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Kansas City declares itself a LGBTQ+ sanctuary city

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Officials in Missouri’s largest city approved a resolution Thursday to declare it a sanctuary for people seeking or providing gender-affirming care, defying state lawmakers who voted a day earlier to ban such care for minors and restrict it for some adults.Democratic Mayor Quinton Lucas praised the 12 to 1 vote, saying the city is committed to being a “welcoming, inclusive, and safe place for everyone, including our transgender and LGBTQ+ community.”Kansas City’s new, sanctuary status sets it apart as a Democratic-leaning city in a state with a Republican governor and GOP-controlled Legislature. Similar actions have been taken in cities that oppose state actions to restrict rights for transgender people, as in Austin, Texas. GOP Gov. Mike Parson is expected to sign into law the ban on gender-affirming care, joining at least 16 other states that have enacted similar laws restricting or banning such care for minors. The resolution also comes as a judge co...

Marine veteran who fatally choked NYC subway rider Jordan Neely to surrender on manslaughter charge

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A man who kept a chokehold around the neck of an agitated fellow passenger on a New York City subway, leading to the other rider’s death, is expected to turn himself in to authorities Friday on a manslaughter charge that could send him to prison for 15 years.Manhattan prosecutors announced Thursday they would bring the criminal charge against Daniel Penny, 24, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, in the May 1 death of 30-year-old Jordan Neely.Neely’s death, captured on video by a freelance journalist, has raised an uproar over many issues, including how those with mental illness are treated by the transit system and the city, as well as crime and vigilantism. Penny’s attorneys did not respond to a request for comment after the prosecutors made their announcement. They have previously said Penny acted in self-defense.According to an onlooker, Neely, who is Black, had been screaming and begging for money aboard the train, but had not gotten physical with anyo...

Islamabad high court gives ex-PM Imran Khan a 2-week reprieve from arrest in graft case

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A high court in Pakistan’s capital on Friday granted former Prime Minister Imran Khan a two-week reprieve from arrest in a graft case and granted him bail on the charge.The Islamabad High Court made the decision a day after the country’s Supreme Court asked it for a ruling. Babar Awan, a lawyer for Khan, said the former premier was now “a free man,” and that the decision was just. The ruling came after Khan returned to court to hear whether he will be shielded from renewed arrest or taken back into custody — a decision that put the government and legions of Khan supporters on edge after days of violent confrontations.However, Khan did not immediately leave the courtroom after the initial decision as the judges proceeded to deliberate whether to grant him bail in several other corruption cases filed against him. Under Pakistan’s legal system, a person granted bail would still have to face a trial. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story f...

Vatican seeks to assure Caritas that papal firings were necessary, not a criticism of work

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

ROME (AP) — A top Vatican cardinal defended Pope Francis’ “drastic” leadership firings at the Holy See’s preeminent charity, saying Friday they were necessary for the wellbeing of staff at Caritas Internationalis and not a condemnation of its work. Cardinal Michael Czerny, whose development office is responsible for Caritas, sought to explain Francis’ extraordinary decision in November to fire the elected Caritas leadership, appoint a temporary administrator and overhaul the Caritas statutes. The move shocked Caritas, which is one of the most visible aid groups around the world, and was the latest display of Francis’ willingness to wield the absolute power of the papacy when he feels it’s necessary. Czerny didn’t beat around the bush as he addressed a weeklong meeting in Rome of the global confederation of 162 national Caritas national chapters, the first since Francis’ intervention. The assembly will end May 16 with a new leadership team voted into office.“I am su...

Eurovision Song Contest fetes Ukraine, but Zelenskyy barred from addressing ‘nonpolitical’ event

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — This weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest will have Ukrainian flags, Ukrainian musicians and Ukrainian fans — but not the country’s wartime leader.Organizers say they rejected a request from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a video address to the final of t he pan-continental music competition on Saturday. He was expected to urge the world to continue its support for Ukraine’s fight to repel Russian invasion.The European Broadcasting Union, a grouping of national public broadcasters that runs Eurovision, said that letting Zelenskyy participate would breach “the nonpolitical nature of the event.”Zelenskyy’s request “to address the audience at the Eurovision Song Contest, whilst made with laudable intentions, regrettably cannot be granted by the European Broadcasting Union management as it would be against the rules of the event,” the organization said.Zelenskyy spokesman Sergii Nykyforov denied that the president had asked to speak to the event...

Stock market today: European shares rise after Asia drops over US banks, China growth worries

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — European benchmarks rose Friday after Asian shares mostly declined on looming worries over U.S. banks and lagging demand from China, the region’s major driver of growth.France’s CAC 40 rose 1.0% in early trading to 7,451.96. Germany’s DAX added 0.6% to 15,931.25. Britain’s FTSE 100 gained 0.5% to 7,767.52. U.S. shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures up 0.4% to 33,507.00. S&P 500 futures added 0.4% to 4,160.50. Oil prices fell while currencies traded in a narrow range.“Asian equities struggled for direction after weak inflation data in China pointed to weakening demand,” said Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management. Recent data reflect very low inflation and weak credit extensions in China, which all indicate slowing growth following an initial jump after the nation dropped pandemic-related restrictions, he said.Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 0.9% to finish at 29,388.30 as companies like Nissan Motor Co. ga...

Toyota: Data on more than 2 million vehicles in Japan were at risk in decade-long breach

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — A decade-long data breach in Toyota’s much-touted online service put some information on more than 2 million vehicles at risk, the Japanese automaker said Friday. Spanning from January 2012 to April 2023, the problem with Toyota’s cloud-based Connected service pertains only to vehicles in Japan, said spokesperson Hideaki Homma. The Connected service reminds owners to get maintenance checks and links to streaming entertainment and provides help during emergencies. It can call for help after a crash or locate a car that’s been stolen. No issues arising from the breach have been reported so far.Although there is no evidence any information was leaked, copied or misused due to the breach, the data at risk includes: the vehicle identification number, which is separate from the license plate; the location of the vehicle and at what time it was there; and video footage taken by the vehicle, known as the “drive recorder” in Japan. Such information cannot be used to identify ind...

China to send special envoy to Ukraine, Russia as part of peace efforts

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China is sending a special envoy to Ukraine and Russia starting next week in an effort to help reach a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, its Foreign Ministry said Friday.Li Hui, who is China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs and a former ambassador to Moscow, will also visit Poland, France and Germany, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.China says it remains neutral over Russia’s war in Ukraine but has declared it has a ”no limits” relationship with Moscow and blames the U.S. and NATO for provoking the conflict. Beijing has put forward a peace plan for Ukraine that has been largely dismissed by the country’s supporters, who say a resolution can only come when Russia ceases its attacks and withdraws its troops from Ukrainian territory. Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month, setting the stage for the diplomatic push. “The visit of the Chinese representative to relevant c...

Weekend need to know: Leafs vs. Panthers, Jays home games; TTC/road closures

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

It’s a big weekend for sports fans in the city as the Toronto Maple Leafs are back at home for Game 5 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Meantime, the Toronto Blue Jays are playing against the Atlanta Braves at Rogers Centre all weekend.Other events include a musical ensemble concert to honour Asian Heritage Month, and a walk to raise funds for paediatric brain tumour research.There is a single day closure scheduled for part of Line 1 on the TTC subway line. Ongoing road closures also continue throughout the city.Here’s what’s happening this weekend:Top eventsToronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida PanthersLeafs Nation is ready to cheer on the Toronto Maple Leafs when they come home to play at Scotiabank Arena for Game 5 on Friday against the Florida Panthers.The Leafs won Game 4 on Wednesday after a losing the first three games of the second round of playoffs.Toronto is looking to become just the fifth team in NHL playoff history to come back from a 3-0 serie...

High schoolers say they are having less intercourse. But that doesn’t mean less sex

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:46 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Situationships. “Sneaky links.” The “talking stage,” the flirtatious getting-to-know-you phase — typically done via text — that can lead to a hookup.High school students are having less sexual intercourse. That’s what the studies say. But that doesn’t mean they’re having less sex.The language of young love and lust, and the actions behind it, are evolving. And the shift is not being adequately captured in national studies, experts say.For years, studies have shown a decline in the rates of American high school students having sex. That trend continued, not surprisingly, in the first years of the pandemic, according to a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study found that 30% of teens in 2021 said they had ever had sex, down from 38% in 2019 and a huge drop from three decades ago, when more than half of teens reported having sex.The Associated Press took the findings to teenagers and experts around the country to a...