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A dozen French police wounded in clashes with protesters opposing high speed rail project

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:28 GMT

Twelve police were wounded on Saturday (17 June) in clashes with demonstrators in France's Savoie department where a protest against a high speed rail project in the Alps turned violent, authorities said.Some 2,000 protesters, including a roughly 300-strong dark-clad hardcore, were in the Maurienne Valley objecting to construction of a rail link including a tunnel between Lyon and the Italian city of Turin.They threw rocks at riot police, who responded with tear gas, and one demonstrator was wounded, local prefect Francois Ravier told a news conference.Association Les Soulevements de la Terre contested that figure in a Twitter post late on Saturday and said 50 demonstrators were wounded, including six who were hospitalised."The day is not over, we remain prudent and mobilised," said Ravier, noting a security presence would go through the night.Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted the police injury toll. Border checks turned up 400 objects, like knives and hammers, while 96 indi...

"Sneaking Cults" - Award-winning documentary screening successfully held in Brussels

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:28 GMT

On June 15th, the screening of the award-winning documentary "The Bitter Winter of Belief: Sneaking Cults" was successfully held at the Press Club in Brussels. This event was initiated and hosted by FAE-FAE, the Federation for the Asian Communities in Europe. More than 20 people attended the screening including religious figures from Europe, the United States, and Asia, representatives of anti-cult organisations, representatives of human rights associations, and media reporters."The Bitter Winter of Belief: Sneaking Cults", is a documentary about cults that have taken maximum advantage of the media's freedom to spread their teachings and conspiracy theories with the explosion of online media sources, including social media.Bitter Winter is a magazine as well as an online media in multiple languages supporting cults and an extreme right-wing agenda at its core. Although Bitter Winter claims to be dedicated to promoting freedom of belief, emerging religions and religious pluralism, ed...

Ask Amy: This teen believed her father’s story and she shunned me

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:28 GMT

Dear Readers: Like you, I’m often curious about what happens to the advice I offer once it leaves my desk, and so I’ve asked readers to send in “updates” to let all of us know how my advice was received, if it was followed, and how things turned out.Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: Did my neighbor have to make me seem like a jerk on Facebook? Advice | Ask Amy: My rich boss wants us to provide the food for his party Advice | Ask Amy: I realized too late I was on speaker phone Advice | Ask Amy: He won’t take photos of me on our outings, and it bothers me Advice | Ask Amy: I’m behind on teenage milestones because I’m stressed about the future The responses have flowed in, and I’m interested and often gratified to learn what impact this experience has had on readers.This year I celebrate my 20th year of writing this column. Publishing these updates reminds me that we have been through a lo...

Harriette Cole: My former teacher tells stories about me that aren’t true

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:28 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I often run into a former teacher of mine in my community, and it’s always an awkward encounter. She taught me when I was around 15 or 16 years old, and I’m in my late 20s now.The problem is that every time I see her, she tells me another story about myself that definitely did not happen. The stories are usually her recalling a time that I misbehaved or got in trouble in class.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: I’m afraid my son made a huge mistake, and I don’t know what to do Advice | Harriette Cole: It hurt my feelings when he treated me like a buddy Advice | Harriette Cole: I feel terrible that I hurt their feelings on social media Advice | Harriette Cole: I wonder if they think I’m trying to poach their men Advice | Harriette Cole: Three of my friends are dead, and I’m freaking out I was a straight-A student, and I was always respectful and re...

Don’t Compare Donald Trump to Reality Winner. He’s No Whistleblower.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:28 GMT

Former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Trump National Golf Club on June 13, 2023, in Bedminster, N.J.Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesDonald Trump has nothing in common with Reality Winner. He also has nothing in common with Terry Albury or Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards.Winner, Albury, and Edwards each performed a public service by leaking to the press while Trump was president. All three were later prosecuted by the Trump administration and went to prison for telling the truth to the American people.But don’t confuse Trump’s actions in his classified documents case with what they did. He’s accused of stealing classified information and lying about it, apparently for his own selfish reasons. Public service was never on his mind when he ordered that boxes filled with classified documents be moved around Mar-a-Lago to hide them from the FBI.After Trump was indicted last week, there were plenty of facile comparisons in the media between his case and those of others ...

Black fathers’ group focusing on fitness as way to pass down healthy habits

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:28 GMT

Milton Yates (left) and Terrence Mann (right) at a Fit DC event.You may have heard the phrase “generational wealth” — financial assets being passed down from one generation of family to the next — but one local group wants Black men to focus on generational health.Terrance Mann, a coordinator for Fit Fathers DC and Hard Training Fitness Club, wants fathers to lead the charge to pass down good health habits to their children and grandchildren.“If the man is working out, he’s eating right, being healthy, then everyone else in the household will follow,” he said.Black men have the lowest life expectancy of any other demographic group in the U.S. mainly because of racial disparities in health care. The average life expectancy of Black men is 72 years, four years less than their white counterparts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Although access to quality heath care is the main reason that Black Americans have worse health outcom...

Russian court opens trial of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny that could keep him behind bars for decades

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:28 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian court opens trial of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny that could keep him behind bars for decades.Source

NFL stars swing for the fences in Xavien Howard’s inaugural charity softball game

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:28 GMT

With the Miami Dolphins’ training camp just around the corner, players took a break and showcased their skills on the baseball field instead.In a philanthropic gesture, Miami Dolphins’ four-time Pro Bowler, Xavien Howard, organized an inaugural charity softball game and Home Run Derby, drawing dozens of NFL stars to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.“Feels great man, you know, to have the guys come and stop what they’re doing to help out and support me,” said Howard. The event proved to be a hit, as football players demonstrated their prowess on the diamond, while some found themselves out of their element.7News Donovan Campbell caught up with the participants, who shared their thoughts on the game and their support for Howard’s cause.The Dolphins cornerback was able to convince plenty of his football friends to swing for the fences. Among the notable attendees was Tua Tagovailoa, who admitted his lack of baseball knowledge but surprised everyone w...

EU’s trade ideals face ‘economic security’ reality check

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:28 GMT

The European Commission is preparing to ditch its long-held free-market ideals as geopolitics and U.S.-China competition elbow their way into the picture.On Tuesday, the EU’s executive will propose its economic security strategy, a new political paper which will be discussed by EU leaders at their meeting later this month. Mixing economics and national security was once unthinkable for a bloc which tried to separate its liberal trade policy from foreign politics. But that split has been tested, and in some cases, discarded. National security concerns jumped to the top of the European agenda following Russia’s war in Ukraine, from pipeline sabotage to cutting gas supplies to U.S. pressure to ban on Chinese telecoms suppliers, to new export controls on Dutch chips equipment to China. Europe’s reliance on Russian gas has also shown that dependencies can threaten its economic security if they are weaponized.Now, the EU wants to become a player itself, instead of being bullied ...

Daughter of Taunton mayor found safe after being reported missing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:28 GMT

The daughter of Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell has been found safe after she was reported missing on Wednesday, the mayor announced on Facebook.Riley O’Connell was found around 6 p.m. Sunday in Ohio.Mayor Shaunna O’Connell thanked everyone for the outpouring of support while the search was underway.