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Belgium’s Prince Laurent under investigation for fraud and extortion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:20 GMT

Belgium’s Prince Laurent — the younger brother of King Philippe — has been accused of fraud and extortion by Libya’s sovereign wealth fund, lawyers from the Libyan Investment Authority said Friday. The move is the latest step in a yearslong dispute between the Libyan authority and the brother of the king over disputed compensation from a failed reforestation project run through his NGO Global Sustainable Development Trust (GSDT) in the North African country in 2008. The project collapsed after the outbreak of civil war in 2011.The LIA alleges that the prince exerted “unacceptable pressure” in his attempt to obtain nearly €70 million of compensation he says he is owed by the Libyan Ministry for Agriculture. Over the years, Prince Laurent’s legal battle has prompted federal prosecutors to seize billions of euros worth of Libyan assets and sparked a parliamentary inquiry into the interest payouts.Law firm Jus Cogens, which represents the LIA, said...

Moped rider killed in crash on Rt. 24 in Brockton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:20 GMT

A moped rider has died after a crash on Route 24 in Brockton late Thursday night, officials said.State police said the crash happened on the northbound side of Route 24 shortly after 11:30 p.m. A preliminary investigation showed the moped and a car collided while the moped rider was changing lanes, according to police. Police said the moped rider was thrown from the bike, which was then hit by three vehicles as it lay in the roadway.The rider was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. The other driver remained at the scene.Investigators were seen in the area overnight, with multiple lanes closed to traffic at one point.  Police said the scene cleared shortly before 1 a.m. The crash remained under investigation as of around 9:30 a.m. Friday. 

Gabby Douglas, three-time Olympic gold medalist, announces 2024 comeback to competitive gymnastics

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:20 GMT

(CNN) — Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas announced her return to competitive gymnastics on Thursday in an Instagram post.“Hey guys long time no post,” the 27-year-old wrote. “As you all know I stepped back from the socials and in that time I did a lot of journaling, reflecting, soul searching and found myself back where it all began…“I wanted to find the joy again for the sport that I absolutely love doing. I know I have a huge task ahead of me and I am beyond grateful and excited to get back out on the floor and even more grateful for all of your support and love. it truly means so much. There’s so much to be said but for now…. let’s do this.”Douglas added the hashtag “2024” to the end of her post – possibly signaling her intent to compete in the Paris Olympics next year.Douglas won two golds at London 2012, including in the all-around event, and added a team gold to that at the Rio Games in 2016.Her return means that ...

Study finds more clues as to why ‘SuperAgers’ have better brains

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:20 GMT

(CNN) — In the largest observational study to date on “SuperAgers” — people in their 80s who have brains as sharp as those 30 years younger — researchers in Spain found key differences in lifestyle that may contribute to these older adults’ razor-sharp minds.SuperAgers in the study had more gray matter in parts of the brain related to movement, and they scored higher on agility, balance and mobility tests than typical older adults — even though the physical activity levels of the two groups were the same.“Though superagers report similar activity levels to typical older people, it’s possible they do more physically demanding activities like gardening or stair climbing,” said senior author Bryan Strange, director of the Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience at the Technical University of Madrid, in a statement.“From lower blood pressure and obesity levels to increased blood flow to the brain, there are many direct and indirect benefits of being physically active that may contribu...

Movie stars could be on picket lines in fight over the future of Hollywood

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:20 GMT

By ANDREW DALTON (AP Entertainment Writer)LOS ANGELES (AP) — Some of the nation’s top movie stars could be on the picket lines Friday when striking screen actors protest alongside writers on the first full day of a walkout that has become Hollywood’s biggest labor fight in decades.The picketing comes a day after the main actors’ union voted to join screenwriters in a double-barreled strike for the first time in more than six decades. The dispute immediately shut down production across the entertainment industry after talks for a new contract with studios and streaming services broke down.The famous faces of Oscar and Emmy winners will likely be seen with some regularity on picket lines in New York and Los Angeles, adding star power to the demonstrations outside studios and corporate offices.In recent weeks, many actors made a show of solidarity with writers, who walked out in May. Now 65,000 members of the actors’ union will formally join them on strike...

House GOP approves Defense bill that restricts abortion access and halts diversity initiatives

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:20 GMT

By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House on Friday approved a sweeping annual defense bill that provides an expected 5.2% pay raise for service members but strays from traditional military policy with political add-ons from Republicans to block abortion coverage, diversity initiatives at the Pentagon and transgender issues that deeply divided the chamber.Democrats voted against the package, which had sailed out of the House Armed Services Committee on an almost unanimous vote just weeks ago, but was being loaded up with the Republican priorities during a heated late-night floor debate heading into Friday’s session. The final vote was 219-210, with four Democrats voting with the GOP, and four Republicans opposed. The bill is expected to go nowhere in the Democratic-majority Senate.Efforts to halt U.S. funding for Ukraine in the war against Russia were turned back, but Republicans tacked on provisions to stem the Defense Departme...

Architect identified as suspect in Long Island serial killings, AP source says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:20 GMT

By MICHAEL BALSAMO and JAKE OFFENHARTZ (Associated Press)MASSAPEQUA PARK, NY (AP) — A man arrested in connection with a long-unsolved string of killings on Long Island known as the Gilgo Beach murders has been identified as Rex Heuermann, an architect living across a bay from where some of the bodies were found, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Friday.Heuermann, 59, was taken into custody in Massapequa late Thursday, the official said. Investigators, some in protective suits, searched his home Friday. Heuermann is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon in state court in Riverhead. Officials have scheduled a press conference to discuss the charges.The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.A message seeking comment was left with Heuermann’s lawyer. Voice and email messages were left at Heuermann’s Manhattan office and at possible numbers for his home and family...

Suspect in death of 12-year-old boy in Mattapan to be released on bail

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:20 GMT

The older brother of the 12-year-old boy shot and killed in Mattapan was arraigned Friday on gun charges in connection to the fatal shooting.Walter Hendrick, 22, of Mattapan, was arraigned at municipal court in Dorchester on charges of improper storage and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Hendrick is expected to post $2,500 bail and return to court on Sept. 6.Hendrick’s arrest was announced late Thursday, just hours after the 2:06 p.m. call that sent police to the horrifying scene where a 12-year-old boy was suffering from gunshot wounds inside 35 Fessenden St. in Mattapan.The boy was rushed by ambulance to Boston Medical Center but pronounced dead there at 2:42 p.m., according to a police report filed with the court.It was apartment two in the triple-decker where the alleged crime was purported to have happened, according to a reading of the charges by the clerk in the First Session Courtroom.Another child, age 9, was also in the apartment at the time of the inciden...

Prosecutor says Kevin Spacey is not just a ‘big flirt,’ but a ‘big sexual bully’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:20 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Kevin Spacey denied that grabbing men by the crotch was his “trademark” pickup move as he became testy under questioning Friday by the prosecutor at his sexual assault trial in a London courtroom.In a heated exchange that required intervention by the judge, Spacey was asked about allegations he aggressively grabbed a man backstage at a charity event in a theater.“Absolute bollocks!” Spacey replied to titters from the gallery in the packed courtroom.“Yes, because that’s exactly where you did grab him, isn’t it?” Prosecutor Christine Agnew snapped back.“Really?” Spacey said as he looked up in disbelief at Justice Mark Wall. “Did he accuse me of grabbing his bollocks?”Someone said, “Yes,” and Wall told him to answer the prosecutor’s question. “I did not,” Spacey said.The two-time Oscar winner stuck to his testimony from a day earlier in which he insisted he never sexually assaulted three of the four accusers who alleged disturbing encounters ...

China’s Shein hit with lawsuit citing RICO violations, a law originally used against organized crime

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:20 GMT

China’s fast fashion retailer Shein is facing a lawsuit that claims the clothing maker’s copyright infringement is so aggressive, it amounts to racketeering.The filing this week claims that Shein is in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, better known as RICO, a law originally crafted to prosecute organized crime. “Shein has grown rich by committing individual infringements over and over again, as part of a long and continuous pattern of racketeering, which shows no sign of abating,” the filing says.In an organized effort to create as many as 6,000 new items per day, Shein uses a “byzantine shell game of a corporate structure” to rip off designers, a coordinated illegal operation that can best be combated through the use of RICO statutes, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit is just the latest in a series of difficulties Shein has faced. In May a bipartisan group of two dozen lawmakers asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to put t...