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Ukraine changes date of Christmas, in slap at ‘Russian heritage’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:57 GMT

Ukraine is on a mission to shed the vestiges of historic Russian influence — and now it’s even got rid of Russian Christmas.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday signed a law which moves the official Christmas Day state holiday from January 7 — as observed by the Russian Orthodox Church — to December 25.An explanatory note to the law said its aim was to “abandon the Russian heritage” and forms part of a wider campaign to assert Ukrainian identity in defiance of Russia’s 17-month-old invasion.The Russian Orthodox Church and its leader, Patriarch Kirill, have been strong supporters of the war launched last year by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kirill has said Russian soldiers killed in action will have their sins forgiven and has compared their sacrifice to that of Jesus Christ.In 2019, part of the church in Ukraine formally gained independence from Moscow to form the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which has become an independent rival to the Ukrainian Or...

Biden admin announces new weapons assistance package for Taiwan

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:57 GMT

Washington (CNN) — The US on Friday announced a new weapons package for Taiwan valued at up to $345 million, a move that is likely to anger Beijing at a time when the US has been attempting to reset its relationship with China.This package marks the first time the US has transferred equipment to Taiwan under what’s known as Presidential Drawdown Authority, allowing the US to pull the weapons and other stocks directly from Defense Department inventories. Just like many of the weapons deliveries to Ukraine, this process accelerates the transfer of inventory.It’s unclear what weaponry or equipment will be in the drawdown package – the announcement did not detail its contents, as such announcements often do with Ukraine aid packages.Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners said the package “includes self-defense capabilities that Taiwan will be able to use to build … to bolster deterrence now and in the future.” He added that the systems include “critical defensive stockp...

MBTA Orange, Green Lines partially shut down for work on Government Center Garage demolition

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:57 GMT

Parts of the Orange and Green Lines will be closed for work on the Government Center Garage demolition starting Saturday, MBTA officials said.The Green Line service will be suspended July 29 through Aug. 9 between North Station and Government Center, while the Orange Line will bypass the Haymarket Station during the closure. The MBTA said in the closure announcement that accessible shuttles can be made available upon request.The shutdown comes as the MBTA finished replacing and repairing the tracks of the B Line of the Green Line Saturday after a 12-day closure.  Officials said this work should alleviate Green Line delays.

Lost for centuries, Emperor Nero’s theater is unearthed in Rome

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:57 GMT

Rome (CNN) — Ruins of a private theater belonging to the 1st century Roman Emperor Nero have been unearthed in the Italian capital just meters from the Vatican, in what experts are calling an “exceptional” find.The discovery, revealed by Rome’s special superintendent Daniela Porro on Thursday, unveils the venue where Nero rehearsed poetry and music, and lies near to where St. Peter’s Basilica now stands.Until now, the existence of the ancient theater had perplexed many historians because it was mentioned in Roman texts written by Pliny the Elder but its whereabouts had not previously been documented.Nero was the fifth Roman emperor, ruling between 54 and 68 AD. An unpopular leader, he became famous for his extravagances and personal debaucheries.The site includes elegant marble columns, gold-leaf decorations and storage rooms with remnants of costumes and backdrops used in Nero’s theatrical productions.The dig is part of a renovation project of the Palazzo d...

It’s a miracle, say family of Japanese soldier killed in WWII, as flag he carried returns from US

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:57 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Toshihiro Mutsuda was only 5 years old when he last saw his father, who was drafted by Japan’s Imperial Army in 1943 and killed in action. For him, his father was a bespectacled man in an old family photo standing by a signed good-luck flag that he carried to war. On Saturday, when the flag was returned to him from a U.S. war museum where it had been on display for 29 years, Mutsuda, now 83, said: “It’s a miracle.”The flag, known as “Yosegaki Hinomaru,” or Good Luck Flag, carries the soldier’s name, Shigeyoshi Mutsuda, and the signatures of his relatives, friends and neighbors wishing him luck. It was given to him before he was drafted by the Army. His family was later told he died in Saipan, but his remains were never returned.The flag was donated in 1994 and displayed at the museum aboard the USS Lexington, a WWII aircraft carrier, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Its meaning was not known until it was identified by the family earlier this year, said ...

Russian investigators call children as witnesses against their mother accused of discrediting army

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:57 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A 9-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother have been called as witnesses in a criminal case against their mother after she was accused of repeatedly “discrediting” the Russian army.Lidia Prudovskaya and her two children were summoned by investigators in the northern Russian region of Arkhangelsk on Friday to give testimony in the case, Russian news outlet Sota reported.Prudovskaya previously faced administrative charges on similar allegations after sharing anti-war posts on Russian social media platform VKontakte in September 2022.Discrediting the Russian military is a criminal offense under a law adopted after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The law is regularly used against Kremlin critics.In April, Russian authorities petitioned to restrict the parental rights of a single father convicted of discrediting the army following an anti-war sketch drawn by his daughter at school.Alexei Moskalyov, 54, was sentenced to two years in prison for ...

Metro stores in Greater Toronto Area close as workers go on strike

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:57 GMT

Metro locations across the Greater Toronto Area are closed today after thousands of employees at the grocery chain formally went on strike.Unifor, the largest private-sector union, says some 3,700 frontline store employees walked off the job just after midnight. It says members of Local 414  rejected a tentative labour deal reached last week, but provided few other details. Picket lines at some of the 27 affected locations formed at 8 a.m., and Unifor is set to hold a news conference at one east-Toronto store later this morning.Unifor says stores affected by the strike will include those in Toronto and its suburbs, Brantford, Orangeville, Milton, Oakville, Brampton and Mississauga.Metro Ontario Inc. a subsidiary of Metro Inc., issued a statement saying it is “extremely disappointed” that employees at the 27 locations rejected the agreement even though the union bargaining committee unanimously recommended its members accept the deal. “The company has been negotiati...

Fireworks warehouse explosion in Thailand kills at least 10 people and wounds scores

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:57 GMT

A large explosion at a fireworks warehouse in southern Thailand on Saturday killed at least 10 people and wounded scores, officials said.The Narathiwat province’s Public Relations Department also said that also at least 118 people were hurt, and that residents of more than 200 households were affected. It said that officials believe there are still a number of people trapped under the debris waiting to be rescued.Videos posted on social media from the site show a huge plume of smoke over the area and many damaged structures, cars and motorbikes, as well as streets covered with debris. Many of the houses and other buildings have collapsed roofs and walls.The local public relations agency reported that the explosion cased damages in a radius of about 500 meters (1,640 feet). About 100 residences in the area were damaged, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.Sanan Pongaksorn, the provincial governor, told public broadcaster Thai PBS that the blast was...

Son of Colombia’s president arrested as part of money laundering probe

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:57 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian police arrested the president’s son Saturday as part of a high-profile money laundering probe into funds he allegedly collected during last year’s presidential campaign.President Gustavo Petro said he wouldn’t interfere with the probe.“As an individual and father, it pains me to see so much self destruction and one of my sons going to jail,” Petro said in an early morning message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “As president of the republic, I’ve assured the chief prosecutor’s office that it will have all of the guarantees so it can proceed according to the law.”The shocking arrest of Nicolas Petro is a major blow to the government, which has been buffeted by conservative attacks from day one at the same time it has struggled to maintain bipartisan support for Colombia in the U.S., a longtime ally.The chief prosecutor’s office said in a statement that Nicolas Petro and his ex-wife were taken into custody on orders of...

Two supermoons in August mean double the stargazing fun

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:57 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The cosmos is offering up a double feature in August: a pair of supermoons culminating in a rare blue moon.Catch the first show Tuesday evening as the full moon rises in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That’s because it will be closer than usual, just 222,159 miles (357,530 kilometers) away, thus the supermoon label.The moon will be even closer the night of Aug. 30 — a scant 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) distant. Because it’s the second full moon in the same month, it will be what’s called a blue moon.“Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise.The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of...