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Indonesia’s navy pushes a boat suspected of carrying Rohingya refugees out of its waters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:51 GMT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s navy said Thursday that it forcibly pushed a boat packed with refugees back to international waters after the vessel approached the shores of Aceh province.The province that forms part of Sumatra island has seen an increasing number of arriving boats, most carrying Rohingya refugees from southern Bangladesh. Large numbers of Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in 2017 following military attacks on members of the persecuted Muslim minority in their homeland of Myanmar.The Indonesian navy said a coast guard vessel detected a boat thought to be carrying Rohingya refugees entering Indonesia’s waters on Wednesday. A helicopter from a navy ship subsequently spotted a wooden vessel nearing Weh island in north Aceh province, the navy said. The navy ship KRI Bontang-907 located the boat about 63 nautical miles (72 miles) off the Indonesian coast and drove it out, “ensuring that the boat did not return to Indonesian waters,” the navy said in a s...

A Qatari court reduces death sentence handed to 8 retired Indian navy officers charged with spying

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:51 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Qatar’s Court of Appeal reduced Thursday the death sentence handed in October to eight retired Indian navy officers on spy charges, the Indian foreign ministry said.Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement the detailed verdict has not been received yet. “We are in close touch with the legal team as well as family members to decide on the next steps,” he said.India’s ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present in the Qatari court along with the family members and New Delhi will continue providing consular and legal assistance, Bagchi said. “We will also continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities,” he said.Qatari authorities provided New Delhi consular access to the eight Indian nationals during their trial.Bagchi said no further comment was possible due to the confidential and sensitive nature of the case. The eight were charged with spying while working at Al Dahra, a consulting company in the oil-rich Gulf sta...

Brampton man charged after pedestrian struck and killed by dump truck near Eglinton and Dufferin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:51 GMT

Toronto police have charged a Brampton man in the November death of a pedestrian who was struck by a dump truck near Eglinton Aveue West and Dufferin Road.Emergency crews responded to the scene just after 10:30 a.m. on Monday, November 13.Investigators say the dump truck was heading westbound on Eglinton when it struck a 53-year-old man who was crossing at the intersection.The man was rushed to hospital where he later died.The driver involved remained at the scene.On Tuesday, December 26, 2023, police charged Rohit Sharma, 31, of Brampton with dangerous operation causing death.

Flag football gives female players sense of community, scholarship options and soon shot at Olympics

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:51 GMT

DENVER (AP) — There were times when Jo Overstreet felt all alone as a standout flag football player on boys teams growing up in Texas.Sure, she was accepted. Considered just one of the boys.She longed for something more — a sense of sisterhood.These days, the 40-year-old receiver for Team USA sees a thriving community of females of all ages and all abilities lifting the sport to new heights. It’s an expansion that will only be enhanced with the sport’s recent addition to the Olympic program for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.The non-contact game featuring plenty of fast-paced action has really been on the rise for a while, with girls-specific teams and leagues springing up from coast to coast — from continent to continent, too. Eight states have sanctioned girls flag football as a high school varsity sport — more are initiating pilot programs — and college scholarships are now offered for female players on the NAIA level. The NFL has even thrown its weight behind f...

High levels of carbon monoxide, mould found in homes on Ontario reserves: study

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:51 GMT

A study has found air inside homes on four remote First Nations in northwestern Ontario contained carbon monoxide, fine particles, mould and other substances that increase the risk of respiratory infections.The report’s author, David Miller, a distinguished research professor at Carleton University, says there are ways to improve ventilation. “This is an opportunity not a black hole,” said Miller.The study published last month tested the air in 101 homes on Lac Seul First Nation, Kasabonika Lake First Nation, Sandy Lake First Nation and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation. Three of the communities aren’t accessible by road except during a short time in winter.About 27 per cent of the homes had elevated levels of carbon monoxide. Almost half had visible mould.“Ten per cent of the houses have enough mould damage that they should be fixed today, not tomorrow,” Miller said. He said researchers also found endotoxin levels higher than in any previous study in Canada. Levels of the b...

Man stabbed to death at Burger King in Des Plaines; police still searching for suspect

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:51 GMT

DES PLAINES, Ill. — Police are searching for a man who stabbed and killed another man at a Des Plaines Burger King on Wednesday evening.According to the Des Plaines Police Department, at around 6 p.m. Wednesday, two men inside the Burger King on the 800 block of South Elmhurst Road got into a fight. It ended with one of the men being stabbed multiple times. That man died shortly after being rushed to the hospital.According to police, the suspect took off before they arrived on the scene. Authorities from Des Plaines and Cook County were still on the scene early Thursday morning, hours after the stabbing happened. Amazon truck stolen at gunpoint in Irving Park There is no description of the suspect, but police say there is likely surveillance cameras inside the Burger King and on nearby businesses that could help police identify the suspect. Right now, police say, it’s not known what may have started the fight.Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the ...

Thursday Forecast: Showers likely, snow inland low 40s

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:51 GMT

Thursday: Chilly & showers likely, snow inland. winds north 10-15 mph. High: 40, low: 20s Thursday Night: Staying overcast, evening showers likely, showers taper overnight. NNE 10-15 mphChicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Friday: Partly cloudy, scattered showers, high: 42

Two injured, car hits church in hit-and-run incident late Wednesday night on city's West Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:51 GMT

CHICAGO — Two people were hurt after a hit-and-run incident late Wednesday night caused a car to hit a church in the Garfield Park neighborhood on the city's West Side.Chicago police were called to the 4100 block of W. Harrison St. at approximately 11 p.m. for a reported crash. Police say the driver of a gray Dodge Durango struck a black Impala in traffic, which caused the Impala to hit a church.The driver of the Durango then fled the scene, police say.Two people in the Impala were taken to the hospital by the Chicago Fire Department with non-life-threatening injuries. Nobody is in custody, and police are investigating.

How to recycle your Christmas tree in and around Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The season for holiday decorations is over, which means lots of people are going to be figuring out what to do with their live Christmas trees. Instead of dumping them, consider recycling. The Austin Resource Recovery encourages Austinites to give their trees a second life by repurposing them into mulch or compost, and starting Dec. 26, the City of Austin curbside customers can place all-natural holiday trees curbside to be collected on their regularly scheduled composting collection day. Trees can also be dropped off at Zilker Park for recycling. The City of Austin has been recycling holiday trees for over thirty years. Only all-natural trees are accepted. If being recycled curbside, trees should be set out by 5:30 a.m. All ornaments, decorations (including tinsel), lights and tree stands must be removed, and trees six feet or taller should be cut in half. Trees sprayed with flocking are not accepted, and trees should not be placed in plastic bags.The 37th Annual H...

City of Austin finishes sidewalk program funded by 2016 bond

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – City of Austin leaders said Wednesday work is done on a sidewalk program funded by a $720 million bond voters approved in 2016. According to the city announcement, the sidewalk program was finished one year ahead of schedule. Over the past six years, the city said it spent $37.5 million in 2016 bond money building or repairing more than 56 miles of sidewalk.As KXAN reported in July, there are approximately 2,800 miles’ worth of existing sidewalks within the city network, with roughly 1,500 miles of gaps existing. 1500 miles of sidewalk missing citywide Since the Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department (ATPWD)’s last update six years ago, the city has increased its sidewalks network from 2,400 miles to 2,800 miles.Some of the equity focal points for determining which sidewalk constructions and improvements are prioritized included:Existing or planned public transit stops, stationsPopulation demographic trends, including areas seeing a high volume of new...