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Russia jails theater director amid crackdown on dissent

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:29:26 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Russian court on Friday ordered pretrial detention for a theater director facing charges of justifying terrorism, the latest move in a relentless crackdown on dissent in Russia that spiked to unprecedented levels since the start of the war in Ukraine. The Zamoskvoretsky District Court in Moscow jailed Zhenya Berkovich, a prominent independent theater director and playwright, for two months pending investigation and trial. Berkovich was detained in the Russian capital on Thursday because of the play she staged, “Finist, the Brave Falcon.” Police also raided the apartments of her parents and her grandmother in St. Petersburg. The play, named after a Russian fairy tale, depicts Russian women who faced prosecution after being lured into marriage and life in Syria by representatives of radical Islam. It was written by playwright Svetlana Petriychuk, who was also detained on Thursday and appeared in the same court on Friday right after Berkovich. The authorities ...

New Hampshire history marker for communist draws GOP anger

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:29:26 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A historical marker dedicated to a New Hampshire labor activist who championed women’s rights and was a founder of the American Civil Liberties Union — but who also joined the Communist Party and was sent to prison — has draw objections from Republican officials and scrutiny from the governor.Known as “The Rebel Girl” for her fiery speeches, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was born in Concord in 1890. A green and white Historical Highway Marker dedicated to her, one of 278 across the state, was unveiled Monday near her birthplace. In addition to her rights activism, the marker also says she joined the Communist Party in 1936 and was sent to prison in 1951. She was one of many party members prosecuted “under the notorious Smith Act,” the marker says, which forbade any attempts to advocate, abet or teach the violent destruction of the U.S. government. Flynn later chaired the Communist Party of the United States and she died in Moscow during a visit in 1964, at age 74. She ...

Toronto police officer charged with sexual assault: SIU

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:29:26 GMT

A 14-year member of the Toronto police force has been charged with sexual assault in connection to an alleged attack last spring.The Special Investigations Unit says they were notified on June 29, 2022, by Toronto police of an incident that took place involving one of their officers and a woman on May 19, 2022.Following an investigation, the police watchdog has charged Const. Ramdial Lokenath with one count of sexual assault and one count of breach of trust. He will appear in court to answer the charges at the end of the month.The SIU did not provide any further details of the incident as the matter is now before the courts.In a statement to CityNews, Toronto police say Lokenath – who works out of 41 Division – has been suspended with pay, as per the Police Services Act.The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person.

Murder charges filed against California ex-college student

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:29:26 GMT

DAVIS, Calif. (AP) — Northern California prosecutors on Friday charged a 21-year-old former university student with two counts of murder and one of attempted murder in connection with a series of stabbings in the college community of Davis.Carlos Dominguez is scheduled to be arraigned on charges Friday afternoon in the Superior Court of California, County of Yolo. He was picked up for questioning Wednesday near the city park where he was alleged to have killed his second victim and has been in jail since early Thursday.Yolo County prosecutors said Dominguez is eligible for a life prison term without the possibility of parole or the death penalty, given the multiple murders. He is accused of fatally stabbing two people, including a fellow student, and stabbing a third victim who is now recovering.It was not immediately clear if Dominguez had retained an attorney who could speak on his behalf. He could be appointed a public defender at his arraignment. News of his arrest Thursday was ...

Group led by China, Russia criticizes global institutions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:29:26 GMT

PANAJI, India (AP) — Foreign ministers from a group of nations led by China and Russia criticized on Friday the ability of world institutions to resolve geopolitical problems, including the coronavirus pandemic, and said their organization should do more to address such challenges. Indian Foreign Minister Subhramanyam Jaishankar said in remarks at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that the crises have disrupted global supply chains and have hit developing nations the hardest.They have “exposed a credibility and trust deficit in the ability of global institutions to manage challenges in a timely and efficient manner,” he said, adding that alternative organizations like the SCO can help address such challenges.“With more than 40% of the world’s population within the SCO, our collective decisions will surely have a global impact,” he said. Russia and China founded the SCO in 2001 as a counterweight to U.S. alliances across East Asia to the Indian Ocean. The group inclu...

Germany: Man rescued from woods after sex game goes awry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:29:26 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — German police say a 51-year-old man who was left tied up in the woods when a sex game went awry had a lucky escape after a cyclist and a hunter heard his screams for help.Police said the man was discovered fully dressed but firmly bound with ropes and a pantyhose over his head atop a deer-hunting platform near the town of Bueckburg late Wednesday.In a statement Friday, police said the man appeared to have been tied up by a woman he met online. After she had done so, the woman received a phone call and fled the woods suddenly, leaving the man behind in a helpless state. “The 51-year-old told officers that that he had a box cutter on him ‘for such situations’ but seemed to have underestimated the (woman’s) bondage skills because he was unable to reach the knife,” police said.The man was unharmed and refused to provide information about the woman’s identity. Police have opened an investigation of her on suspicion of failure to render assistance and possible de...

LIVE: Chicago officials announce summer safety plan ahead of Cinco de Mayo weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:29:26 GMT

CHICAGO — While many are looking forward to more spring-like weather and celebrating Cinco de Mayo, Chicago police and other emergency officials are working on a plan to keep people safe.City leaders are trying to avoid a repeat of what happened the last time Chicago saw a weekend of warm temperatures.On April 15, three teenagers were shot and more than a dozen people were arrested when a group of teens and young adults took over parts of downtown. Video showed young people jumping on cars and busses. A number of fights also broke out.Several aldermen said police were outnumbered and there was not sufficient leadership downtown to tell officers what to do. Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexican culture, not independence Days after the incident, the Chicago Police Department told city council members it would staff captains and lieutenants downtown and stage prisoner transport vans to act as a deterrent at different locations.Several pastors and others marched through downtown the weeken...

Dethroned? Burger King set to close hundreds of restaurants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:29:26 GMT

(WHNT) — In a "whopper" of bad news for Burger King lovers, the fast-food burger chain announced that up to 400 of its locations will be closed by the end of the year.Joshua Kobza of Restaurant Brands International (RBI) Inc., which owns Burger King, confirmed the news to Today.com earlier this week, saying the plan is to close between 300 to 400 stores across the nation.The CEO added, amid the release of the company's first-quarter report, that hundreds of Burger King locations are closed every year. Tuesday Morning going out of business, set to close all its stores including those in Illinois, Indiana Kobza said the company's focus will now be on working with smaller franchisees and established operators to build or develop existing restaurants.Officials haven't said which stores will shut down or when that will happen. Business Insider, however, reported that a couple of major Burger King franchisees have filed for bankruptcy this year, including Illinois-based Toms King i...

Some Chicago bars drop Bud Light, other beers in protest over company's handling of transgender partnership

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:29:26 GMT

CHICAGO — Several Chicago bars announced Friday they will not be selling Anheuser-Busch beverages in response to the company's recent controversy surrounding transgender activist and influencer Dylan Mulvaney.Anheuser-Busch, whose products include Bud Light and Goose Island 312, partnered with Mulvaney last month. Mulvaney has more than 10.8 million followers on social media. On April 1, Mulvaney posted a video on Instagram showing herself cracking open a can of Bud Light, one with the hashtag #budlightpartner. Dylan Mulvaney breaks weeks-long silence over Bud Light backlash But the partnership quickly brought calls for boycotts and an onslaught of criticism.Three days after Mulvaney’s post, Kid Rock posted a video of himself shooting cases of Bud Light. Shares of Bud Light’s parent, AB InBev, temporarily plunged and the company issued a terse statement in response to the controversy.Dylan Mulvaney arrives at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (...

Kentucky men arrested for illegal guns after allegedly driving to Chicago for marijuana, deputies say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:29:26 GMT

CHICAGO — Three Kentucky men who allegedly told Cook County deputies that they traveled to Chicago to purchase marijuana from a dispensary are charged with firearm felonies following a traffic stop in River North, police said Friday. Around 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3, deputies with the Cook County Sheriff's Chicago Initiative caught a red Chevrolet Impala, driven by 21-year-old Jamon Smith, from Louisville, with expired license plates committing a traffic violation, police said. CPD to launch safety plan ahead of Cinco de Mayo weekend A traffic stop was conducted in the 600 block of North La Salle Drive. There, deputies allege they detected a strong odor of marijuana. Jamon Smith, 31, of LouisvilleJavonta Russell, 21, of LouisvilleDevin Hooper, 21, of LouisvilleSmith and passengers Javonta Rusell and Devin Hooper, both 21 and from Lousiville, told authorities that three handguns were inside the vehicle. Authorities recovered three loaded 9mm handguns and 38.5 grams of suspecte...