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Indigenous leader of Guatemalan protests says they are defending democracy after election

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:13:44 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — One of the leaders of the nationwide protests against efforts to undermine Guatemala’s elections that have paralyzed much of the country’s commerce for nearly two weeks is a young one-time law student who now heads up one of the country’s most important Indigenous organizations.While Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei tries to draw President-elect Bernardo Arévalo into a dialogue aimed at ending the protests, Luis Pacheco says that it isn’t Arévalo’s call to make and that Giammattei could end them by meeting their demands.Guatemala has been roiled throughout much of this year’s election cycle and even a resounding victory by Arévalo in August did not calm it. The academic and former diplomat ran on a platform of battling corruption that observers say has unnerved Guatemala’s entrenched power structure.This month’s protests have been the largest public display rejecting the administration’s questioning of the election. Protesters have peacefull...

Live updates | Day 6 of the latest Israel-Hamas war

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:13:44 GMT

The Israeli government is under intense public pressure to topple Hamas after its militants stormed through a border fence Saturday and killed hundreds of Israelis in their homes, on the streets and at an outdoor music festival.In the Gaza Strip, meanwhile, residents are facing ever-growing uncertainty after the territory’s only power plant ran out of fuel and shut down Wednesday. Without power, communication is limited and information is scarce. Egypt has engaged in intensive talks with Israel and the United States to allow the delivery of aid and fuel through its Rafah crossing point, which remained closed on both sides Thursday. However, Egypt pushed back against proposals to establish corridors out of Gaza, saying an an exodus of Palestinians from the enclave would have grave consequences on the Palestinian cause.The war, which has claimed at least 2,600 lives on both sides, is expected to escalate. Here’s what’s happening on Day 6 of the latest Israel-Hamas wa...

Crane removes famous tree by Hadrian’s Wall in England that was cut down in act of vandalism

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:13:44 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A crane on tracks removed large sections of a much-loved and often-photographed tree Thursday from the place near the Roman landmark of Hadrian’s Wall in northeastern England where the sycamore was cut down two weeks ago in an apparent act of vandalism.The National Trust, which seeks to protect England’s heritage and natural landscapes, said it was necessary to move the downed tree to protect the delicate and now-damaged wall and to make the site safe again for visitors.The stump, which could generate new shoots, will be kept in place and is currently behind a protective barrier. Seeds also were collected to see if they could be used to propagate new saplings.Though the 50-foot-long (15-meter-long) tree was too big to move in one piece, experts hope that relocating the trunk in large sections will provide opportunities for preserving it. “We’ve explored every option for moving the tree, and while it isn’t possible to lift it in one go, as the tree is multi-stemmed with...

Saskatchewan government tables school pronoun bill, invokes notwithstanding clause

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:13:44 GMT

REGINA — The Saskatchewan government has tabled legislation and the notwithstanding clause to prevent children under 16 from changing their names or pronouns at school without parental consent.A judge granted an injunction at the end of September pausing the Saskatchewan Party government’s pronoun policy.Premier Scott Moe pledged the same day to recall the legislature early to put the policy into legislation and invoke the notwithstanding clause. The clause is a rarely used provision that allows governments to override certain sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for up to five years.Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said Thursday he was pleased to table the parents’ bill of rights act.“Parents should always be involved in important decisions involving their children,” Cockrill said in a news release.Opposition NDP house leader Nicole Sarauer said the bill tramples on the rights of children“Here’s a government willing to call a sitting in an ...

Judge hears arguments from TikTok and content creators who are challenging Montana’s ban on app

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:13:44 GMT

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — TikTok and Montana faced off in federal court on Thursday in a case filed by the video sharing app and five Montana content creators who want the court to temporarily block the state’s ban on the platform before it takes effect Jan. 1. Attorneys for TikTok and the content creators argued that the state has gone “completely overboard” in trying to regulate TikTok and is essentially trying to implement its own foreign policy over unproven concerns that TikTok might share user data with the Chinese government. Christian Corrigan, the state’s solicitor general, said Montana’s law was less a statement of foreign policy and rather addresses “serious, widespread concerns about data privacy.”U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said he would rule on the motion for a preliminary injunction as quickly as possible.In May, Montana became the first state in the U.S. to pass a complete ban on the app, based on the argument that the Chinese government could gain access to user ...

Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyer struggles in cross-examination of Caroline Ellison, govt’s key witness

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:13:44 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyer struggled through a meandering cross-examination of the FTX founder’s former girlfriend Thursday, keeping both the judge and the public guessing as to the defense team’s strategy in countering the testimony of the government’s key witness.Caroline Ellison had testified over the two previous days that Bankman-Fried directed her at several times over the years to pull money from FTX customer accounts to fund investments and trading strategies at Bankman-Fried’s cryptocurrency hedge fund, Alameda Research. Ellison was the CEO of Alameda when it and FTX collapsed in November of last year. Ellison spent much of her testimony walking the jury through how she repeatedly had to tap into the customer deposits at FTX to solve problems at the hedge fund or at the exchange. FTX deposits would be withdrawn to pay for new investments or political donations, or to hide steep losses on Alameda’s balance sheet, she testified. All of ...

Health ministers are set to wrap up two days of meetings in Charlottetown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:13:44 GMT

CHARLOTTETOWN — Federal Health Minister Mark Holland and his provincial and territorial counterparts are wrapping up two days of meetings in Prince Edward Island today.Earlier this week, Holland said a focus of these meetings would be how provinces and territories are going to expand their health workforces and retain those already there amid what many advocates have called a crisis in health care.Members of the Canadian Health Coalition, P.E.I. Health Coalition, the P.E.I. Federation of Labour and the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions demonstrated this morning in downtown Charlottetown, calling for urgent universal pharmacare and an end to the privatization of health services.The federal government has promised to table pharmacare legislation this fall.Tracy Glynn, national director of operations with the Canadian Health Coalition, says there are major concerns about provincial governments opening the door to private health services, as New Brunswick has done by altering legisla...

One of two brothers pleads guilty in fatal shooting of Ella French

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:13:44 GMT

CHICAGO -- One of the two brothers accused in the fatal shooting of Chicago officer Ella French has pleaded guilty.Eric Morgan, 25, pleaded guilty to several felonies in exchange for a seven-year prison sentence and his cooperation. Prosecutors said Morgan's brother, Emonte Morgan who is also in his 20s, killed officer French and shot her partner Carlos Yanez in the summer of 2021.When their SUV was pulled over in Englewood, Eric and another woman followed the officers' orders, but prosecutors said Emonte refused to get out of the car and a struggle ensued. Former NFL player Sergio Brown arrested in San Diego on murder warrant of mother Emonte is accused of shooting both French and Yanez. French died from her wounds and Yanez was critically injured but recovered from his injuries. Another officer returned fire hitting Emonte twice. The brothers have been held in custody since their arrest and Emonte has been charged with murder and several additional felonies. French was remember...

Missouri deer painted with 'pet' sign causes concern

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:13:44 GMT

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. (KTVI) – A peculiar "pet" roaming through a Missouri county has caused growing concern among officials and residents. The animal — a four-point buck — has been spotted in Jefferson County with a collar around its neck and the word "pet" painted on its coat. But for some of those who live in the city of Festus, these sightings no longer come as a surprise."We were sitting up there eating, and here he is walking up in the backyard, and I look at [my wife] going, 'What’s going on? He’s not scared?'" Craig Brooks recalled of his earlier encounter with the deer. Bowfisherman scores world record fish in Missouri Brooks and his wife, Ann Brooks, have lived in the neighborhood for years. But recently, he and his neighbors have increasingly noticed the domesticated deer around houses in the subdivision."By the burn pile, he’s from me to you," he told a reporter with Nexstar's KTVI during an interview. "I didn’t feel comfortable with him being that close." Brooks sai...

Red Cross asking for more blood and platelet donations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:13:44 GMT

The American Red Cross is making another pitch for blood donations.The organization said it needs 10,000 more pints of blood and platelets each week over the next month to meet the needs of hospitals.Donors of all blood types are welcome, but those with type O blood and platelet donors are needed the most.As an incentive, the Red Cross is giving out $10 restaurant gift cards to people who donate between October 21 and November 9.To make an appointment, use the Red Cross blood donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1(800)-Red-Cross.Upcoming blood donation opportunities: Cook County:Chicago10/21/2023: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., The R. Scott Falk Family Blood Donation Site, Rauner Center, 2200 W Harrison10/22/2023: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., The R. Scott Falk Family Blood Donation Site, Rauner Center, 2200 W Harrison10/22/2023: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Mary Mother of God Parish, 5500 N. Broadway10/23/2023: 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Willis Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive10/23/2023: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Prentice Hospital - N...