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Zelenskyy urges African leaders to press Putin on release of political prisoners

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:33:55 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to a group of African leaders to ask his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to free political prisoners from Crimea and beyond — saying it would be an “important step” in their trip to Russia on Saturday.Seven African leaders — presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypt’s prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda — visited Ukraine on Friday as part of a self-styled “peace mission” to both Ukraine and Russia to try to help end their nearly 16-month-old war. The African leaders were traveling to meet with Putin on Saturday in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives such as one by China, and it carried extra importance for the African countries: They rely in varying degrees on food and fertilizer deliveries from Russia and Ukraine, whose war has jeopardiz...

Q&A: Carlos Santana: ‘My guitar is my best lover, ever’

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:33:55 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — “Take no prisoners — peacefully,” Carlos Santana sometimes tells his bandmates before taking the stage. “I don’t like to coast. I don’t like to rope-a-dope,” Santana says. “I want to get in the middle of the ring and knock the sucker out. That way the referee can’t steal the fight from me.”Santana, 75, can still whip a crowd into a frenzy like few others. He’s been doing it since he stormed onto the San Francisco scene in the late ’60s. He left the Woodstock audience dazed and stunned before the first Santana record came out. The new documentary by Rudy Valdez, “Carlos,” which is premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival and will be released this fall in theaters by Sony Pictures Classics, chronicles the meteoric rise of one of the most singular guitar players in rock history. The critic Robert Christgau once wrote: “He is less a man of style than of sound, a clear, loud, fluent sound that cleanses with the same motion no matter how often that motion is repeated.”Santa...

Carlos Santana: ‘My guitar is my best lover, ever’

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:33:55 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — “Take no prisoners — peacefully,” Carlos Santana sometimes tells his bandmates before taking the stage.“I don’t like to coast. I don’t like to rope-a-dope,” Santana says. “I want to get in the middle of the ring and knock the sucker out. That way the referee can’t steal the fight from me.”Santana, 75, can still whip a crowd into a frenzy like few others. He’s been doing it since he stormed onto the San Francisco scene in the late ’60s. He left the Woodstock audience dazed and stunned before the first Santana record came out.The new documentary by Rudy Valdez, “Carlos,” which is premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival and will be released this fall in theaters by Sony Pictures Classics, chronicles the meteoric rise of one of the most singular guitar players in rock history. The critic Robert Christgau once wrote: “He is less a man of style than of sound, a clear, loud, fluent sound that cleanses with the same motion no matter how often that motion is repea...

Georgia and New Hampshire’s places in limbo as Democrats hammer out 2024 primary order

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:33:55 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s plan to overhaul his party’s 2024 presidential primary schedule remained unsettled Friday, after a Democratic rules committee gave New Hampshire more time to comply with new rules that leaders there fiercely oppose, but opted not to immediately offer such an extension to another battleground state, Georgia. The Democratic National Committee rules panel voted to let New Hampshire have until Sept. 1 to continue working on its plans for the 2024 Democratic primary. But that is unlikely to quell an ongoing feud between the national party and the state’s Democrats. The same panel didn’t extend more time to Georgia, which hasn’t set its date for next year’s primary either. Though the party could still offer Georgia an extension later this year, the state’s place on Democrats’ 2024 primary calendar is in limbo, at least for now. At issue is Biden’s plan to strip Iowa’s caucus of its traditional po...

Some reaction to the highway crash that killed 15 in Manitoba

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:33:55 GMT

DAUPHIN, MAN. — Health authorities say six of 10 seniors who survived a bus crash in southern Manitoba that killed 15 others were listed in critical condition in hospital.They were among a group of seniors from Dauphin, Man., on a day-trip to a casino when their minibus crashed with a semi while crossing the Trans-Canada Highway.Here is some of Friday’s reaction: —“I know that all of Canadians stand with people during this very, very difficult time. There are lots of questions, but mostly there are lots of tears right now and we will be there for each other.” — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. —“You plan for this but you hope to not experience it, so it’s been a blur of stuff going on. It’s been an unending flurry of activity. Everyone’s on the same page and we’re connecting. We’ve received tremendous support.” — Dauphin, Man., Mayor David Bosiak. —“This is an elderly cohort of patients, so recoveries will be long and, of course, can be complicated....

Small-town Pennsylvania officers kicked, punched and choked arrestees, indictment alleges

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:33:55 GMT

MOUNT CARMEL, Pa. (AP) — Three small-town Pennsylvania police officers collectively “kicked, punched, choked and otherwise used excessive force” in 22 arrests over a three-year period, according to a federal indictment unveiled Friday. The U.S. attorney’s office accused Mount Carmel Borough Police Patrol Officer Kyle Schauer, 34, and two other former officers, former Lt. David Donkochik, 51, and and Jonathan McHugh, 35, of violating civil rights in attacks between 2018 and 2021 that caused injuries. They were indicted Thursday.McHugh’s lawyer said Friday that he was new to the case and unable to comment. Phone and email messages seeking comment were left for lawyers listed on the docket as representing Schauer and Donkochik. A phone message seeking comment was also left for Mount Carmel’s current chief, Chris Buhay.The indictment accuses the three men of trying to hide their alleged crimes by avoiding cameras and lying about the victims.Grand jurors wrote that the ...

Chicago cop found not guilty of pinning down teen in front of Park Ridge Starbucks

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:33:55 GMT

PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The Chicago police sergeant who was captured on video pinning a teen to the ground in Park Ridge was found not guilty Friday of felony official misconduct and aggravated battery.Michael Vitellaro was cleared of all charges in relation to a 2022 incident where he pinned a teenager to the ground in front of a Starbucks in Park Ridge.Nicole Nieves on Facebook shared the video of Vitellaro kneeling on the back of her 14-year-old son, Josh, as the teen’s friends yelled at the officer to get off on June 1, 2022.Nieves said her son was moving what appeared to be an abandoned bike out of the way. The sergeant accused Josh of trying to steal that bike which belonged to the officer’s son. Nieves said her son had his own bike with him.Nieves, who is Puerto Rican, said the sergeant racially profiled her son because of his skin tone.Vitellaro, a 22-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, remains on a leave of absence from CPD amid a Civilian Office of Po...

Former NFL star Deion Sanders may lose his foot due to circulation issues

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:33:55 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) – Two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders, now the head coach of the University of Colorado Buffaloes football team, is facing the possibility that his foot may need to be amputated.It started during the 2021 season when the former NFL star and Hall of Famer was coaching the Jackson State football team. The Associated Press reported that he had injured a toe and had a procedure in September that left him using crutches and a scooter to get around the field. Super Bowl bonus: How much extra money do the winners and losers make? As Sanders was healing, his toes began to darken under the bandages. Several surgeries followed, as did some complications, and eventually Sanders had his big toe and second toe amputated due to blood clots, ESPN reported.Sanders, also known as "Coach Prime," became the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes in December. Now, he is at risk of losing his whole foot.A clip from Wednesday's episode of "Thee Pregame Show," a video series that docu...

Chicago's Daniel James has a hometown advantage at Bellator 297

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:33:55 GMT

CHICAGO — It's a fitting setting and a fitting time of year for one of the rising mixed martial arts fighters to make his return home to Chicago for a major fight. "To be back in the summertime on June 16 at Bellator 297 in Chicago, man it don't get no better than that," said Daniel James, a heavyweight fighter who will have a "home cage" advantage on Friday night at Wintrust arena.The native of the west side is looking for his third-straight win in Bellator and sixth-straight overall in MMA when he faces Gokhan Saricam when the main fights begin at 8 p.m., with the event being televised on Showtime.It's the second time in the last year that James will fight in Chicago, having beaten Tyrell Fortune in a second round knockout at Bellator 288 on November 18. The hometown crowd was on his side that night, and he expects the same on Friday. "You've got to fight me, you've got to fight the crowd," said James. "The intensity that Chicago crowd brings. We've got some loud fans, man. They s...

ATCEMS responded to 5 child near-drownings in two weeks

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:33:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Pools are one of the only outdoor spots to escape the triple-digit weather Austin is seeing. As more people head to the water, Austin-Travis County EMS is warning parents or anyone supervising children at pools to be vigilant.According to a tweet from the agency, medics have responded to 16 drowning incidents since the beginning of the year. Nine of those, EMS said, were in June. "From May 20 - June 3, ATCEMS responded to 5 pediatric drownings (8yo or younger) in pools," the tweet said. All 32 of Austin's pools are operational this year, which hasn't been the case in years past due to staffing shortages. This is the first time since 2019 the city has had enough lifeguards to open all pools for the summer season. KXAN is speaking with ATCEMS and lifeguards later this afternoon. Check back for updates.