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Germany orders 18 new Leopard 2 tanks to replace vehicles sent to Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The German military has ordered 18 new Leopard 2 tanks to replace vehicles that were sent to Ukraine earlier this year, a leading defense company said Friday.Kraus-Maffei Wegmann said a contract for the Leopard 2A8 tanks was signed with the federal office for military equipment. It didn’t give financial details, but the German parliament’s budget committee on Wednesday approved funding of some 525 million euros ($563 million).The company said that delivery of the new tanks is scheduled to start in 2025, and that the deal includes options for another 105 Leopard 2A8 tanks. Kraus-Maffei Wegmann also will produce 12 new self-propelled howitzers for the German military as part of an option agreed to in March, the company said.Germany’s defense minister pushed for new tanks to be acquired as quickly as possible after the government agreed in late January to provide 14 Leopard 2A6 battle tanks to Ukraine. That number was increased a few weeks later to 18 as Berli...

Spanish court opens investigation into racist abuse targeting Vinícius Júnior

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

MADRID (AP) — A Spanish court opened a judicial investigation Friday into an alleged hate crime perpetrated by the three people arrested this week for racially abusing Real Madrid player Vinícius Júnior during a game.Vinícius, who is Black, was subjected to racist taunts on Sunday in Valencia at Mestalla Stadium, which will have parts of its stands closed for the next five games. The Brazil forward has repeatedly been targeted by similar abuse this season.The Valencia-based court said in a statement that Vinícius will be asked to give testimony via video-conference at some point.The judge also asked for the Valencia club to identify the security guards at the game so they could possibly give testimony and to conserve any audiovisual material of the match from the 72nd minute for possible study.___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsThe Associated Press

Pope spikes a fever, misses meetings: Vatican

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis skipped meetings Friday because he was running a fever, the Vatican said.There were no details about how sick Francis was. The last time he spiked a serious fever, in March, the 86-year-old pontiff was rushed to the hospital where he was diagnosed with acute bronchitis. He received intravenous antibiotics and was released three days later.A Vatican official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak about the pope’s health, said Francis didn’t receive anyone in audience Friday “because of a feverish state.” Pope sends Vatican official to Bolivia as abuse allegations escalate There were no formal audiences scheduled Friday, but Francis keeps a separate, private and unofficial agenda of meetings with people he receives at his residence.Francis has had a busy week, presiding over a meeting of the Italian bishops conference, participating in an afternoon encounter Thursday with his school foundation Scholas Occurentes, ...

Céline Dion cancels European concerts 'until I’m really ready to be back on stage'

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

Céline Dion has canceled all her scheduled tour dates through April 2024 as she continues treatment for a rare neurological disorder.“I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again," the singer said in a statement on social media. "I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%. It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again.A total of 42 European dates have been canceled, including stops in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Austria, England, Scotland and Ireland.Earlier this year, Dion said stiff person syndrome was causing spasms that affect her ability to walk and sing."Unfortunately, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me t...

Pennsylvania restaurant faces backlash after racial slur printed on receipt

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) - A Pennsylvania restaurant is facing backlash after a racial slur was printed on a receipt and handed to a customer. The customer, identified only as Kassie, said she ordered a blackened chicken panini at the Aviation Inn in Duncansville and said the bar went silent when she walked in to pick it up. As a woman of color, Kassie said she was used to the treatment. "People kind of stare at you being the minority and not the majority," Kassie said. What Kassie wasn't expecting though was to look at her receipt to see the N-word. After calling the restaurant, she said one of the owners, Allen Butterbaugh, told her the slur was used deliberately but as a joke and she wasn't supposed to see it."He did tell me that this was a joke amongst the kitchen, and he said it got out of hand," Kassie said."It was embarrassing to me. It was hurtful. I did not find it funny."Kassie She said the owner claimed he told the employee not to put it on the receipt, but the employee t...

Dean's Reviews: 'About My Father'

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

Check out Dean's Review on the new film, 'About My Father' in theaters now.See past recipes from Dean on his cooking page.Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

Fearing for their trans daughter's safety, a Texas family flees to Oregon

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- When Karen's daughter was 3, she knew how she felt. She didn't know the word "trans" but she knew how she felt. She felt like a girl."I just shot that down real quick," Karen told Nexstar's KOIN. "'You're not a girl, you're a boy. You don't have to worry. You don't have to be a girl to like girl things.'"But the feeling didn't ever go away."I just saw her disappearing into herself and she came to me in the kitchen again. She was 6 years old and she said, 'Mom, I'm a girl.' And I repeated the same thing, 'You don't have to be a girl to like girl things.' She went, 'I know. But I'm a girl who likes girl things.' And she just held my gaze," Karen said. "I knew. And I knew she meant it and I didn't understand but it was my job to find out because I'm her mom."Karen's love for her child turned into advocacy in Texas, where she, her husband and children lived.Karen is the mother of an 11-year-old trans girl who moved her family from Texas to Oregon, May 2023 (KOIN...

New research looks into number of young people dying from alcohol, drugs and suicide

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

(KXAN) -- School is out for summer break and many kids may be spending more time on social media, but there's a warning that comes with that.The U.S. Surgeon General said social media risks are adding to the mental health challenges children, teens and young adults are facing.An urgent warning backed up by a new report from non-profit Trust for America’s Health, or TFAH.The yearly analysis, titled "Pain In The Nation," contains state-by-state data on how many young people are dying from alcohol, drugs and suicide.“At the national level, we have an 11% increase in those deaths in 2021 which is the latest available data,” said Rhea Farberman with TFAH.“Breaking out the numbers a bit, the alcohol death rate increase was 10%. The drug overdose increased 14%. And the suicide increase 4%.”Farberman said the numbers point to an alarming trend over the years, “in terms of youth suicide over the last decade, that number is up just a startling 71%.”The statistics coincide with the recent advi...

Free Zilker Shuttle runs begin again Saturday

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The free shuttle to Zilker Park will return Saturday, the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department announced Thursday. According to the department, the shuttle will run 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May 27 to Sept. 4 on the following days: Every Saturday and Sunday Memorial Day4th of JulyLabor DayRiders can park in the One Texas Center parking garage at 505 Barton Springs Rd. The shuttle driver must validate the parking ticket.Garage entrance/exit for One Texas Center. (Image courtesy: austintexas.gov)Parks and Rec said the drop-off location is at Zilker Playground/Barton Springs Spillway which is a two-minute walk to Barton Springs Pool. No dogs or other pets are allowed on the shuttle, according to Parks and Rec. For more information, check the city's Zilker Park webpage.

South Korean community in St. Paul embraces new Loons player Sang Bin Jeong

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

Sang Bin Jeong was well worth a brief wait on May 11.Minnesota United’s new South Korean forward was just a few minutes late for his scheduled visit at the Sejong Academy in St. Paul. But he more than made up for it, staying later in a two-plus hour visit to the Korean immersion charter school.While Jeong wasn’t trying to be fashionably late, he did receive the welcome of an A-list celebrity once he entered the building. It was quiet at 1:49 p.m. and boisterous one minute later.Students from the lower school played Korean percussion instruments when Jeong walked through the school’s main doors and two shy students were gently guided forward to present him with a colorful bouquet of flowers. They exchanged bows.“Superstar!” one adult beamed.Jeong was then whisked to down a corridor of kids standing in front of their classrooms. The hallways were lined with printed pictures of him wearing Minnesota United’s black-and-blue colors, and the concrete walls echoed with a cacophony of screa...