The High Court of Justice in London has ruled that SAVARO Ltd is liable toward victims of the Beirut port blast and will have to pay compensations, the Beirut Bar Association Prosecution office said Thursday.

On 4 August 2020 , hundreds of tons of explosive ammonium nitrate, typically used in fertilizers, detonated, killing more than 200 people, injuring over 6,000 and damaging large parts of Beirut.

On Dec. 22, 1985, The Associated Press reported the following from Blue Ridge, Georgia:

"Investigators searching for cocaine dropped by an airborne smuggler have found a ripped-up shipment of the sweet-smelling powder and the remains of a bear that apparently died of a multimillion-dollar high."

Sunny skies and unusually warm weather fueled the street party fervor in New Orleans as the city celebrated Mardi Gras — Fat Tuesday — the annual, ebullient climax of Carnival season, marked by shoulder-to-shoulder crowds on raucous Bourbon Street and thousand lining St. Charles Avenue for family-friendly parades.

Celebrations began before dawn in some parts of the city. TV crews captured images of The North Side Skull and Bones Gang — skeleton-costumed revelers — spreading out through the Tremé area to awaken people for Mardi Gras. As the sun rose, parade watchers were already claiming spots along the parade route. Barbecue smells wafted through the Central Business District.

Beverly Gage's J. Edgar Hoover biography "G-Man," Robert Samuels' and Toluse Olorunnipa's "His Name is George Floyd" and Linda Villarosa's study of racism and its effects, "Under the Skin," are among the finalists for awards handed out by the Lukas Prize Project.

The project was established in 1998 and named for the late author and investigative journalist J. Anthony Lukas. The finalists were announced Wednesday by the Columbia Journalism School and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. Winners will be announced March 21.

The next Latin Grammy Awards gala will be held in southern Spain, leaving the United States for the first time, the head of its organization said Wednesday.

Latin Recording Academy CEO Manuel Abud and the regional president for Spain's Andalusia region made the announcement in Seville.

Barcelona will be without some of its regular starters for the return match against Manchester United in the Europa League on Thursday, including playmaker Pedri and forward Ousmane Dembélé because of injuries.

Coach Xavi also won't be able to count on suspended midfielder Gavi.

Brazilian forward Marta is back from a year-long injury, and her availability for this summer's Women's World Cup, potentially her last, boosts Brazil's outlook.

"(To) be around such a good player and a competitive player and a team player, that is something that will help this team going forward, absolutely," Brazil coach Pia Sundhage said. "I think it's pretty cool to be around Marta."

Youth and experience. Speed and calmness. And lots of goals.

The 22-year-old Vinícius Júnior and veteran Karim Benzema are proving to be ideal attacking partners for Real Madrid, teaming up to perfection to keep the European champion thriving.

A weakened Cyclone Freddy which pummeled Madagascar Tuesday night with heavy rains and strong destructive winds, killing four people, is continuing to wreak havoc in the southwest of the Indian Ocean nation.

Freddy battered the western city of Mananjary and left 16,660 people displaced and damaged nearly 5,000 homes in the country, according to the latest provisional assessment by Madagascar's risk and disaster management office. But somewhat weaker winds and better preparation staved off further damage.

Wall Street pointed toward gains early Wednesday as markets await the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's last meeting, a day after the worst selloff of 2023.

Futures for the Dow Jones industrials rose 0.2% and the S&P 500 gained 0.3% before the opening bell.