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Poland, Lithuania fear new migrant crisis due to Belarus’ offer of visa-free travel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:24 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus is introducing a visa-free travel arrangement with dozens of countries for a month, raising fears that neighboring Poland and Lithuania might see a sudden increase in unauthorized migration. The authoritarian president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, signed a decree allowing citizens of 73 countries — including ones in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America — to travel to Belarus without a visa to attend an annual music festival he personally opens to promote his nation’s global integration.Festival ticket holders will be able to enter Belarus without a visa from July 4-23.The governments of Lithuania and Poland see the move as a threat that will bring another influx of migrants, such as those who massed at borders with the European Union in the thousands in 2021 after transiting through Belarus.The governments of Lithuania and Poland accuse the Belarusian authorities of orchestrating the earlier situation. Stanislaw Zaryn, the acting deput...

Surprising defense in slaying of Va. woman in Ivy City Hotel room

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:24 GMT

A D.C. man accused of stabbing a Virginia woman more than 30 times in a Northeast D.C. hotel room in March will remain behind bars as his first-degree murder trial continues, a judge ruled Friday.The judge’s decision came after attorneys on both sides argued their case to D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun — with the defense attorney for George Sydnor making the bold claim the evidence indicated the attack wasn’t random and that his client was attacked first.On March 31, D.C. police officers responded to the Ivy City Hotel, where they found 31-year-old Christy Bautista stabbed to death. Officers found Sydnor, 43, inside the room, sitting on the bed smoking a cigarette with a bloody knife inside his jacket, according to charging documents.Bautista’s family told NBC Washington that the Arlington, Virginia, native was in town from Harrisonburg to see a concert in D.C.A medical examiner found Bautista was stabbed with such force that her lung, liver and spinal colum...

Novak Djokovic laments fans who ‘boo every single thing’ after lengthy French Open win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:24 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic makes no secret of the way he loves to feed off negativity during a tennis match. Doesn’t really matter whether he’s ahead or behind on the scoreboard. The guy simply finds motivation and inspiration from all manner of slights, real and perceived.Maybe it’s how a chair umpire is officiating that particular day … or the way Djokovic’s entourage is sitting in place in the stands instead of rising to encourage him … or the criticism he receives for wading into a political issue — all of which already have happened during this French Open.Or maybe it’s how he’s treated by the spectators who, as they did on Friday during Djokovic’s 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory over 29th-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round at Roland Garros, get on his case and jeer him for seemingly no good reason at all.Which is what happened at Court Philippe Chatrier during the longest three-set Grand Slam match of the 22-time major champion Djokovic’s lo...

Sports on TV for June 3 – 4

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:24 GMT

(All times Eastern)Schedule subject to change and/or blackoutsSaturday, June 3AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL5 a.m.FS2 — AFL: Geelong at Western2:30 a.m. (Sunday)FS2 — AFL: North Melbourne at EssendonAUTO RACING6:25 a.m.ESPN2 — Formula 1: Practice, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain9:55 a.m.ESPN — Formula 1: Qualifying, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain10 a.m.FS1 — NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying, World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill.12 p.m.FS1 — NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.1 p.m.CBS — ABB FIA Formula E: Round 10, Jakarta, Indonesia (Taped)1:30 p.m.FS1 — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: The Toyota 200, World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill.4:30 p.m.FS1 — NASCAR Xfinity Series: The Pacific Office Automation 147, Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.9 p.m.FS1 — NHRA: Qualifying, New England Dragway, Epping, N.H. (Taped)3:30 a.m. (Sunday)CBSSN — ABB FIA Formula E: Round 11, Jakarta, Indonesia ...

Business Highlights: YouTube to allow some false claims; Disney judge removes himself from case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:24 GMT

___YouTube changes policy to allow false claims about past US presidential electionsYouTube says it will stop removing content that falsely claims the 2020 election and other past U.S. presidential elections were marred by widespread fraud, errors or glitches. The Google-owned video service said in a blog post Friday that it wanted to avoid the unintended effect of curtailing political speech without meaningfully reducing the risk of violence or other real-world harm. The updated policy will not stop YouTube from removing material that attempts to deceive voters in future elections, including the upcoming 2024 presidential election. The change comes as YouTube and other major social media companies have come under fire for not doing more to combat election misinformation.___Disney lawsuit judge removes himself from case but not for reasons cited by DeSantisORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge overseeing the First Amendment lawsuit that Walt Disney Parks filed against Gov. Ron DeSant...

Ghost guns banned under new Colorado law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:24 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill Friday banning firearms that are assembled at home or 3D-printed without serial numbers, practices that allowed owners to evade background checks and impede law enforcement's ability to track a gun's origins.The new law is the latest in a slew of gun control measures signed by Polis this year. The state joins 11 others, including California, New York and Nevada, in regulating the so-called ghost guns, which have been linked to high-profile mass shootings across the U.S. Police kill 14-year-old armed robbery suspect in Aurora The use of ghost guns in crimes has risen 1,000% since 2017, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Ghost guns linked to mass shootingsA gunman in Sacramento, California, who fatally shot his three adolescent daughters, another adult and himself at a church last year had been barred from owning firearms, but was able to obtain a ghost gun.In Colorado, the person accused of kill...

What sports have Coloradans gambled on most in the last 3 years?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:24 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Coloradans are trying to make a dollar on basketball more than any other sport. It's been three years since Colorado legalized sports gambling. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that states may make their own laws about sports betting, which had previously been federally illegal. Colorado ranked among top sports-betting states It has taken little time for Colorado to become one of the nation's most gambling-friendly states. Since it legalized sports betting in 2020, Colorado has grown to have the nation's seventh-highest total money wagered - over $9 billion in just two years, according to Sportsbook Review.Betting has risen quickly. Colorado went from $2.9 billion wagered in 2021 to $4.1 billion in 2022. The state now has the most legal sports books in the U.S. with 26 overall. The Denver Nuggets first championship win on Thursday night likely made a lot of Coloradans happy for more than just the win. By far, Coloradans prefer betting on basketball to any othe...

Opa-locka Police Chief Scott Israel resigns from position

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:24 GMT

Opa-locka Police Chief Scott Israel has resigned from his position.Israel, a former Broward County sheriff, confirmed his resignation at a news conference held Friday morning. “It was more of an honor than I ever anticipated,” he said. “Each and every day, new challenges. Under my direction, we’ve taken this police department in the right direction. We treat people with dignity and respect; we don’t racial profile, we ride around with our windows down, listening to what the community has to say.”Israel spent just 13 months on the job.He said he made the decision to step down so that he could spend more time with his family.According to the city manager, crime in Opa-locka dropped 30% under Israel’s leadership.

1 WB lane of 79th St. Causeway west bridge shut down after car, pickup truck collide; 1 hospitalized

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:24 GMT

Rescue crews have taken one person to the hospital after a crash that has led to the closure of the 79th Street Causeway’s west bridge in Miami.City of Miami Police and Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the two-car collision along the westbound lanes of the bridge, at around 4:15 p.m., Friday.An aerial view captured the white sedan and white pickup truck that were involved in the crash.Fire officials said they have taken on person to Jackson Memorial Hospital. The patient’s condition is unknown.The west bridge was initially shut down in both directions, but the eastbound lanes and all but one westbound lane have since reopened to traffic. Drivers are still advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Cheerleader recalls being shot after friend opened the wrong car door

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:24 GMT

(CNN) — A Texas cheerleader who was shot and critically injured after another girl mistakenly opened the wrong car door says she was scared during the shooting but tried to stay calm for her even more frightened friends.Payton Washington, 18, was injured in April outside a supermarket in Elgin, about 20 miles east of Austin, shortly after midnight. She was struck three times in her leg and back, damaging her pancreas and diaphragm. She had surgery to remove her ruptured spleen.The incident was one of a string of recent incidents in which young people were shot during apparently safe, ordinary encounters.Washington spoke publicly for the first time to Michael Strahan in an interview that aired Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”She said she was writing a text and eating candy at the time of the shooting.“I didn’t know where it was coming from,” Washington said, “With it being so loud and my ears ringing, I knew to turn and do something.”Washington was one of two teens shot in the...