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Canada follows peers, blasts Hong Kong bounties that include Edmonton-born activist

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:47 GMT

Ottawa is condemning Hong Kong officials for issuing bounties for the arrest of eight activists living abroad, days after Canada’s peers slammed the move.Hong Kong’s national-security law restricts civil liberties in the territory, which is a special administrative region within China but was guaranteed certain democratic freedoms when Britain handed over the former colony in 1997.Officials announced on Monday that eight pro-democracy activists who are charged under the law are the subject of bounties, with authorities offering the equivalent of roughly $170,000 for information leading to an arrest.Edmonton-born Dennis Kwok, who renounced his Canadian citizenship when he became a Hong Kong legislator in 2012, is on that list.Global Affairs Canada says in a tweet that it is “gravely concerned” by Hong Kong officials seeking to apply the law outside the territory, saying it undermines democratic rights and freedoms.Today’s statement comes after the U.S., ...

Ontario police crack cold case from 1975, charge Florida man with murder

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:47 GMT

Ontario Provincial Police say they have cracked a decades-old cold case and charged a man with murder of a woman who was found dead in eastern Ontario 48 years ago.Police say they have identified a woman found dead east of Ottawa in 1975 as Lalla Jewell Parchman Langford, who was 48 at the time.Police say Rodney Nichols, an 81-year-old man who resides in Florida, has been charged with murder.The remains of the victim were found on May 3, 1975 floating in the Nation River near the Highway 417 bridge and the unidentified woman was known for decades as the “Nation River Lady.”A non-profit organization that works to identify victims in cold cases says the woman was identified after OPP contacted them for help on the case in early 2019.The DNA Doe Project says a DNA profile for the victim was uploaded to genetic genealogy databases in 2020 and its team of volunteers identified Langford as a likely candidate within a few weeks.

Suspect, 40, arraigned on murder charges in Philadelphia mass shooting that killed 5

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:47 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A 40-year-old accused of killing a man in a house and then gunning down four others on the streets of a southwest Philadelphia neighborhood before surrendering to police officers has been arraigned on murder and other charges.Kimbrady Carriker was arraigned Wednesday on five counts of murder as well as charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons counts of possession without a license and carrying firearms in public, prosecutors said. A 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old youth were also wounded by gunfire and another 2-year-old boy and a woman were hit by shattered glass in the Monday night rampage that made the working-class area of Kingsessing the site of the nation’s worst violence around the July Fourth holiday.Police called to the scene found gunshot victims and started to help them before hearing more shots. Some officers rushed victims to hospitals while others ran toward the gunfire and chased the firing suspect. Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom...

EU moves toward latest gene techniques in food production to counter climate change, shortages

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:47 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union took a step Wednesday toward adapting its food production to the new ways of the world: The 27-nation bloc wants to embrace the latest gene techniques it hopes will help safely counter global challenges like climate change and shortages. For decades, the EU was conservative in allowing the use of genetically modified organisms — which often brought up connotations of Frankenfood rather than improved crop production — while the United States and others quickly adopted the new bioengineered technologies. However, the EU’s executive commission on Wednesday threw its weight behind so-called new genomic techniques, which seek to change organisms in a much less intrusive way than the GMOs of old, and to allow many to be sold without special labeling. “In many ways, new genomic techniques can give you the same results as through conventional and natural selection, or through targeted crossbreeding, but with much more speed, precision and efficiency,...

Ukraine, Russia accuse each other of planning to attack Europe’s biggest nuclear plant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:47 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine and Russia accused each other Wednesday of planning to attack one of the world’s largest nuclear power plants, but neither side provided evidence to support their claims of an imminent threat to the facility in southeastern Ukraine that is occupied by Russian troops.The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been a focus of concern since Moscow’s forces took control of it and its staff in the early stages of the war. Russia and Ukraine have regularly traded blame over shelling near the plant that caused power outages. Over the last year, the U.N.’s atomic watchdog repeatedly expressed alarm over the possibility of a radiation catastrophe like the one at Chernobyl after a reactor exploded in 1986.The six reactors at Zaporizhzhia are shut down, but the plant still needs power and qualified staff to run crucial cooling systems and other safety features.Ukraine has alleged more recently that Moscow might try to cause a deliberate leak in an a...

Democrats' effort to force gun votes fizzles in House

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:47 GMT

A Democratic strategy to move tougher gun laws through the House has hit a brick wall of GOP opposition, all but guaranteeing the hot-button issue will be relegated to the realm of campaign messaging in the Republican-led lower chamber.  Democratic leaders had launched procedural maneuvers last month designed to force votes on several gun reform measures over the objections of GOP leaders. The gambit, known as a discharge petition, is rarely successful. But supporters had hoped the effort would bear fruit this year given the growing public outcry over endemic mass shootings and the widespread popularity of proposals like expanded background checks, one of which is sponsored by a Republican. But even that GOP lawmaker, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), has refused to endorse the petition, citing the likelihood that the background check bill would fail in the Senate. The unanimous Republican opposition has highlighted the limited powers of the ...

TSA screens record-breaking number of passengers on busiest day in agency's history: 'Extremely busy'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:47 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The Transportation Security Administration recorded its single busiest day in history on Friday, TSA officials confirmed over the weekend.On June 30, officers at TSA checkpoints nationwide screened a total of 2,883,595 travelers, marking the “highest number of passengers the agency has screened on record,” according to the TSA.The next-busiest day on record occurred on Nov. 27, 2019 — the Sunday after Thanksgiving of that year — when a total of 2,882,915 passengers were screened.The days before and after July Fourth and Thanksgiving have historically been busy times for travel. In 2019, for instance, TSA officers nationwide screened just under 2.8 million passengers the Sunday before the Fourth, marking another of the agency’s busiest travel days in history. Decreased demand for air travel amid the pandemic, however, contributed to plummeting passenger numbers in the subsequent years.Travelers more than made up for it on Friday, though, with many likely planning trips or...

Texas State offers free 24/7 counseling for students

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:47 GMT

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) --- Texas State University students are now able to access more mental health support, with university officials crediting a new partnership with the virtual health provider TimelyCare. The collaboration allows Texas State students to access these services 24/7 at no additional cost to them via the TimelyCare App or by visiting TXST TimelyCare.The university said students will have access to the following: On-demand mental health and emotional support (TalkNow) Mental health counseling sessionsPsychiatry servicesHealth coachingCare navigationBasic Needs assistancePeer support communityDigital self-care contentTXST said while many campus counseling centers often have a two-to-three-week wait time, students using can now connect with a provider in less than five minutes. According to the university, TimelyCare is offered at more than 250 colleges and universities across the country.

Wetlands development still on track, say town officials

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:47 GMT

By Trevor BuschSunny South NewsSome of the development ongoing for the constructed wetlands near Taber Lake has raised questions among the public in recent weeks, but town officials say the project is on track and in compliance with Alberta Transportation.The constructed wetlands project has been ongoing since April 2022. The Town drafted a Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP) in 2015 that identified a need for storm water storage on the east side of Taber, adjacent to the Taber Reservoir. Once completed, the development will direct stormwater from the intersection of Highway 36 and 56th Avenue to the wetlands where it will be stored and treated naturally.Recent excavation and infill work on the project had drawn some questions from the public, suggesting the proper approvals may not have been in place with Alberta Transportation. The Town says that’s not the case, however.“There was a canal location that was filled in temporarily so that the contractor could move equipment across,” s...

Coalhurst Council approves veteran memorial poster project in town

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:47 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsCoalhurst Legion Branch No. 273 has announced the upcoming introduction of the Banner Project to the town.The project is a unique initiative aimed at commemorating and honouring past and present veterans using a series of banners. These banners will be displayed for a few weeks in the fall and stored for future displays, illustrating the enduring respect that Coalhurst has for its veterans. The Town of Coalhurst has granted permission to hang the banners on the light standards across the town, a fitting location. The Coalhurst Legion is still deliberating on a supplier and the cost implications of the project and intends to share detailed information in the forthcoming newsletter. The Banner Project is a remarkable way for Coalhurst to recognize and pay tribute to the veterans who have served Canada.The Legion Memorial Banner Program is an initiative by the Royal Canadian Legion that involves displaying banners on local streets in Canada in memory of ...