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Transgender swimmers to be included in the trial of an open category at competitions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:50 GMT

FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — Swimming will set up an “open category” that will include transgender competitors, the governing body of the sport said Tuesday.World Aquatics president Husain Al-Musallam said the event would take place in the future among other races but gave no details. Reports suggest it could be this year.“This is a very complex topic,” Al-Musallam said at the World Aquatics Congress in the southwestern Japanese city of Fukuoka. “But I am delighted to tell you today that we are now making plans for the first trial of an open category, and we hope to be able to confirm all the details soon.“Our sport must be open to everybody,” he said.World Aquatics had previously banned transgender competitors from major events like the Olympics and world championships.The topic has been divisive and many governing bodies in major sports have avoided it. And there will be many questions to answer as the first trial event unfolds under the eyes of lawyers and scientists.“It was very import...

A Russian fighter jet fired flares at a US drone over Syria and damaged it, the US military says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Russian fighter jet flew within a few meters of a U.S. drone over Syria and fired flares at it, striking the American aircraft and damaging it, the U.S. military said Tuesday.A senior Air Force commander said the move on Sunday was an attempt by the Russians to knock the MQ-9 Reaper drone out of the sky and came just a week after a Russian fighter jet flew dangerously close to a U.S. surveillance aircraft carrying a crew in the region, jeopardizing the lives of the four American crew members.“One of the Russian flares struck the U.S. MQ-9, severely damaging its propeller,” Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, the head of U.S. Air Forces Central, said in a statement describing the latest close call. “We call upon the Russian forces in Syria to put an immediate end to this reckless, unprovoked, and unprofessional behavior.”Grynkewich said one of the crew members operating the drone remotely kept it in the air and flew it back to its home base.The Sunday incident is the ...

Why is Canada updating its emergency nuclear protocols?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:50 GMT

In today’s Big Story Podcast, last week, we learned Canada’s emergency protocols in response to a nuclear threat have been updated. At least part of the reason for the update is due to Russia gaining control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.The emergency plans cover everything from trying to protect Canadians overseas who may be impacted by an accident, to more classified documents working out emergency preparations in the event of nuclear missiles being fired.Ed Waller is a Professor in the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science at OntarioTechU. He says the government is continuously updating the plan based on threats around the world — but not all threats carry the same weight.“The difference that we have here … is that we now have a situation in Ukraine where the largest nuclear power plant in Europe has been taken over by an armed military. That’s never happened in the history of the world,” said Waller.How likely is either the former or latter? What do...

Mexico’s native ethnic groups promote their heritage during Oaxaca’s biggest cultural festival

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:50 GMT

OAXACA, México (AP) — Leticia Santiago carries her ancestral heritage wherever she goes. Every time she addresses the crowds during the Guelaguetza, the biggest cultural event in southwestern Mexico, her words, her garments and her skin reveal a clue about the town where she was proudly born.The 35-year-old Mexican was elected as Centéotl goddess in late June, which means she’ll represent the Aztec deity of maize for a year and lead all festivities during the Guelaguetza, which will run in the state of Oaxaca through July 28. During the government-sponsored event, 16 Indigenous ethnic groups and the Afro-Mexican community promote their traditions through public dances, parades and craft sales. Santiago can’t help but smile when she talks about the history of her ethnic group, known as “Chatinas.” Her hometown, Santiago Yaitepec, is located five hours away from Oaxaca City, between the mountains and the coast.“It is said that we come from the sea and our ancestors were fish,” Santiag...

Here are the changes coming this week to the Kennedy contruction zone

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:50 GMT

CHICAGO — Drivers can expect changes to the construction zone on the Inbound Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) starting this week.  The work zone will move from the left side to the right side between the Edens (I-94) and Webster. Since March, inbound traffic has been using the two right lanes between the Edens and Ohio and the two express lanes with the work zone in the left lanes. Starting Tuesday night, the work zone will begin to shift to the right. The shift will take three overnights to complete. Here’s what drivers can expect:  By 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 26: IB Kennedy work zone shifts to the right side from Diversey to Webster By 5 a.m. Thursday, July 27: IB Kennedy work zone shifts to the right side from Pulaski to Diversey By 5 a.m. Friday, July 28: IB Kennedy work zone shifts to the right side from The Edens to Pulaski Kennedy Express Lanes exit near Diversey reopens IB Edens traffic shifts between Foster and Montrose Ramp from Wilson to the IB Kennedy closes for 8 weeks By 6 a...

For the first time in a bit, the White Sox will be trade deadline sellers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:50 GMT

CHICAGO — Two years ago, it looked like the White Sox were entering a long window of competition, and even completed a trade with their north side rivals to improve their team for the playoffs.Now as they prepare to face the Cubs this week at Guaranteed Rate Field, they White Sox are doing so as sellers at a time when many expected them to be in the thick of competing for a World Series championship.That's not going to happen as an inconsistent 2022 season has been followed by a difficult 2023 campaign where the White Sox have simply never gotten things going. Any hope for a second half turnaround was essentially dashed in a nine-game road trip to start the second half. A three-game sweep at the hands of the Twins puts Pedro Grifol's team 19 games under. 500 and 12 1/2 back of Minnesota for the lead in the AL Central. Translation: The White Sox will be selling at the deadline, taking on that mindset for the first time since 2019. That's a frustrating prospect for a team that had spe...

Rapper Quavo aboard Miami yacht during alleged strong-arm robbery

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:50 GMT

MIAMI, Fla. (WFLA) – Migos rapper Quavo was among a number of people on board a yacht where a strong-arm robbery occurred on Sunday night, according to the Miami Beach Police Department. Police said the incident was reported shortly before 9 p.m. According to the report, Quavo, whose real name is Quavious Keyate Marshall, 32, was with a group of people on a yacht that was being rented. They were told their rental time was running out and the boat needed to be returned. Carlee Russell admits ‘there was no kidnapping’ in attorney statement Police said that's when two men, Cornell Whitfield, 39, of Texas, and Anteneh Workeneh, 32, of Georgia, allegedly "became very aggressive" toward the boat captain and crew and "demanded a refund."The police report stated that the boat captain said Whitefield told him that if he turned around, he would "kill him and throw him off the boat." The captain also told police that Whitefield removed the wallet from his pocket, which contained about...

Your odds at the Mega Millions jackpot are slim - but can you increase them?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:50 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — After yet another winnerless drawing Friday, the Mega Millions jackpot has grown to an estimated $820 million ahead of the next drawing. The jackpot has been growing since April, and will continue to grow until a ticket (or tickets) successfully matches all six numbers in a drawing. It currently ranks as the fifth-largest Mega Millions jackpot on record, positioned just behind a $1.05 billion prize won by a 2021 ticket in Michigan. If you, like millions of others, are ready to try your luck at the Mega Millions pot, you should know your chances of winning it are roughly 1 in 302.6 million, slightly worse than the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot. You have a better chance of being attacked by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park (roughly 1 in 2.7 million for all park visitors) or an alligator in Florida (about 1 in 3.1 million, according to the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission).But is it possible to increase your odds?Some data sugge...

Former pastor arrested in 1975 killing of 8-year-old girl headed to Bible camp

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:50 GMT

(The Hill) -- A former pastor was arrested after he confessed to the kidnapping and killing of an 8-year-old girl who attended a Bible camp hosted by the man's church in Pennsylvania nearly 50 years ago, officials said Monday.David Zandstra, 83, of Marietta, Georgia, has been charged with criminal homicide, murder of the first, second and third degree, kidnapping of a minor and the possession of an instrument of crime. The Delaware County District Attorney's Office said the man admitted to the crimes after being presented with allegations made in a January interview that the man groped a different young girl and may have attempted to kidnap another.Gretchen Harrington, 8, disappeared the morning of Aug. 15, 1975, in Marple, Pennsylvania, after she left for Bible camp, according to the statement. The Trinity Church Chapel Christian Reform Church, where Zandstra was a pastor, was one of the host churches of the camp where the children began the day with opening exercises. Jan. 6 d...

Program lets UT students get rid of unwanted items before they leave campus

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – As University of Texas students prepare to move out at the end of the summer, several groups want to make sure the students' treasures don't turn into trash for everyone else. Austin Resource Recovery, Austin Code, the University of Texas Office of Sustainability and the UT New Student Services Off-Campus Initiative will host the annual MoveOutATX starting Friday. The groups said students can drop off gently used furniture, household items, small appliances, clothing, cleaning supplies, unopened food and more at eight donation stations throughout North and West Campus Friday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.MoveOut provides local reuse organizations with unwanted items in good condition, according to the groups. They said the items will only be accepted during operating hours. Organizers said the Free Furniture Market will make a return for a second year. Participating reuse organizations will transfer donated furniture pieces to the ma...