GREEN MAG

TOKYO, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Soldiers and swarms of snow plows battled in Japan on Tuesday to clear ​record-breaking snowfalls that have buried some northern and ‌western cities, as the death toll rose to 30 from winter ‌storms.

Japan regularly receives some of the highest snowfall in the world, making it a top destination for winter sports, but this year's bitter conditions could dent turnout in Sunday's ⁠general elections, the first ‌in 36 years scheduled in midwinter.

Troops from the Self-Defence Forces were drafted in to help ‍authorities struggling to clear a nearly 2-m (7-ft) pileup of snow in the city of Aomori, the biggest seen in four decades.

About ​1,000 snow plows began trying to push snow ‌off 3,800 km (2,300 miles) of roads in Sapporo, the largest city in the Hokkaido region, broadcaster Nippon TV said.

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The scale of this year's snowfall temporarily closed Hokkaido's main airport last week, stranding hundreds of passengers, while snarling other ⁠travel, delaying train services and forcing ​the closure of some highways.

More ​than 100 people have suffered serious injury nationwide in snow-related incidents since January 20, while 30 ‍have died, figures ⁠from the disaster management agency show.

The agency did not specify the manner of death, but domestic media ⁠have reported falls from rooftops as people tried to clear away ‌massive mounds.

(Reporting by Rikako Maruyama; Writing by John ‌Geddie; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

PARIS (AP) — French prosecutors will seek to ban far-right leader Marine Le Pen and officials from her National Rally party from holding office, putting her 2027 presidential bidat stake.

Le Pen, 57, is seeking to overturn a March 2025 ruling thatfound her guiltyof misusing European Parliament funds in the hiring of aides from 2004 to 2016. During the crucial appeal trial that started last month, Le Pen acknowledged some people performed work for her party, then known as the National Front, while being paid as EU parliamentary aides, calling it "a mistake."

One of the prosecutors, Thierry Ramonatxo, said Tuesday the alleged misappropriation of public funds represents "a very serious breach of probity" that gave the party "a concrete advantage in the form of substantial savings made at the expense of the European Parliament."

Ramonatxo said prosecutors would requesta key Paris appealscourt to find party officials guilty and ask for a ban on elected office. Details of the sentences to be requested are expected later on Tuesday.

Stéphane Madoz-Blanchet, another prosecutor, denounced "a system" set by party leaders. "The acts of misappropriation of public funds were deliberately and carefully concealed," he said.

The appeal trial, involving Le Pen, 10 other defendants and the National Rally party as a legal entity, is scheduled to last until next week. The court is expected to announce its verdict later, possibly before summer.

Speaking to journalists in the courtroom Tuesday, Le Pen said: "I never expect a pleasant surprise when I set foot in a courtroom."

"I'm not the one who decides. I don't hold the cards," she added.

Le Pen was seen as the potential front-runner to succeed President Emmanuel Macron in the 2027 election until last year's ruling, whichsent shock wavesthrough French politics.

Several scenarios are possible, from acquittal to another conviction that may bar Le Pen from running in 2027. She also could face an even tougher punishment if convicted anew — up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 1 million euros ($1.17 million).

If she becomes ineligible, she has designated her 30-year-old protégé, Jordan Bardella, as her successor in the presidential bid.

A couple is suing a Florida fertility clinic afterthey were implanted with the wrong embryo, and asking for help locating their daughter's biological parents.

Tiffany Score and Steven Millsmade a social media postasking for prayers as they navigate "this deeply confusing and painful time" with their daughter Shea, born December 11. They also expressed "unbearable" fear that their daughter might be taken from them at any time.

"I have a million things I want to say and so many emotions I wish I could share, but for now, this is what we are able to tell you: due to a medical error — the wrong embryo implanted by the doctor — Shea is not genetically related to either Steve or me," Score wrote. "While we are profoundly grateful to have Shea in our lives and love her immeasurably, we also recognize that we have a moral obligation to find her genetic parents."

The post went on to acknowledge this case has the potential for many potential outcomes. They likely will not comment further until their legal counsel has an update, although they did have a final request.

"If you have any information on the family who might be at the other side of this, please contact us," Score wrote.

How a Florida couple knew a fertility clinic implanted them with the wrong embryo

Questions were raised after Score gave birth from an emergency c-section and baby Shea looked to be a different race than Score and Mills, who are white.

Testing confirmed the baby had "no genetic relationship to either of the Plaintiffs,"according to the lawsuit filedthis month in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.

The couple underwent in vitro fertilization treatment at IVF Life, Inc. D/B/AFertility Center of Orlando.Three viable embryos were created using their sperm and eggs.

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In March 2025, Score was implanted with an embryo, which resulted in Shea's birth. Score wrote despite the mix up, it resulted in a "healthy baby girl whom we love more than words can express."

GoFundMe account set up to assist Florida couple in IVF embryo mix-up

Score's sisterestablished a GoFundMe account to help cover"extensive medical expenses, including prior IVF costs, hospital bills, and mental health therapies."

Money raised also will support efforts to locate baby Shea's biological family and to find Score and Mills' genetic embryos, "which may or may not still exist." The couple also is hoping to retrieve Score's eggs that were frozen at a different clinic seven years ago, a process that could cost thousands.

"The emotional trauma produced by such a scenario is impossible to comprehend: desperately wanting to celebrate the miracle that is birth while battling utter shock and confusion," Score's sister Alexa Score wrote. "Not to mention, being unable to talk to family and friends about their grief. This complex situation brings up multiple questions: Who and where are the baby's biological parents? Where are Tiffany and Steve's embryos? Were their embryos implanted into someone else? Do Tiffany and Steve have living breathing children in this world? The possibilities are hard to fathom."

What Fertility Center of Orlando said about giving a patient the wrong embryo

Located in Longwood, about 30 miles north of Orlando, the center offers various fertility services including testing, egg donation and help with male infertility.

Calls to the clinic from USA TODAY Network have not been returned. The clinic acknowledged the situation in a now-deleted statement on its website.

"We are actively cooperating with an investigation to support one of our patients in determining the source of an error that resulted in the birth of a child who is not genetically related to them," according to the statement. "Multiple entities are involved in this process, and all parties are working diligently to help identify when and where the error may have occurred. Our priority remains transparency and the well-being of the patient and child involved. We will continue to assist in any way that we can regardless of the outcome of the investigation."

Michelle Spitzeris a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network's Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida's breaking news.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today:Florida couple seeking baby's genetic parents following embryo mix-up

MILAN (AP) — TheMilan Cortina Winter Gamesare themost spread-outin Olympic history.

Milan Cortina Spread Out Games Olympics

For the organizers of the Feb. 6-22 Games, it was a choice to use existing infrastructure as much as possible, but this means no central hub and strategic choices for spectators. The Games will span over 22,000 square kilometers (8,500 square miles).

Here is what it means in practical terms.

Choices and strategies

For any visitor to the Games, it would be extraordinary difficulty to see ice sports in Milan, men's Alpine skiing in Bormio, snowboarding in Livigno, cross-country skiing in Predazzo, biathlon in Anterselva and women's Alpine skiing in Cortina, before heading to the closing ceremony in Verona.

It's a circuit that covers over 850 kilometers (530 miles) and would amount to nearly 13 hours of non-stop driving.

Organizers sought to take advantage of existing infrastructure but there still been hiccups getting theCortina sliding venueand theSantagiulia ice hockey arenain the city of Milan finished on time.

Spreading out the Games reduced the number of new structures, and allowed more areas in northern Italy to benefit from the investments and tourim that come with such big events.

But it also deprives the Games of one emotional center, meaning spectators must make hard choices about which events to attend, and athletes will have difficulty cheering on teammates in far-flung disciplines.

A complex itinerary

Mona Patel, a Los Angeles-based lawyer, and her partner worked out an itinerary months in advance to attend men's downhill skiing and snowboarding in the Valtellina cluster near the Swiss border, as well as bobsled and luge in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

They hope to catch skating events in Milan on the way in and out of Italy. If they pull it all off, they will have hit three of the four Olympic clusters.

To make it work, they booked one accommodation in Valtellina and another in South Tyrol, putting them in range for their selected mountain events and allowing them to hit the slopes themselves.

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Patel said the complex itinerary was made affordable through HomeExchange — she used points she had built up by putting her own real estate in California on the exchange platform, and spending them for places in Italy.

"Our priority is to see Olympic events," Patel said. "If there is going to be a powder day, we would love to get out. Sometimes if there is an event in the afternoon or evening, we can do both. We are not daunted by the distances."

Making it a family experience

This will be Lars Thorn's sixth Olympics, but the first for his wife and two young children. Coming from southern California, he ruled out outdoor competitions because of the cold weather and decided to focus on ice sports in Milan. Distance was another factor — though he is sorry to missLindsey Vonn, who is still hoping to compete in Cortina despite a weekend knee injury.

"With two little kids, being outside in the elements doesn't lend itself to a family experience," Thorn said.

He's planning to take his 5-year-old son to long track speed skating and men's and women's hockey — all reachable by public transport in Milan — while his wife and daughter take in Milan's sights.

His next Olympics will be close to home in Los Angeles, where he will be able to walk to four venues from home and reach another seven by a quick ferry ride — a logistical contrast from Milan Cortina.

The first Olympics with 2 hub cities

The headliners of Friday's opening ceremony, likeMariah Careyand Andrea Bocelli, will perform in Milan's San Siro Stadium. But to ensure that all competitors from the far-flung venues can participate in the Parade of Athletes,elements of the ceremonywill be broadcast from Livigno, Predazzo and Cortina.

With these also being the first Olympics with two hub cities and with events clustered in four areas, organizers also had to find housing not only in Milan and Cortina, but in four other sites: Anterselva near the Austrian border, Bormio and Livigno near the Swiss border, and the Val di Fiemme in the Trentino autonomous province.

Milan is the only city getting a legacy Olympic Village, which will become housing for 1,700 students after the Games. A temporary village was built in Cortina; existing hotels and facilities were adapted in the other locations.

The last time Italy hosted the Winter Games, in Turin 2006, spectators buzzed about the medals ceremony each day in the center of the city, which became a focal point of the Olympic spirit. Because of the distances, medal ceremonies in Milan Cortina will be held at the venues immediately after the competitions.

"If you have tickets to an event, it's nice to see the crowning of the champion," Thorn said. But he added that the Olympic Plaza in Salt Lake City, as in Turin, created a unique atmosphere.

"That, I think, is one of the highlights, for the city to feel like they are part of it," Thorn said.

Defending national champion Florida and runner-up Houston are climbing in USA TODAY Sports' latest men's basketball bracketology update.

After a sluggish start that included non-conference losses to Arizona, TCU, Duke and Connecticut, theGatorshave moved to a No. 3 seed and within a half-game of first place in the SEC.

Florida has lost just twice in nearly two months and now has a combined 10 Quad 1 and 2 wins. On Sunday, the Gators shot 51.3% from the field and had a plus-16 turnover margin in a 100-77 win against Alabama.

Meanwhile, Houston steps up to the No. 2 line after rebounding from a road loss to Texas Tech with wins against TCU and Cincinnati.

After playing just four true away games to date, the Cougars are set to face a daunting Big 12 road slate down the stretch, including dates at Brigham Young, Iowa State and Kansas.

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Notable fallers in the bracket include No. 3 seed Nebraska, which has recently lost high-profile conference games against Michigan and Illinois, and No. 6 seed Arkansas, which drops a line after losing at home to Kentucky.

March Madness bracketology projection for NCAA Tournament

March Madness Last four in

UCLA, New Mexico, Ohio State, Santa Clara.

March Madness First four out

Miami (Fla.), Virginia Tech, Seton Hall, Missouri.

NCAA tournament bids conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues:Big Ten (11), SEC (10), ACC (7) Big 12 (7), Big East (3), Mountain West (3), West Coast (3).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:March Madness bracketology: Houston, Florida top tournament projection