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Mexican president picks veteran diplomat to be next foreign minister

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:36 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president on Tuesday named Alicia Bárcena, the country’s current ambassador to Chile, as the next foreign relations secretary, replacing Marcelo Ebrard who resigned to pursue the presidential nomination.President Andrés Manuel López Obrador noted the solid background of the Harvard-educated Bárcena, who served for almost 14 years as executive secretary of the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. She has been Mexico’s ambassador to Chile since September.López Obrador said it would be at least 10 days before Bárcena takes over the new role.Ebrard on Monday resigned his post as the country’s top diplomat to join the primary race for the presidential nomination of López Obrador’s Morena party in the June 2024 elections.Ebrard is mainly known for leading Mexico’s effort to bring gun-trafficking lawsuits against U.S. arms manufacturers and gun stores.The Associated Press

Death toll from Kenya cult tied to pastor surpasses 300, with more exhumations planned

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:36 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The number of people who died after a Kenyan pastor ordered his followers to starve to death in order to meet Jesus has surpassed 300, authorities said Tuesday, and the death toll is expected to rise as more exhumations are planned.The death toll increased to 303 after 19 more bodies were recovered from mass graves in the vast forested land in Kilifi County of coastal Kenya, where pastor Paul Mackenzie and his followers lived.Coastal regional commissioner Rhoda Onyancha told local journalists that 613 people tied to the area are missing.On Monday, 65 of the 95 parishioners whom authorities said they rescued from the property were charged with attempting suicide after they staged a hunger strike to protest being held at a shelter. They were moved to a jail.Police went to MacKenzie’s property in April after investigators received a tip that dozens of people were starving to death after their pastor told them it was a way to meet Jesus. The emaciated followe...

Kenya rewards runner Kipyegon with $35,000 and house for breaking 2 world records

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:36 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Distance runner Faith Kipyegon was given $35,000 and a house by Kenyan President William Ruto on Tuesday as a reward for breaking two world records in the space of a week.Kipyegon, who met with Ruto at the president’s office, said she would now fulfill a promise she had made to buy her father a new car.The 29-year-old Kipyegon, a two-time Olympic champion in the 1,500 meters, set a new 1,500 world record in Florence, Italy on June 2 when she broke the eight-year-old mark set by Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia. Kipyegon became the first woman to go under 3 minutes, 50 seconds with her 3:49.11.She broke the 5,000 meters record last Friday at the Paris Diamond League meet by clocking 14:05.20, winning that race ahead of former world record-holder Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia.“Faith has made Kenya incredibly proud,” Ruto said. “She stands as a shining model of consistency, discipline, hard work, as well as family. Faith is a great Kenyan woman — a mother, a wife a...

Gunman used social media to attack Jews before deadly Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, jurors learn

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:36 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A gunman who killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue ranted incessantly on social media about his hatred of Jewish people before the 2018 attack, according to evidence introduced at his federal death penalty trial Tuesday.Prosecutors are trying to show Robert Bowers was motivated by extreme hostility toward Jews when he opened fire at the Tree of Life Synagogue during Sabbath services and committed the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.The 50-year-old truck driver is charged with 63 criminal counts, including hate crimes resulting in death and the obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death. Some of the charges carry a potential death sentence.With the trial in its third week, testimony turned toward Bowers’ use of Gab — a social media platform popular with the far right — to advance his antisemitic views.Bowers’ Gab profile said “Jews are the children of Satan,” and he posted, liked or shared a stream of virulently antisemiti...

Grammys add new categories, including for pop dance recording and African music performance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:36 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — More change is afoot at the Grammys. The Recording Academy announced Tuesday that three new categories will be added to the awards show in 2024: best pop dance recording, best African music performance, and best alternative jazz album.In addition, two existing categories have been moved to the general field, which means that all Grammy voters can participate in selecting the winners: producer of the year, non-classical, and songwriter of the year, non-classical, the latter of which was first introduced this year.Previously, the general categories were made up solely of the “Big Four” awards: best new artist, as well as album, record, and song of the year. Grammy voters are eligible to vote in general categories, as well as up to ten categories across three genre fields — and are instructed only to vote in their area of expertise. The changes to those two categories reflect an evolving music industry, where songwriters and producers have become increasingly celebra...

Republicans to cut University of Wisconsin budget in ongoing fight over diversity and inclusion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:36 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican state lawmakers were poised Tuesday to cut funding for University of Wisconsin campuses as the GOP-controlled Legislature and school officials continue to clash over efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.The vote comes just days after Republicans refused to fund the university’s top building project priority — a new engineering facility on the flagship Madison campus.Tensions between Republicans who control the Legislature and the state’s university system are nothing new. But the fight this year centers on issues of free speech and UW’s work to advance diversity and racial equity.Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, the state’s top Republican, said ahead of a meeting of the budget-writing committee on Tuesday that he wants it to cut all funding for diversity initiatives at UW. He estimated the cuts would total $32 million.“I hope we have the ability to eliminate that spending. The university should have already chosen to redirect it to ...

Police: assailant stabs 3 to death, steals van and runs down 3 in English city of Nottingham

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:36 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A knife-wielding assailant stabbed two college students to death in the streets of the English city of Nottingham and then fatally stabbed a middle-aged man, stole his van and ran down three pedestrians in a shocking early morning rampage Tuesday, police said. One man was hospitalized in critical condition from the hit-and-run.A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and police said they believe he acted alone. Nottinghamshire Police detectives were working with counterterrorism officers to try to establish a motive. “This is an horrific and tragic incident which has claimed the lives of three people,” Chief Constable Kate Meynell said.Two 19-year-old students from the University of Nottingham were among the dead. “We are shocked and devastated by the news,” the school said in an announcement.A graduation ball that had been scheduled Tuesday evening was canceled.The attack on the students occurred around dawn when the two were found dead on a road near stu...

Minibus slams into parked pickup truck killing 15 in southern Egypt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:36 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — A speeding minibus slammed into a pickup truck parked on the side of a desert road in southern Egypt on Tuesday, killing at least 15 people, authorities said.The fatal crash happened on the eastern bank of the Nile River near the town of al-Saff, roughly 34 miles (55 kilometers) south of the capital, Cairo, Egypt’s Interior Ministry said. Two women were also injured in the accident and later taken to hospital, it said.The minibus was speeding when the crash happened and the pickup truck driver, who survived the accident, was detained for questioning, according to the ministry’s statement. An investigation was underway to determine the causes and circumstances around the accident, it added.Fatal traffic accidents are frequent in the North African country. In May, a passenger bus slammed into a slow-moving truck on a highway in southwestern Egypt, killing 17 people. In February, six people were killed when a pickup truck and a minibus collided near Egypt’s eas...

WATCH LIVE | Chicago weather: Rain, Canadian wildfires, warmer temps ahead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:36 GMT

As we look ahead to the rest of this week and next, these are the weather headlines we're watching:Showers coverage to increase Tuesday afternoon and evening but unlikely to make a dent in the on-going drought. Canadian wildfire smoke aloft looks to return to Chicago skies later Wednesday and more showers in the forecast over Father's Day weekend. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here And a warmer weather pattern is set to descend next week as temps may flirt with 90 degrees on the back half.CLOUDS AND SHOWERS TO INCREASEA cut off low slowed by its entanglement in an upper level blocking pattern is set to sweep backside clouds and showers into the area. This will increase areal coverage across the Chicago area Tuesday afternoon and evening, then thin out again.CANADIAN WILDFIRE SMOKE TO RETURN LATER WEDNESDAYFires continue to burn across Canada with their smoke plume evident on GOES weather satellite imagery. The retreat of smoke from area skies has been the product of ...

Southwest Airlines offering 40% off flights if you book by Thursday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:36 GMT

Southwest Airlines is offering 40% off base fares for flights booked before Thursday for travel this fall.It's part of the airline's big birthday sale as it celebrates its 52nd year in business this week. 5 places to travel without a passport this summer The flights must be booked between now and 11:59 p.m. PST Thursday.According to Southwest, the flights have to be booked for travel between Aug. 15 and Dec. 14. The promo can't be used for travel between Nov.16-27.To get the discount, use the promo code 40OFF when you book.