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Scholz party paves way for new center-right mayor in Berlin

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:14:33 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Members of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party have narrowly approved a local coalition deal in Berlin with Germany’s main center-right opposition party, a decision which should pave the way for the capital’s first conservative mayor in more than two decades.The Social Democrats’ Berlin branch said Sunday that 54.3% of members who voted in a ballot backed the agreement. A convention of the center-right Christian Democratic Union is expected to approve it on Monday, the last step before Christian Democrat Kai Wegner can seek election as mayor by the state legislature.The expected change of government follows a state election in February, a rerun made necessary by serious glitches in the previous vote in 2021. The CDU emerged as the biggest party, making big gains as the three parties in Berlin’s left-wing government all lost supporters.Outgoing Mayor Franziska Giffey’s center-left Social Democrats have led Berlin since 2001. They took much...

Canada suspends consular services in Sudan as diplomats evacuated

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:14:33 GMT

Canadian officials say they are temporarily suspending operations in Sudan with plans to get diplomats out of the country.“The situation in Sudan has rapidly deteriorated making it impossible to safeguard the safety and security of our staff in Khartoum,” says a statement released Sunday by Global Affairs Canada. “Canadian diplomats will temporarily work from a safe location outside of the country.The New York Times reports that U.S. special forces evacuated six Canadian diplomats, while the BBC says Canadians are among a group evacuated by sea to Saudi Arabia. Global Affairs did not immediately confirm those reports. There was no mention in the statement about the fate of some 1,600 Canadian citizens who are trapped in Sudan as fighting between rival generals rages on. We made the decision to temporarily suspend our operations in Sudan. Our diplomats are safe and working from a location outside of the country. We remain in regular contact with Canadians affected by thi...

Armenia says soldier killed, but Azerbaijan rejects claim

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:14:33 GMT

Armenia’s defense ministry said Sunday that one of its soldiers was killed by an Azerbaijani sniper near the border, but Azerbaijan denied the claim and separately reported that its soldiers had come under fire from Armenia in another part of the border area. Tensions further rose on Sunday when Azerbaijan announced it had opened a checkpoint at the start of the road that leads from Armenia to the ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh that is within Azerbaijan. Armenia claimed that such a checkpoint violates the pact that ended fierce fighting between the countries in 2020.Nagorno-Karabakh, which had substantial autonomy under the Soviet Union, came under control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian military in 1994 at the end of years of separatist fighting. Armenian forces also took sizable territory surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh itself.Azerbaijan regained most of the surrounding territory and pieces of Nagorno-Karabakh itself in the six-week 2020 war that killed a...

2 East Chicago men dead after Hammond crash

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:14:33 GMT

HAMMOND, Ind. — Two men are dead after a crash early Sunday morning in Hammond, Indiana, according to the Lake County Coroner's Office.The crash happened around 4 a.m. in the 1100 block of Gostlin Street. Cicero man arrested after crashing into Indiana trooper’s car at crash scene Diego Villa, 18, of East Chicago, and Fernando Soto, 18, of East Chicago, died in the crash, according to the coroner's office. 3-year-old girl shot inside Gary home Both died of multiple blunt force injuries, the coroner's office said. Autopsies are scheduled for Monday.Additional information about the crash hasn't been released.

Kawhi Leonard's sister sentenced to life in prison after fatal casino robbery

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:14:33 GMT

(KTLA) – The sister of Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for her role in a 2019 murder at a Southern California casino.Kimesha Williams, the elder sister of Leonard, and another woman named Candace Townsel were convicted in February of first-degree murder, robbery and elder abuse, ESPN reported. Townsel also received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Kawhi Leonard’s Sister Among 2 Charged in Fatal Robbery of 84-Year-Old Woman at Pechanga Casino In September 2019, the women followed an 84-year-old into a bathroom at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula. They robbed her and left her in the bathroom unconscious.Assad suffered a broken skull in the attack, according to ESPN, and she died five days later. Williams' relationship with Leonard was confirmed to The Press-Enterprise by relative Denise Woodard in 2019, though Woodard stressed that Leonard "didn’t have anything to do with ...

Manager allegedly steals nearly $49K from McDonald's

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:14:33 GMT

DUNMORE, Penn. (WBRE/WYOU) — The manager of a Pennsylvania McDonald's restaurant is accused of taking nearly $50,000 over the course of six months.According to the Dunmore Police Department, officers were called to the borough's McDonald's for a reported theft.The owner of the restaurant told police they believe an employee, Stephanie Vansickle, had been stealing from the business due to discrepancies with the deposits that she handled. McDonald’s making these 4 changes to its burgers by 2024, company says Through further investigation, detectives came to believe the thefts were committed by Vansickle between the beginning of September and the end of March. Police said discrepancies were seen between amounts deposited and what cash register printouts show should have been deposited.According to the arrest affidavit, it began with a deposit on Sept. 6 that was short $20.35 of what the register printout showed it should be. A couple of days later, the business was short $400.76.By t...

How will COVID shots be paid for after emergency ends?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:14:33 GMT

(The Hill) – The era of free COVID-19 vaccines is coming to a close as the federal government wraps up its public health emergency for the pandemic.The Biden administration and manufacturers are taking steps to maintain vaccine accessibility, particularly for the uninsured, as the shots transition toward commercialization. But while Americans with insurance are still expected to be able to get vaccinated free of charge, questions remain over how those without coverage can obtain them and the ease of the overall process.Moderna and Pfizer, the companies behind the two most commonly administered coronavirus vaccines in the U.S., are expecting the prices of their shots to increase by as much as four-fold but have stated that consumers should not expect to feel the impact themselves, regardless of insurance status.As the official end of the emergency approaches next month, here are the emerging routes for the uninsured to maintain free access. Federal avenuesThe White House&nb...

Child go missing in a crowd? Here’s what every parent should do next, according to an expert

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:14:33 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – It’s a parent’s worst fear: You’re shopping for groceries, or you’re spending the day at a park with the family, when suddenly your kid goes missing.  In many cases, you’re able to locate your child within a few seconds, in an adjacent aisle or around a nearby corner. But other times, those seconds continue to tick away and panic takes hold.“That is the nightmare of every single parent out there,” said Callahan Walsh, a child advocate and executive director for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).Walsh, whose parents Revé and John Walsh co-founded the NCMEC after his brother Adam Walsh’s abduction and murder in 1981, is well aware of the anguish parents experience after a child goes missing. That’s why the NCMEC has worked to help recover nearly 4,000 missing children over the last four decades, and why the organization operates programs aimed at fighting child exploitation and supporting the parents of those missing kids. Preschool...

PHOTOS: Hill Country hail reported Saturday night

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:14:33 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Strong storms brought large hail to the Hill Country late Saturday. Viewer photos show large hail in Mason County and near Doss, Texas. FORECAST: More rain today through Thursday morning There were 12 reports of hail between 1 and 2 inches in diameter, including two reports of hail 2 inches in diameter in Mason and Gillespie counties.Have more photos of last night's hail? Send your pics to [email protected]. If you take photos of hail, in particular, it’s helpful to include an object alongside it to help gauge how large it is. Coins or sports balls are a good option.Here’s a full explainer of how to take and submit photos like a professional.

Whitehall man dies in motorcycle crash, sheriff says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:14:33 GMT

FORT ANN, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Washington County Sheriff's Office reports the death of Evertt R. Mattison III, 36, of Whitehall. They said that he was pronounced dead at the scene of his motorcycle accident. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The Sheriff's Office responded to the reported motorcycle accident with injuries on Sate Route 149 in Fort Ann, west of Cartier Lane, just before 10 p.m. on Friday. They said that their investigation indicates that Mattison was headed east on 149 with a small group of other bikers.During the ride, Mattison allegedly lost control of the motorcycle, struck a guardrail, and was thrown from the seat. Emergency responders tried to resuscitate the injured Mattison at the scene, but police said he was pronounced dead. Police investigate fatal crash on Troy-Schenectady Road Closing off and clearing the road for traffic took about three hours. The Sheriff's Office said that they're still investig...