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Kosovo’s prime minister offers to hold new elections in tense Serb-majority municipalities

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:29 GMT

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo’s prime minister offered Thursday to hold new mayoral elections in four Serb-majority municipalities and reduce police there in an effort to defuse tensions with neighboring Serbia that flared anew last month.Ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo boycotted mayoral elections in the four municipalities in April as part of a campaign for greater autonomy, and they now object to the ethnic Albanian mayors chosen in the polls. Neighboring Serbia has backed calls for the mayors to step down.Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a social media post that he would be willing to hold fresh mayoral elections if at least 20 percent of the electorate in the municipalities support a petition for the polls. He said he would instruct the four mayors elected in April to hand their posts to any newly elected candidates.He also offered to reduce the special police forces sent to guard municipal buildings when the mayors took office, which sparked violence in late May when ...

Virgin Galactic starts livestream for Italian researchers launching toward the edge of space

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:29 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A team of Italian researchers expects to reach the edge of space Thursday morning, flying aboard Virgin Galactic’s rocket-powered plane as the company prepares for monthly commercial flights.The flight is scheduled to launch from Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert, with two Italian Air Force officers and an engineer with the National Research Council of Italy focusing on a series of microgravity experiments during their few minutes of weightless. One will wear a special suit that measures biometric data and physiological responses while another will conduct tests using sensors to track heart rate, brain function and other metrics while in microgravity. The third will be studying how certain liquids and solids mix in that very weak gravity.Virgin Galactic will be livestreaming the flight on its website.Next up for Virgin Galactic will be the first of hundreds of ticket holders, many who have been waiting years for their chance at weightlessness and to...

As Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action, colleges see few other ways to diversity goals

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:29 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — As an alternative to affirmative action, colleges from California to Florida already have tried a range of strategies to achieve the diversity they say is essential to their campuses. Many have given greater preference to low-income families. Others started admitting top students from every community in their state.But years of experimentation — often prompted by state-level bans on considering race in admissions — left no clear solution. In states requiring race-neutral policies, many colleges saw enrollment drops among Black and Hispanic students, especially at selective colleges that historically have been mostly white.Now that the Supreme Court has struck down the consideration of race in college admissions, schools nationwide will face the same test. Some have warned the development could erase decades of progress on campus diversity.At Amherst College, officials had estimated going entirely race-neutral would reduce Black, Hispanic and Indigenous populations ...

Moscow critic and former publisher sentenced to 8 years for defaming Russian forces in Ukraine war

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:29 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Moscow court on Thursday sentenced former publisher and chief editor Ilya Krasilshchik to eight years in prison in absentia for defaming Russia’s armed forces involved in the war on Ukraine. Krasilshchik, who has left Russia, is a former publisher of the Riga-based exiled Russian news outlet Meduza and a former editor-in-chief of Russian entertainment and lifestyle magazine Afisha. He is also the former head of delivery service Yandex.Lavka.Krasilshchik now runs the “Help Desk” project, a media platform and service to help those affected by the war in Ukraine. An arrest warrant was issued for him in March over materials he published online about atrocities by Russian armed forces in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. Russian forces briefly occupied Bucha, near Kyiv, early on in the war, leaving hundreds of civilians dead in the streets and in mass graves.Krasilshchik is the latest in a long list of Kremlin critics sentenced for spreading “false information” about...

England cruise to 145-1 by tea after bowling Australia for 416 in 2nd Ashes test

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:29 GMT

LONDON (AP) — England cruised to 145-1 by tea on day two of the second Ashes test after bowling out Australia for 416 at Lord’s on Thursday.Ben Duckett had a patient 62 and Ollie Pope was on 32.Spinner Nathan Lyon got the only wicket, gifted by Zac Crawley on 48.Conditions favored the batters after lunch with the sun out and the slow pitch offering little movement.Crawley and Duckett took advantage, combining for an untroubled 91 runs, the best stand by England openers against Australia since 2011 when Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook made 98. That was 32 Ashes tests ago.Crawley was the more impressive of the pair, hitting back-to-back fours against Mitchell Starc, driving and pulling Josh Hazlewood to the rope, and sweeping Lyon through midwicket.But on 48 off 47 balls, he was outsmarted by Lyon. Crawley charged and Lyon combined with wicketkeeper Alex Carey to stump him down the leg side.England’s fourth stumping of the series marked the most in a home Ashes series sin...

Czech brewer Budvar’s 2022 net profit is 40% down due to Russia’s war in Ukraine and high inflation

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:29 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech brewer Budvar, which has been embroiled in a long legal dispute with U.S. beer giant Anheuser-Busch over the use of the Budweiser brand, said Thursday that it has registered a fall in its 2022 net profit and exports. The company said it’s due to Russia’s war in Ukraine and high inflation driven by soaring energy prices. Budejovicky Budvar NP, a 127-year-old state-owned brewery, said its net profit in 2022 reached almost 201 million Czech crowns ($9.3 million) — more than 40% down from the previous year.Exports were down by 4%, said the company, which sells its beer in some 70 countries. Budvar halted exports to Russia and Belarus following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which started in February last year. Exports to some other markets, such as Britain, Slovakia, Austria, Italy Spain or Canada, went up, it said. Budvar also registered a fall in its output by 1.2%, to 1.78 million hectoliters (47 million gallons).Budvar and Anheuser-Busch have been i...

JPMorgan Chase commits $7.7M to DC affordable housing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:29 GMT

Three D.C. nonprofits that support affordable housing efforts for underserved households in the District will share grants from JPMorgan Chase, totaling $7.65 million.Chase Home Lending has also expanded a separate homebuyer grant program in D.C.Chase said the largest share of grant money, $4.45 million, will go to Coalition for Non-Profit Housing and Economic Development, which will use the funding to work with National Housing Trust, Medici Road, Housing Counseling Services, LISC DC, Mi Casa and Douglas Community Land Trust to develop programs aimed at preserving the supply of affordable apartment buildings.The National Housing Trust will receive $3 million to promote decarbonization efforts in affordable housing development and reduce utility costs for renters, a news release said.Manna will receive $205,000 to continue its work of renovating affordable for-sale homes in D.C.Chase has also expanded its Chase Home Lending program, making $5,000 homebuyer grants available in more m...

Caroline Wozniacki is returning to tennis 3 years after retiring. She will get a US Open wild card

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:29 GMT

FILE - Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki makes a backhand return to Russia's Maria Sharapova during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. Wozniacki, a former No. 1-ranked tennis player and the 2018 Australian Open champion, announced Thursday, June 29, 2023, that she is returning to competition three years after she retired. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)(AP/Kin Cheung) FILE - Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki makes a backhand return to Russia's Maria Sharapova during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. Wozniacki, a former No. 1-ranked tennis player and the 2018 Australian Open champion, announced Thursday, June 29, 2023, that ...

Car crashes into home in North Miami; no injuries reported

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:29 GMT

A car crashed into a home in North Miami.Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived at the scene of the crash at 1005 NW 123rd, Thursday afternoon. 7Skyforce hovered over the scene where the white SUV was seen crashed into the home’s front porch. Fire rescue treated one person who was sitting in a chair near the home.It is unclear as to why the vehicle left the roadway or how it left the roadway and crashed into the home. Engineers are expected to arrive at the scene to inspect the home for any structural damage. No injuries were reported. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Small plane skids off runway at FLL; no injuries reported

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:29 GMT

A plane skidded off a runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).The incident happened at the airport’s Runway 26, which is an operational runway, Thursday afternoon. 7Skyforce hovered over the scene where the plane landed safely in a grass area near the runway. Fire rescue crews were also at the scene. According to airport officials, there were three people on board the plane; the pilot and two passengers. No injuries were reported. The runway will be closed as officials investigate why the plane skidded off the runway. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.