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Qatargate suspect Eva Kaili to seek to have house arrest lifted soon

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:11 GMT

ATHENS — Eva Kaili will soon seek to have her house confinement lifted, her lawyer said, just a day after the politician, one of the main suspects in a corruption probe at the European Parliament, was released from jail to house arrest pending trial.“We will soon seek for house arrest to be lifted and the [electronic monitoring tag] removed as she is not suspected of running away or other offenses,” her Greek lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos told local Skai TV on Saturday.He said that Kaili will also seek to “exercise her political duties and rights at the European Parliament.”The Greek EU lawmaker had been locked up since December, when she became one of the first people arrested and charged with corruption in a sprawling investigation into whether foreign countries, including Qatar and Morocco, were bribing EU lawmakers. The so-called Qatargate cash-for-influence corruption probe has also ensnared Kaili’s partner, Francesco Giorgi, and several other current and former E...

Outmatched Nets fall to Sixers 121-101 in Game 1 of NBA first-round playoff series

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:11 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — It was over at the top of the fourth quarter.Backup Sixers center Paul Reed grabbed an offensive rebound, shook Nets wing Royce O’Neale with a behind-the-back dribble, then lost Joe Harris with a pump fake before finishing the play with a layup at the rim.The Wells Fargo Center crowd erupted. Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn immediately called a timeout. Spencer Dinwiddie flung the ball toward the official closest to the baseline.The Nets trailed by 17. They went on to lose Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Sixers, 121-101.They will practice on Sunday before suiting up for Game 2 on Monday.Reed’s play isn’t the reason the Nets dropped their opening playoff matchup, but it’s a microcosm of the challenge that lies ahead for a team that doesn’t like the underdog moniker but wears the appropriate shoe size.The Sixers simply have too many weapons. The Nets are overmatched.Mikal Bridges scored 30 points on 12-of-18 shoot...

Hobbs Kessler, Newton’s Amelia Everett shine at BAA Invitational Mile

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:11 GMT

Casey Comber took the time to take in the sights and sounds that surrounded the array of races at Saturday’s BAA Invitational Mile.Comber had just finished a strong second to Hobbs Kessler in 4:08.27 and his comments echoed those of several athletes who competed in the three-lap race on Commonwealth Avenue and Boylston Street.“It’s definitely different from the track, but it’s fun, said Comber, a five-time All-American at Villanova. “This is what racing should be. It’s an interesting course and there’s a ton of people out here cheering. I loved it.”Comber had to work his way from the back to battle Kessler to the marathon finish line on Boylston Street. Kessler was a step ahead at the finish with his 4:07.91 and crowd favorite, Johnny Gregorek, who attended Seekonk High and Villanova, clinched third in 4:09.19.“I was almost in last on the first lap,” said Comber. “What I really wanted to do was work that last lap to g...

Red Sox notebook: On Jackie Robinson Day, Alex Cora wants his team to play the right way

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:11 GMT

On April 15, 76 years ago, Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier when he made his major league debut with the then-Brooklyn Dodgers.Ten years ago on the same day, two terrorists detonated bombs by the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street, killing three and injuring hundreds.The two watershed moments shaped Saturday’s game from start to finish. A special pre-game ceremony commemorated both anniversaries, and special guests will be in attendance throughout the weekend and Marathon Monday’s 11:10 a.m. game.During batting practice, members of the Red Sox and Angels wore special ‘Breaking Barriers’ T-shirts. For the game, all players and on-field personnel around the league donned No. 42 jerseys. Robinson’s number was officially retired in 1997, on the 50th anniversary of his barrier-breaking debut.For Red Sox manager Alex Cora, the day carries special meaning because of the time he spent with Robinson’s family dur...

Topless Junos protester splashes pink paint at PM’s office: climate group

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:11 GMT

OTTAWA — A climate change advocacy group says the woman who walked on the Juno Awards stage while topless has now sprayed pink paint on the entrance to the prime minister’s office in Ottawa.On2Ottawa has posted photos and video to its Twitter account of the woman tossing a bucket of what appears to be pink paint on the entranceway, then posing topless for a photo next to a sign saying, “Demand climate action now!”A statement from the group says the woman also chained herself to the doorway.Neither the prime minister’s office nor the Ottawa police immediately provided comment.Casey Hatherly, who goes by the name Ever, came to national attention last month when she hopped on the Junos stage while Avril Lavigne was introducing a performance.She was topless and messages written on her upper body included “land back” and “save the Greenbelt,” referring to Ontario’s decision last year to open a protected area of land for housing.She fa...

Archeologists in Italy unearth ancient dolphin statuette

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:11 GMT

ROME (AP) — Excavations in southern Italy have unearthed terracotta bull heads and a figurine of the Greek god Eros riding a dolphin, shining new light on the religious life and rituals of an ancient city, culture ministry officials said Saturday.It’s the first trove of artifacts identified from a sanctuary in the ancient Greek city of Paestum, which dates from the 5th century B.C. Paestum, famed for its three massive Doric-columned temples, is near the archaeological site of Pompeii, but farther down the Almalfi coast.The small temple was first identified in 2019 along the ancient city walls but excavations were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian Culture Ministry said in a statement.Excavations yielded several small terracotta figurines in the first months of resuming work, the Ministry said. Archeologists found seven bull heads found around a temple altar as if placed there on the ground in a form of devotion.A dolphin statuette found in the first trove of arti...

Early return of warm weather responsible for increase in Boxelder bugs across GTA

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:11 GMT

Just like a croaking frog or a chirping bird is a sure sign of spring so is the return of the black and orange Boxelder bugs. And if it feels like there are more of them this year, it’s not just your imagination.“One of the few insects that actually overwinter, spends its winters as an adult. And so what happens is we see them in the fall when they’re getting together on the side of buildings and trees – warm places, getting ready to hibernate,” says Darryl Gwynne, professor emeritus of biology at the University of Toronto. “Then they go into crevices, trees and firewood and certainly into houses – they love to crawl under the siding of houses.”Gwynne adds the fairly mild winter may be responsible for the increased numbers we are seeing this spring.The bugs are attracted to sunny, heat-reflecting surfaces like windows, concrete, and homes with southern or western exposure. They also tend to keep close to their food sources such as boxe...

Resort famous for Elvis’ ‘Blue Hawaii’ movie will be rebuilt

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:11 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — Demolition will soon begin on a resort once favored by both Hawaiian and Hollywood royalty before it was heavily damaged by a hurricane three decades ago.The Coco Palms Resort on the island of Kauai will be torn down for a new 350-room hotel, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.The resort is best known in movie lore as the location where Elvis Presley and Joan Blackman’s characters married in the 1961 movie “Blue Hawaii.” It’s also the site of other key scenes in the movie, including the last where Presley sings the “Hawaiian Wedding Song” and holds Blackman’s hand while they board a raft to cross a lagoon.In its heyday, it was famed for being frequented by other Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Bing Crosby.The 46-acre (19-hectare) grounds were once home to Kauai’s last queen, Deborah Kapule, who died in 1853.The resort opened in 1953 next to a historic coconut grove and an ancient Hawaiian fishpond. The property fell into disrepair after being...

Israeli protests of legal overhaul show no signs of slowing

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:11 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli demonstrations against the government’s plan to overhaul the judiciary continued on Saturday, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to pause the contentious proposals.Tens of thousands of people participated in the main protest held in the central city of Tel Aviv, while smaller demonstrations took place across the country. Protest organizers, who have held these weekly protests for over three months, aim to maintain momentum and increase pressure on Netanyahu and his government until the proposed changes are scrapped.Bending to the mass protests, Netanyahu paused the overhaul plans in March, saying he wanted “to avoid civil war.”The plan would give Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, and his allies in Israel’s most hard-line government the final say in appointing the nation’s judges. It would also give parliament, which is controlled by his allies, authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit the court’s ...

More than 100 arrested as activists delay Grand National

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:11 GMT

LIVERPOOL, England — The Grand National, one of the world’s most famous horse races, was delayed Saturday after animal rights activists scaled fences around the perimeter of Aintree racecourse and got onto the track.A total of 118 people were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and public nuisance offenses in a bid to disrupt the race, Merseyside Police said.Many activists from an estimated group of 300 climbed the high fences around the racecourse just outside Liverpool and got onto the track a few minutes before the race was scheduled to start. Some affixed themselves to the race fences using glue and lock-on devices, according to the Animal Rising organization, before being taken away by police and security officials.Police and security officials were seen stopping other activists by shaking the perimeter fences to prevent them being climbed. Local residents were seen helping security keep activists away from the courseThe race was delayed as a result and the 39 compet...