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Japan prosecutors arrest ex-vice foreign minister in bribery case linked to wind power company

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo prosecutors said Thursday they have arrested the former vice foreign minister of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet on suspicion of accepting more than 61 million yen ($414,000) in bribes from a wind power company in return for his promotion of wind power and other favorable treatment.Masatoshi Akimoto, 48, was arrested on suspicion of accepting the bribes, including 30 million yen ($204,000) in cash at his parliamentary office , from a wind power company executive on several occasions between February 2019 and June this year, prosecutors said.Akimoto had stepped down as vice foreign minister and left Kishida’s governing Liberal Democratic Party in August after allegations surfaced and prosecutors raided his office as part of their bribery investigation.Akimoto has advocated promotion of renewable energy and urged the government during parliamentary sessions in 2019 not to heavily regulate the waters off the coast of Aomori where the company, Japan Wind Develo...

Biden aims to use G20 summit and Vietnam visit to highlight US as trustworthy alternative to China

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is looking to demonstrate to the world at the Group of 20 summit in India and during a stop in Vietnam that the United States and its like-minded allies are better economic and security partners than China. White House officials said Biden, who was set to depart for New Delhi on Thursday evening, will use this year’s G20 gathering as an opportunity for the United States to highlight a proposition for developing and middle income countries that would increase the lending power of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund by some $200 billion. That is an attempt to offer a significant, albeit smaller, alternative to China’s massive Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, which the U.S. views as a Trojan horse for China-led regional development and military expansion. Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to skip the summit, where Premier Li Qiang will represent the country.Afterward the summit, Biden and Vietnamese General Secretary...

These are some of the most notable performances at Red Rocks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — From $6 tickets to a ban on rock concerts, Red Rocks Amphitheatre has hosted some truly remarkable performances. While no one can count the thousands of amazing stars that have come through the venue, Red Rocks has kept track of some of the most notable performances dating back to the early 1900s. Full list of concerts at Red Rocks in fall of 2023 These artists had some of the best, bizarre and insane Red Rocks performances throughout the years:The Beatles (1964)In the summer of '64, The Beatles played at Red Rocks. But they weren't a huge hit, only three-fourths of the seats sold. Tickets sold for $6.60, according to the amphitheatre. This was the only concert on The Beatles’ initial American tour that didn't sell out. Johnny Cash (1965)It's said that Johnny Cash, along with the Tennessee Three, were the first country and western musicians to perform at Red Rocks. Jimi Hendrix (1968)September 1968 was Hendrix's one and only show at Red Rocks. However, there is no...

Florida man riding human-sized hamster wheel in Atlantic Ocean faces federal charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — A Florida man who was attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a man-made hamster wheel is facing federal charges after it took the U.S. Coast Guard five days to bring him ashore, according to a criminal complaint filed in Miami.The Coast Guard spotted Reza Baluchi, 51, some 70 miles (112 kilometers) off the coast of Tybee Island, Georgia, on Aug. 26, while making preparations for Hurricane Franklin, the complaint, filed in federal court, said. Baluchi was charged Tuesday with obstruction of boarding and violation of a captain of the port order.Baluchi told the Coast Guard crew that he was attempting to ride the “hydro-pod” vessel to England, and that he had a Florida registration, which he unable to locate for them, onboard.The officers said the vessel was “afloat as a result of wiring and buoys” and determined that Baluchi was conducting “a manifestly unsafe voyage,” the complaint said.When they attempted to get him to leave the vessel, Baluchi told them he had a kni...

Miami mother arrested after allegedly keeping child confined at home for five years, denying basic necessities

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

A 42-year-old Miami woman faces charges of child neglect after it was discovered that she had confined her nine-year-old daughter to their home for five years. During this time, the child was denied an education, proper medical care and had to beg for food.According to the arrest report, Kelli McGriff-Williams prevented her daughter from leaving their home and kept her mostly confined to a bedroom. The child would have to beg to eat, and at times, food was not provided. McGriff-Williams also never enrolled her daughter in school, resulting in the child being unable to read or write.Even when the child fell seriously ill, McGriff-Williams did not seek medical attention for her. The situation came to light on Aug. 26, when a Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) officer responded to a Department of Children and Families (DCF) investigation. McGriff-Williams was subsequently involuntarily admitted to Jackson South Hospital due to her altered mental state.On Aug. 30, an officer made conta...

Human skull found in box donated to Goodwill, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

GOODYEAR, Arizona (KPHO) — Goodyear police are investigating what led up to a human skull being put in a box of donated items at Goodwill.Officers responded on Tuesday to the location near Sarival Avenue and Yuma Road. When police arrived, they found “what appears to be an actual human skull,” authorities said. After being taken to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office for further evaluation, authorities say it appears that it is a “historic” skull and bears no “forensic significance,” and that at this time, it seems like no crime was committed. However, the investigation remains ongoing.

MCAS Critics Ready To “Sprint” Toward 2024 Ballot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

Attorney General Andrea Campbell ruled Wednesday that two proposed ballot questions related to the role of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam are legally sound, keeping open the possibility that Bay State voters could decide next fall whether passing the standardized test should remain a requirement to graduate high school here.The attorney general said both proposed questions — one filed by a Lexington mother and another offered by the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) — met constitutional muster, but sponsors of both questions have decided to combine forces behind the teachers’ union-backed proposal.The initiative would eliminate the requirement that a student pass the MCAS to graduate high school and instead would require that students complete coursework certified by their district “as demonstrating mastery of the competencies contained in the state academic standards in mathematics, science and technology, and ...

Boston Marathon purse to break $1 million with boost in para athlete divisions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Marathon will add two more para athlete divisions and boost prize money that will put the total Patriots’ Day purse above $1 million for the first time, organizers said Thursday.The Boston Athletic Association said its flagship race will welcome athletes classified with coordination impairments and intellectual impairments. Previous divisions for upper and lower limb impairment will be more inclusive, race organizers said.“We are always looking at ways to celebrate and reward athletic excellence,” BAA President and CEO Jack Fleming said in a statement. “Boston is a running city, and we’ve made it our goal to elevate Para athletes as they train and compete for the podium at our events, from the 5K through to the marathon.”In the first year after Bank of America replaced John Hancock as the main sponsor, first prize for its men’s and women’s wheelchair winners will rise to $40,000 from $25,000, with a $50,000 bonus for a course re...

Massachusetts ‘heat advisory’ peaks with near 100-degree heat index values, Boston faces ‘heat emergency’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

The hot and humid weather is expected to persist into Friday, with the peak of the Massachusetts “heat advisory” Thursday afternoon as heat index values approach 100 degrees and as Boston faces a “heat emergency” on the first day of school.National Weather Service meteorologists were warning residents about the risk of heat exhaustion and heat illnesses amid this early September blast of brutally hot weather. The “heat advisory” remains in effect through Friday evening.“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors,” the National Weather Service wrote in its advisory. “Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.“Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside,” NWS added. “When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat ex...

District attorney in Georgia election case against Trump and others seeks protections for jurors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

By KATE BRUMBACK (Associated Press)ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia prosecutor who has brought charges accusing former President Donald Trump and others of illegally trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state is asking the judge in the case to take steps to protect jurors.The preemptory step by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis comes after the grand jurors who returned the 41-count indictment against Trump and 18 others were subjected to harassment when their information was posted online. It’s a reflection of the highly polarized feelings surrounding the criminal cases against the former president.Willis wrote in a motion filed Wednesday that the grand jurors’ information was posted “with the intent to harass and intimidate them.” Additionally, the motion said, the personal information of Willis, a Black woman, and that of her family and staff have been posted online ”intertwined with derogatory and racist remarks.”...