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Powerful Cyclone Ilsa lashes Australia’s northwest coast

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:53 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s most powerful tropical cyclone in eight years lashed the nation’s sparsely populated northwest coast with winds gusting to 289 kilometers (180 miles) per hour Friday but was weakening fast and no injuries were immediately reported.Cyclone Ilsa crossed the Pilbara coast of Western Australia state as the most severe Category 5 storm, but it quickly weakened to a Category 3 system as it moved inland, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said.Damage was still being assessed in the path of Ilsa, which made landfall in the early hours between the iron ore export town of Port Hedland and Wallal Downs Station, a 2,020-square-kilometer (780-square-mile) cattle ranch to the northeast.The remote Pardoo Roadhouse and Tavern, 150 km (93 miles) northeast of Port Hedland, had “extensive damage,” Department of Fire and Emergency Services Superintendent Peter Sutton said.But his department had received no calls for assistance. “It appears the larger po...

Saunders aims to change ‘culture of safety’ with TTC security plan

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:53 GMT

Safety on the TTC has been top of mind for several candidates currently running for Toronto mayor. On Wednesday, former police chief Mark Saunders released his plan and it takes a much harder stance than others when it comes to combating violence. In January, Toronto police boosted patrols on the transit system in response to safety concerns following several high-profile attacks. Officials said officers made 314 arrests during their two months of added patrols while the TTC said safety incidents were down in February following the increased police presence. The TTC says it is also adding 50 contract security guards and 20 outreach workers to the system as an interim response.Saunders says as mayor he plans to increase the number of Special Constables to at least 200, taking them “out from behind the desk and on patrol” so they will be more visible on subways and platforms. He would also transfer responsibility for the Special Constables program from under the TTC to the...

Russian court fines Wikipedia for article about Ukraine war

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:53 GMT

A Moscow court on Thursday again fined Wikipedia for a Russian-language article it refused to remove about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the latest in a series of government moves to silence objective reporting or criticism of the war and restrict the Russian public’s access to information.The court fined Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that runs the free, publicly-edited online encyclopedia, 2 million rubles ($24,464) for not removing a Wikipedia article titled “Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia region,” a reference to one of four Ukrainian provinces that Russia annexed last September. Most countries have condemned the annexation, as well as that by Russia in 2014 of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, as illegal.The state Tass news agency said the Wikimedia Foundation had failed to heed the demands of Russia’s state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor to remove articles containing “false information.” Tass said a Wikipedia representative asked the ...

UN: As many as 400,000 migrants may cross Darien Gap in 2023

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:53 GMT

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Two U.N. groups said Thursday that the number of migrants crossing the dangerous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama could soar to as many as 400,000 this year. That would represent a huge increase from the 250,000 migrants estimated to have crossed the roadless, jungle-clad route in 2022. The U.N. agencies for refugees and migration said in a report that nearly 100,000 people may have already made the crossing so far this year, six times more than in the similar period of last year. If that trend keeps up, it could mean many more migrants seeking to reach the United States through Central America and Mexico. The groups called it “an unprecedented movement (of people) through the Americas.”The United States pledged its forces will assist their Colombian and Panamanian counterparts with intelligence gathering to dismantle smuggling rings operating in the Darien Gap, which is a key route for migrants heading to the U.S. from South America, a senior Biden administ...

Motorcycle rider seriously injured after crashing into pickup truck in Aurora

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:53 GMT

A motorcycle rider suffered serious injuries following a crash Wednesday afternoon in Aurora. Provincial police say a group of motorcycles were travelling at a high rate of speed and lane splitting in the northbound lanes of Highway 404 between Bloomington Road and Wellington Street East when one of them collided into the back of a pickup truck. The injured rider was taken to a nearby hospital in serious condition. Police are asking anyone who may have been in the area at the time of the crash and has dash cam video to contact them.

Missouri to limit gender-affirming care for minors, adults

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:53 GMT

COLUMBIA. Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s attorney general announced new restrictions Thursday on gender-affirming care for adults in addition to minors in a move that is believed to be a first nationally and has advocacy groups threatening to sue. Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced plans to restrict health care for transgender people weeks ago, when protesters rallied at the Capitol to urge lawmakers to pass a law banning puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries for children. But the discussion was focused on minors, not adults. Missouri Attorney General spokeswoman Madeline Sieren clarified in a statement later in the day that adults also would be covered. “We have serious concerns about how children are being treated throughout the state, but we believe everyone is entitled to evidence-based medicine and adequate mental health care,” Sieren said. The rule, which incudes a required 18 months of therapy before receiving gender-affirming health care, is set to take effect April 27...

3 people shot, 1 critically, in Chicago's South Shore

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:53 GMT

CHICAGO — Three people were shot, one critically, while they were walking Thursday afternoon in Chicago's South Shore.According to police, two women were walking behind two men around 3:10 p.m. in the 2100 block of East 71st Street when someone got out of a car and started firing shots at the men. School bus damaged by gunfire during attempted carjacking on West Side The two women, ages 22 and 33, who took cover behind a car in an alley, suffered graze wounds and refused medical attention, according to police.An 18-year-old man was shot in the shoulder, thigh and the back and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, according to police.Chicago police said an additional person, a man, got out of a gray car and started shooting at the person who was shooting at the man.No one is in custody yet and the incident is still under investigation by Area One detectives.

VIDEO: 7-foot gator finds new home under Florida man's truck

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:53 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida father was shocked when he came across a 7-foot alligator hiding under his truck on Thursday.Joey Quinlan told WFLA.com he was working at his home in New Tampa when he got a phone call from his next-door neighbor. It was alarming enough for Quinlan to race out the door, phone in hand. RECALL: A/V carts sold since 1980s have killed 3 kids "It's big," a woman can be heard saying in a cellphone video as Quinlan cautiously edged further from his front door.It was an alligator — 7 feet long to the mark.With no pond in sight, Quinlan was curious as to how the scaly suspect wound up underneath his Toyota pickup.Quinlan said he and his family had moved from Illinois about three-and-a-half years ago. Since then, they had not seen anything like the beast which sat before them. The occasional snake or large insect, maybe, but nothing like the 80 conical-shaped teeth staring back at them. Walmart closing 4 locations in Chicago Quinlan said they had received an...

What we know about suspected Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:53 GMT

Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira was arrested Thursday over his alleged role in leaking secret files from the Pentagon that have embarrassed U.S. allies and cast doubt on Ukraine's ability to succeed in its war with Russia. The arrest came hours after President Biden said on Thursday the U.S. is “getting close” in the investigation to finding the source of the largest government records leak in a decade.The New York Times reported earlier Thursday that Teixeira, 21, was the leader of the Discord server where the files were shared and is an Airman First Class with the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.A hundred or more of the documents are thought to exist, detailing everything from Russian and Ukrainian battlefield assessments to affairs across U.S.-allied nations.Here's everything we know about Teixeira and the investigation into him. What officials are sayingIt’s unclear how Teixeira had access to highly classified information. Atto...

Big night in the Bronx for Twins in 11-2 rout of Yankees

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:53 GMT

NEW YORK — Edouard Julien collected his first and second major league hits. Michael A. Taylor, Julien and Carlos Correa hit back-to-back-to-back home runs. And the Twins smacked eight hits, six for extra bases.And that was just the first inning.For the past 20 years, Yankee Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Twins, but it was anything but on Thursday night, when the Twins pounded out 13 hits in an 11-2 series-opening beatdown of the Yankees.Oh, and Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan was quite good himself to put the cherry on top of the Twins’ big night. Ryan was staked to a nine-run lead before he even set foot on the mound, watching his teammates put the game out of reach before his night even started.Fittingly, an exciting night for the Twins started with one of their most exciting prospects, Julien, 23, who looks like he could plant himself atop the Twins’ lineup for years to come.Playing in front of a crowd of about 25 friends and family members, Julien got the offensive ...