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Prince Harry’s lawyer says British tabloid spied on ‘industrial scale’

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:37:03 GMT

By BRIAN MELLEY (Associated Press)LONDON (AP) — The British publisher of the Daily Mirror apologized for one instance of snooping on Prince Harry, but denied his other claims as his first phone hacking trial began Wednesday with his lawyer accusing the newspaper of unlawfully gathering information on “an industrial scale.”While the admission that the publisher employed a private investigator for a 2004 article headlined “Sex on the beach with Harry” may have marked a tiny victory for the Duke of Sussex, the story in question wasn’t one of the nearly 150 that Harry alleges were the result of skulduggery.The seven-week trial that opened in London is Harry’s biggest test yet in his legal battle against the British media. He and three others, including two soap opera actors, are suing Mirror Group Newspapers for alleged misuse of private information between 1991 and 2011.Harry wasn’t in court as his attorney, David Sherborne, began his opening statement, saying unlawful acts were “wides...

Yankees Notebook: Deivi Garcia makes MLB return as a reliever

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:37:03 GMT

Deivi Garcia was a starter the last time he pitched in the majors in 2021. His next big league outing will come as a reliever.The Yankees recalled the former consensus top-100 prospect on Wednesday morning, adding a fresh arm to their bullpen after demoting Greg Weissert following a rough Tuesday night. Garcia, part of a 40-man roster that didn’t offer many other options, had a 4.50 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and a career-worst 7.2 BB/9 over 10 games and 20 innings at Triple-A, where he’s transitioned into a multi-inning reliever following a few difficult seasons as a minor league starter.“We’ve seen, over the last couple of years, his stuff fluctuate to where it was really down, to back up,” Aaron Boone said of the 23-year-old righty. “For the most part, really since the start of spring, his stuff has been good. Hopefully, this role kind of lends itself to that.”Garcia threw the ball well in relief during spring training, recording a 1.93 ERA and 10 stri...

USCG launches search and rescue efforts for downed aircraft near San Clemente Island

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:37:03 GMT

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. -- A search and rescue operation has been launched by U.S. Coast Guard Air Station San Diego after reports of a downed aircraft near San Clemente Island, officials said.In a tweet at 8:51 a.m. Wednesday, USCG Southern California said an H-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew is searching for three people who were onboard an aircraft that they say went down about one mile southwest of San Clemente Island.This is a developing story. Please check back later for updates.

Egyptian TV station announces Gaza cease-fire, but Israeli-Palestinian fighting persists

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:37:03 GMT

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian militants fired hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Wednesday, while Israel pressed ahead with a series of airstrikes that have killed 21 Palestinians, including three senior militants and at least 10 civilians.As the fighting continued, a state-run Egyptian TV station announced that Egypt had brokered a cease-fire. But shortly after the announcement, more rockets were fired toward Israel, raising questions about if or when a truce would take effect.The rocket fire set off air-raid sirens throughout southern Israel and as far away as Tel Aviv, on the Mediterranean Sea, 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. Residents had been bracing for an attack since Israel launched its first airstrikes early Tuesday.It was the heaviest fighting between the sides in months, pushing the region closer toward a full-blown war. But in signs that both sides were trying to show restraint, Israel avoided attacks on the ruling Hamas militant group, targ...

George Santos charged with fraud, including stealing from campaign to buy designer clothes

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:37:03 GMT

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — U.S. Rep. George Santos, the New York Republican infamous for fabricating his life story, has been indicted on charges that he duped donors, stole from his campaign and lied to Congress about being a millionaire, all while cheating to collect unemployment benefits he didn’t deserve, prosecutors said Wednesday.The indictment was a reckoning for a web of fraud and deceit that prosecutors say overlapped with Santos’ fantastical public image as a wealthy businessman — a fictional biography that began to unravel after he won election last fall.Santos surrendered on Wednesday and was taken to a federal courthouse on Long Island, where he was expected to make an initial court appearance on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress.Among the allegations, prosecutors say Santos induced supporters to donate to a company under the false pretense that the money would be used to support his campai...

Federally regulated workplaces will soon provide menstrual products for free

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:37:03 GMT

Federally regulated workplaces are expected to begin offering free menstrual products to workers starting in mid-December.Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan has announced changes to the Canada Labour Code that would ensure access to such products beginning Dec. 15.The Liberals promised in their 2021 election campaign to make free tampons and pads available in federally regulated workplaces, and set up a fund to make menstrual products available to vulnerable people.The 2022 federal budget allocated $25 million to establish a national pilot for the menstrual equity fund, which aims to help make menstrual products available to people who may have challenges affording them.Increased awareness of “period poverty” — a term used to describe financial barriers to accessing menstrual products — has led various jurisdictions to make menstrual products more widely available.Scotland passed a law last year to make menstrual products free for anyone who needs them.

4 arrested in North Macedonia after cocaine bust in Greece

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:37:03 GMT

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Four people have been arrested in North Macedonia, police said Wednesday, following cooperation with Greek authorities over a cocaine shipment seized in neighboring Greece a day earlier.A total of 14 people have now been detained in both countries as a result of Tuesday’s operation in Greece’s northern port city of Thessaloniki, where Greek officers confiscated 105 kilograms (230 pounds) of cocaine.The drugs from South America had been brought to Thessaloniki on a cargo ship, and were hidden in hollow external sections of shipping containers that held a consignment of bananas from Ecuador.North Macedonia’s police said in a statement that they arrested two men and a woman Tuesday, and a third man Wednesday as he was allegedly trying to cross the border from Greece. All four were nationals of North Macedonia, and are suspected of belonging to an international organized crime ring, the statement said.It added that the drug shipment was ordered...

Scorsese to stir Cannes again, 47 years after ‘Taxi Driver’

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:37:03 GMT

When Martin Scorsese premieres his latest film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20th, it will return Scorsese to a festival where he remains a key part of its fabled history. Scorsese premiered his masterpiece of urban alienation, “Taxi Driver,” in Cannes in 1976. Its debut was one of the most fevered in Cannes history, drawing boos and some walkouts for the violence in Scorsese’s tale of the disillusioned New York cab driver Travis Brickle (Robert De Niro). The playwright Tennessee Williams, then the jury president, condemned the film. “Films should not take a voluptuous pleasure in spilling blood and lingering on terrible cruelties as though one were at a Roman circus,” Williams said.Yet “Taxi Driver” nevertheless won Cannes’ top honor, the Palme d’Or. Having heard of Williams’ disapproval, Scorsese and company had already flown home, with dashed hopes of any big award.“I got a call from (publicist) Marion Billings around fi...

Toronto police shoot man armed with knife on Danforth

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:37:03 GMT

Toronto police say a man has been rushed to a hospital via emergency run after a shooting involving a responding officer.Authorities said the shooting happened around noon on Wednesday east of the city in the Danforth Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue area.The man reportedly was armed with a knife and was shot by a Toronto police officer.The investigation is ongoing.OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGDanforth Ave & Victoria Park Avenue12:09 pm-man armed with a knife-officer has discharged their firearm-male being transported to hospital via emergency run-ongoing investigation#GO1044531^sc— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) May 10, 2023More to come

Pakistan’s ex-PM Khan ordered detained amid unrest

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:37:03 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan can be held for eight days, a court ruled Wednesday, a day after the popular opposition leader was dragged from a courtroom and arrested on corruption charges, deepening the country’s political turmoil.Khan’s arrest Tuesday set off violent clashes involving his supporters and police in several cities, including Islamabad, that left at least six people dead, and his continued detention raised the prospect of more unrest. Following a Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif denounced the attacks on public property and military installations, and he approved the deployment of troops in the capital of Islamabad, in the country’s most populous province of Punjab, and in the volatile northwest, according to a government statement.In the latest unrest, thousands of protesters stormed a radio station and offices of the state-run agency in the northwestern city of Peshawar.The military weighed Wednesday with ...