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Smuggler sentenced to prison for deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants who suffocated in truck in UK

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:54 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A Romanian man who was part of an international human smuggling ring was sentenced Tuesday to more than 12 years in prison for the deaths of 39 migrants from Vietnam who suffocated in a truck trailer on their way to England in 2019.Marius Mihai Draghici was the ringleader’s right-hand man and an “essential cog” in an operation that made huge profits exploiting people desperate to get to the U.K., Justice Neil Garnham said in the Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey. Victims, who paid about 13,000 pounds ($16,770) for so-called VIP service, died after trying in vain to punch a hole in the container with a metal pole as the temperature inside exceeded 100 degrees F (38.5 C). Their desperation as they struggled to breathe was captured in messages they tried to send loved ones and and recordings that showed “a growing recognition they were going to die there,” Garnham said.There was no escape and no one could hear their cries, prosecutors said. Their...

NATO prepared to back Ukraine in its fight against Russia — but not to extend membership

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:54 GMT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — NATO leaders prepared to provide Ukraine with more military assistance for fighting Russia but only vague assurances of future membership as the alliance’s summit draws to a close on Wednesday.A draft agreement states that Ukraine can join NATO “when allies agree and conditions are met.” The ambiguous outcome reflects the challenges of reaching consensus among the alliance’s current members while the war continues, and it is likely to leave Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unsatisfied.Although Zelenskyy planned to attend the summit’s final day, he has been sharply critical of what he described as NATO’s “absurd” reluctance to set a timeline for his country’s acceptance into the alliance. In essence, Western countries are willing to keep sending weapons to help Ukraine do the job that NATO was designed to do — hold the line against a Russian invasion — but not allow Ukraine to join its ranks and benefit from its sec...

Toronto closer Jordan Romano leaves All-Star Game with back tightness

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:54 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Toronto closer Jordan Romano left Tuesday night’s All-Star Game because of back tightness.The 30-year-old right-hander entered for the seventh inning and retired Will Smith on a flyout. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. followed with a fly deep down the left-field line that initially was called a home run by Ryan Blakney but was reversed by replay umpire Jim Wolf in a video review.While the review was taking place, Detroit’s Michael Lorenzen relieved.Romano threw five pitches. The Blue Jays said Romano had left lower back tightness.“He threw his last pitch in the bullpen before he went out there, he just felt a little tightness in his lower back, and we got to take every precaution to take care of these players,” AL manager Dusty Baker of Houston said. “We hope that it’s nothing.”___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Max Clark and Ava Brown are honored as the best high school players of the year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:54 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Max Clark, newly drafted by the Detroit Tigers, and softball player Ava Brown were honored as the best male and female players of the year Tuesday night at the annual awards for high school athletes.Clark batted .646 with six home runs, 33 RBIs and 45 runs scored for Franklin (Indiana) Community High this past season. The senior center fielder hit .646 with six home runs, 33 RBI and 45 runs scored this past season. Clark was selected third overall in last week’s major league draft, although he has signed a national letter of intent to play at Vanderbilt this fall. Clark had a 3.97 GPA. He launched an online campaign that raised over $13,000 in honor of Illinois prep baseball player Ryan Jefferson, who died in 2021. Brown, a senior pitcher from Montgomery, Texas, led Lake Creek High to a 44-1 record and a second straight Conference 5A state title this past season. She hit .462 with nine homers, 17 doubles and 65 RBIs. On the mound, the right-hander struck out...

Amtrak train derailment near Union Station to impact VRE service through Wednesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:54 GMT

An occupied train derailed in D.C. on Tuesday morning, causing delays for travelers and commuters along Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and Amtrak that will not ease until early Wednesday morning.A spokesperson for Amtrak told WTOP that Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 86 derailed while traveling at low speed inside of a tunnel south of Union Station around 8:47 a.m. Tuesday. The train remained upright, and one Amtrak employee was transported for evaluation.“We anticipate resuming Amtrak service south of Washington, D.C. tomorrow morning,” the rail service said in response to an inquiry from WTOP.  No passengers or crew members were injured.D.C. Fire and EMS said passengers were moved to unaffected cars and transported to the Virginia Railway Express station at L’Enfant Plaza. However, the derailment and schedule changes continued to impact VRE service times throughout the evening.“Due to this morning’s incident involving an Amtrak train just south of Union Station, ...

Prince William Co. supervisors kill measure that could have delayed Digital Gateway vote

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:54 GMT

The Coalition to Protect Prince William County held a press conference July 11 outside the board chambers to generate enthusiasm for Lawson’s resolution. (Ben Peters) The Coalition to Protect Prince William County held a press conference July 11 outside the board chambers to generate enthusiasm for Lawson’s resolution. (Ben Peters) This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.The Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday rejected along partisan lines a measure calling for the delay of major land-use decisions, including the contentious PW Digital Gateway plan, until a new board is sworn in next...

With Wembanyama, other top picks out, NBA Summer League spotlight is for the taking

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:54 GMT

Rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama and many of the highest 2023 draft picks are out for the rest of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, but several other players are worth watching.Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, this year’s No. 16 overall pick from Baylor, is second in the league with 29.5 points and third with 8.5 assists per game. He opened with 33 points and 10 assists Saturday in a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. On Monday in a win over Minnesota, he scored 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting and had seven assists. Others who are off to hot starts:— Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. is leading the league with 35.5 ppg, although he did not play in the Rockets’ game with Oklahoma City on Tuesday.— Sam Merrill, who turned a 10-day contract into a multiyear deal with Cleveland last season, is averaging 18.7 points and shooting 48% from three for the Cavaliers (3-0).— Orlando Robinson has averaged 25.5 points and 10 rebounds in his first two games for the Miami Hea...

Community rallies to save fired principal's job

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Students and parents gathered Tuesday evening outside McAuliffe International School to show support for their principal, who was fired for allegedly sharing confidential student information during an interview with reporters. Kurt Dennis has been principal at McAuliffe since the school opened 12 years ago. He believes he was fired after giving an interview criticizing Denver Public Schools’ policy to have administrators pat down students who need extra security screenings. The interview was with a local news outlet in response to a student shooting involving two deans during a screening at East High School.  Former head of public safety department reacts to East High shooting “Frustration. Anger. Truly a sense of disappointment in the district,” parent John Lacy said. “It’s very frustrating to know that now they can’t have a voice because DPS is going to impose something like this.”DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero insists the decision to terminate Dennis was not du...

Refreshing cold soups to beat the summer heat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:54 GMT

When it comes to humble, ho-hum vegetables, cucumbers often find their way to the top of the list.Available in every grocery store produce aisle, no matter what the season, the long, green members of the gourd, or Cucurbitaceae, family of plants is so ubiquitous that the average American will eat more than 8 pounds of cucumbers each year, either raw in salads or bathed in brine as pickles.Yet to dismiss the fruit as nothing more than a reliable, crunchy base for a salad or sandwich, or a crisp green garnish on a bowl of noodles, is to deny yourself of one of the most versatile culinary ingredients.For instance, cucumbers can be blended into smoothies, thinly sliced and filled with cream cheese and salmon as a roll-up finger food, or stirred together with yogurt, garlic and lemon into the Greek dressing tzatziki.This time of year, with temperatures rising, they also make a good base for a cool, fresh-tasting soup.Cucumbers have the highest water content of any food — more even than t...

AL loss does little to damper Orioles’ first All-Star experience: ‘We get to share it together’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:54 GMT

Adley Rutschman lowered himself into a squat, just as he would within a handful of hours to catch his Baltimore teammates. But he wore no catcher’s gear. In his left hand, he did not don a mitt but instead held a pen.Before taking batting practice ahead of Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, the Orioles’ catcher took a moment to speak with a pair of young fans, dropping down as he would in a game to meet them at eye level before signing autographs. In the nearest major league city to his hometown of Sherwood, Oregon, Rutschman was a popular figure throughout two days of events in which he and three teammates, outfielder Austin Hays and relievers Félix Bautista and Yennier Cano, savored their first All-Star experience as the National League topped the American League, 3-2.“One of those moments where result doesn’t really matter,” Rutschman said. “It’s just kind of the fact that you’re out there, th...