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Macron shuns parliament to enact French retirement bill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:05 GMT

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron shunned parliament and opted to push through a highly unpopular bill that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 by triggering a special constitutional power on Thursday.The risky move is expected to trigger a quick no-confidence motion in Macron’s government. The decision was made just a few minutes before the vote was scheduled, because the government had no guarantee that the bill would command a majority at the National Assembly, France’s lower house of parliament.The bill is the flagship legislation of Macron’s second term. The unpopular plan has prompted major strikes and protests across the country since January.As lawmakers gathered in the National Assembly Thursday to vote on the bill, the leftist members of the parliament broke into the Marseillaise, the French national anthem, preventing Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to speak and prompting the speaker to suspend the session. The atmosphere was tense outside of the...

Prosecutor: Black man smothered to death at mental hospital

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:05 GMT

DINWIDDIE, Va. (AP) — Security camera footage from a state mental hospital shows a Black Virginia man who was handcuffed and shackled being pinned down by the deputies who are now facing second-degree murder charges in his death, a prosecutor said in court. Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said during the seven deputies’ first court hearing Wednesday that Irvo Otieno was smothered to death, local news outlets reported.The officers had no justification for putting Otieno, who was being checked in, on the floor, Baskervill said. The prosecutor said Otieno did not appear combative and was sitting in a chair before being pulled to the floor by the officers, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. It was a “demonstration of power that was unlawful,” the prosecutor said, according to the newspaper. Otieno, a 28-year-old from Henrico County, had a history of mental health struggles and was experiencing mental distress at the time of his initial encounter w...

In Rome, church and state agree to Pantheon entrance fee

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:05 GMT

ROME (AP) — Tourists in Rome checking out the Pantheon, Italy’s most-visited cultural site, will soon be charged a 5-euro ($5.28) entrance fee under an agreement signed Thursday by Italian culture and church officials.Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said the move was a matter of “good sense.” The introduction of an entrance fee comes five years after a previous government shelved plans to start charging visitors 2 euros.Proceeds will be split, with the culture ministry receiving 70% and the Rome diocese 30%, officials said.The monumental domed structure, originally an ancient temple, last year attracted 60,803 visitors, topping the Colosseum’s 38,360. The Pantheon was transformed into a church in 609, called the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs, and Mass is regularly celebrated there.Under the new plan, visitors under 25 years of age will be charged 2 euros. Entrance will be free to Rome residents, minors, people attending Mass and personnel of the basilica, amo...

European Union official praises Serbia’s migration moves

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:05 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The European Union’s top security official on Thursday praised Serbia’s handling of migration through the country, which lies at the heart of the Balkan route into Europe and borders several EU member nations. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson also thanked Serbia, a candidate country for EU membership, for moving to align the country’s visa policies with those of the EU. Johansson visited Serbia’s border with Hungary and planned to meet with top government officials. “My visit here today is to show the European Union’s commitment to strengthen our partnership with Serbia, to support Serbia,” she said. A day earlier, Serbian authorities rounded up nearly 700 migrants in various regions in the country and moved them to reception centers. Photos released by police showed abandoned makeshift tents and people standing in groups.Authorities carried out several such raids in the past months, saying the aim was to combat people s...

Russian dissident ex-mayor handed 14-day sentence

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:05 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — A former mayor of Russia’s fourth-largest city was ordered to spend 14 days in custody on Thursday pending his trial on charges that could entail a longer prison term, part of authorities’ efforts to muzzle dissent.Yevgeny Roizman, a sharp critic of the Kremlin, is one of the most visible and charismatic opposition figures in Russia. He enjoyed broad popularity while serving as mayor of Yekaterinburg, a city of 1.5 million people in the Ural Mountains. Last year, Roizman, 60, who was the mayor from 2013 to 2018, faced accusations of discrediting the Russian military and was barred from attending public events, using the internet, telephone or mail and communicating with anyone other than his lawyers and close family pending his trial.Police arrested Roizman on Thursday on charges of reposting material containing a reference to the organization led by jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny that was banned by authorities. Roizman rejected the accusat...

Geneva man pleads guilty in DUI crash that killed man, 73, who was loading fridge onto truck

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:05 GMT

WHEATON, Ill. — A Geneva man has pleaded guilty for a DUI crash that killed a 73-year-old man who was helping load a refrigerator onto a truck on the side of the road last year. According to the state's attorney, 30-year-old Nicholas Roepke faces felonies of aggravated DUI causing death and bodily harm for a crash that took place March 7, 2022.Aurora police responded to the crash on Eola Road where 73-year-old Willie Mosley was found suffering serious injuries that would later lead to his death. Investigation shows that Mosley and another man were reloading a refrigerator that had fallen off a pickup truck with the help of a good Samaritan when a car, driven by Roepke, crashed into the truck, pinning Mosley between the car and the truck. Mosley was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries and was later pronounced dead. Police: Man dies after shooting in Walmart parking lot on Chicago’s South Side According to police, the man travelling with Mosley sustained minor inj...

Mexican pharmacies selling fentanyl- and meth-laced pills, study finds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:05 GMT

(NewsNation) — A large percentage of drugs from Mexican pharmacies are laced with illegal drugs such as fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamines, a University of California study found. Pharmacies in Mexico's border towns are starting to fill up with American customers looking for discounted medications, reports found. Some are looking for a pharmacy that doesn't require prescriptions. However, the UCLA-led study found that across 40 pharmacies in four cities in Mexico, "two out of three had at least one controlled substance for sale without a prescription, either in bottles or individual pills." Border patrol understaffed and struggling, TX officials testified The researchers bought oxycodone, Xanax and Adderall, and found that a large percentage of the pills tested positive for fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine, suggesting they likely originated with Mexican cartels.A Los Angeles Times investigation had similar findings. Reporters found pills being sold as oxycodone were actuall...

Planet Palooza! When 5 planets will be visible in the night sky

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:05 GMT

(KARK) -- Calling all astronomy enthusiasts! The end of March is going to be a great time to planet gaze. Five planets will be visible on March 28th: Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and Uranus.Venus will be one of the easier ones to see. It will be the biggest planet in the sky. Look to the west to see Venus after sunset.Mars will also be easier to identify. It will appear red and bright, high in the southwest sky. The planets Venus, bottom, and Jupiter, top, light the sky above Matthews, N.C., Monday, June 29, 2015. NASA says a similar sight — Jupiter and Mars close together in the night sky — can be viewed this coming weekend. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)Jupiter, the second brightest planet (next to Venus), won't be as easy to spot. Jupiter was high in the sky earlier this month but has been slowly descending. To view Jupiter, you'll need to have a clear and obstruction-free view of the western horizon. Mercury will also be close to Jupiter. It is set to make its pass of Jupiter on Marc...

Search for missing Florida veteran turns up cars submerged for over 40 years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:05 GMT

SEMINOLE, Fla. (WFLA) -- Dive teams searching for a missing Florida man found two cars submerged in a lake in Seminole that had been there for over 40 years.Crews found the vehicles in Lake Blossom while searching for Robert David Helphrey, an Army veteran who has not been seen for nearly 17 years. He was last spotted leaving a bar in Palm Harbor at around midnight on May 26, 2006, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.A 1960s Dodge Coronet and 1950s Volkswagen Beetle were removed from the lake Monday by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office dive team, assisted by the Sunshine State Sonar Search Team and Recon Dive Recovery. Clearwater surf shop shooting victim dies; police seek persons of interest "Everyone involved knew this was going to be an extremely challenging task considering the age and condition of the vehicles," Sunshine State Sonar Search Team wrote on Facebook. (Sunshine State Sonar Search Team)Photos from Monday's removal showed the mangled frames of the v...

Austin Energy base rates rise

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:05 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Energy customers might be bracing for their energy bill this month. For the first time in ten years, Austin Energy has increased its base rates to cover the costs of a budget shortfall. Previous coverage: You’ll pay roughly $9 a month more on your Austin Energy bill starting in March The customer charge has gone up from $10 to $13 a month. Keep in mind, that's what you're charged before you even flip on a switch.Customers will also switch from a five-tier to a four-tier rate structure tied to their energy use. The less you use, the lower your tier and the more you use, the higher your tier.According to Austin Energy spokesman Matt Mitchell, a typical resident consumes 860 kWh per month."A typical user living inside the Austin City Limits will see about an $8 to $9 increase in their monthly bills,” he said.Austin Energy already upped customers’ monthly bills by an average of $15 a month in November. This pass-through rate increase covers the cost of buying an...