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Donatella Versace slams Italian government’s anti-gay policies from La Scala stage

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:23 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Donatella Versace slammed the Italian government for what she described as anti-gay policies in a heartfelt and personal speech that referenced her late brother, Gianni Versace, while receiving a fashion award this weekend.“Our government is trying to take away people’s rights to live as they wish,” Versace said in a speech Sunday night, citing in particular a government policy that allows only the biological parent in same-sex couples to be officially recognized as the parent. “They are restricting our freedoms,” she said.“We must all fight for freedom, in a time that still sees trans people suffering terrible violence, a time when children of same-sex couples are not considered their children, a time when minority voices are attacked by new laws,” Versace said.The speech received a standing ovation from a fashion crowd at La Scala, where Versace received a humanitarian award.Gay rights activists praised her for clearly challenging the government’s actions,...

Serbia demands that NATO take over policing of northern Kosovo after a deadly shootout

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:23 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s president demanded Tuesday to have a NATO-led peacekeeping force take over for the national law enforcement agency in northern Kosovo after a daylong shootout between armed Serbs and Kosovar police left one officer and three gunmen dead.In one of the worst confrontations since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, about 30 masked men opened fire on a police patrol near the village of Banjska early Sunday then broke down the gates of a Serbian Orthodox monastery and barricaded themselves with the priests and visiting pilgrims.The violence further raised tensions in the Balkan region at a time when European Union and U.S. mediators have been pushing for a deal that would normalize ties between former wartime foes Serbia and Kosovo. A NATO bombing campaign on Serb positions in Kosovo led to the end of the 1998-99 war. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with ambassadors from five Western countries and the EU in Belgrade on Tuesday. He sai...

At least four people hurt in helicopter crash east of Prince George, B.C.

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:23 GMT

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — BC Emergency Health Services said at least four people have been injured in a helicopter crash east of Prince George, in central B.C. The service says the call came in just before 8 a.m. and six ambulances attended where paramedics treated and transported the four to hospital. Prince George RCMP say emergency crews gathered at the site where the chopper went down near the Purden Ski Hill, a mountain resort off Highway 16. Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said the extent of the injuries to those on board is not known, and the area around the crash site has no cellphone coverage. Cooper said they don’t know why the helicopter was in the area, but they know it was not a forestry crew aboard.She said details on the cause of the crash are still being investigated, and the Transportation Safety Board would be taking the lead on the investigation since the accident involved an aircraft.“It is possible that emergency crews will be accessing the highway frequently and w...

Biden visits UAW picket line, tells union to ‘stick with it’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:23 GMT

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — President Joe Biden joined United Auto Workers strikers on their picket line Tuesday as their work stoppage against major carmakers hit day 12, a demonstration of support for organized labor apparently unparalleled in presidential history.“You deserve the significant raise you need,” Biden said through a bullhorn while wearing a union baseball cap after arriving at a General Motors parts distribution warehouse located in a suburb west of Detroit.He walked along the picket line, exchanging fist bumps with grinning workers.He encouraged them to continue fighting for better wages despite concerns that a prolonged strike could damage the economy, saying “stick with it.”He said “yes” when asked if UAW members deserved a 40% raise, one of the demands that the union has made.“No deal, no wheels!” workers chanted as Biden arrived. “No pay, no parts!”He was joined by UAW President Shawn Fain, who rode with him in the presidential limousine to the picket...

AI advances signal massive technological shift but the tech still has biases: Google

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:23 GMT

TORONTO — An artificial intelligence researcher at Google says fixing fairness in the technology “isn’t a simple thing,” but the world has an opportunity to get it right as the software explodes in popularity.“It’s as though we been given a second chance on how we use this technology to dismantle some of the biases we see in society,” Komal Singh, a senior product manager at the tech goliath, said in a Tuesday media briefing in Toronto.Her optimism comes as the tech sector – and nearly every other industry – have spent the year abuzz about AI’s promise and perils. Some see the technology as a game changer bound to disrupt everyday life and bring expediency, efficiency and solutions to some of the globe’s biggest challenges. Others, including Tesla owner Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, warn advances in the technology are moving too fast and guardrails are needed before wide-scale deployments. Geoffrey Hinton, the British-Canadian comp...

Activist calls on Parkland to buy back shares and reduce debt

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:23 GMT

CALGARY — An activist investor that had been urging Parkland Corp. to sell or spin off its Burnaby refinery earlier this year is back with a set of new recommendations for the Calgary-based company.In a letter to the Parkland board on Tuesday, New York-based Engine Capital LP said Parkland remains undervalued. It said it wants to see the company take further steps — including refining the company’s capital allocation, improving its approach to executive compensation and simplifying its operations.The hedge fund is also calling on the company to allocate around $800 million to share buybacks in 2024 and 2025, with repurchases front-loaded in 2024 to take advantage of the stock undervaluation.It is also suggesting Parkland pay down about $600 million in debt over the next two years, primarily using proceeds from asset sales.Engine Capital first set its sights on Parkland last March, publicly urging the company to get rid of what it called “non-core assets” and become a pur...

Police: Woman dead after running stop sign, struck by semi in suburbs

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:23 GMT

CAMPTON HILLS, Ill. — A suburban woman died after being struck by a semi due to running a stop sign Monday afternoon, police said.At around 4:30 p.m., authorities responded to the intersection of Route 47 and McDonald Road on the report of an accident involving two vehicles.A black Ford Escape and a Kenworth semi-truck hauling mulch were located at the scene.Following a preliminary investigation, police believe the Ford Escape, driven by a 69-year-old woman, failed to stop at the stop sign and entered the intersection — where she was struck by the semi.The woman was transported with life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at St. Joseph Hospital. Police: 5 injured after distracted driver causes crash in Northwest Indiana The male driver of the semi was not injured, police said.

Man shot by officers during Round Lake hostage situation facing charges

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:23 GMT

ROUND LAKE, Ill. — A man shot by suburban officers during a hostage incident last week has been charged after being discharged from the hospital.At around 6:35 p.m. on Sept. 19, Round Lake officers were dispatched to a home in the 700 block North Park Road. A 911 caller told police they were needed but hung up before additional questions were asked.Officers at the scene were told a woman in the basement of the home needed help.Round Lake officers approached a basement door, where a 33-year-old man, later identified as Gerzin Ramirez-Perez, and a 30-year-old woman lived in a garden unit, and could hear what sounded like people, according to police.As officers attempted to make contact, a cop outside allegedly saw Ramirez-Perez holding a knife to the woman’s neck from a basement window. Police said they tried to de-escalate the situation, but Ramirez-Perez allegedly continued holding the knife to the woman and refused to let her go.A regional SWAT team was dispatched to the scene. Mem...

WATCH: Biden joins UAW strike picket line, addresses the crowd through a bullhorn while standing on a wood pallet

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:23 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's decision to stand alongside United Auto Workers pickets on Tuesday on the 12th day of their strike against major carmakers underscores support of labor unions that appears to be unparalleled in presidential history.Experts in presidential and U.S. labor history say they cannot recall an instance when a sitting president has joined an ongoing strike, even during the tenures of the more ardent pro-union presidents such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Theodore Roosevelt invited labor leaders alongside mine operators to the White House amid a historic coal strike in 1902, a decision that was seen at the time as a rare embrace of unions as Roosevelt tried to resolve the dispute.Biden joined the striking autoworkers one day before former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, goes to Detroit to hold his own event in an attempt to woo votes even though union leaders say he's no ally.Lawmakers often...

AFD: Two south Austin homes on fire

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Firefighters responded to a house fire in south Austin Tuesday morning, the Austin Fire Department said on social media.According to a photo shared by AFD, the front of a home in the 500 block of Fort Drum Drive, which is near Stassney Lane and South Congress Avenue, is covered in flames.Firefighters responded to a house fire in south Austin Sept. 26, 2023. Photo: Austin Fire DepartmentAustin firefighters respond to house on fire in 500 block of Fort Drum Drive Tuesday, Sept. 26 (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez)Austin firefighters respond to house on fire in 500 block of Fort Drum Drive Tuesday, Sept. 26 (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez)Austin firefighters respond to house on fire in 500 block of Fort Drum Drive Tuesday, Sept. 26 (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez)Austin firefighters respond to house on fire in 500 block of Fort Drum Drive Tuesday, Sept. 26 (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez)Austin firefighters respond to house on fire in 500 block of Fort Drum Drive Tuesday, Sept. 26 (KXAN Pho...