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Extremists kill 33 soldiers in latest Burkina Faso attack

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:50 GMT

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — A large number of Islamic extremists launched an attack on Burkina Faso’s military in the country’s east, killing 33 soldiers and wounding a dozen others, the army said Friday.The assault took place Thursday in the Gourma province town of Ouagarou, according to an army statement. “During particularly intense combat, the soldiers of the detachment showed remarkable determination when faced with an enemy that came in very large numbers,” the statement said, adding that 40 jihadis also were killed.Fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have waged a violent insurgency in Burkina Faso for seven years. The violence has killed thousands of people and displaced around 2 million. It also has divided a once peaceful nation and fueled frustration that led to two coups last year. The new junta leader, Capt. Ibrahim Traore, has promised to secure the country. But some civilians say they also fear Burkina Faso’s security forces, which ...

2 dead in collapsed dump site at Indonesia nickel plant

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:50 GMT

PALU, Indonesia (AP) — Two bodies have been recovered following the collapse of a nickel waste disposal site in Indonesia, in the latest of a series of deadly accidents at Chinese-owned nickel smelting plants on the Southeast Asian country’s Sulawesi island, officials said Friday.The victims were operating two dump trucks Thursday in the disposal area when they were engulfed by a wall of black sludge-like material, a type of soft gravel that is removed in ferronickel burning, said Dedy Kurniawan, a spokesperson for PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park, known as PT IMIP.Rescuers managed to pull the men’s bodies out after a three-hour operation, he said, adding that the company was investigating what caused the accident.Authorities are also working to determine whether negligence by the company led to the deaths, said local police chief Supriyanto, who like many Indonesians uses a single name. He said a preliminary investigation showed a crack at the bottom of the disposa...

Austrians flock to take advantage of repair subsidy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:50 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The Austrian government said Friday that a program to encourage consumers to repair broken electrical devices instead of throwing them away has far exceeded expectations in its first year.The Environment Ministry says more than 560,000 repair vouchers worth up to 200 euros ($220) each were redeemed since the program was launched a year ago.Authorities had initially expected 400,000 vouchers to be redeemed by the beginning of 2026.The program allows consumers to take defective devices such as smartphones, laptops, coffee makers or dishwashers to one of 3,500 locations and have half the cost of the repairs covered by the voucher.The European Union is currently working to introduce a “right to repair” for certain devices to help reduce the vast amounts of electronic junk produced across the 27-nation bloc every year.The Associated Press

Error, confusion plague review kicking millions off Medicaid

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Days out from a surgery and with a young son undergoing chemotherapy, Kyle McHenry was scrambling to figure out if his Florida family will still be covered by Medicaid come Monday.One form on the state’s website said coverage for their sick 5-year-old son, Ryder, had been denied. But another said the family would remain on Medicaid through next year. Still, a letter from the state said McHenry now makes too much money for him, his wife and their older son to qualify after the end of the month. Three phone calls and a total of six frustrating hours on hold with Florida’s Department of Children and Families later, the McHenrys finally got the answer they were dreading on Thursday: Most of the family is losing Medicaid coverage, although Ryder remains eligible because of his illness.“I’m trying not to go into panic,” McHenry’s wife, Allie McHenry, told The Associated Press earlier in the week.The McHenrys are among the first casualties in an unpreced...

Indian police to probe sexual abuse charge against official

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:50 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian police will investigate allegations of sexual harassment against the president of the wrestling federation leveled by some young female athletes who are holding a week-long sit-in protest near the parliament building in New Delhi, the country’s highest court was informed on Friday.Solicitor general Tushar Mehta gave the assurance as the Supreme Court took up a petition filed by female wrestlers claiming that the sports ministry has failed to take any action on their allegations made in January against Wrestling Federation of India president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh.Singh is a powerful lawmaker representing the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. He denies the allegations.Wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik are protesting against the WFI president, accusing him of sexual harassment and the wrestling federation of mishandling funds and mismanagement.They also are demanding Singh’s arrest.Phogat claimed in J...

Suspected smuggler in deadly shipwreck sent back to Italy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:50 GMT

ROME (AP) — Austrian authorities on Friday handed over to Italy one of the suspected smugglers of the boat which capsized in February off southern Italy in a tragedy that killed 92 migrants, Italian police said.The suspect, a 27-year-old Turk identified by police as Ufuk Gun, was arrested on March 7 near Graz, Austria.Prosecutors in Calabria, in the “toe” of the Italian mainland, are investigating the shipwreck, near the beach town of Cutro. There were 80 survivors, many of whom staggered ashore or were pulled to safety by local residents.They are also investigating whether the Italian coast guard should have been dispatched hours earlier, in time to prevent the deaths. After the shipwreck, the conservative government of Premier Giorgia Meloni sharply raised criminal penalties against people smugglers who cause death but denied any blame for the tragedy. Italian police said in a written statement that authorities arranged for the suspect, sought on a European arrest warrant, to be r...

Friday Forecast: Temps in low 60s with spotty showers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:50 GMT

CHICAGO — Mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of showers, mainly in Northwest Indiana. High: 60, Lakeside: 48. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Partly cloudy tonight. Low: 43.Saturday Forecast: Mostly cloudy, 70% chance of showers High: 57 Lakeside: 52.Full forecast details at the WGN Weather Center

Tile for felines: How often do cats get lost and how can you track them?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:50 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — If you spend your days worried about your floofy feline bolting out of an open door — or just hiding from you inside the house — you're not alone. As cat owners connect on social media, once-odd ideas like walking your cat or training cats to "go" outside are now more accepted. But the outdoors still pose lots of threats to your cats.A 2018 study published in the academic journal Animals found at least 15% of cat owners lost their pets at least once during a five-year period. According to the researchers, only 61% of the 1,210 cats studied were found within a year. What is a nutria? And is it dangerous to pets? As more and more people are using software and devices to keep tabs on kids, keys and phones, pets are a natural consideration — and there are many ways to do it.Tile, the company behind the popular Tile tracking device, recently released its answer -- and it's specifically made for cat-tracking.Tile for Cats, according to the Life360-owned company, pairs its s...

AFD: Room at downtown Austin hotel catches fire overnight, building partially evacuated

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Fire crews responded to a hotel in the 100 block of East 7th Street in downtown Austin overnight after reports of a fire on the 16th floor.The Austin Fire Department said a small kitchen fire in the 33-story building was extinguished, but there was a partial evacuation while crews worked to remove smoke.AFD said the fire was accidental and a result of items improperly placed on a stove.Austin Fire reported there was one room with fire and smoke damage and three rooms with minor smoke.All fire units cleared the scene, and the building was turned back over to management.

Ghent teen shines at NFL Draft

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:50 GMT

GHENT, N.Y. (NEWS10) - After days of anticipation, Kyle Stickles from Ghent stole the show during last night’s NFL Draft while announcing the first round draft pick for the New York Jets. The opportunity was made possible by Make-A-Wish of Northeast New York. Ghent teen to announce NY Jets first round draft pick tonight Kyle has been battling osteosarcoma, bone cancer, since 2020. He is currently in remission and will be declared cancer-free after five years of clear scans. In June, he'll hit the two year mark. A wish this magical, announcing the first round draft pick for his favorite team, took two fairy godparents and two years to grant. Jim Giordano and Deb Benzinger have been working with the family since May 2021 to fulfill Kyle’s wish. 2023 NFL Draft tracker: See all Round 1 picks, trades “People really think that Make-A-Wish is for kids who are terminal and that’s really not the case. It really gives them a purpose and something to look forward to," said Giordano.