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Uganda’s president signs into law anti-gay legislation with death penalty in some cases

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:14:58 GMT

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda’s president has signed into law anti-gay legislation supported by many in this East African country but widely condemned by rights activists and others abroad.The version of the bill signed by President Yoweri Museveni doesn’t criminalize those who identify as LGBTQ, a key concern for some rights campaigners who condemned an earlier draft of the legislation as an egregious attack on human rights. But the new law still prescribes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” which is defined as cases of sexual relations involving people infected with HIV, as well as with minors and other categories of vulnerable people.A suspect convicted of “attempted aggravated homosexuality” can be imprisoned for up to 14 years, according to the legislation. Parliamentary Speaker Anita Among said in a statement that the president had “answered the cries of our people” in signing the bill. “With a lot of humility, I thank my colleagues the Members of Pa...

Davenport officials: No deaths confirmed, no known people trapped in Iowa building collapse

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:14:58 GMT

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — There were no confirmed fatalities and no known people still trapped the morning after a six-story apartment building in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport partially collapsed, authorities said Monday. Davenport Fire Chief Michael Carlsten said at a news conference Monday that workers searched for survivors throughout the night and rescued one person from the six-story building — bringing the total number of people rescued by fire officials to eight. An additional 12 people were escorted out by fire crews when they first responded to the collapse on Sunday evening. “No known individuals are trapped in that facility,” Carlsten said. Authorities have not released how many people were injured or provided details on the nature of their injuries. Carlsten did say that the person who was rescued overnight was in the hospital.Rescue teams, including K-9 units, were inside the building all night.“When something like this happens here, and tragedy strikes, our re...

Oilpatch restarts production that was shut in due to Alberta wildfires

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:14:58 GMT

CALGARY — Crescent Point Energy Corp. said Monday it has resumed production at its operations that were shut in due to the Alberta wildfires.The Calgary-based company was one of a number of oil and gas producers that was forced to temporarily halt output in the Kaybob Duvernay region earlier this month as wildfires blazed in central and northern Alberta. At one point, analysts estimated that more than 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of production was shut in across Alberta.But as the situation improves, some companies have been able to resume operations. Crescent Point said that over the past week it has brought back on stream the full 45,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) of Kaybob Duvernay production that had been put on hold.It says no damage has occurred to the company’s assets.On Monday, Paramount Resources Ltd. also said it has restored the majority of production that it had temporarily curtailed. Paramount said it has fully resumed operations in the...

Russia strikes Kyiv in daylight after hitting Ukraine’s capital with series of nighttime barrages

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:14:58 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Explosions rattled Kyiv during daylight Monday as Russian ballistic missiles took aim at the Ukrainian capital, hours after a more common nighttime barrage of the city by drones and cruise missiles.Russian forces fired 11 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv at about 11:30 a.m. (0830 GMT; 4:30 a.m. EDT), according to Ukraine’s chief of staff, Valerii Zaluzhnyi. All of them were shot down, he said, and puffs of white smoke could be seen in the blue sky over the city from street level.Debris from the intercepted missiles fell in Kyiv’s central and northern districts during the morning, landing in the middle of traffic on a city road and also starting a fire on a building’s roof, the Kyiv military administration said. At least one civilian was reported hurt.The blasts unnerved some locals, already under strain after being awakened by the night attack.“After what happened last night, I react sharply to every siren now. I was terrified, and I’m still trembling...

South American’s presidents gather in Brazil for first regional summit in 9 years

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:14:58 GMT

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — South America’s leaders will gather in Brazil’s capital on Tuesday as part of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s attempt to reinvigorate regional integration efforts that have previously floundered amid the continent’s political swings and polarization.Analysts say Lula senses an opportunity for integration because of the political affinities of the region’s current governments and appears to want to test leaders’ willingness to cooperate through a revived Union of South American Nations, or Unasur.First established 15 years ago in Brazil’s capital during the second presidential term of Lula, a former trade unionist, the regional bloc sought to integrate the 12 South American nations culturally, socially, politically and economically. Unasur’s promotor was late Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, who saw it as means to counteract U.S. influence in the region and the group had a reputation among some as having a lefti...

Sudan army, rival force under pressure to extend truce after mediators show impatience with breaches

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:14:58 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s warring sides were under pressure Monday to extend a shaky cease-fire in their battle for control of the country, after two key international mediators signaled impatience with persistent truce violations.In a joint statement Sunday, the United States and Saudi Arabia called out Sudan’s military and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, for specific breaches of a week-long truce that is to expire Monday evening rather than issue another general appeal to respect agreements.Sudan descended into chaos after fighting erupted in mid-April between the military, led by Gen. Abdel- Fattah Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. The fighting has killed at least 866 civilians and wounded thousands more, according to the Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties. The toll could be much higher, the medical group said.The conflict has turned the capital, Khartoum, and other urban areas into battlefields, forcing near...

‘Red Velvet,’ ‘Alice in Wonderland’ lead Dora Mavor Moore Awards nominations

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:14:58 GMT

TORONTO — “Red Velvet,” a play about the first Black actor to star on a London stage, has garnered a leading six nominations in the general theatre division at the Dora Mavor Moore Awards.The Crow’s Theatre show nabbed nods in categories including best play and best director for Cherissa Richards.The dramatization of the real-life story of Ira Aldridge, a Black man who starred in “Othello” in 1833, also garnered recognition for Allan Louis, who is nominated for best leading performance, and Amelia Sargisson, who’s in the running for best performance in a featured role.Also vying for best production are “Uncle Vanya,” another Crow’s Theatre production; Soulpepper’s “‘da Kink In My Hair” and “our place,” a co-production from A Cahoots Theatre and Theatre Passe Muraille.Top musical contenders include “Alice In Wonderland,” from Bad Hats Theatre presented by Soulpepper, which is up for ...

Woman killed in hit-and-run on West Side

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:14:58 GMT

CHICAGO — A woman was killed in a hit-and-run on the city's West Side.The deadly incident happened around 11 p.m. Sunday in the 1200 block of South Independence. Police said the woman was crossing the street in the crosswalk when she was struck by the driver of a gray colored SUV.According to police, the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed and failed to stop after hitting the woman. Two 2-years-olds among 47 shot across Chicago over holiday weekend She was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.The Major Accidents Unit is investigating.

Debt ceiling deal: What's in, what's out of the bill to avert US default

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:14:58 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The details of the deal between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy were released Sunday in the form of a 99-page bill that would suspend the nation's debt limit through 2025 to avoid a federal default while limiting government spending.The Democratic president and Republican speaker are trying to win over lawmakers to the plan in time to avert a default that would shake the global economy. But Congress will be scrutinizing and debating the legislation, which also includes provisions to fund medical care for veterans, change work requirements for some recipients of government aid and streamline environmental reviews for energy projects.McCarthy said the House will vote on the legislation Wednesday, giving the Senate time to consider it before June 5, the date when Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the United States could default on its debt obligations if lawmakers did not act in time.Some hardline conservatives have expressed early concerns tha...

Kenwood and the Thunderbirds soar, even if lofty goals weren't met

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:14:58 GMT

CHICAGO — Kenwood Academy's baseball season may not have ended how they wanted it to, but that didn't stop them from having a historic year, thanks in part to the contributions of a trio of brothers.Kevin Jr., K'Vion and Kevari Thunderbird were among the headliners of a deep, talented — and albeit, young — Kenwood Bronco's squad that went 28-5 in route to a Chicago Public League baseball championship. Unfortunately for Kenwood though, their season came to an end in a similar manner to the way it did a year prior; a loss in their IHSA Regional Final."I'm gonna be honest, because I'm always honest," said Kenwood Head Coach Romey Bracey after their 5-2 defeat against Reavis High School Saturday. "That City championship took a piece out of us because we did something for the history of the program." PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Thunderbird brothers help Kenwood win first Chicago Public League baseball title Kenwood Academy, established in 1966, won their first ever Chicago Public League Title l...