any useful initiative to protect Victor.”Osimhen’s penalty m...

Brewers are eager to make their latest postseason berth last longer than the others

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:26 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers are getting accustomed to celebrating at the end of the regular season.They’re hoping this is the year they continue the party throughout October.Milwaukee clinched its third NL Central title in six years on Tuesday night by virtue of the Chicago Cubs losing 7-6 to the Atlanta Braves. The Brewers have reached the playoffs five of the last six years, the exception coming last season.“We’ve been so many times,” said pitcher Brandon Woodruff, one of five players who have been part of all five of the recent playoff teams. “I feel like it’s our time to get over the hump.”The Brewers never have won a World Series title and made their lone appearance in the Fall Classic way back in 1982, when they captured the AL pennant before losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. There’s a sense of urgency associated with this playoff berth because of the long-term uncertainty surrounding some key figures.Woodruff and 2021 Cy Young Award winner Corbin Bu...

Auon’tai Anderson sued for allegedly breaking First Amendment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:26 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — On Tuesday, a lawsuit was filed against Denver School Board Vice President Auon’tai Anderson for allegedly infringing upon constituents' First Amendment rights after he blocked people and deleted comments on his Facebook page.On July 31, Anderson posted on Facebook about further findings from the firing of the McAuliffe International School principal, Kurt Dennis. More whistleblowers come forward as investigation into seclusion room continues In the since-deleted post, Anderson said there had been a meeting with Dennis and the Northeast Denver Innovation Zone Board of Directors. The meeting was after Dennis did a TV interview about the shooting at East High School. Anderson asked for the footage to be released and asked for the public to demand it as well."But in a democratic society, it is not just the responsibility of those in office to ensure transparency, it is also the duty of the public to demand it," Anderson wrote.In response to the Facebook post, Eve Che...