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Australian soldier charged over Afghan killing freed on bail

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:20 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — A former elite soldier charged with murder for allegedly killing an unarmed man in Afghanistan was released on bail Tuesday by a magistrate who concluded he would face danger from Muslim extremists in prison. Oliver Schulz, 41, had been in custody since his arrest in rural New South Wales state last week on the war crime of murder.His lawyer Phillip Boulten applied for bail in Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court on Monday, arguing the former Special Air Service Regiment trooper faced serious risks to his personal safety from Muslim extremists in the prison system and had to be segregated from other inmates.“Wherever this man is going to be held in prison, he is likely to have to mix with people in prison who sympathize with the Taliban or with other Islamicextremist groups,” Boulten said.Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson granted the request, agreeing the risks posed to him while behind bars were too great.“It’s possible to infer that there may be some people being held ther...

Russia says it test-fired anti-ship missiles in Sea of Japan

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:20 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s Defense Ministry says Moscow has test-fired anti-ship missiles in the Sea of Japan. The ministry said Tuesday that two boats launched a simulated missile attack on a mock enemy warship about 100 kilometers (60 miles) away. The ministry said the target was successfully hit by two Moskit cruise missiles. The Moskit, whose NATO reporting name is the SS-N-22 Sunburn, is a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile that has conventional and nuclear warhead capacity.It said the exercise took place in the Peter the Great Gulf in the Sea of Japan but did not give more precise coordinates. The gulf borders the Russian Pacific Fleet headquarters at Fokino and is about 700 kilometers (430 miles) from Japan’s northern Hokkaido Island. Japan’s Defense Ministry had no immediate response. The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Russian nuclear-capable Tu-95 flew over the Sea of Japan for several hours last week.The Associated...

Asian shares mostly rise on relief over US bank strength

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:20 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher on Tuesday as investors got some relief from worries over troubled U.S. banks with a planned takeover of failed Silicon Valley Bank. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 0.1% to 27,456.98. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1.1% to 7,036.20. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.4% to 2,419.43. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose nearly 0.4% to 19,644.68, while the Shanghai Composite inched up less than 0.1% to 3,249.39. “Asian equities were positive on Tuesday, lifted by mostly higher major indices in the previous session. Receding fears surrounding the banking crisis and surging oil prices led to solid risk-taking flows,” Anderson Alves at ActivTrades said in a report. Markets have been in turmoil following Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, the second-largest U.S. bank failure in history, earlier this month, and then the third-largest failure, by New York-based Signature Bank. Investors have been hunting for which banks could be n...

WGN at 75: The 2005 Illini through Bruce Weber's eyes

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:20 GMT

CHICAGO - Their "March to the Arch" was at times "Madness," but it only made their run to the national championship game more special.An exciting, fast-paced, intelligent group of basketball players in Champaign brought Illinois what was their first and so far only opportunity to play one game for a Division I men's basketball championship.Bruce Weber was in charge of the Illini men's basketball team in the 2004-2005 season which not only captivated fans in their own base but also those around the country that admired the way they played. They went through the regular season with just one loss, which came in their final game before the Big Ten Tournament. The charismatic group led by dynamic guards Dee Brown, Luther Head, and Deron Williams would win the conference tournament in Chicago before a memorable NCAA Tournament run.Two victories in Indianapolis were followed by two in Rosemont, including arguably the greatest comeback in NCAA Tournament history in the Chicago Regional fina...

Avs crush Anaheim Ducks, stay hot on Minnesota Wild’s heels in Central standings

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:20 GMT

No sweating it out this time for the Avalanche.Colorado completed a clean two-game road trip against non-playoff teams with a 5-1 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Monday.The Avs (44-23-6) established a two-point advantage over Dallas for second place in the Central. They trail the Wild by one point for the division lead, and they have a clash vs. Minnesota for first place upcoming Wednesday (8 p.m. MT) at Ball Arena.Johansson gives Georgiev a necessary breather: Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said before the road trip that he planned to split goalies in the Western Conference back-to-back. He went with Alexandar Georgiev at Arizona, a team that always gives Colorado fits. That decision paid off as Georgiev stopped seven consecutive shootout attempts to help the Avs earn two important points. So it was backup Jonas Johansson for the back end in Anaheim. Georgiev needed a rest after starting five consecutive games and 12 of the last 13. He kept a .909 save percentage during that March gauntl...

Body-worn camera footage shows fatal police shooting in Orange County

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:20 GMT

On Monday, authorities with the Fullerton Police Department released officer-worn camera footage of a fatal shooting of an unarmed suspect that occurred last month.  The deadly incident unfolded on Feb. 10, just after 1 a.m. when officers spotted a vehicle in the area of Harbor Boulevard and Chapman Avenue that police say was wanted in connection with an armed robbery out of San Bernardino County.  When authorities attempted to conduct a traffic stop, the suspect, identified as Austin Heiselman, led officers on a pursuit through Fullerton and La Habra, according to a news release from Fullerton PD.  During the pursuit, police said the suspect waved a handgun out of the window.  At the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Imperial Avenue, in La Habra, the suspect ran a red light at a high rate of speed and struck another vehicle, causing his car to flip and catch on fire. Police say Heiselman then exited his overturned vehicle and fled the scene on foot, running in...

Union City: Traffic collision claims pedestrian’s life

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:20 GMT

UNION CITY — A man was arrested last weekend shortly after an investigation into his involvement in a fatal vehicle-pedestrian collision, authorities said.According to a police statement, officers responded shortly after 9:30 p.m. last Friday near Alvarado Niles Road and Dowe Avenue for a report of a major traffic collision.When officers arrived, they found an unresponsive pedestrian lying in the roadway. Paramedics also responded and provided life-saving measures, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office coroner’s bureau identified him Monday night as Dionisio Molina Jr., 51, of Alameda.Officers investigating the collision soon located a suspect vehicle parked in a city neighborhood, and spoke with a man they believed had been driving the vehicle.The man, who police said cooperated with the investigation and did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol or other substances, was later arrested on suspicion of a separate...

Emergency declaration issued in San Francisco ahead of next storm

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:20 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed has issued an emergency declaration as the city balances recovering from the last storm and prepping for the next.The last storm left broken glass scattered across city streets after windows from six high rises gave way to strong winds and trees came crashing down, killing two people.City officials are advising residents to stay home during the peak of Tuesday’s storm. The emergency declaration gave the city more resources to clean up downed trees from last week and to inspect any windows that may have issues.The emergency declaration gives departments more resources and authority to clean up and prevent more deaths and damage from occurring. Bay Area storm updates: SF mayor issues emergency declaration for storm prep "Over 900 of trees or large branches that fell. We have our crews with public works and the fire department addressing all those trees,” said Mary Ellen Carroll, Department of Emergency Management executive dir...

One-time drug kingpin free and with a new job, takes time to appreciate the small things

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:20 GMT

It’s the simple pleasures in life that matter the most to Tony Lewis Sr., a former drug kingpin freed after 34 years in federal prison. Lewis, of Northeast D.C., is entering his second week of freedom, thanks to criminal justice reform and his son Tony Lewis Jr., who was 9 years old when his dad was sent away but who never stopped fighting to get him out.“The first nine years of my life was filled with so much love and support and safety and time spent with my dad and my mom, and I’ve always understood how much my parents love me,” Lewis Jr. said. “He deserved to be held accountable for his actions, but life without parole was not a fair sentence for him … my dad deserved a second chance,”Lewis Jr. is a federal employee for the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for D.C. working in community supervision in the probation and parole systems. He’s also the author of the book “Slugg: A Boy’s Life in the Age of Mass Incarc...

Sergio Romo retires as Giant after pitching one final time

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:20 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sergio Romo retired as a San Francisco Giant just the way he wanted, pitching one final time for the team he helped to win three World Series championships and then calling it a career Monday night.In a moment more special than he could have possibly imagined, the entertaining right-hander faced three Oakland batters in the seventh inning at Oracle Park in the exhibition finale for both clubs.The Giants reached out a few weeks back asking whether Romo might consider tossing an inning — he looked at his arm and asked if it could give it one last hurrah. He had already taken up golf.So, Bay Area baseball fans were treated to a last listen of Romo’s long-time signature “El Mechon” walk-up tune, too. Then he unleashed that nasty slider.Going against one of his former teams, Romo walked his first batter, threw a wild pitch and surrendered two singles before former teammate Hunter Pence walked out to make a pitching change.The 40-year-old Romo soaked it all in a...