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UN appeals court increases sentences for 2 Serbs convicted of crimes in Balkan wars

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:05 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — United Nations appeals judges on Wednesday significantly expanded the convictions of two allies of late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, holding them responsible for involvement in crimes across Bosnia and in one town in Croatia as members of a joint criminal plan to drive out non-Serbs from the areas during the Balkan wars.The appeals chamber at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals overturned their acquittals of involvement in the criminal plan and raised the sentences of Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic from 12 to 15 years.Presiding Judge Graciela Gatti Santana said the two men, both now in their 70s, “shared the intent to further the common criminal purpose to forcibly and permanently remove the majority of non-Serbs from large areas of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina through the commission of the crimes charged in the indictment.”The appeals ruling brings to an end the longest-running war crimes prosecution dating ...

Pakistani police say gunmen kill 1 soldier and wound another in attack on polio workers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:05 GMT

MIR ALI, Pakistan (AP) — Gunmen killed one soldier and wounded another Wednesday when they opened fire on security forces escorting a team of polio workers during a door-to-door inoculation campaign in a former Pakistani Taliban stronghold near the Afghan border, police said.No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in North Waziristan, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It came days after the government launched the latest polio eradication campaign, said Aslam Riaz, a police officer in the region.He said the polio workers escaped unharmed and the attackers fled the scene. In 2021, Pakistan was close to eradicating the disease, which can cause severe paralysis in children. But later, cases spiked in the country. Islamic militants often target polio teams and police assigned to protect them, falsely claiming the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries in the world where polio rema...

Pride Toronto director says Blue Jays have opportunity to turn a negative into a positive

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:05 GMT

Pride Toronto executive director Sherwin Modeste feels the Toronto Blue Jays have an opportunity to turn a player’s negative action into a positive.Blue Jays reliever Anthony Bass apologized Tuesday for expressing support on social media for anti-2SLGBTQ+ boycotts of Target and Bud Light. A day earlier, he shared an Instagram post urging others to spurn the companies over the support they showed for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.“I think (the team can) just continue to do what is right and continue to respect diversity and continue to spread love, continue to show their support for the 2SLGBTQ community,” Modeste said.“But at the same time, they also have a responsibility to hold all of their staff, all of their players, everyone that’s associated with the Jays, they need to hold them accountable and that I would leave for them to manage.”Bass spoke outside the home dugout at Rogers Centre before the Blue Jays’ series opener against the Milwaukee B...

Israel’s Mossad confirms ex-agent was one of 4 who died when boat sank in Italy

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:05 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s intelligence agency confirmed on Wednesday that a retired agent was among four people killed in Italy when a sudden storm sank a houseboat hired for a pleasure cruise over the weekend.The former agent was on the houseboat, with 22 other people, on a northern Italian lake near the town of Lisanza.Two Italian intelligence agents and a Russian woman — part of the two-person crew — of the boat also died in the incident. The Israeli prime minister’s office issued a statement on behalf of the Mossad saying the unnamed agent’s remains had been returned to Israel for burial. The Foreign Ministry had previously confirmed that a retiree from the Israeli security forces was killed but didn’t provide a name or age or give details on his professional background.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that because of the agent’s work in the agency, further details could not be disclosed and extended condolences to his family. Police said T...

Edmunds: The top five EV startups you need to know about

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:05 GMT

Shopping for a new electric vehicle can seem a bit like the Wild West. While most people are familiar with Tesla and established automakers, they’re less likely to know much about all-new companies looking to replicate the success of Tesla and take a share of the quickly growing market. From a consumer perspective, buying a vehicle from a startup company presents some advantages and possible drawbacks.Because these companies aren’t tied to traditional automaking, their vehicles often boast innovative features and standout designs. However, a shopper might hesitate to buy a vehicle from a brand with a limited track record of reliability. A lack of nationwide service support might be another issue. With that, Edmunds highlights five EV startups for shoppers willing to take the plunge. RIVIAN This adventure-bound, U.S.-based EV startup was founded in 2009 by RJ Scaringe, the company’s CEO. Rivian operated secretly for several years until 2018 when the electr...

13 members of same family die in Namibia after eating toxic porridge, reports say

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:05 GMT

WINDHOEK, Namibia (AP) — Thirteen members of the same family have died in Namibia after eating porridge that authorities believe became toxic when it was mixed with a fermented substance left over from a homemade alcoholic beverage, the state broadcaster reported.The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation said another four people are in a criticial condition in the hospital. NBC, quoting the Namibian health ministry, said at least 20 people consumed the “poisonous or toxic” porridge after it was mixed with sediment from a homemade beer.The victims ranged in age from 2 to 33, NBC said.The incident happened in the Kavango East region in the far northeast of the country.___More AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africaThe Associated Press

China’s commerce minister meets Tesla’s Musk, promises support to foreign companies

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:05 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China’s commerce minister met Tesla Ltd. CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday and promised to support the development of foreign companies, the ministry said. Musk earlier met with China’s ministers of industry and foreign affairs. He joined a series of CEOs from global companies, including Apple Inc., who have met with Cabinet officials or Premier Li Qiang, the top economic official, this year following the end of anti-virus controls that blocked most travel into China.The ruling Communist Party is trying to revive investor interest in China’s slowing economy and reassure companies that have been rattled by anti-monopoly and data-security crackdowns, raids on consulting firms, tension with Washington and pressure to align their plans with official development goals.The commerce minister, Wang Wentao, said Beijing will “support long-term, stable development of foreign-invested enterprises in China,” according to a ministry statement.Musk “praised the potential...

Palestinian officials say Israeli strike on eastern Lebanon kills 5 militants, Israel denies role

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:05 GMT

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — An Israeli airstrike targeting positions of a Syria-backed Palestinian group in eastern Lebanon early Wednesday killed five Palestinian militants and wounded 10 others, two Palestinian officials said. An Israeli official speaking on condition of anonymity denied the country had any role in the incident. Israel does not typically respond to foreign reports.Anwar Raja of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, told The Associated Press in Damascus that the Israeli strike hit positions in the Lebanese eastern town of Qusaya near the border with Syria. He said two of the wounded are in critical condition.Another PFLP-GC official, the Lebanon-based Abu Wael Issam, told the AP that his group will retaliate “at the suitable time.” He added that the strike will not deter his group from “escalating the fight against the Israeli enemy.”The Lebanese army and Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group also had no immediate comment on the airstrike...

Delta Air Lines hit with lawsuit over claims of carbon neutrality

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:05 GMT

A consumer class action lawsuit filed Tuesday claims Delta Air Lines inaccurately billed itself as the world’s “first carbon-neutral airline” and should pay damages. The complaint in federal court in California alleges the airline relied on carbon offsets that were largely bogus.Companies around the world buy carbon credits to cancel out their carbon releases with projects that promise to absorb carbon dioxide out of the air, or prevent pollution that would’ve happened. But they’ve been under the spotlight in recent months with claims their benefits are exaggerated. The company is a big customer, purchasing credits from projects including wind and solar projects in India and an Indonesian swamp forest, the lawsuit says.Delta spokesperson Grant Myatt described the lawsuit as “without legal merit.”“Since March 31, 2022, (Delta) has fully transitioned its focus away from carbon offsets toward decarbonization of our operations, focusing our efforts on investing in sust...

German court hands woman lengthy prison sentence for attacks on neo-Nazis

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:05 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A court in eastern Germany has sentenced a 28-year-old woman to five years and three months in prison for taking part in a series of attacks on neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremists over a period of two years.German news agency dpa reported Wednesday that the Dresden regional court convicted Lina E., whose surname wasn’t released due to privacy rules, of membership in a criminal organization and serious bodily harm.Prosecutors accused the student of “militant extreme-left ideology” and conceiving the idea of attacks on far-right individuals in Leipzig and nearby towns. Three men, Lennart A., Jannis R. and Jonathan M., are alleged to have joined up with her by the end of 2019. The men were sentenced to between 27 months and 39 months in prison.Lina E. has been in custody since her Nov. 5, 2020, arrest. The others have remained free.Among the attacks Lina E. was accused of helping orchestrate was a 2020 incident in which about 15 or 20 assailants beat a group o...