Tag Archives: associated press

Kazakhstani ex-government official sentenced for wife's torture and murder in Central Asia

Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court on Monday convicted a former government official of torturing and murdering his wife and sentenced him to 24 years in prison in a case that has gripped the Central Asian nation. During the trial of Kuandyk Bishimbayev, Kazakhstan’s former economy minister, over the death of his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, thousands of people urged the authorities to adopt …

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Only a few hundred remain in Vovchansk as Russian advance intensifies in northeast Ukraine

Only a few hundred residents remain in the embattled town of Vovchansk in northeast Ukraine, where Kyiv’s troops are locked in intense battles with the Russian army, according to local officials on Monday. The town, whose pre-war population of 17,000 had dwindled to just 2,500 before Russia renewed its ground assault last week, has emerged as focus point as pitched …

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3 men charged in UK for allegedly collaborating with Hong Kong intelligence service

British police have charged three men with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service amid growing concern that hostile states are trying to interfere with democracy and economic activity in the U.K. The three men were among 11 people arrested earlier this month in Yorkshire and London by counterterrorism police using provisions of a new law that allows suspects in national …

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4 Dominicans are accused of smuggling wildlife and throwing 113 birds overboard to their deaths

Four men from the Dominican Republic were indicted in Puerto Rico on charges of smuggling wildlife in a case involving more than 100 dead birds, officials said Monday. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC GETS FUNDING TO SAVE RARE BIRD The men were detained after the U.S. Coast Guard spotted them earlier this month aboard a flagless boat north of Puerto Rico and saw …

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Billionaire Arthur Irving, one of Canada's richest men, dies at age 93

Arthur L. Irving, one of Canada’s richest people and the son of Canadian industrialist K.C. Irving, has died at the age of 93 after a life spent growing the oil business his father founded. Irving Oil announced his death in a statement, saying he died Monday surrounded by his wife, Sandra, and daughter, Sarah. BILLIONAIRE FAMILY BANKROLLING BOTH ANTI-ISRAEL GROUPS …

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Germany introduces payment cards for asylum seekers to prevent transferring money outside country

When Erdina Laca goes grocery shopping in Eichsfeld these days, she pulls out a special payment card that’s for asylum-seekers only. She no longer pays in cash for her apples, eggs and fish — like most of the Germans standing in line with her at the register. Laca, 45, came from Albania with her husband and three children and applied …

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2 injured turtles delight Florida crowd as they re-enter the Atlantic following treatment

A crowd cheered and took photos as two loggerhead sea turtles slowly made their way through the sand and into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after rehabbing at a Florida marine life center. Cayman and Finley arrived at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach after separate incidents left them injured, officials said. The center treats injured turtles and releases them …

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Fingerhakeln frenzy: Bavarian men grapple for victory in Germany's finger wrestling championship

Despite the threat of dislocated fingers and strained muscles, over 150 Bavarian men came together Sunday to compete in Germany’s unique national championship of “Fingerhakeln,” or finger wrestling. The “finger wrestlers” met in a big beer tent in the small southern village of Bernbeuren. Around 1,000 visitors cheered on the all-male contestants as they gulped down their national beer and …

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Democratic Indiana state Rep. Rita Fleming retires after primary win

Indiana state Rep. Rita Fleming announced Monday that she is retiring, citing a desire to spend more time with her family. The Democratic lawmaker from Jeffersonville in southern Indiana was first elected to the statehouse in 2018. Fleming’s statement said she is leaving office immediately. “I have 15 grandchildren, and they and the rest of my family are my priority,” …

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This is how Buddhists across the world celebrate the Buddha's birthday

The birthday of the historical Buddha or Shakyamuni Buddha, known as Vesak in several countries, celebrates the birth of the child who became Prince Siddhartha around the end of the 4th century B.C. This is a holy occasion for all Buddhists, but is celebrated on different dates depending on the school of Buddhism or country to which one belongs. In …

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