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Prague government cancels performance by Russian soprano Anna Netrebko

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:35 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — A scheduled performance by Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko in the Czech capital has been canceled over political pressures as Russia wages war on Ukraine, Czech officials said Thursday.The announcement came days after the Prague government said that all its coalition parties “unequivocally” opposed the concert, calling it “insensitive.”Prague’s Municipal House, where Netrebko’s Oct. 16 performance was to take place, and the Nachtigall Artists Management, an agency that organized it, have agreed on the cancellation.The soprano won’t demand compensation, the organizing agency confirmed.The Czech Republic has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine during the war. The governing coalition in Prague is made up of the same political parties that comprise the Czech government.Netrebko sued the Metropolitan Opera in New York City over its decision to cut ties with her last year for refusing to repudiate her support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Her 2023-24 season inclu...

No. 10 Washington begins last season in Pac-12 as a contender for the conference title

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:35 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington’s first season with both coach Kalen DeBoer and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was a magical ride that put the Huskies back on the national stage.Their second season comes with a straightforward goal — win the Pac-12 one last time before Washington takes up residence in the Big Ten.“That would be big. That would definitely be something that would be remembered for a long time,” Penix said. “It’s just a blessing to be here. This conference is amazing.”One of the original members of the Pacific Coast Conference more than a century ago, the 10th-ranked Huskies will begin their final season as part of the premier conference on the West Coast with a legitimate chance at a conference title. If the defense can show significant improvement from last season, the Huskies could find themselves in the College Football Playoff conversation.It starts with Penix, who should be in the Heisman Trophy discussion from the start of the season after returning for a s...

HRW and UN experts separately single out Sudanese paramilitary with accusations of sexual violence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:35 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s powerful paramilitary has been singled out by leading rights group and 30 United Nations experts with accusations of rape and sexual violence against women in separate statements Thursday, as the war-torn country enters its fourth month of conflict.Sudan plunged into chaos on Apr.15 when months of simmering tensions between the military and its rival, the Rapid Support Forces exploded into open fighting. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said the paramilitary group apparently targeted women and girls in the western Darfur region of non-Arab ethnicity as well as activists recording human rights abuses during the conflict. It said it documented 78 victims of rape between April 24 and June 26. U.N. officials warned in June that the fighting in Darfur has taken an ethnic dimension, with the RSF and allied militias targeting African communities. Darfur was the scene of genocidal war in the early 2000s when state-backed Arab militias known as the Janjaweed w...

To hit, or to not hit 100 degrees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:35 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver was so close to hitting 100 degrees Wednesday. The Mile High City was one degree shy of hitting that triple-digit mark. But the question remains: Will we see a 100-degree day this summer? Starting in 1872, the National Weather Service said Denver has hit triple-digits in 105 of the last 149 years. Since 2016, Denver's consistently hit 100 degrees. Most recently, there have been more and more 100-degree days. In 2022, Denver had five. How often does Denver hit 100 degrees or hotter? The last time Denver missed the triple-digit mark was in 2015, and it's looking to be the same case this year, according to Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Travis Michels. "I think because we've had so many storms earlier in the season that the heat we got wasn't able to just sit and stay because storms would come in the afternoon and cool us off," said Michels. Aug. 16 was the hottest day of 2023 so far with a high of 99 degrees.That's not to say it's impossible. While most of the...

Fort Lauderdale Police employee charged in killing of woman in Coral Springs appears in court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:35 GMT

A Fort Lauderdale detention officer accused of killing a woman faced a judge on Thursday.Twenty-year-old Chase Harder was charged with premeditated murder and written threats to kill, after, police said, he confessed to fatally shooting a woman in front of her child on Tuesday in Coral Springs.Harder later dropped the child off with her biological father before turning himself in.Police revealed that Harder and the victim were dating.The judge held Harder behind bars with no bond.

SWAT teams respond to man who barricaded self at business in Wilton Manors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:35 GMT

A man who barricaded themselves at a South Florida business prompted a quick response by SWAT teams. SWAT and Wilton Manors Police arrived at the scene at Dragon Lily Tattoo, located at 500 W. Oakland Park Blvd, Thursday afternoon. As units continue to work the scene, traffic at Oakland Park Boulevard, between Andrews and Powerline Road, has been closed. Drivers are urged to take alternate routes. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Putin fails again as Europe’s gas storage hits 90 percent

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:35 GMT

The EU’s reserves of natural gas hit a historic high Thursday, filling up well in advance of the winter heating season as the bloc continues its dash away from Russian energy dependence.That leaves the Kremlin scrambling to plug a gaping hole in its finances left by its decision to cut off European customers in the wake of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.But less Russian gas also opens the EU to the bigger price fluctuations of the global market for liquefied natural gas (LNG).Gas Infrastructure Europe said Thursday that member countries’ gas stores are now at 90.12 percent capacity — breezing past the 90 percent filling target that Brussels is legally required to meet by November. “Today’s confirmation that we have met our gas storage requirements so far ahead of schedule underlines that the EU is well-prepared for winter and this will help to further stabilize markets in the coming months,” the bloc’s Energy Commissioner Kadri Simso...

Cardinal Sean O’Malley authorizes special collection for Hawaii wildfire relief 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:35 GMT

Cardinal Sean O’Malley this week asked parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston to help support to those impacted by the recent wildfires in Hawaii, authorizing special collections to raise money for wildfire relief. O’Malley has asked parishes to hold a special collection over any of the next three weekends through the weekend of Sept. 2. Those contributing to a special collection are asked to make checks payable to their parish with “Maui Relief” in the memo line.  The Archdiocese in a statement on Thursday said all money raised through the collections will be processed to the Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation.Relief efforts, the archdiocese said, will in turn focus on community members impacted by the wildfires and “play a crucial role in helping to rebuild lives and restore hope.”Fire swept through part of the island of Maui beginning on Aug. 8, hitting the Lahaina and Upper Kula areas hard. More than a week later, the death toll from the fires had risen past 100 ...

Gregory Santos experiences the highs and lows of closing during the Chicago White Sox’s City Series split

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:35 GMT

Gregory Santos has been the Chicago White Sox’s most effective reliever.Recently moved into the closer role, he retired all five batters he faced on 16 pitches for the save in Tuesday’s 5-3 win against the Cubs in the City Series at Wrigley Field.Santos again got the call in the ninth Wednesday.“Things didn’t go my way,” he said through an interpreter.Christopher Morel hit a walk-off, three-run homer as the Cubs beat the Sox 4-3 in front of 40,869.“He’s been unbelievable for us all year long,” Sox first baseman Gavin Sheets said. “It’s certainly not on him at all. It’s the toughest part of being a closer. It’s not your fault, but sometimes it happens. It’s a tough loss.”Before the game, Santos discussed embracing the opportunity to pitch in the ninth. He has progressed from non-leveragesituations to trying to secure wins, and he entered Wednesday’s game with a 2.19 ERA and 53 strikeouts in his ...

Column: Chicago Cubs make a playoff push even if Marcus Stroman doesn’t return from his mysterious rib injury

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:35 GMT

In any other year, Marcus Stroman’s potential season-ending rib cartilage fracture would’ve had Chicago Cubs fans crying, “Why us?”But this has been a season unlike any other in recent Cubs history, a roller-coaster ride that no one could’ve seen coming back in spring training. They buried themselves on June 8 in Anaheim, Calif., falling 10 games under .500, only to bounce back into contention in the National League Central and wild-card race.Though the Cubs were only three games over .500 entering Wednesday’s City Series finale against the White Sox, which the Cubs won 4-3 on a three-run, walk-off home run by Christopher Morel, the atmosphere in Wrigleyville matched the giddiness of the summer of 2015, the turning point of Theo Epstein’s vaunted rebuild.So if anyone is worried the possible absence of Stroman for the final seven weeks of the season has spoiled the Cubs’ chances of making a postseason run, they mostly have kept their th...