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Japan prosecutors make first arrest in the political fundraising scandal sweeping the ruling party

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:45 GMT

Japanese prosecutors made their first arrest Sunday in connection with a major political slush funds scandal that has rocked Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s already unpopular government.Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office apprehended former vice-education minister Yoshitaka Ikeda on suspicion of failing to report fundraising proceeds he received from his faction within the governing Liberal Democratic Party, according to officials and local media reports.Ikeda’s faction, which used to be led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was assassinated in 2022, has remained the largest and most influential within Kishida’s ruling party. The faction is suspected of failing to report more than 600 million yen ($4.15 million).The former minister was accused of not reporting the 40 million yen (about $276,500) he received from the faction as kickback from political event ticket sales, a violation of political funds control law, media reports say. Prosecutors declined to gi...

Norwegian mass killer attempts to sue the state once more for an alleged breach of human rights

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:45 GMT

STAVANGER, Norway (AP) — Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a bomb and gun rampage in 2011, will try for the second time Monday to sue the Norwegian state for allegedly breaching his human rights.Norway’s worst peacetime killer claims his solitary confinement since being imprisoned in 2012 amounts to inhumane treatment under the European Convention of Human Rights.Norway favors rehabilitation over retribution, and Breivik is held in a two-story complex with a kitchen, dining room and TV room with an Xbox, several armchairs and black and white pictures of the Eiffel Tower on the wall. He also has a fitness room with weights, treadmill and a rowing machine, while three parakeets fly around the complex.Even so, his lawyer, Øystein Storrvik, says it is impossible for Breivik, who now goes by the name Fjotolf Hansen, to have any meaningful relationships with anyone from the outside world, and says preventing his client from sending letters ...

The US sees a drop in illegal border crossings after Mexico increases enforcement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:45 GMT

EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) — Daniel Bermudez’s family had fled Venezuela and was headed to the U.S. to seek asylum when the freight train they were riding through Mexico was stopped by immigration officials.His wife tried to explain that her family had permission to go to the U.S. Instead, they flew her to Mexico’s southern border as part of a surge of enforcement actions that U.S. officials say have contributed to a sharp drop in illegal border crossings. In addition to forcing migrants from trains, Mexico also resumed flying and busing them to the southern part of the country and started flying some home to Venezuela. Even if temporary, the decrease in illegal crossings is welcome news for the White House. President Joe Biden’s administration is locked in talks with Senate negotiators over restricting asylum and $110 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel hangs in the balance.Bermudez said his wife became separated from her family when she talked to authorities as he gathered his...

At Florida’s only public HBCU, students are wary of political influence on race education

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:45 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A core mission of Florida A&M University from its founding over a century ago has been to educate African Americans. It was written into the law that established the school along with another college, in Gainesville, reserved for white students.At Florida’s only public historically Black university, some students now fear political constraints might get in the way of teaching parts of their history. A law signed last spring by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, blocks public colleges from using taxpayer money on diversity programs. It also forbids instruction of theories that “systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities.”The new law, part of broader GOP efforts to rein in campus efforts on equity and inclusion, has spurred protests on campus. Some students say they are wat...

1 dead after multi-vehicle pileup on I-680 near Pleasant Hill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:45 GMT

(BCN) -- A three-vehicle pileup on Interstate Highway 680 near Pleasant Hill Shopping Center left one person dead, the California Highway Patrol said Saturday. 2 dead, 9 injured in 35-vehicle pile up along I-5 west of Bakersfield The highway patrol was notified at 9:52 p.m. Friday of the collisions near Concord Avenue. A southbound black Honda Pilot SUV struck the concrete center divider and became disabled in the traffic lanes, police said.A white Chevrolet 2500 pickup also traveling south was unable to avoid colliding with the disabled Honda, the CHP said. A Tesla was also involved.The driver of the Honda was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger wasn't injured. The drivers of the Chevrolet and the Tesla weren't hurt, police said.Anyone with information on the crash or the events leading up to it is asked to contact CHP Contra Costa in Martinez at (925) 646-4980 or email their contact information to [email protected] to be contacted by the investigating officer.

Santa Rosa police bring back gang crimes unit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:45 GMT

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KRON) -- The Santa Rosa Police Department is bringing back its gang unit. They say it's because of a surge in gang activity last year. KRON4 spoke with a lieutenant about how this unit will be different from units they've had in the past. This won't be a unit of uniformed officers walking around on the streets. Instead, it will be a group of detectives that will take over the investigations the department believes are gang-related. Safeway in Half Moon Bay evacuated due to possible armed shoplifter: sheriff In 2023, Santa Rosa recorded 10 homicides. Police say five of those had gang connections, leading the department to re-establish its gang crimes team."In order to stay effective, you're constantly having to pay attention to who in the community is running these gangs," said SRPD Lt. Christopher Mahurin. "Where are these trends happening? And our other assignments are just overloaded already with other crimes their investigating. This will help supplement out...

Eichel, Roy each score twice, Golden Knights top Islanders 5-2

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:45 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jack Eichel and Nic Roy each scored two goals and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the New York Islanders 5-2 on Saturday night.Pavel Dorofeyev also scored for the Golden Knights, who had lost six of their last seven while getting outscored 29-15. Logan Thompson made 28 saves.Mathew Barzal and Matt Martin scored as the Islanders lost for the third time in four games (1-2-1). Ilya Sorokin stopped 24 shots.Eichel scored in the first and third periods, the latter with an assist to rookie Lukas Cormier in his NHL debut, while Roy got his in the second and third to bolster an offense that was starving for life.Eichel, who leads all Golden Knights with 16 career points against the Islanders, put Vegas ahead 1-0 when his one-time blast got past Sorokin 6:25 into the game.The lead was short-lived, as an official replay ruled Barzal’s shot traced the top of the net just inside the crossbar, tying the game at 1-all with 8:47 left in the first.Thompson, who was starting the fifth...

Dent’s 21 lead New Mexico past Wyoming 77-60

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:45 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Donovan Dent scored 21 points as New Mexico beat Wyoming 77-60 on Saturday night.Dent was 9-of-16 shooting (2 for 4 from 3-point range) for the Lobos (13-2, 1-1 Mountain West Conference). Jamal Mashburn Jr. scored 12 points and added three steals. Nelly Junior Joseph shot 3 of 11 from the field and 4 for 6 from the foul line to finish with 10 points.The Cowboys (8-7, 1-1) were led by Sam Griffin, who recorded 18 points and six rebounds. Cam Manyawu added 11 points and nine rebounds for Wyoming. In addition, Mason Walters finished with 10 points.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.Source

Bal scores 28 as Santa Clara takes down Pepperdine 78-72

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:45 GMT

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Adama Bal had 28 points in Santa Clara’s 78-72 victory against Pepperdine on Saturday.Bal shot 7 for 13 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 12 of 12 from the free-throw line for the Broncos (11-6, 2-0 West Coast Conference). Carlos Marshall Jr. scored 12 points, going 4 of 9 from the floor, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and 2 for 3 from the foul line. Johnny O’Neil had 11 points and was 3-of-8 shooting, including 2 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 4 from the free-throw line.Michael Ajayi finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Waves (7-10, 0-2). Jevon Porter added 14 points for Pepperdine. In addition, Houston Mallette had 10 points.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.Source

Tres meses después, Israel entra en una nueva fase de la guerra. ¿Sigue intentando “destruir” a Hamas?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:05:45 GMT

(CNN) — Hace tres meses, dirigiéndose a los ciudadanos sacudidos por un horrorífico día de ataques de Hamas, el primer ministro de Israel, Benjamín Netanyahu, hizo una promesa.“Las FDI (Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel) utilizarán inmediatamente toda su fuerza para destruir las capacidades de Hamas”, dijo Netanyahu. “Las destruiremos”.Ahora, las FDI están pasando a una nueva fase de su guerra contra Hamas en Gaza, y hay indicios de que sus objetivos también están cambiando.“Los antecedentes no son muy favorables a las campañas militares que pretenden erradicar un movimiento político militar profundamente arraigado”, declaró a CNN Bilal Y. Saab, investigador asociado sobre Medio Oriente y el Norte de África en Chatham House.“Los dirigentes de las FDI comprenden muy bien que lo máximo que pueden hacer es degradar gravemente las capacidades militares de Hamas”, declaró Saab.Israel ha cosechado algunos éxitos en ese sentido: sus fuerzas ...