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Firewalkers in Greece honor Saint Constantine in mystery-shrouded, centuries-old rituals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:24 GMT

LAGKADAS, Greece (AP) — Sotirios Gkaintatzis danced across burning coals, his stomping bare feet raising sparks and puffs of smoke as he held aloft an icon of Saints Constantine and Helen. Gkaintatzis is the leader of a group of anastenaria — the devotees of St. Constantine who celebrate these centuries-old rites in a smattering of small villages near Greece’s border with Bulgaria. Firewalking is the most spectacular and public of these annual rituals that include dancing, prayer, and shared meals in the konaki, a private dwelling where the icons are preserved for generations. “Dancing and firewalking is like communicating with the saints,” Gkaintatzis said through a translator before leading the solemn ceremony in the middle of a residential street in Lagkadas. “It cannot be translated into words. It’s all a matter of faith.” This year’s festival carried extra meaning for Gkaintatzis’ group. It was the first since his father — the group’s former leader — died last...

Swedish appeals court upholds life sentence in Russia espionage case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:24 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden’s highest court on Thursday upheld the life sentence for the eldest of two Iranian-born Swedish brothers for spying for Russia and its military intelligence service GRU for a decade.Peyman Kia, a naturalized Swede, was sentenced to life in January in one of the Scandinavian country’s biggest espionage case in decades. His brother, Payam Kia, was given nine years and 10 months. They were found guilty for having worked jointly to pass information to Russia between Sept. 28, 2011, and Sept. 20, 2021.At first, both brothers appealed the Jan. 19 sentences by the Stockholm District Court. But Payam Kia retracted his appeal last week, hours before the appeals verdict was scheduled to be announced. His lawyer, Björn Sandin, explained to Swedish broadcaster SVT that his client feared getting a higher sentence. Thursday’s verdict by the Supreme Court was postponed a week because of that. As before, proceedings were held behind closed doors most of the time because of t...

Delaware taps artificial intelligence to evacuate crowded beaches when floods hit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:24 GMT

Delaware’s low elevation mixed with crowded beaches and limited exit routes make the state particularly vulnerable to massive flooding, but officials hope an influx of federal infrastructure money will trigger future evacuation plans automatically via artificial intelligence.The Biden administration was set to announce a total of $53 million in grants Thursday to Delaware and seven other states aimed at high-tech solutions to traffic congestion problems. Although the money comes from the infrastructure law the president signed in 2021, many of the programs — including the $5 million for flood response efforts in Biden’s home state — have evolved since then.“What’s new is the predictive analysis; the machine learning,” U.S. Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt, Delaware’s former transportation secretary, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Because now we have access to all this data, it’s hard for us as humans to figure out what is da...

Woman, 25, shot in Jewel-Osco parking lot on Far South Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:24 GMT

CHICAGO — A 25-year-old woman was shot while sitting inside a vehicle in the parking lot of a Jewel-Osco supermarket on the city's Far South Side.The shooting happened around 10:40 p.m. Wednesday at a Jewel-Osco in the 9400 block of South Ashland.Police said the 25-year-old was a passenger in the backseat of a vehicle when a blue car approached and began shooting into the vehicle. Man dead following officer-involved shooting in Des Plaines The woman was shot in the left arm and transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in good condition. No one is in custody. Area Two detectives are investigating.

Thursday Forecast: Temps in low 60s with decreasing clouds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:24 GMT

Thursday Forecast: Decreasing clouds to sun, coolest lakeside, warmer SW, ENE 10-15 G20. High: 63, Low: 57Thursday Night: Clear, NE 5-15. Low: 47Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Friday: Sunny, cooler lakeside, ENE 5-15. High: 68, Low: 61

Tributes for Tina Turner, the global music superstar, pour in after her death at 83

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:24 GMT

A collection of tributes that poured in Wednesday from musicians, actors and athletes following the death of musical superstar Tina Turner. “I’m so saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner. She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer. She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her.” — Mick Jagger said on Instagram. Turner performed with Jagger during a show in 1985 and toured with the band in the 60s.“We have lost one of the word’s most exciting and electric performers. A total legend on record and on stage. She was untouchable. Condolences to Erwin and her family. The saddest news.” — Elton John said on Instagram. Iconic rock and soul singer Tina Turner dies “How do we say farewell to a woman who owned her pain and trauma and used it as a means to help change the world? Through her courage in telling her story, her commitment to stay the c...

Body cam video shows San Marcos police used stun gun on deaf man in 2019

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:24 GMT

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — Four years ago Thursday, San Marcos Police used a stun gun against a deaf man after they responded to a call of a physical disturbance. For the first time, KXAN received body camera video from that day. The video shows the man with his hands up before officers used the stun gun. That incident led to a lawsuit against the City of San Marcos and the officers involved. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Deaf man and wife suing San Marcos PD for alleged excessive force that landed him in the hospitalr "They started to taser me over and over and over again," said John Kelley.What happened?Through an American Sign Language interpreter, Kelley shared what he remembered about the day in May 2019. Kelley said he and his wife got into an argument after leaving dinner with their children. He said someone saw them and called 911 for a possible physical disturbance. "My wife and I were signing after she got out of the car very aggressively in our heated debate," Kelley said. He sai...

Travis County dive team stays busy searching for bodies in Lake Travis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — "You are literally searching with five eyeballs, which are attached to the end of your fingers. You're going by feel only," described Travis County Sheriff's Office Dive Team Captain Jeremy Turner.Turner, the no-nonsense leader and veteran of the team, is describing the conditions his divers are up against when searching for bodies up to 100 feet below the surface of Lake Travis. Watch KXAN documentary "The Wake: Secrets of Lake Travis" We met Turner along with his 16-member team on a windy and overcast spring day on the shoreline of Lake Travis' Bob Wentz Park. They were there in their dry suits practicing searching for underwater bodies, dropping a dummy and prop gun off a boat, and instructing the team to go find them. Turner's vivid description of eyeballs on your fingertips is a reference to the near-zero visibility below the surface. Travis County Sheriff's Office Dive Team Leader Jeremy Turner watches a training dive. (KXAN Photo/Tom Miller)"On a regular day...

New water reservoirs to help south Austin in emergencies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- City council approved the design contracts for two water reservoirs in south Austin that are meant to increase water access to people during emergencies. Southwest residents were hit hardest during the 2021 winter storm, according to Austin Water. Southwest Parkway Transmission Main & Elevated Reservoir project and the South I-35 Elevated Reservoir project will enter the design phase for the next three years, be under construction for an extra three years, and be operational by 2030, Austin Water director Shay Ralls Roalson explained. "We'll make this water system for them much more robust and resilient," Ralls Roalson said. Circle C neighborhood reacts to new projectsKaren Hibpshman has been the manager of the Circle C homeowners association for the past 10 years, serving in that position during the 2021 winter storm. She said the impact of the storm was traumatic for the 18,000 people who call Circle C home. "It was stressful because it was something completel...

Austin plastic surgeon volunteers medical treatments in West Africa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin-based plastic surgeon is volunteering her time and talent to help those who need it most.Earlier this month, Dr. Tosan Ehanire treated several skin cancer patients and burn victims in Liberia.Within the West African nation, the use of open fires for cooking in homes has made severe burn injuries a common occurrence.Due to the country’s scarce medical resources, many of these wounds remain untreated for years."Injuries are very common, especially among women and young children who carry out these domestic activities,” Ehanire said.Over a 10-day span, she operated on seven patients.One of them included a two-year-old baby girl, who was suffering from a severe chemical burn injury on her face."We did a surgery to release those scars,” Ehanire explained. “To open up her mouth, so that she could actually eat."The Austin-based plastic surgeon volunteers for Liberia Medical Relief.Dr. Kevin Strathy helped found the nonprofit as a lifeline for medical supplies and ...