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Russian Orthodox priests face persecution from state and church for supporting peace in Ukraine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:17 GMT

ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — Standing in an old Orthodox church in Antalya with a Bible in one hand and a candle in the other, the Rev. Ioann Koval led one of his first services in Turkey after Russian Orthodox Church leadership decided to defrock him following his prayer for peace in Ukraine. Last September, when President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization of reservists, Moscow Patriarch Kirill required his clergymen to pray for victory. Standing in front of the altar and dozens of his parishioners in one of Moscow’s churches, Koval decided to put the peace above the patriarch’s orders.“With the word ‘victory’ the prayer acquired a propagandistic meaning, shaping the correct thinking among the parishioners, among the clergy, what they should think about and how they should see these hostilities,” Koval said. “It went against my conscience. I couldn’t submit to this political pressure from the hierarchy.”In the prayer he recited multiple times, the 45-year-ol...

New fire prompts evacuation as survivors of Maui’s wildfires return after death toll rises to 67

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:17 GMT

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — A new fire burning on the Hawaii island of Maui on Friday night triggered the evacuation of a community to the northeast of the area that burned earlier this week, police said.The fire prompted the evacuation of people in Kaanapali in West Maui, the Maui Police Department announced on social media. No details of the evacuation were immediately provided.Traffic was halted earlier after some people went over barricaded, closed-off areas of the disaster zone and “entered restricted, dangerous, active investigation scenes,” police said.The number of confirmed deaths from the Maui wildfires this week has increased to 67.Maui residents had already started returning to their neighborhoods to find blackened hulks of burned-out cars, the pavement streaked with melted and then rehardened chrome. Block after block of flattened homes and businesses. Incinerated telephone poles, and elevator shafts rising from ashy lots where apartment buildings once stood. A truck bed ful...

In deadly Maui wildfires, communication failed. Chaos overtook Lahaina along with the flames

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:17 GMT

WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — In the hours before a wildfire engulfed the town of Lahaina, Maui County officials failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population of the approaching flames and instead relied on a series of sometimes confusing social media posts that reached a much smaller audience.Power and cellular outages for residents further stymied communication efforts. Radio reports were scarce, some survivors reported, even as the blaze began to consume the town. Road blocks then forced fleeing drivers onto one narrow downtown street, creating a bottleneck that was quickly surrounded by flames on all sides. At least 67 people have been confirmed dead so far. The silent sirens have raised questions about whether everything was done to alert the public in a state that possesses an elaborate emergency warning system for a variety of dangers including wars, volcanoes, hurricanes and wildfires.Hector Bermudez left his apartment at Lahaina Shores shortly after 4:30 p...

A cherished weekend flea market in the Ukrainian capital survives despite war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:17 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Pochaina neighborhood in the Ukrainian capital comes alive every weekend as hundreds of people flock to its famous flea market, looking for finds.Antique-hunters, collectors and many others look over seemingly endless rows of trinkets and time-worn wares. It’s a dizzying array that includes Soviet-era relics such as decorative medals, ceramics with communist leaders’ portraits, Cold War-era gas masks and military uniform items.Despite Ukraine’s ban on Soviet and Nazi symbols adopted in 2015 as a part of the country’s effort to distance itself from its totalitarian past, vendors, buyers and law enforcement all seem undisturbed by such historic relics being openly sold.“It’s purely business, there are no (USSR) sympathizers around here. Items like this are in high demand,” says Kristian Zander, a 49-year-old market vendor, pointing at the “Buying USSR relics” sign at his stand. On display are kitchenware and utensils, hunting knives, Soviet badges and bottle o...

2 dead in Lancaster shooting, 1 hospitalized

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:17 GMT

Two people were killed and a third was hospitalized after shots rang out at a Lancaster home on Friday night. Deputies responded to reports of a shooting on the 3300 block of Knott Court around 7:55 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Arriving officers found several gunshot victims at the scene. Two victims, identified only as adult males, were found lying on the street. They were pronounced dead. A third male victim was transported to the hospital in an unknown condition.Sky5 video showed a large presence of law enforcement and ambulance vehicles on the quiet neighborhood street. Two bodies can be seen lying on the road as a group of bystanders gathered nearby.Two people were killed and a third was hospitalized after shots rang out at a Lancaster home on August 11, 2023. (Don Luis Meza)Two people were killed and a third was hospitalized after shots rang out at a Lancaster home on August 11, 2023. (KTLA)Two people were killed and a third was hos...

Teachers say construction at Orange County school presents safety hazard for kids

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:17 GMT

As children are set to begin the school year this week, teachers at an Orange County elementary school are frustrated as unfinished construction on their classrooms has left the school a complete mess.Teachers at Foothill Ranch Elementary are frustrated as the school is still undergoing a massive modernization project that started back in June. But now that the school year is about to start on Monday, the teachers’ classrooms still remain a construction zone.“We're supposed to start school and I have none of my materials,” said a teacher at Foothill Ranch Elementary. “We don't have paper towels or soap and we have no Wi-Fi. Most of the campus doesn't have air conditioning yet. It's very hot."After nine weeks of construction, teachers said the school is not ready to welcome students and the current environment presents a safety hazard.Teachers at Foothill Ranch Elementary School say the summer construction provides a major safety hazard for students set to start school soon. (KTLA)Te...

Maui fire fatalities rise to 80

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:17 GMT

HONOLULU (KHON2) - Maui County officials continue recovery efforts in Lahaina after the devastating fires that destroyed a large part of the town.UPDATE: 8/11/23Maui officials confirmed Friday night the death toll is now 80. Three fires remain burning in the Lahaina, Pulehu and Upcountry Maui areas. Maui County provided the following update on firefighting efforts at 3 p.m.:Lahaina fire 85% containedPulehu/Kihei fire 80% containedUpcountry Maui fire 50% containedHawaiian Electric announced at 6 p.m. that power was restored to one of three main transmission lines serving West Maui. Service was also restored to some customers in Nāpili, Puʻukoliʻi, and Māhinahina where essential public services, such as water pumps, and first responder facilities are located.UPDATE: 8/10/23 As of Thursday morning, Maui officials said that the Lahaina fire was 80% contained. Maui Fires: How to find missing, how to help, what you need to know "These past few days the resolve of our families, business...

Swiss investigation of meetings between attorney general, FIFA’s Infantino set to be closed down

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:17 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Special prosecutors in Switzerland are closing a years-long probe of the former attorney general who had undisclosed meetings with FIFA president Gianni Infantino during a sweeping investigation of international soccer.Swiss media reported Friday that Michael Lauber, who lost his job as the top Swiss federal prosecutor in the fallout from the Infantino meetings, was notified of the two special prosecutors’ intention to close their investigation.A lawyer for Lauber, Lorenz Erni, confirmed to The Associated Press in an email message he was told the case is being shut down.Special prosecutors Ulrich Weder and Hans Maurer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.FIFA said in a statement the “intended dismissal of this case is no surprise,” about three years after Infantino was put under suspicion by a previous special prosecutor appointed by Swiss lawmakers to first handle the investigation.Infantino is at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand...

Phoenix plays Seattle, looks to stop road slide

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:17 GMT

Phoenix Mercury (9-20, 2-12 Western Conference) at Seattle Storm (8-21, 5-8 Western Conference)Seattle; Sunday, 6 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: Phoenix will try to break its 10-game road skid when the Mercury face Seattle.The Storm are 5-8 against Western Conference opponents. Seattle ranks second in the Western Conference with 8.1 offensive rebounds per game led by Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu averaging 1.7.The Mercury are 2-12 in Western Conference play. Phoenix has a 3-11 record against opponents over .500.The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Storm won 97-91 in the last matchup on Aug. 6.TOP PERFORMERS: Jewell Loyd is averaging 24.1 points and 3.4 assists for the Storm. Ezi Magbegor is averaging 13.1 points over the last 10 games for Seattle.Brittney Griner is averaging 18.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks for the Mercury. Diana Taurasi is averaging 16.9 points over the last 10 games for Phoenix.LAST 10 GAMES: Storm: 4-6, averaging 76.2 points, 34.9 rebounds, 18.3 assists, 8...

New York takes on Indiana, looks for 7th straight road win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:17 GMT

New York Liberty (22-6, 12-3 Eastern Conference) at Indiana Fever (8-22, 4-11 Eastern Conference)Indianapolis; Sunday, 3 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: New York will try to keep its six-game road win streak intact when the Liberty play Indiana.The Fever are 4-11 against Eastern Conference opponents. Indiana ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference with 25.3 defensive rebounds per game led by NaLyssa Smith averaging 7.2.The Liberty are 12-3 against Eastern Conference teams. New York leads the WNBA with 24.1 assists per game led by Courtney Vandersloot averaging 7.9.The teams play for the fourth time this season. The Liberty won the last matchup 101-83 on July 23, with Betnijah Laney scoring 22 points in the victory.TOP PERFORMERS: Aliyah Boston is scoring 14.8 points per game with 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the Fever. Kelsey Mitchell is averaging 17.5 points over the last 10 games for Indiana.Sabrina Ionescu is averaging 17 points, six rebounds and 5.8 assists for the Liberty. Breanna Stew...