WHO fires director in Asia accused of racist misconduct

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 04:22:47 GMT

WHO fires director in Asia accused of racist misconduct LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization has fired its top official in the Western Pacific after the Associated Press reported last year that dozens of staff members accused him of racist, abusive and unethical behavior that may have compromised the U.N. health agency’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. In an email sent to employees on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Dr. Takeshi Kasai’s appointment had been “terminated” after an internal investigation resulted in “findings of misconduct.” Tedros did not refer to Kasai by name, referencing only his title as regional director in the Western Pacific. It is the first time in WHO’s history that a regional director has been dismissed.“This has been an unprecedented and challenging journey for all of us,” Tedros wrote. He said that the process of naming a new regional director for the Western Pacific would begin next month, with the election to be held in October. The Japanese government, which ...

Russian forces claim progress in Bakhmut but no end in sight

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 04:22:47 GMT

Russian forces claim progress in Bakhmut but no end in sight KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The owner of Russia’s Wagner Group military contractor claimed Wednesday that his troops have extended their gains in the Ukrainian stronghold of Bakhmut, but it remained unclear how long the grinding fight might go on.Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Kyiv for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on extending an agreement that allows Ukraine to ship grain from its Black Sea ports and permits Russia to export food and fertilizers.The battle for the city the Ukrainians have dubbed “fortress Bakhmut” has become emblematic of the way each side has tried to wear down the other. Russian forces must go through Bakhmut to push deeper into parts of the Donetsk province they do not yet control, though Western officials say that capture of the city is unlikely to change the course of the war.The battle for Bakhmut has lasted six months and reduced the city with a prewar population of more than 70,000 to a smoldering wasteland. It’s not c...

Women’s College Basketball Scores

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 04:22:47 GMT

Women’s College Basketball Scores Wednesday, Mar. 8TOURNAMENTMid AmericanQuarterfinalToledo 75, Buffalo 74, OT___Source

California se prepara para una poderosa tormenta que podría provocar inundaciones

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 04:22:47 GMT

California se prepara para una poderosa tormenta que podría provocar inundaciones (CNN) — Las autoridades de California pidieron a los residentes que se preparen para una poderosa tormenta que azotará la región con lluvias torrenciales a finales de esta semana, mientras el estado aún se recupera de las colosales cantidades de nieve que dejaron atrapadas a las comunidades montañosas.Alrededor de 16 millones de personas en el centro y el norte de California, incluidas las áreas de la Bahía de San Francisco y de Sacramento, estaban bajo alerta de inundaciones este miércoles temprano antes de una tormenta que se preveé que lleve mucha agua a la región este jueves con cantidades peligrosas de lluvia en muchos lugares que aún tienen capas de nieve producto de tormentas brutales anteriores.“La combinación de fuertes lluvias y deshielo puede provocar inundaciones”, dijo el Centro de Predicción del Tiempo. “Los ríos y arroyos en las estribaciones occidentales de Sierra Nevada serán más vulnerables a las inundaciones por la lluvia y el deshielo”.Con la nieve hasta la...

NCAA Conference Tournament Glances

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 04:22:47 GMT

NCAA Conference Tournament Glances Times EST (through March 11)Times EDT (March 12)America East ConferenceAt Higher-Seeded SchoolsFirst RoundSaturday, March 4New Hampshire 67, Bryant 60Mass.-Lowell 85, Maine 54Vermont 84, NJIT 57Binghamton 67, UMBC 65SemifinalsTuesday, March 7Mass.-Lowell 75, New Hampshire 64Vermont 79, Binghamton 57ChampionshipSaturday, March 11Vermont vs. Mass.-Lowell, 11 a.m.American Athletic ConferenceAt Dickies ArenaFort Worth, TexasFirst RoundThursday, March 9South Florida vs. East Carolina, 12:30 p.m.UCF vs. SMU, 3 p.m.Wichita St. vs. Tulsa, 7 p.m.QuarterfinalsFriday, March 10Houston vs. South Florida-East Carolina-winner, 1 p.m.Cincinnati vs. Temple, 3:30 p.m.Memphis vs. UCF-SMU-winner, 7 p.m.Tulane vs. Wichita St.-Tulsa-winner, 9:30 p.m.SemifinalsSaturday, March 11TBD vs. Cincinnati-Temple-winner, 3 p.m.TBD vs. TBD, 5:30 p.m.ChampionshipSunday, March 12Semifinal winners, 3:15 p.m.Atlantic 10 ConferenceAt Barclays CenterBrooklyn, N.Y.First RoundTuesday, March 7Richmond 71, UMass 38Saint Josep...

Get ready, Colorado: Bears are waking up from a long winter's nap

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 04:22:47 GMT

Get ready, Colorado: Bears are waking up from a long winter's nap DENVER (KDVR) -- Warmer temperatures are on the horizon, which means it is time to start keeping an eye on your trash can.Bears are waking up from hibernation. First grizzly bear emerges from long winter’s nap at Yellowstone Colorado Parks and Wildlife said that males, or boars, are the first to leave their winter dens. After that, females, or sows, that didn’t give birth over the winter will leave hibernation. The last bears to leave their winter homes are sows who gave birth to this year’s cubs. Those bears will typically emerge in late April, according to CPW. Guide: Living with bears in Colorado Bear activity in 2022The biggest cause of conflict with bears last year was bears trying to gain access to trash, as well as birdfeeders, livestock, bears accessing open garages, and other human-originated items that are left unsecured. Bear activity increased in 2022, trash biggest culprit "These conflicts could all easily be reduced if the public takes some simple steps around th...

Row after Braverman email blames civil servants for blocking small boats action

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 04:22:47 GMT

Row after Braverman email blames civil servants for blocking small boats action LONDON — Home Secretary Suella Braverman was accused of a “cowardly attack” on the U.K. civil service after a campaign email sent in her name blamed Whitehall for frustrating plans to cut the number of small boats crossing the English Channel.In a Conservative Party message sent to supporters under Braverman’s name — but which Downing Street and the Conservatives denied she had seen or approved — the home secretary appeared to point the finger at government officials for scuppering earlier efforts to grip the issue.“We tried to stop the small boat crossings without changing our laws,” the email, sent to Conservative members Tuesday and bearing Braverman’s signature, said. “But an activist blob of left-wing lawyers, civil servants and the Labour Party blocked us.” No. 10 sought to distance Braverman from the campaign message Wednesday lunchtime, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson telling journalists that the home ...

Senate expected to vote to block controversial DC crime bill

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 04:22:47 GMT

Senate expected to vote to block controversial DC crime bill (CNN) — The Senate is expected to vote on Wednesday to pass a Republican-led resolution to block a controversial Washington, DC, crime bill that opponents have criticized as weak on crime.The effort has divided Democrats and highlighted the difficult balance the party is attempting to strike as Republicans accuse them of failing to tackle the issue of crime. A large number of Senate Democrats now plan to support the resolution to rescind the DC crime bill after President Joe Biden announced he would not veto it — a move that surprised and upset members of his party as many believe Congress should not interfere in the political affairs of the district.The resolution of disapproval to block the DC crime bill has already passed the House. If the Senate passes the measure as is expected, it would next go to Biden’s desk.Democrats control a narrow 51-to-49 majority in the Senate, where most legislation requires at least 60 votes to pass to overcome a filibuste...

FAA administrator unclear whether airliner close calls are on the rise

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 04:22:47 GMT

FAA administrator unclear whether airliner close calls are on the rise  (CNN) — After at least six incidents this year, the nation’s top aviation official says he does not know whether close calls involving airliners are on the rise, but says the issue and its causes will be examined at a safety conference next week.“It’s a good question,” Billy Nolen, acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration, said after testifying to the Senate Commerce Committee — his second time there in a month.Nolen defended his agency’s handling of the safety incidents, some of which were averted when pilots — not the air traffic controllers from his agency — avoided a collision. He said officials are “treating each of these as if it had been an actual event.”“The FAA absolutely has a grasp on the situation and it’s something that we look at every day,” Nolen told reporters. “We’ll take a look at these near misses and see if there are lessons to be learned.”He said...

Bruins notebook: Brad Marchand battling to regain form after surgery

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 04:22:47 GMT

Bruins notebook: Brad Marchand battling to regain form after surgery For those used to seeing Brad Marchand seemingly do just about anything he wants with the puck for years, this season has been different.Instead of contorting defensemen with sublime dekes on a nightly basis, the Bruins’ first line left wing – who is coming off double hip surgery in the summer – is more often than not fighting the puck. Sometimes his seam passes don’t get through to his intended target. The 50-50 battles that he almost always won are tougher now.But while Marchand’s game is still missing some of the wow factor, the job is still getting done. With 54 games under his belt, Marchand is a perfect point-per-game player (19-35-54). When any given game is up for grabs, Marchand is still often in the middle of tipping it in the B’s favor, like when he carried one-time Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox on his hip behind the net to set up Patrice Bergeron’s eventual game-winning goal in last Saturday’s win over the Rangers.Yet Marchand believes...