Russia grinds on in eastern Ukraine; Bakhmut ‘destroyed’
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces have turned the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut into ruins, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, while Ukraine’s military on Saturday reported missile, rocket and air strikes in multiple parts of the country that Moscow is trying to conquer after months of resistance.
Afghan academic rebuilds life in Italy, dreams of returning
ROME — Batool Haidari used to be a prominent professor of sexology at a Kabul university before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. She taught mixed classes of male and female students, and helped patients struggling with gender identity issues.
Philippines protesters decry alleged injustices under Marcos
MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of people marched in the Philippine capital on Saturday protesting what they said was a rising number of extrajudicial killings and other injustices under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Peru’s president asks Cabinet to take anti-corruption pledge
LIMA, Peru — Peru’s newest president, Dina Boluarte, swore in her Cabinet on Saturday just three days after becoming the country’s first female head of state and asked each minister to pledge not to be corrupt while in office.
Kosovo postpones election in ethnic-Serb-dominated north
PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo on Saturday postponed a local election due Dec. 18 in four municipalities with a predominantly ethnic Serb population, in an effort to defuse recent tensions there that have also caused relations with neighboring Serbia to deteriorate further.
Halau Ka Lei Mokihana hosts pop-up through Sunday afternoon
LIHU‘E — A morning concert with coffee, featuring Robert Cazimero and Kuana Torres Kahele, is a nice way to greet Saturday morning.
Wilcox earns national engineering award
LIHU‘E — Wilcox Medical Center was recently named winner of an Engineering News-Record Best Project Award of Merit for its emergency generator replacement project.
Griner in ‘good spirits’ in U.S. after Russian prisoner swap
SAN ANTONIO — Brittney Griner returned to the United States Friday and was reunited with her wife nearly 10 months after her detention in Russia made the basketball star the most high-profile American jailed abroad and set off a political firestorm.
Wall Street falls as U.S. inflation slows but remains hot
A choppy day of trading on Wall Street ended with stocks broadly lower Friday, after a new report showed that inflation is slowing less than hoped just days before Federal Reserve officials are expected to raise interest rates again.
Rioter who assaulted cops at Capitol gets 5 years in prison
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Tennessee man who authorities say came to Washington ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot prepared for violence in a car full of weapons and assaulted officers who were trying to defend the Capitol was sentenced Friday to more than five years behind bars.
Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema switches to independent
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced Friday she has registered as an independent, a renegade move that could bolster her political brand but won’t upend the Democrats’ narrow Senate majority. She says she will not caucus with Republicans.
Trump lawyers in court for sealed hearing in Mar-a-Lago case
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lawyers for Donald Trump were in court Friday for sealed arguments as part of the ongoing investigation into the presence of classified information at the former president’s Florida estate.
Putin says Russia could adopt U.S. preemptive strike concept
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow could adopt what he described as a U.S. concept of using preemptive military strikes, noting it has the weapons to do the job, in a blunt statement amid rising Russia-NATO tensions over Ukraine.
U.S.: Russia, Iran moving toward full defense ‘partnership’
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is accusing Russia of moving to provide advanced military assistance to Iran, including air defense systems, helicopters and fighter jets, part of deepening cooperation between the two nations as Tehran provides drones to support Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
67 journalists, media workers killed on the job this year
BRUSSELS — Russia’s war in Ukraine, chaos in Haiti and rising violence by criminal groups in Mexico contributed to a sharp spike in the number of journalists killed doing their work in 2022, according to a new report released Friday.
New Peru president appears with military to cement power
LIMA, Peru — Peru’s first female president appeared in a military ceremony on national television on Friday in her first official event as head of state, an attempt to cement her hold on power and buck the national trend of early presidential departures.
Serbia mulls sending troops to Kosovo as tensions escalate
BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia’s prime minister said Friday the country’s leadership was close to demanding the deployment of their security troops to Kosovo, claiming lives of minority Serbs there were being threatened. The return of Belgrade’s troops to the former Serbian province could dramatically increase tensions in the Balkans.
Person missing off Maui after possible shark encounter
HONOLULU — Hawaii officials are looking for a missing person who may have encountered a shark off Maui, authorities said Thursday.
Real Estate Directory for December 9, 2022
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Letter for Friday, December 9, 2022
• Recognizing local football teams
New officers highlight KPD’s week
LIHU‘E — The graduation of the 97th Police Recruit Class on Wednesday at the Kaua‘i Veterans Center capped a week of events at the Kaua‘i Police Department.
Moms want gifts for their keiki
Faith is a single mom of two children and a domestic abuse survivor. Faith was recently housed after being homeless for several years, and with the assistance of a housing program she was able to secure permanent housing for herself and her children.
Menehune wahine take basketball opener
WAIMEA — Waimea High School girls basketball opened the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation season with a 47-41 win over Kaua‘i High School on Wednesday night at the Clem Gomes Gym that swelled with spectators as the contest raged on.
Raider wahine soccer gets second win
HANAPEPE — The Kaua‘i High School girls soccer picked up its second win on Wednesday by defeating Waimea High School 5-0 during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls soccer game played at the Hanapepe Stadium.
Happy Camper for Friday, December 9, 2022
Mahalo, Kaua‘i Police Department Chaplain Jade Wai‘ale‘ale Battad (KPD Blue is a nice change of pace from white) for inviting the Kaua‘i County Council in total (how come Billy DeCosta kept trying to hide behind Mel Rapozo?), and Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami to join her in singing the doxology following the blessing for the new police officers (and the seven promotion candidates and the four retirees!) during the KPD graduation on Wednesday.