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Swiss prosecution of Lukashenko hit man is watershed moment for justice in Belarus

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:22 GMT

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is head of the United Transitional Cabinet and leader of democratic forces of Belarus.“Do it in a way so that I don’t feel any pain.”According to a self-confessed member of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s murder squads, those were the last words of missing politician Yury Zacharenka.For over two decades, the relatives of Zacharenka, Viktar Hanchar and other disappeared Belarusian politicians have lived with uncertainty, not knowing the fate of their loved ones. And now, one of those who may be responsible for their disappearance will face justice in Switzerland, in a historic case that will set a global precedent.Applying the principle of universal jurisdiction in a case of enforced disappearance in Belarus for the first time, the trial marks a decisive step forward in the fight against impunity for crimes committed in my country. And it will show Lukashenko and other despots that they can’t dodge justice. Zacharenka was the minister of internal a...

Putin wants more land. The EU is racing to get there first

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:22 GMT

Vladimir Putin’s warmongering land-grab has pushed European Union leaders to make their own plans to expand. Moves are now under way to bring as many as eight new members into the 27-country bloc. But the historic drive for enlargement poses its own risks for the EU. Adding new states — potentially including the agricultural powerhouse of Ukraine — would open a Pandora’s Box of challenges. Sweeping internal reforms would be required, and that would likely trigger years of toxic infighting between current EU members. Despite the painful complexities of any enlargement process, Russia’s aggression has convinced some EU governments they can’t afford to wait. “This is now the moment to be bold and to change our approach to enlargement — to get the six Western Balkan countries, each and every one of them, and Ukraine and Moldova, clearly into our family,” Austrian foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg told POLITICO. “Enlargement is not a bureaucrati...

Children will die unless EU acts on medical equipment rules, warns doctor

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:22 GMT

A doctor who treats critically ill babies is warning that new EU quality control rules for medical equipment are so stringent they force manufacturers to discontinue the supply of devices used in lifesaving operations. In a plea to the European Commission to resolve the issue quickly as EU institutions ramp up after the summer recess, Damien Kenny, a congenital cardiologist in Dublin, said equipment shortages are leaving his colleagues no option but to perform more risky procedures on newborns and he fears that one day, a baby will die because they have no equipment to help them.“I’m afraid it will come whereby we have no solution,” Kenny told POLITICO. “In other words, there will be no therapy available and some will die as a consequence,” he said.In the meantime, a large group of children’s doctors faced with the daily grief of managing without well-established and effective products, such as catheters, stents and tiny balloons, have published a strategy for overcoming the s...

The secret to winning the Polish election: Bashing Tusk

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:22 GMT

KATOWICE, Poland — In the run-up to Poland’s October 15 general election, opposition leader Donald Tusk is the man the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party loves to hate.“When Donald Tusk says he has respect for working people, all working people must start to be afraid,” Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a raucous election rally in the southern city of Katowice earlier this month. “Tusk is like a python that hugs, hugs, hugs until he suffocates. Watch out for him.” It’s part of a longstanding effort by PiS politicians to take any topic and repackage it as an ad hominem attack against Tusk.The favorite trick is to play on some of Poland’s deepest historical grievances and portray the pro-EU former president of the European Council as a pro-German — or even a Nazi — who will sell out the nation. One PiS senator even posted a photo of Tusk waving to a crowd next to one of Hitler giving a stiff-armed salute, noting that their methods were ...

Rishi Sunak hopes AI could be his legacy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:22 GMT

NEW DELHI — With the clock likely ticking on his time in Downing Street, Rishi Sunak wants to secure a legacy on the world stage. The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be just what he needs.  The British prime minister faces a general election next year with his Conservative Party languishing 18 points behind the Labour opposition in the polls. But though Sunak told reporters travelling with him to the G20 leaders’ summit in India this weekend he was “entirely confident” he can still win re-election, U.K. government insiders say the PM already has one eye on his possible post-Downing Street legacy.  Sunak takes pride in how he has helped repair the U.K.’s diplomatic standing after the rancour of Boris Johnson’s premiership and Liz Truss’ brief but disastrous stint in power. He sees the Windsor Framework — the agreement on post-Brexit trade checks in Ireland which markedly improved U.K. relations with the EU and the U.S. — as his signature achievement...

Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez leaves a mark in memorable NFL debut

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:22 GMT

FOXBORO — The moment the Patriots drafted Christian Gonzalez in the first round last April, he filled an obvious need.Gonzalez projected as a starting cornerback for a team in desperate need of size and talent at the position, especially one with a long list of dangerous No. 1 receivers on its schedule. That need became more dire over the weekend when the Pats placed second-year corner Jack Jones on injured reserve.With Jones out, there was no question Gonzalez would start Week 1 against the Eagles and have to corral one of the most dangerous receiver duos in the NFL: A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.Four quarters later, check, and check.Gonzalez posted seven tackles, a pass breakup and one sack in his NFL debut Sunday. He allowed multiple catches to Brown and Smith, but denied the most critical: a fourth-and-2 throw with less than two minutes remaining that gave the Patriots another drive to potentially win the game. Gonzalez jumped Smith’s in-breaking route and nearly inte...

Three designs for the new Ocean Beach Pier revealed by City of San Diego

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:22 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Three design concepts for the brand-new Ocean Beach Pier were unveiled on Saturday, offering San Diegans a first glimpse into the future of the storied landmark after workshops for its renovation began months ago.The Ocean Beach Pier has served as the go-to fishing spot and lookout point for the San Diego coastline for over half a century. However, the pier's age comes with damage and deterioration. By 2018, it was determined that the structure had reached the end of its service life.Instead of renovating the existing pier, city officials decided that building a potential replacement -- a project named the "Ocean Beach Pier Renewal" -- would be the best, most cost-effective option.Over the last six months, San Diego officials have sought public input about what features the new pier should have, working with local architecture firms to translate the preliminary designs shown Saturday. Coastal Commission approves permit to extend closure of Point La Jolla year-round Ea...

Morocco earthquake: A look at the world’s deadliest temblors over the past 25 years

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:22 GMT

The earthquake that struck Morocco late Friday has killed more than 2,100 people, with the death toll expected to increase as rescuers reach hard-hit remote mountain areas. Here’s a look at the deadliest earthquakes over the past 25 years:___— Sept. 8, 2023: In Morocco, a magnitude 6.8 temblor kills more than 2,100 people.— Feb. 6, 2023: In Turkey and Syria, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake kills more than 21,600 people.— April 25, 2015: In Nepal, more than 8,800 people are killed by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake.— March 11, 2011: A magnitude 9.0 quake off the northeast coast of Japan triggers a tsunami, killing more than 18,400 people.— Jan. 12, 2010: In Haiti, over 100,000 people are killed by a magnitude 7.0 quake. The government estimated a staggering 316,000 dead, but the scale of the destruction made an accurate count impossible.— May 12, 2008: A magnitude 7.9 quake strikes eastern Sichuan in China, resulting in over 87,500 deaths.— May 27, 2006: More than 5,700 people die when a magni...

Hawaii volcano Kilauea erupts after nearly two months of quiet

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:22 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, began erupting Sunday after a two-month pause, displaying glowing lava that is a safe distance from people and structures in a national park on the Big Island. The Hawaii Volcano Observatory said the eruption was observed in the afternoon at the summit of Kilauea.The observatory said gases released by the eruption will cause volcanic smog downwind of Kilauea. People living near the park should try to avoid volcanic particles spewed into the air by the eruption, the observatory said. The volcano’s alert level was raised to warning status and the aviation color code went to red as scientists evaluate the eruption and associated hazards.In June, Kilauea erupted for several weeks, displaying fountains of red lava without threatening any communities or structures. Crowds of people flocked to the Big Island’s Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which offered safe views of the lava.Kilauea, Hawaii’s second-largest volcano,...

Air China jet evacuated after engine fire sends smoke into cabin in Singapore, and 9 people injured

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:22 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Nine passengers were injured after an engine fire sent smoke into the cabin of an Air China jetliner landing in Singapore, prompting an evacuation of the aircraft.The Airbus A320 with 146 passengers and nine crew made an emergency landing about 4:15 p.m. Sunday, Changi Airport said in a statement on its Facebook page. The flight was coming from the city of Chengdu in China’s Sichuan province.Nine people had minor injuries related to smoke inhalation and abrasions during the evacuation, the statement said.The pilot declared an emergency after reporting smoke in the forward cargo hold and a lavatory. Smoke blurred the lights in the cabin and flight attendants told people to remain calm and stay in their seats after some stood up, a passenger told Chinese media.The fire in the left engine was extinguished after the plane landed, Chinese media said. A preliminary investigation indicated a mechanical failure in the engine was the cause, Air China said in statement po...