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Sports

UGA football car crash deaths: Injured passengers identified in a car crash that killed player and staffer following championship celebration

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CNN
 — 

On the heels of the University of Georgia’s national championship victory, police are investigating a fatal single-vehicle car crash early Sunday that killed football player Devin Willock and staff member Chandler LeCroy just hours after the Bulldogs’ triumphant celebration with fans, authorities said.

Shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday, LeCroy, 24, was driving with Willock, 20, and two other passengers near the UGA campus in Athens when the vehicle went off the road, barreling into two power poles and several trees, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department said in a news release.

Willock died on the scene and LeCroy died after being taken to a hospital, police said. LeCroy was a football recruiting analyst for UGA, according to her LinkedIn.

Two passengers affiliated with the football team were also injured in the crash. Georgia offensive lineman Warren McClendon, 21, received minor injuries, and Victoria Bowles, 26, had serious injuries, according to police.

McClendon started at right tackle for Georgia this season and declared for the NFL draft earlier Saturday. His father, Warren McClendon Sr., told the Athens Banner-Herald he needed stitches on his forehead but is “doing well.”

The crash came hours after Sanford Stadium and the surrounding streets were brimming with ecstatic fans who had come to celebrate the Bulldogs’ second straight national championship. But by the next morning, they had joined the team in mourning the sudden loss of Willock and LeCroy.

Fan Daniel Dewitt attended Saturday’s victory parade and told CNN Willock was “upbeat and happy” as the team passed throngs of supporters draped in red and black.

“It’s just heartbreaking coming off a celebratory week. And the parade yesterday, getting to see this player and then come to find out he lost his life early this morning, the entire Bulldog nation is at a loss,” Dewitt said.

Photos of the crash site taken by nearby residents show a wooden power pole snapped in half and the car’s frame crumpled against an apartment building.

“That car dented like a tin can,” Cecily Pangburn, a resident of the apartment complex told CNN. She described hearing a loud bang when the crash happened, followed by her power going out.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing, police said. Investigators have asked anyone with information to contact authorities.

The two UGA team members were remembered by several university leaders as vibrant and valued presences in the football program.

“Devin was an outstanding young man in every way. He was always smiling, was a great teammate and a joy to coach,” head football coach Kirby Smart said in a statement Sunday.

“Chandler was a valuable member of our football staff and brought an incredible attitude and energy every single day,” the coach said.

Support for the Bulldogs also flooded in from across the college football community on Sunday, including from head coaches Brian Kelly of Louisiana State University and Hugh Freeze of Auburn University.

“These two special people meant the world to our football program and athletic department,” UGA athletics director Josh Brooks said in a statement. “We are working with our medical staff and mental health and performance team to ensure our staff and student-athletes have all the support they need during this extremely difficult time.”

Willock, a redshirt sophomore from New Milford, New Jersey, joined the team as a freshman in 2020, according to UGA’s football roster. He played on the offensive line in all 15 of the team’s games this year.

The player spent Saturday with fans, soaking in the joy of last week’s championship win. One fan in particular got some quality time with Willock in the hours before his death.

Willock met starstruck 7-year-old Camdyn Gonzales after the young fan spotted Willock as he was leaving the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Athens on Saturday.

The player gave Camdyn a fist bump and let the boy try on his enormous 2021 championship ring.

“He was humble and very appreciative that we knew who he was and wanted to talk to him,” Camdyn’s grandfather, Sam Kramer, said, adding that Willock seemed “so full of life and just happy.”

Dewitt, the fan who saw Willock in Saturday’s parade, told CNN he has a 2021 UGA championship tattoo and plans to get a matching one for this season’s victory. This time, he said, it will feature Willock’s number, 77.



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World

Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro arrested in Sicily

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Rome
CNN
 — 

Matteo Messina Denaro, one of the bosses of the Cosa Nostra Mafia in Sicily and Italy’s most wanted man, has been arrested by police while being treated in a private health clinic in Palermo, prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia said Monday.

He had been a fugitive since 1993 and was considered by Europol one of the most wanted men in Europe, de Lucia told CNN.

Denaro was sentenced to life in prison in absentia in 1992 for his role in the murders of anti-Mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, and is thought to be responsible for dozens of Mafia-related murders.

Known as Diabolik, he is regarded as one of the successors of Bernardo Provenzano, who was arrested outside Corleone, Sicily, in April 2006.

He was taken into custody during a raid carried out by specialized agents with the anti-Mafia Carabinieri in the early hours of the morning.

A suspected sighting of him in September 2021 led to a manhunt and hundreds of tips, the prosecutor said.

This is a breaking story, more to follow…

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World

Pope Benedict XVI funeral: Pope Francis leads Vatican ceremony for former pontiff

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Rome
CNN
 — 

The funeral of former Pope Benedict XVI, who died Saturday at the age of 95, began Thursday in a traditional ceremony led by Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

In line with Benedict’s wishes, his funeral will be “simple,” according to the director of the press office of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni. It will be the first occasion in modern times a pope has presided over his predecessor’s funeral.

Members of the faithful have lined the square, which can seat approximately 60,000 people, in anticipation of the ceremony.

The ceremony will be similar to that of a reigning pope but there will be some modifications, Bruni said. Benedict will be named pope emeritus during the funeral, and the language of some prayers will be different because he was not the reigning pope when he died.

The faithful prayed to the rosary as Benedict’s coffin left St. Peter’s Basilica at around 8:45 a.m. local time (2.45 a.m. ET) Thursday.

Francis started leading the mass Thursday morning, when he is expected to give a homily at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET).

Benedict’s coffin will then be transported through the Basilica and to the Vatican crypt for the burial, in the first tomb of John Paul II.

The tomb was vacated after John Paul II’s body and remains were moved to a chapel inside the Basilica after he became a saint.

At the time of the burial during the rite, a webbing will be placed around the coffin with the seals of the apostolic chamber, the pontifical house and liturgical celebrations. The cypress coffin will be placed inside a zinc coffin that is soldered and sealed, and subsequently placed inside a wooden coffin, which will be buried.

The ceremony is expected to end at around 11:15 a.m. local time (5.15 a.m. ET).

High-profile dignitaries including Queen Sofia of Spain and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are set to attend the funeral, alongside US Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donelly.

Benedict, who was the first pontiff in almost 600 years to resign his position, rather than hold office for life, passed away on December 31 at a monastery in Vatican City, according to a statement from the Vatican.

He was elected pope in April 2005, following John Paul II’s death.

Benedict was known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis, who has made moves to soften the Vatican’s position on abortion and homosexuality, as well as doing more to deal with the sexual abuse crisis that has engulfed the church in recent years and clouded Benedict’s legacy.

The scroll that was put inside Pope Benedict XVI’s coffin, which is a biography of his life and mentions some of the most important moments of his tenure, recalls that he “firmly” fought against pedophilia.

“He firmly fought against crimes committed by members of the clergy against minors or vulnerable persons, continually calling the Church to conversion, prayer, penance and purification,” the scroll said.

His death prompted tributes from political and religious leaders including US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Dalai Lama.

About 200,000 mourners, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella, paid their respects to the former pontiff earlier this week during his lying-in-state in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The public viewing of Benedict finished Wednesday, before an intimate religious rite during which items including coins and medals minted over his tenure and a scroll about the pontificate were placed into his sealed cypress coffin ahead of the funeral.

Francis paid tribute to his predecessor during an audience at the Vatican Wednesday.

“I would like us to join with those here beside us who are paying their respects to Benedict XVI, and to turn my thoughts to him, a great master of catechesis,” he said.

“May he help us rediscover in Christ the joy of believing and the hope of living.”

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World

Former Pope Benedict XVI lies in state in St Peter’s Basilica ahead of funeral

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Rome
CNN
 — 

The lying-in-state of former Pope Benedict XVI, who died Saturday at the age of 95, began Monday in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City ahead of his funeral later this week.

Benedict, who was the first pontiff in almost 600 years to resign his position, rather than hold office for life, passed away on December 31 at a monastery in Vatican City, according to a statement from the Vatican.

He was elected Pope in April 2005, following John Paul II’s death.

The former Pope’s body was moved from the monastery to St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday morning, where it was laid out for the faithful to bid farewell, the Vatican said.

Mourners waiting in line in St. Peter’s Square told CNN they wanted to pay their respects to the former pope.

“We’re just here to pray, to give thanks to God for the life of Pope Benedict,” said Paul, a student from Scotland.

“Apart from his theology, which was very important for the Church, I think all the time that he spent in his retirement praying for the Church has been a very big testimony for all of us.”

Benedict’s funeral will be held at 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET) on Thursday in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, according to the director of the press office of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni. The funeral will be led by Pope Francis. In line with Benedict’s wishes, his funeral will be “simple,” Bruni said.

Francis paid tribute to his predecessor while leading the Angelus prayer on Sunday.

“In particular, this salute is to the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who yesterday morning passed away. We salute him as a faithful servant of the gospel,” he said.

Benedict was known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis, who has made moves to soften the Vatican’s position on abortion and homosexuality, as well as doing more to deal with the sexual abuse crisis that has engulfed the church in recent years and clouded Benedict’s legacy.

He stunned the Catholic faithful and religious experts around the world in 2013 when he announced plans to step down from his position as Pope, citing his “advanced age.”

In his farewell address, the outgoing Pope promised to stay “hidden” from the world, but he continued to speak out on religious matters in the years following his retirement, contributing to tensions within the Catholic Church.

His death prompted tributes from political and religious leaders including US President Joe Biden, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Dalai Lama.

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World

Former Pope Benedict XVI asks for forgiveness, thanks God in final letter before death

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CNN
 — 

Former Pope Benedict XVI, who died Saturday in a monastery in the Vatican at the age of 95, asked for forgiveness for those he has “wronged” in the spiritual testament published following his death.

Benedict, who was the first pontiff in almost 600 years to resign his position, rather than hold office for life, passed away on Saturday, according to a statement from the Vatican.

He was elected pope in April 2005, following John Paul II’s death.

During the testament, which consisted of a letter containing the pope’s final words, Benedict spoke of the “many reasons” he had to be thankful for his life.

In the letter dated August 29, 2006, the former pope thanked God for guiding him “well” throughout life. He also expressed gratitude to his parents who he said gave him “life in a difficult time.”

He went on to thank his sister for her “selfless” help and his brother for the “clarity of judgment” he shared with him.

Benedict was known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis, who has made moves to soften the Vatican’s position on abortion and homosexuality, as well as doing more to deal with the sexual abuse crisis which engulfed the church in recent years and clouded Benedict’s legacy.

In April 2019, Benedict discussed the sex abuse crisis in a public letter, claiming it was caused in part by the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the liberalization of the church’s moral teachings.

In January 2020, Benedict was forced to distance himself from a book widely seen as undercutting Francis as he considered whether to allow married men to become priests in certain cases. The book, “From the Depths of Our Hearts,” argued in favor of the centuries-old tradition of priestly celibacy within the Catholic Church. Benedict was originally listed as co-author, but later clarified he had only contributed one section of the text.

A year later, Benedict came under fire over his time as archbishop of Munich and Freising, between 1977 and 1982, following the publication of a church-commissioned report into abuse by Catholic clergy there.

In the 2006 letter, the former pope asked “sincerely” for “forgiveness” for those he “wronged in any way,” in his letter.

In the closing words, the former pontiff asked “humbly,” despite all his “sins and shortcomings,” he be welcomed by God into heaven.

In a separate letter published by the Vatican in February 2022, Benedict issued a general apology to survivors of abuse, writing: “Once again I can only express to all the victims of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness,” but he admitted to no personal or specific wrongdoing.

There is no suggestion his request for forgiveness in his final letter relates to the Catholic Church’s handling of sexual abuse accusations against priests.

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World

Six dead in Spain after bus plunges off bridge into river

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Six people died and two were injured after a passenger bus careened off a bridge and plunged into an overflowing river in northwestern Spain, emergency services said on Sunday.

Two survivors – the vehicle’s 63-year-old driver and a female passenger – were pulled out of the river by firefighters with rope and taken to nearby hospitals with varying degrees of injury.

The driver tested negative for alcohol and drugs, a police spokesperson told Reuters.

The spokesperson added that the search-and-rescue operation around the bridge had now concluded, while engineers attempted to find a way to safely recover the wreckage from the river Lerez.

The river’s strong current and high flow due to heavy rains sweeping the Galicia region hampered efforts to retrieve the bodies throughout the weekend.

The coach from the company Monbus was travelling between the cities of Lugo and Vigo on Saturday night and had stopped at a penitentiary center near the site of the accident.

It skidded off a straight road on the bridge for reasons that remain unclear and plunged into the water in a fall of at least 40 meters (131 feet) at around 9.30 p.m. local time (2030 GMT).

Emergency services were first alerted by a call from a passerby who noticed the bridge’s protective barrier had been severely damaged. Shortly afterwards, they received a second call from inside the bus as it was filling up with water.

The river remained above its overflow threshold throughout the night, forcing emergency rescue workers to suspend the operation for nearly two hours before resuming in the morning.

Authorities at first reported a total of nine people onboard the bus when it fell, based on the driver’s testimony, though the count is now believed to have been eight based on missing person reports filed by relatives.

The regional president of Galicia, Alfonso Rueda, pointed to the “very bad” weather conditions as one of the possible causes of the accident.

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World

‘Do something good’ this Christmas, Pope Francis says

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Rome
CNN
 — 

Pope Francis asked people this Christmas to “do something good,” during his homily at Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Saturday.

“God does not want appearances, but concreteness,” the Pope said.

“May we not let this Christmas pass without doing something good.”

Earlier this month, Francis had asked people to spend less on Christmas presents and donate money instead to people in Ukraine.

The Vatican has set up a web page for donations and has linked up with the Italian crowdfunding site to provide thermal clothing for winter in Ukraine.

The Italian crowdfunding site, www.eppela.com, has already received over 188,000 euros ($200,000). The Vatican said it’s collecting donations through early January.

Francis, who remained seated for most of the mass due to an ongoing knee problem, also spoke about children “devoured by war, poverty and injustice,” who are victims of “a world ravenous for money, power and pleasure,” he said.

The Pope encouraged people to feel closer to God no matter what their situation in life.

“God was born in a manger so that you could be reborn in the very place where you thought you had hit rock bottom,” he said.

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World

Eva Kaili: European Parliament VP expelled by party amid corruption probe involving Gulf nation

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CNN
 — 

Eva Kaili, one of the European Parliament’s vice presidents, has been expelled by her political party in Greece amid a corruption probe.

The Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), one of Greece’s main opposition parties, said in a statement Friday: “Following the latest developments and the investigation by Belgian authorities into corruption of European officials, MEP Eva Kaili is expelled from PASOK-Movement of change by decision of President Nikos Androulakis.”

Kaili’s political group within the European Parliament, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, also announced on Friday they were suspending Kaili from the group with immediate effect “in response to the ongoing investigations.”

This comes as Belgium’s federal prosecutor confirmed to Belgian public service broadcaster RTBF on Friday that one of the parliament’s 14 vice presidents had been taken in for questioning as part of a probe into corruption involving the European Parliament and a country from the Persian Gulf.

In a statement, the prosecutor said that for two years, Belgian federal police inspectors “suspected a country from the Persian Gulf of influencing economic and political decisions of the European parliament,” according to RTBF.

The Belgian police suspect that the country transferred “consequential sums of money” or “important gifts” to significant actors within the European Parliament, according to RTBF.

The federal prosecutor did not identify the vice president but said they were one of four individuals taken in for questioning.

“Among the arrested persons (is) an elderly European parliamentarian,” the prosecutor said.

Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates all surround the Persian Gulf.

Searches carried out as part of the inquiry resulted in the seizure of roughly 600,000 Euros ($632,000) in cash, according to RTBF. Computer materials and phones were also seized as part of the sixteen searches which took place in the Belgian areas of Ixelles, Schaerbeek, Crainhem, Forest and Brussels.

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Science

Prehistoric giant sea turtle newly discovered in Europe

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CNN
 — 

Long ago, gigantic marine turtles swam the Earth’s seas. Until recently, these prehistoric giants, reaching lengths of over 3 meters (10 feet) from head to tail, had been thought to be found only in waters surrounding North America.

Now, scientists have discovered a previously unknown species — the largest European sea turtle ever to be identified.

Initially found by a hiker who stumbled upon the remains in 2016 in the Pyrenees mountains of northern Spain, the species has been given the name Leviathanochelys aenigmatica. “Leviathan” is the biblical term for a sea monster, an allusion to the creature’s large body size, while “chelys” translates to turtle and “aenigmatica” translates to enigma — in reference to the turtle’s peculiar characteristics, wrote the authors of a paper published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.

The unusual animal’s presence in this part of the prehistoric world revealed that giant turtles were more common than previously thought, according to the study.

Before the discovery, the largest European species measured at just 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length, similar to today’s leatherback sea turtles, which weigh an average of 300 to 500 kilograms (660 to 1,100 pounds) and measure 1 to 2 meters (or between 3 and 6.5 feet), according to the Smithsonian Institute.

The bone fragments of this newly identified species, however, have led scientists to estimate that Leviathanochelys had a 3.7-meter-long body (12.1 feet), almost as big as an average sedan.

“We never thought it was possible to find something like this. After quite a long study of the bone fragments, we realized that there were some features that were totally different, not present in any other fossil of a turtle species discovered so far,” said Albert Sellés, coauthor of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona’s Miquel Crusafont Catalan Institute of Paleontology in Spain.

Originally, researchers believed the bones belonged to a different kind of animal, according to Sellés.

“It is quite common to find bone fragments, a lot of them. But most of them are uninformative,” Sellés said. “It is quite rare to discover something that really tells you a little bit of the life of the past.”

A local museum and Catalonia’s Ministry of Culture had originally collected the bone specimens, but they remained unstudied for nearly five years. When Sellés and the other researchers began their work studying the bones in 2021, they realized they were looking at a species of marine turtle completely new to science, and quickly went back to the Pyrenees site to perform more excavations.

There, more fragments of the specimen, including pieces of the turtle’s pelvis and carapace — the part of the shell that covered the creature’s back — were discovered. With these finds, the scientists observed more features not previously seen in any living or dead turtle species.

“The main differences of this new fossil are related to the pelvic region. More specifically, to a couple of bony bumps present in the anterior part of the pelvis, which we suspect are related to some kind of muscle that controls the movement of the abdominal region of the turtle,” Sellés said.

This feature or muscle most likely impacted the turtles’ breathing capacity, allowing them to hold their breath longer than other turtle species, in order to swim deep in the ocean to find food or escape predators, according to Sellés.

The research team estimated the ancient animal lived during the Campanian Age of the Late Cretaceous Epoch, making it at least 72 million years old.

The largest turtle on record, called Archelon, lived some 70 million years ago and grew to be about 4.5 meters (15 feet) long. Before this recent discovery, all prehistoric giant marine turtle discoveries were part of the same lineage as Archelon.

“We’re proving that turtles could achieve really gigantic proportions in different times, and also in different families,” Sellés said. “For the first time, we found a (giant) turtle that doesn’t belong to this family.”

The researchers hope to return to the fossil site again to look for more bones, as they are not certain that all fragments from this specimen have been discovered, according to Sellés.

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US

Oklahoma:Man arrested in connection with ‘executions’ of 4 people at a marijuana growing operation, authorities say

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CNN
 — 

A man was arrested Tuesday in connection with the killings of four Chinese nationals at a marijuana growing operation in Oklahoma, which investigators have described as “executions,” officials said.

One person was also left injured in the Sunday incident, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said.

Wu Chen, 45, was taken into custody in Miami Beach, Florida, Tuesday, according to law enforcement.

“Chen will face Murder and Shooting with Intent to Kill charges,” the OSBI said in a statement. “He is awaiting extradition to Oklahoma.” It was not immediately clear whether the suspect had an attorney.

Police in Miami arrested Chen after his vehicle was flagged by a car tag reader, connecting it to an outstanding warrant in Oklahoma, the statement said.

The investigation began Sunday when Kingfisher County deputies were called to a reported hostage situation and found three men and one woman dead and one person injured, the OSBI said, noting they believed the attack wasn’t random.

The injured person – also a Chinese national – was flown to an Oklahoma City hospital for treatment, but Florence said he did not know their current status.

Investigators are trying to piece together what happened, OSBI Capt. Stan Florence said Monday, but believe the victims and suspect knew each other.

“They all know each other. [We] don’t know if they’re related, don’t know if they’re coworkers, but certainly these individuals were, we believe, all familiar with each other,” Florence said.

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics was also on the scene to investigate the growing operation, according to Florence. It was not immediately clear if the operation was legal and licensed. Medical marijuana is legal in Oklahoma.

Kingfisher County is northwest of Oklahoma City.

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