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France denies military presence in Ukraine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:24 GMT

The French government denied on Saturday that French soldiers were on the ground in Ukraine, Le Monde reported. “There are no French forces engaged in operations in Ukraine,” the team of Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu told the French outlet.A throve of leaked documents detailing plans about Ukraine’s spring military offensive and circulating online reportedly imply that French soldiers are present on the battlefield in Ukraine. According to the Guardian, “one slide suggested that a small contingent of less than a hundred special operations personnel from NATO members France, America, Britain and Latvia were already active in Ukraine.”The material reportedly also includes information on Ukraine’s readiness and training capabilities as well as death tolls. It’s unclear who originally obtained and leaked the documents, and the extent to which they may have been altered. It could also be “a Russian disinformation operation,” U.S. official...

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ is a box office smash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:24 GMT

Audiences said let’s go to the movie theater for “ The Super Mario Bros. Movie ” this weekend. The animated offering from Universal and Illumination powered up with $204.6 million in its first five days in 4,343 North American theaters, including $146.4 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates on Sunday. With an estimated $173 million in international earnings and a global total of $377 million, “Mario” broke records for video game adaptations (passing “Warcraft’s” $210 million) and animated films (“Frozen 2’s” $358 million). Its global total makes it the biggest opening of 2023 and the second biggest three-day domestic animated opening (behind “Finding Dory”). It’s also a record for Illumination, the animation shop behind successful franchises like “Minions,” which has made over $5 billion from its 13 films. The PG-rated “Mario” is an origin story of Brooklyn plumbers Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt, and Luigi (Charlie Day), who fall into a pipe and come out in another ...

Good Samaritan stops attempted armed carjacking in Brampton

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:24 GMT

A suspect is in hospital following an attempted armed carjacking in Brampton.Peel police say just after 8:30 a.m. Sunday a man armed with a weapon approached someone at a gas station in the area of Steeles Avenue West and Mississauga Road.A bystander saw what was going on and intervened, subduing the suspect until police arrived. Police tell CityNews the suspect was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Exact charges have yet to be laid.The bystander was treated for minor injuries at the scene while the victim suffered no physical injuries.

Ukrainians celebrate Palm Sunday in church marred by dispute

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:24 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Willow branches in hand, Ukrainians marked Palm Sunday in the country’s most revered Orthodox site that has been at the heart of a religious dispute playing out in parallel with the war against Russia.Dozens of worshippers filled the grand Refectory Church of Anthony and Theodosius located inside the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastic complex. Many more waited outside in the sprawling courtyard and observed the service there. The occasion marks the first significant religious service to be held in the complex following the March 29 eviction order issued by the Ukrainian government against Orthodox monks residing in the monastery over their alleged links with Russia. The monks had refused to leave the premises before the eviction deadline. Sunday’s service was peaceful with some police presence by the entrances of the complex. The site, which is known in English as the Monastery of the Caves, contains a church, monastic and museum buildings. It’s oldest parts date back...

CPD: 11-year-old missing from NW side found

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:24 GMT

CHICAGO — An 11-year-old boy who went missing on the Northwest Side since Friday has been found. 2 men fatally shot in Garfield Park shooting, ID’d

These are the most photographed parks in the US, according to Yelp

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:24 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — It's easy to admire the beauty of nature when you're visiting a park, whether it's one of the hundreds of national parks in the U.S. to the countless state and local parks near you. Sometimes the beauty is so stunning, you may feel inclined to snap a photo or two to remember it. That's especially true for some parks, a new Yelp analysis found. After identifying parks listed on its website for both the U.S. and Canada, Yelp ranked the top 25 based on how frequently users submitted photos for each.Surprisingly, only six are national parks (and half of those are in Utah). It was the most visited national park in 2022, but it isn’t exactly a park With more than 11,000 photos on Yelp's site, topping out the list was New York City's Central Park. Spanning more than 843 acres, Central Park serves over 42 million visitors every year and offers more than just green space. Visitors can also explore the Belvedere Castle, recreate a scene from "Home Alone" at Gapstow Bridge, and ...

Barr says US potentially has 'very good evidence' Trump obstructed justice in classified documents case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:24 GMT

(The Hill) – Former Attorney General Bill Barr said Sunday that investigators probing the potential mishandling of classified documents by former President Trump likely have "very good evidence" that Trump attempted to keep authorities from obtaining the materials after he left the White House.The case against Trump, Barr said, comes down to the matter of how long it took the government to get the materials back, which will play a significant role."He had no claim to those documents, especially the classified documents.  They belonged to the government.  And so, I think he was jerking the government around.  And they subpoenaed it.  And they tried to jawbone him into delivering documents," Barr said."But the government is investigating the extent to which games were played and there was obstruction in keeping documents from them.  And I think that's a serious potential case.  I think they probably have some very good eviden...

Florida mom wins $2M lottery prize day after daughter beats cancer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:24 GMT

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida woman recently won a $2 million lottery prize – but that wasn't even the best news she received that week. Geraldine Gimblet, of Lakeland, told the Florida Lottery she stopped at Pipkin Road Beverage Castle for a ticket.“At first, the gas station clerk thought there were no tickets left, but I asked him to double check because I like the crossword games the best," Gimblet said. "He found the last one!”Upon finishing the puzzle, she realized she had won $2 million.But that was far from the only positive news for Gimblet. Gimblet’s daughter told the Lottery, "The day before my mom bought this ticket, I rang the bell and walked out of the hospital after completing my last treatment for breast cancer."She said her mother had taken out her life savings to take care of her while she was sick."I’m just so happy for her!” she said.Gimblet claimed her $2 million top prize from the $2 million Bonus Cashword scratch-off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters ...

The do's and don'ts of asking for a raise at work

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:24 GMT

(WEALTH OF GEEKS) - Studies show, despite the stress typically associated with asking for more money at work, 78% of people who ask will receive a raise. Meanwhile, only 2% of people who didn't ask for a raise, got one anyways.Asking for a pay increase is a nerve-wracking experience for many people.What if they say no? Will it make you look bad because you want more money?When asking for a raise the odds are in your favor, and the average annual raise rate in the United States is 7.6%.The key to getting the "yes" is to ensure you make a strong case for yourself without appearing greedy or entitled. Following a few key dos and don'ts can increase your chances of success.Do: Research Your WorthBefore asking for a pay increase, it's crucial to do your research to make sure you truly are underpaid and to give you an idea of what your salary should be.Look up the average salaries for your job title in your geographic location, and consider factors like your ...

Wild sign top prospect Brock Faber of the Gophers to entry-level contract

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:24 GMT

About 12 hours after the Gophers’ crushing defeat in the NCAA championship game, Minnesota native Brock Faber has signed an entry-level contract with his home-state Wild.The official release came on Sunday morning as the Wild announced that they have signed the 20-year-old Faber to a three-year contract starting with the 2022-23 season. He will join the Wild immediately and will travel with them on the upcoming road trip to Chicago.It’s still unclear if Faber will make his NHL debut against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night at the United Center. He could also wait about 24 hours and make his NHL debut against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night at the Xcel Energy Center.As the Gophers’ captain this season, Faber had 27 points (4 goals, 23 assists), while serving as a stabilizing force on the blue line. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Maple Grove native leaves college with a long list of accolades that includes him being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year tw...