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German prosecutors indict 27 people in connection with an alleged far-right coup plot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:51 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors said Tuesday they have filed terrorism charges against 27 people, including a self-styled prince and a former far-right lawmaker, in connection with an alleged plot to topple the government that came to light with a slew of arrests a year ago.An indictment against 10 suspects, including the most prominent figures, was filed Dec. 11 at the state court in Frankfurt. Under the German legal system, the court must now decide whether and when the case will go to trial.Nine of those suspects, all German nationals, are accused of belonging to a terrorist organization that was founded in July 2021 with the aim of “doing away by force with the existing state order in Germany,” federal prosecutors said in a statement.Prosecutors said that the accused believed in a “conglomerate of conspiracy myths,” including Reich Citizens and QAnon ideology, and were convinced that Germany is ruled by a so-called “deep state.”Adherents of the Reich Citizens movement reject Ge...

Passengers lodge in military barracks after Amsterdam to Detroit flight is forced to land in Canada

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:51 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Passengers aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit spent the night in a military barracks in eastern Canada after the plane was forced to land due to a mechanical issue.The crew diverted the flight Sunday afternoon to Newfoundland and Labrador, WJBK-TV first reported.Passenger Tony Santoro of Troy in suburban Detroit told the television station that passengers were lodged in barracks during the 24-hour delay. “It honestly felt like a hotel,” he said. “It wasn’t too bad. We had soap, water, everything.”Delta flight 135 was diverted to Goose Bay airport “out of an abundance of caution,” the airlines told The Associated Press in a statement Tuesday. “Crew duty times were impacted due to weather and runway conditions at the Goose Bay airport causing the airport to suspend operations. Delta sent additional aircraft to Goose Bay to bring customers to their final destination Monday.”Delta worked with officials in Goose Bay to arrange for food, water and acc...

Man in 30s fatally stabbed in Toronto’s east end

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:51 GMT

A man is dead following an apparent stabbing in Toronto’s east end on Tuesday morning.Emergency crews were called to Lockwood Road, near Kingston Road and Queen Street East, around 6:10 a.m.Toronto police officers found a man in his 30s lying on the ground with stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.No suspect information has been made available.The homicide unit has taken over the investigation.Anyone with additional information is being asked to contact police.

Ukraine faces heavy attack from air and cyberspace while Zelenskyy in US presses for more funding

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:51 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine came under heavy attack from the air and from cyberspace Tuesday, local officials said, as nearly 600 Russian shells, rockets and other projectiles rained down on a southern region and unidentified hackers knocked out phone and internet services of the country’s biggest telecom provider.Ukraine also claimed a successful hacker attack against Russia’s national tax system.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived on Capitol Hill to press Congress for additional military help, as further U.S. funding is uncertain due to a domestic political dispute.One person was killed and four injured during 24 hours of Russian bombardment of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the regional military administration. The number of projectiles fired at Kherson was the highest in at least two weeks.As winter sets in and hampers troop movements, air bombardment plays a growing role.Cyberattacks are also a busy battleground. Ukraini...

'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' to kick off tour in Chicago

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:51 GMT

CHICAGO — "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," the six-time Tony Award-winning Best Play, will kick off its North American tour next year in Chicago.Producers Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions announced Monday that "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" will launch downtown at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., with previews starting Tuesday, Sept. 10 , and an official opening on Thursday, Sept. 26. The final performance of the 21-week engagement is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025.This will be the world premiere of the first-ever touring production of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." It's based on the acclaimed Broadway production, currently playing at the Lyric Theatre New York. "Chicago is ready to welcome an extended engagement of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,'" Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a news release. "We are thrilled that Chicagoans will experience this magical production as the first ...

Uber offers holiday-themed party buses in some cities

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:51 GMT

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) - As the holiday season approaches, Uber is giving customers a chance to ride in style to parties, festivities and gatherings. Beginning Monday through Sunday, Dec. 17, customers can book a Festive Fleet with Uber, a holiday-themed party charter bus filled with karaoke, festive lights, Christmas decor and photo props to help stir up the holiday spirit. Uber offering festive, holiday-themed party buses in LA (Uber)The holiday-themed charter trips will be available in Los Angeles; New York; Washington, D.C.; Miami, and Chicago. Riders who book a charter up until Sunday will receive 10% off with promo code “FESTIVE 10.” In addition to the holiday party buses, there are several other special holiday offerings from Uber, including the Gift Hub in the Uber Eats app to easily find and send gifts, Robot Reindeers that will be delivering food during the month of December, and free package returns using Uber Connect. 

Be wary before scanning QR codes

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:51 GMT

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - Using a QR code is becoming more common as a way to access information quickly on your phone.You may have seen a Quick Response code, a group of black and white pixels usually in the shape of a square. Each one has an individualized pattern that encodes data that provides information about a product or service. They also allow users to view a menu at a restaurant, get directions, download an App, and confirm banking and other personal account information, along with dozens more uses. FTC offers complaint reporting, information in multiple languages As more people begin using them, thieves looking to steal your money and other information are creating harmful links embedded into the code. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), people are reporting that fraudsters are covering up legitimate QR codes with their own or sending texts and emails with fake QR codes.The fake QR code could take you to a spoofed site that looks real. After you log in, your...

Dictionary.com chooses 'hallucinate' as 2023's Word of the Year: Why?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:51 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Dictionary.com has chosen “hallucinate” as its 2023 Word of the Year, but not in its traditional, trippy sense.Instead, Dictionary.com is highlighting the word’s increased usage among users and critics of artificial intelligence (AI) programs, who have adopted the term to describe the inaccurate and often outlandish outputs that chatbots and other prompt-based AI programs attempt to present as fact.Specifically, Dictionary.com’s latest definition of “hallucinate” reads as follows:Computers, Digital Technology. (of a machine learning program) to produce false information contrary to the intent of the user and present it as if true and factual.Dictionary.com Oxford chooses ‘rizz’ as 2023 Word of the Year Popular AI chatbot programs can sometimes fall victim to these hallucinations, unintentionally sharing falsehoods with users. But hallucinations can also affect computer vision tools, which aim to assess and make recommendations based on visual data, ...

Taylor Swift donates $1 million to help tornado victims

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:51 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) - Singer-songwriter and 2023 TIME Magazine Person of the Year Taylor Swift is doing her part to help those affected by the tornado outbreak that left six people dead and many homes and businesses damaged.Swift, a 12-time Grammy winner who spent part of her youth in Hendersonville, donated $1 million to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. ‘A miracle’: Lives spared, gifts still intact at Hendersonville bowling center “The Swifts found their original Tennessee home in Hendersonville and Sumner County and remain deeply committed to its continued well-being,” said Hal Cato, CEO of Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “Taylor’s incredibly generous gift sends a message to her hometown, and the communities around it, that she has their backs during the long road to recovery following this devastating event.”Swift has a history of helping out her adopted hometown. In 2010, she donated $500,000 toward flood relief after the historic flooding across Nas...

Round Rock woman found after weekend disappearance

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:51 GMT

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — A 39-year-old Round Rock woman who was reported missing earlier this week was found Tuesday morning. According to the Round Rock Police Department, she was originally reported to have last been seen early Sunday morning. Police said Tuesday morning the woman was found in the neighborhood she went missing in, and that the investigation into her disappearance is ongoing. Police said she had left her home around 3 a.m. Sunday to go to a local clinic for abdominal pain and didn't return for at least a day.