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Some 30 migrants missing after shipwrecks off Italy’s Lampedusa

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:56 GMT

Around 30 people were reported missing after two shipwrecks occurred off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa in the night from Saturday to Sunday. The Italian coast guard on Sunday said it recovered two bodies and rescued 57 migrants, Italian news agency Ansa reported. The two boats had set off from the Tunisian port of Sfax and sank on their way to Europe, the agency said, citing survivors’ accounts. The first boat is said to have carried 48 people, the second 42; the coast guard found the survivors — as well as the two victims — about 46 kilometers southwest of the island. The coast guard could only confirm the number of survivors and the recovery of two bodies, but not the number of people missing, according to Reuters. Over 2,000 people have arrived in Lampedusa over the past few days after being rescued by Italian patrol boats and NGO groups, as strong winds make sea conditions around the island more dangerous. Operations began on Sunday to rescue a group of migrants...

US knocked out of Women’s World Cup after penalty shootout loss to Sweden

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:56 GMT

(CNN) — The US’ participation in the Women’s World Cup is over, ending in the cruelest of defeats.It was tense, the sort of match which causes the stomach to churn, but it is Sweden which progresses to the quarterfinals, stopping the two-time defending champion from achieving a historic three consecutive world titles, with a thrilling penalty shootout victory in Melbourne on Sunday.The match was decided by the video assistant referee (VAR), with referee Stéphanie Frappart, after reviewing the action, deeming that Lina Hurtig’s penalty had crossed the line despite the US’ Alyssa Naeher getting her hands to the ball and initially appearing to save it.Sweden’s players celebrated joyously, while there were tears from the US players, their participation ending in the round-of-16, the earliest the US has ever departed a Women’s World Cup.With the score goalless after 120 minutes of play – 90 minutes of regulation time and 30 minutes of extra-time – the match had to be decid...

Javier Assad’s emergence with the Chicago Cubs has provided needed versatility: ‘Guys like that are extremely valuable’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:56 GMT

Chicago Cubs right-hander Javier Assad typically ends each inning the same way.He pulls off his sports frames, pops the glasses on the top of his cap and then tips up the brim as he walks toward the Cubs dugout. The sequence more often than not this season has marked a good outing for Assad, answering the call to whatever situation manager David Ross put him in.The Cubs entered Saturday with varying degrees of odds to make the postseason, ranging as high as 67.3% by FanGraphs to 62.3% by Baseball Reference to 45.3% from Baseball Prospectus. As they’ve steadily climbed back into the playoff hunt the last two months, the emergence of Assad’s versatility and reliability has helped stabilize the bullpen.“What’s helped me is just staying locked in to the strike zone and executing the pitches to the best of my ability,” Assad told the Tribune through an interpreter. “Just be ready for any situation. The biggest thing for me is staying healthy so talking...

Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan goes from high office to high-security prison after sentencing

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:56 GMT

ATTOCK, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan awoke Sunday as an inmate in a high-security prison after a court handed him a three-year jail sentence for corruption, a development that could end his future in politics. The court ruled Saturday that national cricketing hero Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 but remains the country’s leading opposition figure, had concealed assets after selling state gifts.The prison sentence could bar him from politics under a law that prohibits anyone with a criminal conviction from holding or running for public office. He could also lose the chairmanship of the party he founded, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI.Khan was arrested Saturday at his home in the eastern city of Lahore and taken to prison. Critics say efforts to put him behind bars are politically motivated and have intensified ahead of elections due to be held later this year.They argue that Khan’s popularity and a large support base, combin...

Musk says his cage fight with Zuckerberg will be streamed on X

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:56 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.The two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to a “cage match” face-off in late June. Zuckerberg is actually trained in mixed martial arts, and the CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta posted about completing his first jiu jitsu tournament earlier this year.“Zuck v Musk fight will be live-streamed on X,” Musk wrote in a post Sunday on the platform. “All proceeds will go to charity for veterans.”Musk said earlier Sunday he was training for the fight by lifting weights. “Don’t have time to work out, so I just bring them to work,” Musk wrote on X.Whether or not Musk and Zuckerberg actually make it to the ring has yet to be seen — especially as Musk often tweets about action prematurely or without following through. But even if their cage match agreement is all a joke, the banter has gained attention.It all started when Musk, who ...

German far-right says the EU is a ‘failed project’ as it prepares for European Parliament elections

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:56 GMT

VIENNA (AP) — The far-right Alternative for Germany declared the European Union a “failed project” in its current form as it adopted its program for next June’s European Parliament election at its party convention in the eastern city of Magdeburg on Sunday, the German news agency dpa reported. The text states that the EU has “completely failed” in all important areas, including its migration and climate policy, and it rejects the Euro as a currency.However, the party stopped short of demanding Germany’s exit from the EU. Instead, the AfD is calling for the EU to be re-founded as a “federation of European nations,” dpa reported. According to the election program, the main tasks of the new federation should be the protection of external borders against migration, strategic autonomy in security policy, and the preservation of “different identities” in Europe. Recent polls put support for the AfD at 19-22%, behind only the main conservative opposition bloc. AfD candidates recently...

Dozens rescued by Italy from migrant shipwrecks. Survivors say 31 missing, others stranded on rocks

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:56 GMT

ROME (AP) — Italy’s Coast Guard rescued 57 migrants from two boats that capsized during the night in rough seas south of a tiny Italian island and recovered two bodies, authorities said. In a statement, the coast guard quotes survivors as saying some 30 migrants were missing and it recovered the body of a boy and a woman from one of the capsized vessels. Some 20 others were stranded Sunday on rocks after a third shipwreck. According to those who were rescued from the shipwrecked vessels late Saturday, some 23 nautical miles (42.5 kilometers) southwest of Lampedusa, 28 people were missing from one and three from the other.Meanwhile, 20 migrants were clinging desperately to jagged rocks of a tall reef off Lampedusa since early Saturday after a third boat crashed into the craggy outcropping west of the island’s lighthouse. Strong winds and powerful waves made any Coast Guard rescue too dangerous.The coast guard office in Palermo requested the help of a Sicily-based Alpine and Cav...

China releases TV documentary showcasing army’s ability to attack Taiwan

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:56 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has released a new documentary about the army’s preparation to attack Taiwan and showcasing soldiers pledging to give up their lives if needed as Beijing continues to ramp up its rhetoric against the self-ruled island.“Chasing Dreams,” an eight-part docuseries aired by state broadcaster CCTV earlier this week to mark the People Liberation Army’s 96th anniversary, features military drills and testimonials by dozens of soldiers, of which several express their willingness to die in a potential attack against Taiwan.China claims Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy, as its own territory, to be conquered by force if necessary. State media and the PLA frequently release propaganda materials promoting the army’s modernization as well as sleek videos of military drills. The materials serve to fan rising Chinese nationalism and display military confidence against Taiwan and, implicitly, its ties with the United States. While the U.S. doesn’t recognize Taiwan as a sovere...

Governments are gathering to talk about the Amazon rainforest. Why is it so important to protect?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:56 GMT

BELEM, Brazil (AP) — The Amazon rainforest is a massive area, twice the size of India and sprawling across eight countries and one territory. It’s a crucial carbon sink for the climate, has about 20% of the world’s freshwater reserves and boasts astounding biodiversity, including 16,000 known tree species. But governments have historically viewed it as an area to be colonized and exploited, with little regard for sustainability or the rights of its Indigenous peoples.Now, as those governments seek to clamp down on a Wild West atmosphere of resource extraction, human rights abuses and environmental crime, collaboration across borders is a must. That’s a major goal of the two-day Amazon Summit that opens Tuesday in Belem, where Brazil will host policymakers and others to discuss how to tackle the immense challenges of protecting a critical resource in stemming the worst of climate change.Here’s a rundown of the Amazon’s importance, the threats it faces and possible s...

Girl, 8, fatally shot in head in Portage Park

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:56 GMT

CHICAGO -- An eight-year-old girl is dead after she was shot in the head by a known offender in Portage Park Saturday night. According to police, a known individual approached a group from across the street near the 3500 block of North Long Avenue around 9:40 p.m. and shot the girl in the head.She was transported to Stroger Hospital in critical condition where she was then pronounced dead. 2 injured after being electrocuted on CTA tracks in Oak Park on their way to Lollapalooza Another man on the scene got into physical altercation with the offender and tried to disarm him. During the struggle, the offender was shot in the face and transported to the hospital in critical condition. A weapon was recovered on the scene and police are investigating.