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‘The battle isn’t won’: Next 48 hours crucial in Quebec wildfire fight: Bonnardel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:28 GMT

MONTREAL — The next 48 hours will be crucial in Quebec’s wildfire fight in northern and western parts of the province, Public Security Minister François Bonnardel said Saturday, with authorities hoping the situation remains stable ahead of rain forecast for early next week.Bonnardel told reporters that warmer temperatures and lower humidity levels will precede the moment when precipitation is expected Tuesday in those hard hit regions, noting the hotter, drier conditions could exacerbate the wildfire situation.“We have to hold on for the next 48 hours, the flammability index will increase, the humidity will cease and the temperature will rise. It’s a cocktail that could bring new fires,” Bonnardel said.“The battle isn’t won,” he added.Environment Canada meteorologists are forecasting about 10 to 20 millimetres of rain for affected regions when the precipitation does arrive. On Saturday, firefighters set their sights on Normétal — located 720...

US confirms China has had a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:28 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — China has been operating a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019, part of a global effort by Beijing to upgrade its intelligence-gathering capabilities, according to a Biden administration official.The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the U.S. intelligence community has been aware of China’s spying from Cuba and a larger effort to set up intelligence-gathering operations around the globe for some time. The Biden administration has stepped up efforts to thwart the Chinese push to expand its spying operations and believes it has made some progress through diplomacy and other unspecified action, according to the official, who was familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter.The existence of the Chinese spy base was confirmed after The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that China and Cuba had reached an agreement in principle to build an electronic eavesdropping station on the island. The Jo...

16 soldiers face military charges in killing of five men in Mexican border city

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:28 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s Defense Department said Saturday that 16 soldiers will be tried on military charges related to the killing five men in the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo last month. The department said the 16 soldiers were arrested Thursday and will be held at a military prison in Mexico City while awaiting trial before a military tribunal. The soldiers have been charged with violating “military discipline.” The department said those trials would proceed independently of any charges that might be brought by civilian prosecutors. Under Mexican law, any abuses by soldiers involving civilians must go through civilian courts, but separate charges can be filed in military tribunals.Mexico’s president described the May 18 slayings of five men caught on security camera footage as an apparent “execution” in the cartel-dominated city across from Laredo, Texas.Video from a store security camera published earlier this month showed a black pickup truck crashing full speed into ...

Man shot after trying to buy vehicle on social media marketplace in Uptown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:28 GMT

CHICAGO — A man was shot Saturday afternoon after trying to purchase a vehicle on a social media marketplace, according to the Chicago Police Department.Police said a 24-year-old man was in the 4400 block of North Malden Street attempting to purchase a vehicle from a social media marketplace around 3:09 p.m.When the 24-year-old man arrived, two unknown male offenders pulled a handgun on the man and demanded his property. Then, the victim tried to run away from the offenders, who opened fire and hit him in the right side of the chest. FBI: 2 male suspects at-large after bank robbery in Matteson The 24-year-old man was then taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital in good condition.Police have no one in custody.If you or someone you know has information that could help lead police to an arrest and conviction in the investigation of this incident, anonymous tips can be filed online with CPD at cpdtip.com.

CPD looking to identify vehicle tied to hit-and-run

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:28 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Police Department is looking for the public's help in identifying the driver of a vehicle connected to a hit-and-run that happened in late May.According to CPD, a 27-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man were crossing the intersection of North Oakley Boulevard and West Chicago Avenue at around 6:20 p.m. on May 23 when a red vehicle struck the 27-year-old woman and fled the scene.The fleeing vehicle, according to CPD.Police describe the vehicle as possibly being a late model red Chevrolet Impala with a sunroof. FBI: 2 male suspects at-large after bank robbery in Matteson The 27-year-old woman was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition at the time.If you or someone you know can help identify the driver of this vehicle, CPD's Major Accident Investigations Unit can be reached at 312-745-4521.

Hundreds attend church service generated by ChatGPT

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:28 GMT

FUERTH, Germany (AP) — The artificial intelligence chatbot asked the believers in the fully packed St. Paul's church in the Bavarian town of Fuerth to rise from the pews and praise the Lord.The ChatGPT chatbot, personified by an avatar of a bearded Black man on a huge screen above the altar, then began preaching to the more than 300 people who had shown up on Friday morning for an experimental Lutheran church service almost entirely generated by AI.“Dear friends, it is an honor for me to stand here and preach to you as the first artificial intelligence at this year's convention of Protestants in Germany," the avatar said with an expressionless face and monotonous voice. What is a ‘dupe’ on TikTok? Here’s the meaning behind the trend The 40-minute service — including the sermon, prayers and music — was created by ChatGPT and Jonas Simmerlein, a theologian and philosopher from the University of Vienna.“I conceived this service — but actually I rather accompanied it, because I would ...

Austin businesses raise $255K for Health Alliance for Austin Musicians

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) raised more than $255,000 during the 2023 annual Corporate Battle of the Bands, exceeding last year's total of $227,000, according a new release from HAAM.HAAM is a local non-profit organization that provides access to affordable healthcare for Austin's low-income, working musicians, the release said."We are honored to have had so many from Austin’s business community come out in support of our communities’ musicians,” HAAM CEO Paul Scott said. “The Austin music scene is a main factor in what drives businesses to Central Texas, so it is no surprise we have so many talented artists working within these companies. Without the support of our local business community, we would not be able to do the essential work we do. Last year, we were thrilled to break our previous fundraising record, so to say we were excited to top that again this year, would be an understatement!”The annual battle of the bands event dre...

Cassava flour and fruit kept 4 children alive for 40 days after plane crash in Colombia's jungle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:28 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Four Indigenous children survived an Amazon plane crash that killed three adults and then braved the jungle for 40 days before being found alive by Colombian soldiers, bringing a happy ending to a search-and-rescue saga that captivated a nation and forced the usually opposing military and Indigenous people to work together. Cassava flour and some familiarity with the rainforest's fruits were key to the children's extraordinary survival in an area where snakes, mosquitoes and other animals abound. The members of the Huitoto people, aged 13, 9 and 4 years and 11 months, are expected to remain for a minimum of two weeks at a hospital receiving treatment after their rescue Friday.Family members, President Gustavo Petro as well as government and military officials met the children Saturday at the hospital in Bogota, the capital. Defense Minister Iván Velásquez told reporters the children were being rehydrated and cannot eat food yet. “But in general, the condition...

Cassava flour and fruit kept 4 children alive for 40 days after plane crash in Colombia’s jungle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:28 GMT

By MANUEL RUEDA and REGINA GARCIA CANO (Associated Press)BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Four Indigenous children survived an Amazon plane crash that killed three adults and then braved the jungle for 40 days before being found alive by Colombian soldiers, bringing a happy ending to a search-and-rescue saga that captivated a nation and forced the usually opposing military and Indigenous people to work together. Cassava flour and some familiarity with the rainforest’s fruits were key to the children’s extraordinary survival in an area where snakes, mosquitoes and other animals abound. The members of the Huitoto people, aged 13, 9 and 4 years and 11 months, are expected to remain for a minimum of two weeks at a hospital receiving treatment after their rescue Friday.Family members, President Gustavo Petro as well as government and military officials met the children Saturday at the hospital in Bogota, the capital. Defense Minister Iván Velásquez told reporters the c...

Movie review: Hollow ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ lacks soul, sense

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:28 GMT

The “Transformers” film franchise, spawned in 2007 with Michael Bay’s “Transformers,” was one of the first straight-faced blockbuster franchises based on a toy (and an ’80s cartoon series). It is now, astonishingly, seven films deep with the release of “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” which is both a prequel to “Transformers” and a sequel to 2018’s “Bumblebee,” which was set in 1987. “Rise of the Beasts,” set in 1994, is also based on the “Transformers: Beast Wars” media franchise of comic books and anime, which introduced the Maximal characters, alien robots that look like giant animals, not shape-shifting cars.Got all that? It’s OK if you don’t, because the screenplay — by Joby Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber, with a story by Harold — will repeat the pertinent information ad nauseam, until you never want to hear the phrase “trans-warp key” ever again.The basics are as such: a giant, planet-eating dark god known as Unicron need...