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Ticker: Twitter yanks blue check from NYT; Virgin Orbit ceases operations   

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:45 GMT

Twitter has removed the verification check mark on the main account of The New York Times, one of CEO Elon Musk’s most despised news organizations.The removal comes as many of Twitter’s high-profile users are bracing for the loss of the blue check marks that helped verify their identity and distinguish them from impostors on the social media platform.Musk, who owns Twitter, set a deadline of Saturday for verified users to buy a premium Twitter subscription or lose the checks on their profiles. The Times said in a story Thursday that it would not pay Twitter for verification of its institutional accounts.Virgin Orbit ceases operationsVirgin Orbit Holdings Inc., the satellite-launch company tied to British billionaire Richard Branson, is ceasing operations indefinitely, succumbing to growing cash-crunch pressures that have paralyzed startups in many emerging technologies.The company said in a filing late last week  that it was cutting 675 jobs, or about 85% of its workforce, after it ...

VIDEO: Rare sighting of whale without tail breaching off Southern California coast

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:45 GMT

NEWPORT, Calif. -- A migrating gray whale that appeared to be missing an important body part was spotted off the Southern California coast and the moment was caught on video.Drone footage captured by Newport Coastal Adventure last month shows the marine mammal breaching up the coast near Newport Beach. As seen in the video at the bottom of this article, the whale's fluke, or tail fin, looks to be completely missing. Famous surfing & therapy dog makes ‘journey to the Rainbow Bridge’ "This is definitely a 'miracle whale' since, despite completely missing its tail, it’s still persevering and continuing to make such an epic 12,000-mile roundtrip migration from their feeding grounds in Alaska to the breeding grounds in Mexico and back," said Jessica Roame, the Education Programs Manager for Newport Landing and Davey’s Locker Whale Watching.According to Roame, the gray whale was swimming at a normal pace of 3 mph. She said this type of injury was likely caused by its tail bein...

Israel shoots down drone coming from Syria following strikes

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:45 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli airstrikes hit several sites in Syria’s Homs province early Sunday, wounding five soldiers, Syrian state media reported. Hours later, the Israeli military said it shot down an “aircraft” that crossed from Syria into Israel’s airspace. In Iran, state media reported that an Iranian adviser who was wounded in an Israeli strike on Friday died of his wounds. Since the start of Syria’s conflict in March 2011, Iran has been a main supporter of President Bashar Assad’s government and has sent advisers since the early days of the war. Sunday’s strike marked the ninth time Israel has struck targets in Syria since the beginning of the year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked war monitor.State news agency SANA, citing military sources, said the strikes targeted sites in the city of Homs and surrounding countryside. Syrian air defenses intercepted the missiles and shot down some of them, it said.The obser...

Israel dismisses envoy who criticized judicial overhaul plan

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:45 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s antisemitism envoy said Sunday that she was fired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, citing her criticism of its planned judicial overhaul as a possible cause.Noa Tishby, a pro-Israel activist and actress, was appointed to the volunteer role to combat antisemitism last year by Israel’s previous administration. Tishby wrote on Twitter that “it is not possible for me to know if their decision was driven by my publicly stated concerns about this government’s ‘judicial reform policy.’”Last month Tishby published a column on the Hebrew-language news site Ynet critical of the government’s proposed legislation, calling it an attempted “coup.” The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined answering questions about Tishby’s dismissal, but issued a statement wishing her luck. Netanyahu announced last week that he would pause the planned overhaul of the country’s judiciary. The government’s proposed defanging of the Supreme Court has divided the country ...

Narrow lead for reformists in Bulgaria parliament vote

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:45 GMT

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — A reformist coalition led by former Prime Minister Kiril Petkov is the likely winner of Bulgaria’s parliamentary election after exit poll results showed it placing first on Sunday.The exit poll conducted by the Gallup International pollster showed the coalition between the We Continue the Change party and the right-wing Democratic Bulgaria with 25.6 %, apparently edging out the center-right GERB party ex-premier Boyko Borissov on 24.8 %.Initial results are expected on Monday, but it could take days before the final official results are announced. If they confirm the exit poll, Petkov’s coalition will be handed a mandate to form a cabinet.It looks, however, that it will be an uphill task for him to find allies to form a governing coalition in a fragmented parliament.In their first comments, political analysts predicted that the results, which do not differ significantly from the previous four elections held within the last two years, could lead to a viable coal...

Kenya’s opposition calls off anti-government protests

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:45 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga on Sunday called for a temporary halt to anti-government protests after President William Ruto urged his opponents to negotiate with him.In a move to halt brewing disenchantment, Ruto said he wants to hold talks with opponents to discuss how members of Kenya’s electoral commission are chosen. The commission’s responsibilities include conducting national elections and declaring the winners. The opposition has also accused the electoral body of tampering with election results and is demanding that the body give access to its computers. Odinga disputed Ruto’s2022 victory, but the country’s Supreme Court upheld it. Odinga said the opposition would not hold planned demonstrations on Monday – but warned that they would resume if the government does not resolve the issues.Last week’s protests were violent and left one police officer and four protesters dead. Businesses in the capital, Nairobi, were af...

Early predictions: Novice Milatovic wins Montenegro election

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:45 GMT

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Early projections of election results at Montenegro’s presidential runoff vote have suggested that economy expert and political novice Jakov Milatovic has won the presidential runoff election in Montenegro, defeating the pro-Western incumbent in the small NATO member nation located on Europe’s Balkan peninsula.Milatovic won around 60% while Milo Djukanovic won around 40%, according to predictions released by the usually reliable Center for Monitoring and Research and based on partial vote sample. Official results are not expected before Monday.Analysts said the results could change slightly as the vote count progresses but that the gap between the two is too wide for major changes. “This result is an indicator that the final result won’t be substantially different,” said the group analyst Ana Nenezic. Milatovic’s victory is believed to reflect voter fatigue with Djukanovic and disillusionment with established politicians. Milatovic, 36, first enter...

Inquiry into N.S. killings calls for bold change to tackle family violence ‘epidemic’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:45 GMT

The public inquiry into the April 2020 shootings in Nova Scotia is calling for an overhaul of the way society handles the “epidemic” of gender-based, intimate-partner and family violence.In addition to creating better supports for victims of such violence, the Mass Casualty Commission says governments should pass laws to abolish mandatory arrest and charging policies.Canadian law requires police to lay charges of assault in cases where they have reasonable grounds, regardless of the victims’ wishes.RELATED:Inquiry calls for changes to clarify relationship between RCMP, federal governmentNova Scotia mass shooting inquiry identifies many RCMP failings, recommends overhaulThe commission says a “prevention-oriented public health approach to violence” should be adopted, which includes treatment for perpetrators.And it says there must be a recognition that many men who commit mass violence have a history of domestic violence, and many mass killings begin with...

Taiwan’s president wraps up Guatemala visit, heads to Belize

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:45 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Saturday toured a hospital built with support from Taipei, reaffirming their close diplomatic ties as the self-governing island seeks to strengthen relations with its remaining allies in Central America. It was the final day of Tsai’s three-day visit to Guatemala and came shortly after Honduras announced it would break ties with Taiwan and switch its support to China, joining Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Belize – the next stop on Tsai’s trip – is the only other Central American country to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.Giammattei once again thanked Taiwan’s leader for her government’s economic support and said Guatemala’s friendship with Taiwan was “unchangeable.”Sunday’s visit came a day after the leaders toured the Guatemalan archaeological site of Tikal, one of the most important urban centers of the Mayan civilization.The hospital in C...

14 tornadoes touchdown in Chicago area, NWS confirms

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:45 GMT

CHICAGO — NWS Chicago has confirmed 14 total tornadoes in Northern Illinois including one in Belvidere where a roof collapse at the Apollo Theater left one person dead. According to the NWS, one was reported west/southwest of Baileyville and one was reported near Caledonia.On Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service confirmed a third tornado, an EF-1, impacted Machesney Park. The fourth tornado was an EF-1 tornado that went across portions of Ogle, Winnebago and Boone counties. The NWS said wind speeds peaked in Belvidere and caused the roof to collapse.Other tornadoes included: EF - 1 near Wellington, ILEF - 1 near Stockland, IL EF - Lombard to Addison, IL EF -2 near Oxford, IN EF - 2 near Fowler, IN EF - 1 Near RemingtonEF - 0 from Montgomery near Orchard Road to Aurora near Phillips ParkEF - 0 in Plainfield along 135th StreetNWS Chicago stated that these numbers are subject to change. 1 dead, 28 injured after roof collapses at Belvidere theater amid strong storms 57 to...