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30 people dead in Kenya and Somalia as heavy rains and flash floods displace thousands

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:34 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Heavy rains and flash flooding have killed at least 30 people and displaced tens of thousands in Kenya and Somalia, aid agencies reported Monday. In Somalia, the federal government declared a national emergency after the extreme weather killed at least 14 people and destroyed homes, roads and bridges. Emergency and rescue workers were trying to reach an estimated 2,400 residents trapped by flood waters in the Luuq district of southern Somalia’s Jubaland state. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned of a high risk of flooding along the Juba and Shabelle rivers and called for the evacuation of people living along the entire stretch of the Juba.The heavy rains in Somalia follow four consecutive years of drought that pushed the country to the brink of famine.In neighboring Kenya, the Kenya Red Cross said the death toll had risen to 15 since the heavy rains began Friday, with the port city of Mombasa and the northeastern counties o...

Myanmar resistance claims first capture of a district capital from the military government

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:34 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Armed resistance groups fighting Myanmar ‘s military government seized a district capital in the north Monday after taking state offices and a police station in a four-day offensive, according to residents, the country’s major opposition coalition and media reports.Kawlin in Sagaing region is the first administrative capital seized by the resistance forces in continuing strife since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.Sagaing has been a stronghold of armed resistance to the army, which has responded with major offensives using ground troops supported by artillery and air strikes, burning down villages and driving hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. Loosely organized resistance groups opposed to army rule, known as the People’s Defense Force, or PDF, have sprung up around the country since the army’s takeover. They have made alliances with well-established armed ethnic minority groups such as the Ka...

4 men charged in theft of golden toilet from Churchill’s birthplace. It’s an artwork titled America

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:34 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Four men were charged Monday over the theft of an 18-carat gold toilet from Blenheim Palace, the sprawling English mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born. The toilet, valued at 4.8 million pounds ($5.95 million), was the work of Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan. It was part of an art installation at Blenheim Palace, near the city of Oxford, a few days before it vanished overnight in September 2019. The Crown Prosecution Service said Monday it has authorized criminal charges against four men, ages 35-39, over the theft. They are accused of burglary and conspiracy to transfer criminal property. The golden toilet, titled “America,” was intended to be a pointed satire about excessive wealth. The lavatory was fully functioning, and prior to the theft, visitors to the exhibition could book a three-minute appointment to use it. The artwork has never been found.At the time of the theft, police said that because the toilet had been connected ...

CP NewsAlert: At least one dead after fire at Canada’s high commission in Nigeria

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:34 GMT

OTTAWA — At least one person is dead after a fire Monday at Canada’s high commission in Nigeria, according to local fire officials.More coming.The Canadian Press<!– Photo: 20231106111128-65491459d3d41e9f95c4f762jpeg.jpg, Caption: Nigerian officials say there have been deaths after a fire at Canada’s high commission in Abuja. Cars drive past the National Assembly building in Abuja, Nigeria, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Chinedu Asadu –>

Calgary’s Tate McRae to appear on ‘Saturday Night Live’ as musical guest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:34 GMT

Calgary singer-songwriter Tate McRae has been announced as the musical guest of an upcoming episode of “Saturday Night Live.” McRae is set to perform on the Nov. 18 edition of the show, which will be hosted by actor Jason Momoa.“SNL” announced the pairing on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. McRae first gained recognition as a finalist on the televised U.S. dance competition show “So You Think You Can Dance.”She released her debut album “I Used To Think I Could Fly” in 2022 and her single “greedy,” released earlier this year, hit more than 260 million streams on Spotify. “Saturday Night Live” airs on NBC and Global TV. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2023.The Canadian Press

Tech weakness weighs on S&P/TSX composite, while U.S. stock markets rise

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:34 GMT

TORONTO — Losses in the technology stocks helped lead Canada’s main stock index lower in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were higher to start the week.The S&P/TSX composite index was down 32.10 points at 19,792.75.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 34.37 points at 34,095.69. The S&P 500 index was up 6.88 points at 4,365.22, while the Nasdaq composite was up 47.89 points at 13,526.17.The Canadian dollar traded for 73.11 cents US compared with 73.08 cents US on Friday.The December crude oil contract was up US$1.03 at US$81.54 per barrel and the December natural gas contract was down 23 cents at US$3.29 per mmBTU.The December gold contract was down US$10.00 at US$1,989.20 an ounce and the December copper contract was up three cents at US$3.71 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) The Canadian Press

Baltimore Catholic church to close after longtime pastor suspended over sexual harassment settlement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:34 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Archdiocese of Baltimore will close one of the city’s Catholic churches after its longtime pastor was recently suspended from ministry because he admitted to making a payment several years ago to settle sexual harassment allegations.Last month, Father Paschal Morlino was dismissed from his position at St. Benedict Church in southwest Baltimore, where he served for nearly 40 years and became known for his efforts to help residents of poor neighborhoods surrounding the church.Few details about the 2018 complaint against Morlino have been released. Church officials have said they regarded “alleged sexual harassment of an adult man.” The complainant died in 2020 and a lawyer representing him in the case has declined to comment citing a non-disclosure agreement.St. Benedict is owned and operated by Saint Vincent Archabbey in Pennsylvania, the oldest Benedictine monastery in the country. In a joint statement with the archdiocese on Saturday, monastery leaders said the...

Trudeau confirms appointment of Alberta judge Mary Moreau to Supreme Court of Canada

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:34 GMT

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the appointment of Mary Moreau to the Supreme Court of Canada after nominating her for the post last month.Moreau, who was chief justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta, fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Russell Brown. Before her appointment to the Alberta court 29 years ago, the bilingual Moreau practised law in her native Edmonton, handling civil, criminal and constitutional cases.Moreau was also named a deputy judge of the Supreme Court of Yukon in 1996, and of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories in 2005. She has long been involved in the legal profession at home and overseas through participation in educational efforts, judicial ethics initiatives and court modernization. A majority of the judges on the nine-member Supreme Court of Canada are women for the first time in its 148-year history.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2023.The Canadian Press

August trial date set for officers charged in Tyre Nichols killing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:34 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A judge has set an August trial date for four former Memphis police officers charged in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop in January.During a short hearing on Monday, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. announced the Aug. 12 trial date in the cases of Emmitt Martin, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith. Each has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in state court. A fifth officer charged in the case, Desmond Mills Jr., pleaded guilty last week to federal charges of excessive force and obstruction of justice. The plea is part of a larger deal in which prosecutors said he had also agreed to plead guilty later to state charges. Mills is the only officer to admit guilt in the criminal case. Prosecutors are recommending a 15-year prison sentence for Mills, but the final sentencing hearing rests with the federal judge. Caught on police video, the beating of Nichols in January was one in a string ...

Morale down, cronyism up after DeSantis takeover of Disney World government, ex-employees say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:34 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Morale and trust within the Walt Disney World government has deteriorated since allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took it over earlier this year, according to many employees who have departed in recent months saying the governing district has been politicized and cronyism now permeates the organization.More than 30 out of about 390 employees have left the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District since it was taken over in February, raising concerns that decades of institutional knowledge is departing with them, along with a reputation for a well-run government. “When I first joined the District, I found an organization that strived to be the very best at serving our community, sought the very best employees and valued those employees above all else,” a former facilities manager with three years of experience said in an employee exit survey last week. “I find myself leaving a completely different District. A District that prioritizes politics above all else a...