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Ukraine's Long March Against Illicit Tobacco Trade

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:39 GMT

According to the Corruption Perception Index 2022 of Transparency International, an NGO working in over 100 countries to end the injustice of corruption, Ukraine is one of the few countries tracked that became less corrupt last year – writes Tetiana Koshchuk, Ph. D. (Economics), expert on taxation at the Growford Institute.For the first time, Kyiv is reaping the benefits of its fight against endemic corruption. Compared to ten years ago, Ukraine now scores 8 points more. That brings the total to 33, a historic high for a country fighting a defensive war.The country has a long tradition and a poor record of corruption. Corruption practicesand organised crime are deeply rooted in the Ukrainian society, where the oligarchs are in charge. Law enforcement agencies have notoriously bad reputation. The country’s border with the European Union spanning over 1 500 kilometers has traditionally been a green flield for illicit  trade, with cigarettes – topping the list of goods in both pro...

Passengers vote to kick woman off Frontier Airlines flight

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:39 GMT

Passengers on a Frontier Airlines flight from Trenton, New Jersey to Atlanta took matters into their own hands when one woman onboard became extremely disruptive.In the now-viral video, you can see passengers taking a vote by hand, showing how many of them wanted the woman kicked off the flight. A passenger in a red shirt and glasses is seen calling out, "If you want her removed from the flight, raise your hand!" The passenger goes on to say, "I'm not even kidding. If you can hear me, raise your hand if you want her removed from the flight. I'm not even kidding, I got 40 hands up." Passenger who missed flight makes bomb threat, forces evacuation at LAX, police say The video shows numerous passengers raising their hands in agreement.Following the vote, a security guard was waved over. The leader of the group explained that they wanted this woman off the flight because she was being rude to people. A blonde woman was eventually seen gathering her things and leaving the fli...

NHL Draft Lottery: Will luck be on the San Jose Sharks’ side?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:39 GMT

The San Jose Sharks and their fans would quickly – and gladly — forget about one of the most painful seasons in team history if the organization was able to get a bit lucky Monday and win the NHL Draft Lottery.After finishing the 2022-2023 season with the fourth-worst record in the NHL, the Sharks have a 9.5 percent chance of winning the lottery and earning the right to select center Connor Bedard, the consensus No. 1 player available who is thought to be the league’s next generational-type talent.The Sharks have never had the No. 1 overall pick in their 32 prior drafts. But winning the lottery and selecting the 17-year-old Bedard, who had a staggering 143 points in 71 regular season games this past season, would certainly provide a needed jolt to a team that has missed the playoffs for four straight years.“They always kid about great goaltending makes great coaches and great general managers, and that’s true,” said Gord Stellick, a former GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs w...

Correction: Drug trafficking charges against long-time San Jose Police union’s executive director raise oversight questions

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:39 GMT

A story published Wednesday, April 5 about the San Jose Police Officers’ Association executive director charged in an alleged drug trafficking scheme incorrectly stated the location of the union’s office. The union’s address is 1 mile away from the San Jose Police Department headquarters and Santa Clara County government buildings.

How to recover from ‘tech neck’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:39 GMT

(KRON) -- Occupational, student and recreational habits have led to real pains in the neck, also known as “tech neck” which affects longevity.KRON4 Health Expert Karen Owoc shares easy pain-relieving and corrective solutions.

Youngkin-backed legislators win Virginia Senate nominations

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:39 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Two Republican state legislators in Virginia who were endorsed by GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin won their party’s Saturday nominating contests for a state Senate seat, according to results provided by the party. Incumbent Sen. Bryce Reeves won the Republican nomination for the 28th Senate District, according to an email from Republican caucus spokesman Jeffrey Ryer. Del. John McGuire won the nomination in the 10th District. Reeves is an Army veteran and former law enforcement officer who now works in insurance and has served in the General Assembly since 2012. He ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination for the 7th Congressional District last year, and in 2017 unsuccessfully sought the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor. On Saturday, he beat Mike Allers, a retired police officer who has also worked as a teacher and positioned himself as a grassroots candidate aligned with former President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement. Reeves’ will be h...

Napoli celebrates title in front of own fans

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:39 GMT

NAPLES, Italy (AP) — Naples fans joyfully chanted “It’s us, it’s us, we are the champions of Italy” as the southern team celebrated winning the league title at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.Napoli ended its 33-year wait for the scudetto on Thursday with a 1-1 draw at Udinese. Sunday’s match against Fiorentina was its first game at home since clinching the title.The Fiorentina players gave the Napoli team a guard of honor when it walked out ahead of kickoff.The pre-match choreography at one end of the stadium depicted a giant Italy flag and the number three to signify Napoli’s third Italian championship — and the first since Diego Maradona led the team to two titles in 1987 and 1990.More celebrations — directed by Italian film director Paolo Sorrentino — are planned after the final whistle.Fans were singing and chanting in and around the stadium hours before kickoff, while the team bus was accompanied from the hotel by flag-waving supporters on scooters as it went through streets...

Arsenal keeps pressure on Man City with 2-0 win at Newcastle

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:39 GMT

NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Arsenal kept the pressure on Manchester City in the Premier League title race by beating Newcastle 2-0 in a huge test of its credentials on Sunday.Martin Odegaard’s first-half strike and Fabian Schar’s own-goal, combined with some breathtaking saves by Aaron Ramsdale, saw Arsenal come through the toughest of its final four games with a rare win for a visiting team at St. James’ Park.Arsenal moved back to one point behind City, which has a game in hand but some potentially tricky matches to finish the season as Pep Guardiola’s team goes for a third straight title.Odegaard slammed home a low shot from outside the area to give Arsenal the lead in the 14th minute against the run of play, with third-place Newcastle having already struck the post through Jacob Murphy and had the awarding of a penalty overturned after a VAR check.Before Schar’s own-goal in the 71st, Ramsdale saved brilliantly off Joe Willock and Schar from point-blank range while Alexander Isak he...

Últimas noticias de la guerra de Rusia en Ucrania del 7 de mayo: grupo Wagner se retracta y ahora dice que podría permanecer en Bakhmut

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:39 GMT

(CNN) — Yevgeny Prigozhin, jefe del grupo mercenario Wagner, dio marcha atrás en su amenaza de retirar sus fuerzas de la ciudad de Bakhmut, en el este de Ucrania, después de que se le prometiera más munición.En tanto, las fuerzas rusas han utilizado diversos misiles y armas lanzadas desde el aire contra varias regiones de Ucrania en las últimas 24 horas, según el ejército ucraniano. Las regiones de Mykolaiv y Jersón, en el sur, y Járkiv, en el norte, fueron atacadas.Ucrania dice que utilizó un sistema Patriot de fabricación estadounidense para interceptar un misil hipersónico rusoEn Moscú, los ensayos para el desfile anual ruso del Día de la Victoria, que conmemora el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, comenzaron este domingo.Estas son las noticias más recientes de la guerra de Rusia en Ucrania de este domingo 7 de mayo 2023:Wagner sugiere que sus fuerzas podrían permanecer en BakhmutEl jefe del grupo mercenario Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, durante una ceremonia fúnebre en Mosc...

Meronk makes ‘solid statement’ for Ryder Cup at Italian Open

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:39 GMT

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP) — A morning pep talk from European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald in the locker room. Then a trophy ceremony in the afternoon at the Marco Simone club outside Rome.That’s just what Adrian Meronk has been dreaming about, and the Polish golfer’s Ryder Cup ambitions are starting to look like they might become a reality after he won the Italian Open on Sunday less than five months before the sport’s biggest team event is held on the same course.“I think that’s a solid statement, a solid brick into the wall,” Meronk said. “But it’s not over yet. I know that. … I’ll keep pushing, keep doing what I can to get on the team. But I think that should help a little bit.”Meronk finished at 13-under overall with a 2-under 69 for a one-stroke victory over Romain Langasque, with third-round leader Julien Guerrier three strokes behind in third.It’s not the first time that Meronk has performed well at Marco Simone, having finished in a tie for second behind Nicolai...