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South African flag may be taken down at rugby & cricket World Cups for doping body’s non-compliance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:10 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The South African flag will not be displayed at the rugby and cricket World Cups later this month if its national anti-doping body does not appeal a decision by the World Anti-Doping Agency to declare it non-compliant.The consequences of the decision by WADA will come into effect for South Africa on Oct. 14. Its teams are currently playing at those two World Cups.Khalid Galant, the CEO of the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport, the national anti-doping body, said Thursday it would likely appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by an Oct. 13 deadline, ensuring the sanctions do not come into play. The sanctions would then be suspended until either the appeal is decided or South Africa meets WADA’s requirements.South Africa is also not allowed to host international sports competitions while it is non-compliant. If the issue drags on, the country’s flag may not be allowed to be displayed at next year’s Paris Olympics and Par...

Florida man arrested for allegedly illegally reselling erectile dysfunction medication

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:10 GMT

THE VILLAGES, Fla. – A 77-year-old man from The Villages finds himself in legal trouble after being accused of engaging in the illicit sale of thousands of dollars’ worth of erectile dysfunction medication. Reginald Kincer, the man at the center of this unusual case, now faces potential consequences that include a year in federal prison and a hefty $10,000 fine.According to federal authorities, Kincer acquired off-brand pills without a valid prescription from a licensed medical professional. He allegedly stockpiled these pills with the intention of redistributing them both within and outside the state.Kincer, who was once seen as something of a local legend in The Villages, earned a reputation as the neighborhood’s go-to source for these medications. Residents fondly referred to him as the “neighborhood pharmacist” and expressed regret that his operation came to an end before they had the chance to make a purchase.“I’m just sorry he got bust...

Russia kills 50 in bomb attack on café, shop in northeast Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:10 GMT

A Russian missile attack on civilian targets in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region killed 50 people on Thursday, including a 6-year-old boy, according to reports by Ukrainian officials.Russian forces shelled a shop and a café in the village of Hroza around 1 p.m., in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called a “particularly brutal” crime. Fifty people have been confirmed dead and at least seven more are injured, according to reports from Zelenskyy’s office and from regional governor Oleh Syniehubov.“Russian terror must be stopped,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “All those who help Russia circumvent sanctions are criminals. Everyone who supports Russia until now supports evil.”Zelenskyy, who is in Granada, Spain on Thursday to attend the European Political Community summit, has asked for support from European leaders to strengthen air defenses against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing assault.Ukrainian prosecutors, under the guidance of...

Illegal drugs loom over Luxembourg’s election

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:10 GMT

LUXEMBOURG CITY — Ahead of Luxembourg’s national election, politicians are scrapping over how to tackle a growing drugs problem.The EU’s richest country has a ballot Sunday that will see a battle for seats in the 60-member Chamber of Deputies and for a new prime minister, who could replace incumbent liberal Xavier Bettel. Along with health care and the economy, security-related concerns — such as a rise in crime and drug use — have vaulted to near the top of the campaign agenda, as worried citizens point to a perceived degradation in the capital city.“All we want is a safe place to live,” said Graziela Bordin, co-organizer of a recent anti-drugs protest in Luxembourg City. Luxembourg is the latest European country to report a spike in the use of certain hard drugs, following similar reports in nearby Belgium and the Netherlands. To the center-right Christian Social People’s Party (CSV), which is currently leading the race according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls, securi...

Massachusetts State Police apprehend suspect wanted for multiple armed carjackings in New Hampshire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:10 GMT

State police say a man being sought in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire for a series of alleged armed carjackings has been taken into custody, following a pursuit Thursday morning.Massachusetts State Police announced just after 10 a.m. that Nathan Saben was arrested following a pursuit that went from Lawrence to Dracut.Saben, and a woman police believe is his girlfriend, Jessica Tirone, had been on the run for the past few days following a string of violent crimes that began last week. According to state police, Saben was arrested Thursday morning after being found driving a black, 2012 Subaru Outback that he allegedly carjacked in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.Previously, officials said Saben ran from police during a drug bust in Seabrook on Friday, Sept. 29, nearly running over an officer in the process.On Tuesday, he was seen by police in Haverhill, where police chased Saben until he hit the state line.In Salem, New Hampshire on the same night, authorities said the suspect tr...

Suspects identified, charged with murder in Holyoke shooting that resulted in pregnant woman being shot, death of infant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:10 GMT

Law enforcement have identified two men charged in connection with a shooting in Holyoke that left a pregnant woman in critical condition, whose infant child later died.Alejandro Ramos, 22, and Johnluis Sanchez, 30, were identified by the Hampden District Attorney’s Office as suspects involved in a shooting on Sargeant Street Wednesday afternoon.Authorities said an altercation involving three male suspects led up to the shooting, which resulted in a round striking a pregnant woman sitting in a bus nearby. The woman was left in critical condition and according to officials, her infant later passed away after being delivered and needing life-saving medical care.The DA’s office said all suspects involved had since been identified, with one taken to a hospital, while another was brought into custody.In an update Thursday morning, the office said Ramos was to be arraigned in Holyoke District Court and that he would be charged with murder, with other charges expected. Sanchez,...

Taking charge of the Orioles, John Angelos emerges from his father’s shadow into a harsh spotlight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:10 GMT

Back before he was in charge, John Angelos wrote lengthy missives complaining to “ownership” about being underpaid, underappreciated and surrounded by “rank incompetence” and “insane business practices.” He would offer ideas and analysis to “the supreme authority,” Angelos wrote on Feb. 3, 2010, only to be “met with dismissal or combativeness and personal attacks on my shortcomings and alleged ulterior motives.”He wrote again six days later, according to a lawsuit that excerpted the messages, concluding, “it is clear to me that I am not best served by remaining in a day-to-day management role.”John Angelos is far from the only disgruntled employee ever to vent to management, but in his case, the “ownership” and “supreme authority” he was railing against was not just a boss but his father, Peter Angelos.Today, John Angelos holds the same chairman and CEO title once held by ...

What drives Marcedes Lewis in his 18th NFL season? The Chicago Bears TE’s daily grind amazes others who played the position.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:10 GMT

Jim Dray, the Chicago Bears tight ends coach, is a man of few words when asked questions.Generally he replies with straight-to-the-point answers. He is amiable and listens intently before offering succinct responses.Asked how Marcedes Lewis still is doing it in his 18th NFL season, Dray was uncharacteristically verbose.“He’s like a football relic,” said Dray, who played tight end for four NFL teams over eight seasons (2010-17). “What he’s been able to do and accomplish and maintain at this level, when it’s all said and done it should probably be under pressed glass at a museum and something that is studied.“Marcedes will never get the credit he is due just because of the position he is in and what he’s asked to do on a daily basis. Not only that, but when young guys that are tired or banged up see a guy that’s been in the trenches banging every day, it’s inspiring.”Thursday night’s game against the W...

Columbus statue, removed from a square in Providence, Rhode Island, re-emerges in nearby town

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:10 GMT

Three years after a Christopher Columbus statue was removed from a square in Providence, Rhode Island, the bronze cast has re-emerged, this time in a park in Johnston, Rhode Island, about 9 miles west of the capital.The statue had been targeted by vandals, at one point being splashed with red paint with a sign reading “Stop celebrating genocide” leaning against its pedestal. In 2020, the statue was removed.Activists say celebrating Columbus ignores the rape, murder and genocide endured by Indigenous people during the European settlement of North America.Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr. said residents of his heavily Italian-American town are pleased to give the statue a new home.“It’s important and not just for Italian Americans. It’s American history. It’s world history, if you look at it from a historical perspective,” he said.While not the first European to land in North America — that’s believed to be Leif Erikson — Columbus helped usher in a wave of European exploration and ex...

At least one dead in I-5 crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:10 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- At least one person is dead after a crash early Thursday on Interstate 5 near downtown San Diego.The collision was reported around 2:35 a.m. on southbound I-5, just north of state Route 54, according to a California Highway Patrol incident log.A stretch of southbound I-5 was closed for several hours. By 6 a.m., all lanes had reopened.Check back for updates on this developing story.