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Death toll from floods in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia rises to 130

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:29:20 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — At least 130 people have died in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia following heavy rains that triggered what aid agencies described as flooding seen only once every 100 years. Somalia bore the brunt of the flash floods that inundated the Horn of Africa region. The National Disaster Management Agency said 51 people have been killed across the country and a half-million displaced since the rains started in October.Emergency workers fear the death toll could rise since there were many people still unaccounted for. Parts of the country remained cut off and inaccessible after roads and bridges were washed away, marooning thousands of residents. “The national army has sent rescue boats and emergency helicopters to help the people trapped by floods. We are appealing for international help” the National Disaster Management Agency said.Humanitarian group Save the Children said the town of Beledweyne in central Somalia was completely submerged after the Shabelle River burst it...

Acapulco races to restart its tourism engine after Hurricane Otis devastates its hotels, restaurants

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:29:20 GMT

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — The keyboard and drums from a musical show thump just yards from a mountain of storm debris and fractured hotels left by Hurricane Otis three weeks ago. On the northern end of Acapulco Bay, hairdressers and masseuses sweep branches from a beach.Across the Pacific resort of Acapulco, residents work with a singular purpose: restart the tourism engine of this city of 1 million people as soon as possible.“If there’s no tourism, nothing happens,” said Juan Carlos Díaz, a 59-year-old laborer waiting for food distributed by soldiers. “It’s like a little chain, it generates (money) for everyone.”Otis, a Category 5 hurricane that smacked Acapulco on Oct. 25, damaged 80% of its hotels and 95% of its business, as well as leaving at least 48 people dead, 26 missing and impacting about 250,000 families, according to government data. Residents are striving to ensure the devastation is not a knockout blow to the once-legendary resort. Since Acapulco’s golden era durin...

Rogers turns on cell service at remaining TTC subway stations for its own customers

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:29:20 GMT

TORONTO — Rogers Communications Inc. says it has turned on wireless service for its customers at all Toronto subway stations, plus the tunnels between Sheppard West and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre stations.The move comes as the company continues to build 5G infrastructure for the entire network of subway tunnels — a process it initially said it expected to take two years when it announced plans in April.Last month, customers of rival carriers Bell Canada and Telus Corp. obtained access to cellular service in the busiest sections of the Toronto subway system after Rogers first activated the upgraded network in downtown stations and tunnels for its own customers.The service for all carriers followed months of tense back-and-forth negotiations between Rogers, Bell and Telus, prompting the federal government to set a deadline for all Toronto subway system passengers to have cellular connectivity.Rogers did not say in its announcement when Bell and Telus customers could expect to have se...

High-speed and regional trains involved in an accident in southern Germany, injuring several people

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:29:20 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A high-speed train and a regional train were involved in an accident in southern Germany on Friday that left several people slightly injured, police said.Police wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that there was a “lateral contact” between the high-speed ICE train and the regional service at Reichertshausen, between Ingolstadt and Munich.They said that seven people were slightly injured and the trains were being evacuated. The Associated Press

Canopy Growth says Ontario court has approved sale of BioSteel business

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:29:20 GMT

SMITHS FALLS, Ont. — Canopy Growth Corp. says an Ontario court has approved the sale of its BioSteel sports drink business in a pair of deals.Financial terms of the agreements were not immediately available.Canopy Growth chief financial officer Judy Hong says the sales process identified two qualified buyers for the BioSteel brand and assets.Hong added that the anticipated proceeds from the sales are expected to improve Canopy Growth’s balance sheet.The first deal covers the sale of BioSteel Canada to DC Holdings Ltd., while a second agreement includes the sale of the BioSteel Manufacturing business to Gregory Packaging Inc.Canopy put BioSteel up for sale when the sports drink business was placed under court protection from creditors under the  Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act in September.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:WEED)The Canadian Press

Prosecutors investigate Bulgarian soccer federation president in the wake of violent protests

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:29:20 GMT

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria’s chief prosecutor launched an investigation Friday into the country’s soccer management, with the focus on the actions of federation president Borislav Mihaylov.The move follows the mass protests that gripped Bulgaria’s capital on Thursday as several thousand soccer fans took to the streets to demand the resignation of Mihaylov. Their fury was fueled by the federation’s decision to play a European Championship qualifying match against Hungary in an empty stadium.In the protests that eventually turned violent, dozens of fans and policemen were injured, some of them seriously. Police detained nearly 40 people.The Bulgarian national team hasn’t qualified for a major tournament in nearly two decades. After the latest two losses to Albania and Lithuania in October, fans called for a nationwide protest, blaming the federation’s leaders for the poor results and calling for their resignations.In previous weeks, soccer fans had been shouting “Resi...

Columbia, Cornell and other colleges face US inquiries over alleged antisemitism and Islamophobia

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:29:20 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government has opened civil rights investigations into seven schools and universities over allegations of antisemitism or Islamophobia since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.The list includes three Ivy League institutions — Columbia, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania — along with Wellesley College in Massachusetts, Lafayette College in Pennsylvania and Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York. It also includes one K-12 system, the Maize Unified School District in Kansas.The Education Department announced the inquiries on Thursday, calling it part of the Biden administration’s effort to take “aggressive action” against discrimination. Schools found to have violated civil rights law can face penalties up to a total loss of federal money, although the vast majority of cases end in voluntary settlements.Schools have a legal duty to act “when students are targeted because they are — or are perceived to be — Jewish, Muslim,...

Pilot suffers minor injuries in small plane crash in southern Maine

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:29:20 GMT

LIMINGTON, Maine (AP) — A 62-year-old pilot suffered minor injuries when his plane crashed less than a mile from an airport following an engine failure, state police said.The yellow single-engine plane came to a rest nose-down in a thicket of woods Thursday afternoon, and Bradley Marson was walking around the scene when a state trooper located the crash site. Medical personnel evaluated the pilot and he was eventually transported to the hospital for minor injuries. The pilot said he’d just taken off from Limington-Harmon Airport in Limington when his engine cut out. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.The plane was a kit craft known as a Skyraider II by Flying K Enterprise, according to the FAA. It’s known in the aviation community as an affordable ultralight plane.The Associated Press

EU nations reach major breakthrough to stop shipping plastic waste to poor countries

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:29:20 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union made a major breakthrough Friday in efforts to stop sending its plastic trash to poor countries.Under a tentative agreement, the 27 EU countries will no longer be able to export their plastic waste outside the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development club of wealthy countries.The text now needs to be formally approved by both the council representing the EU member states and the EU Parliament to enter into force.Only a third of plastic waste in Europe is recycled, and half of the plastic collected for recycling is exported to be treated in countries outside the EU.“The EU will finally assume responsibility for its plastic waste by banning its export to non-OECD countries,” said Pernille Weiss, the EU Parliament rapporteur. “Once again, we follow our vision that waste is a resource when it is properly managed, but should not in any case be causing harm to the environment or human health.”In addition, plastic waste exports to the 3...

UChicago Medical Center worker robbed steps off campus

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:29:20 GMT

CHICAGO — A University of Chicago Medical Center worker was robbed at a bus stop steps off campus Friday morning.At around 6 a.m., the employee was standing at a CTA bus stop in the 6000 block of South Cottage Avenue, just steps away from campus.Two suspects approached him from behind, put an object to his back and demanded his wallet, police said.His wallet was stolen and the suspects fled on foot in an unknown directions.No one is in custody.