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Powerful quake and aftershocks rock Indonesia’s Bali and Java islands. No casualties reported

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:49 GMT

DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — A powerful earthquake and two strong aftershocks rocked Indonesia’s resort island of Bali and other parts of the country early Tuesday, causing panic but no immediate reports of damage or casualties.The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 and was centered in the Bali Sea 181 kilometers (112 miles) northeast of Gili Air, a tiny island near the coast of Lombok Island, next to Bali. It occurred at a depth of 513.5 kilometers (319 miles).Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami but warned of dangers from aftershocks. The agency put the quake’s preliminary magnitude at 7.4. Variations in early measurements are common.The quake was followed by aftershocks of magnitude 5.4 and 5.6 that hit the Bali sea a few minutes later, just before dawn.Many residents and tourists rushed out of their homes and hotels toward higher ground after reporting powerful shockwaves, but ...

Mark Meadows says actions laid out in Georgia election indictment were part of his official duties

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:49 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Mark Meadows testified in court Monday that actions detailed in a sweeping indictment that accuses him of participating in an illegal conspiracy to overturn then-President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss were all part of his job as White House chief of staff.The extraordinary testimony — from a former top presidential aide who now faces charges alongside his old boss — came in the first courtroom skirmish in a case that’s likely to have many. Meadows’ claims were part of his argument that the case should be moved from a state court to federal court. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones did not immediately rule. As Trump was consumed by claims of widespread election fraud in the weeks after his 2020 loss, Meadows said, it was difficult to focus on the things they needed to be doing to wind down the presidency. As a result, Meadows said, he took actions to determine whether the allegations were true, including actions prosecutors allege were improper.Mead...

Guatemala progressive’s presidential victory certified, but his party is suspended from operating

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:49 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal declared progressive Bernardo Arévalo the winner of the country’s presidential elections on Monday, but the prospect of him taking office on Jan. 14 was uncertain after another government body suspended all activities by his Seed Movement party.No authority has explained exactly what the suspension, confirmed to The Associated Press by the party’s lawyer, will mean for the president elect.The moves come after one of the most tumultuous elections in the Central American nation’s recent history, which has put to test Guatemala’s democracy.At a time that Guatemalans, hungry for change, have grown disillusioned with endemic corruption, Arévalo and other competitors of the country’s elite faced waves of judicial attacks in an attempt to knock them out of the race.Arévalo faced former first lady Sandra Torres in the Aug. 20 runoff. According to the official count, the progressive candidate obtained 60.9% of the valid vot...

Indiana police arrest 2nd man in July shooting at massive block party that killed 1, injured 17

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:49 GMT

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — Police arrested a second man Monday in a July shooting at a massive block party in central Indiana that left one person dead and 17 others wounded.The 29-year-old man was arrested on preliminary felony charges of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon and being a serious violent felon in possession of a firearm, for his alleged role in the July 30 shooting, Muncie police said.The Muncie man had not been formally charged in the shooting as of Monday night.His arrest is the second in the shooting, which occurred as hundreds of people were attending the block party in Muncie, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis. Joseph E. Bonner III, 30, was killed 18 others were injured, including a woman who was run over by a car while running from the scene.On Aug. 1, police announced the arrest of John L. Vance Jr., 36, in the shooting. He faces two counts of aggravated battery and criminal recklessness and one count of possession of a firearm by a seri...

France’s education minister bans long robes in classrooms. They’re worn mainly by Muslims

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:49 GMT

PARIS (AP) — France’s education minister announced Monday a ban on long robes in classrooms starting with the new school year, saying the garments worn mainly by Muslims are testing secularism in the nation’s schools.Critics say that abayas, worn by women, and khamis, the male garb, are no more than a fashion statement. They say the garments do not constitute an ostentatious sign of religion and should not be banned from classrooms under a 2004 law. For Gabriel Attal, the recently appointed education chief, the garments are “an infringement on secularism,” a foundational principle for France, and, in some cases, a bid to destabilize schools.The 34-year-old Attal, appointed in July, was potentially moving into a minefield with his ban on long robes to “protect” secularism, prompted by growing reports of the garments in some classrooms around the country. Previous statements and laws on secularism have seeded acrimonious debate.“Our schools are continually tested. We know that,” Attal...

Teachers’ unions urged to take arbitration route to avoid strike: education minister

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:49 GMT

Three teachers’ unions should agree to a deal with the province that avoids a strike, Ontario’s education minister said Monday.Stephen Lecce said he wants those unions to take the same agreement the province came to last week with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, which represents English high school teachers.“We’re going to … get this deal done as soon as possible so we can move forward with predictability for families that their kids are going to be in school for three straight years of uninterrupted learning,” Lecce said.That deal with the OSSTF would, if ratified by members, see bargaining continue until Oct. 27, at which point any outstanding issues would be settled by binding arbitration, thereby avoiding a strike.Lecce said he wants to make the same deal with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association and the union for teachers in the French system, t...

FEMA changes wildfire compensation rules for New Mexicans affected by last year’s historic blaze

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:49 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced changes Monday to its wildfire compensation rules after a planned burn by the U.S. Forest Service last year exploded into the largest and most destructive blaze in New Mexico’s recorded history.FEMA officials said they are expanding coverage for those affected by Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire for mental health treatment and reduced long-term property values, and removing the 25% cap on reforestation and revegetation costs, and on risk-reduction practices.The changes stem from legislation that U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján and other members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation helped get passed in 2022.The legislation also established a claims office within FEMA that Luján said has secured $3.95 billion for New Mexico families and businesses affected by the wildfire.“The federal government started these fires and now it has a moral obligation to help New Mexicans who were impacted,” Luján said in a ...

Ontario chiefs unanimously oppose province’s Greenbelt land swap

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:49 GMT

Ontario First Nation chiefs are demanding Doug Ford’s government return land to the protected Greenbelt that the province removed for development.The Chiefs of Ontario, which represents First Nations leaders across the province, voted unanimously Wednesday in an emergency meeting to oppose the land removal.“The Ontario Government’s decision to remove Greenbelt lands did not respect obligations to First Nations, the treaties or its own policy making process,” said Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare.“The decisions made in a completely flawed process cannot in any way be allowed to stand.”Ontario created the Greenbelt in 2005 to protect agricultural and environmentally sensitive lands in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area from development.Last year, the province took 7,400 acres of land out of the Greenbelt to build 50,000 homes and replaced it with about 9,400 acres elsewhere.The Chief of Ontario said the Greenbelt moves violate the Williams Treaties t...

10-year development plan unveiled for Lakeview, Roscoe Village neighborhoods

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:49 GMT

CHICAGO — The Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Special Service Area 27 (SSA 27) and Friends of Lakeview, announced a seven-to-ten-year "master plan" aimed at expanding community engagement, and aiding business development.The plan sets forward a series of recommendations based on the findings of online surveys and community engagement events conducted over a 10-month span. Key RecommendationsMap rendering of key recommendations. (Courtesy: Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce)Five actionable recommendations are outlined in the plan, which includes (1) developing distinct and unique sub neighborhoods, (2) further connecting neighborhoods, (3) enhancing neighborhood vibrancy, (4) creating places for people to socialize, and (5) further activating the Chicago River as an accessible asset for residents and visitors.Sub-neighborhood rendering. (Courtesy: Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce)Those behind the plan intend to organize the larger ...

LIVE 8PM Idalia track: Models hold steady, Florida landfall Wednesday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:49 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tropical Storm Idalia is forecast to bring "life-threatening storm surge" to much of Florida's northwest coast as it intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said.According to an 8 p.m. update, T.S. Idalia was moving north at around 8 mph while near the western tip of Cuba. Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph with higher gusts.At 5 p.m., the updated track showed a shift to the west. The track does not get updated in the 8 p.m. update. The NHC also issued the following watches and warning.A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to Rio Lagartos, including CozumelIsle of Youth CubaDry Tortugas FloridaChokoloskee northward to the Middle of Longboat KeyWest of Indian Pass to Mexico BeachA Storm Surge Watch is in effect for:Chokoloskee northward to Englewood, including Charlotte HarbourMouth of the St. Mary's River to South Santee River SouthCarolinaA Hurricane Watch is in effect for:Englewood to the Mid...