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British poet and political activist Benjamin Zephaniah dies at age 65

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:50 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Benjamin Zephaniah, a British dub poet and political activist who drew huge inspiration from his Caribbean roots, has died. He was 65.In a statement on Instagram, his family said Zephaniah died Thursday after being diagnosed with a brain tumor eight weeks ago. The statement was confirmed by his agent, Jodie Hodges. “We shared him with the world and we know many will be shocked and saddened by this news,” the family said.Zephaniah, who was born in Birmingham on April 15, 1958, is best known for his work on racism, refugees and healthy eating. He also appeared on the popular BBC television show Peaky Blinders.“Benjamin was a true pioneer and innovator, he gave the world so much,” the family said. “Through an amazing career including a huge body of poems, literature, music, television, and radio, Benjamin leaves us with a joyful and fantastic legacy.”The Associated Press

Laurentian Bank reports $30.6M Q4 profit, down from $55.7M a year ago

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:50 GMT

MONTREAL — Laurentian Bank of Canada reported its fourth-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago as it was hit by restructuring and other costs related to its strategic review and a major computer outage in September.The Montreal-based bank says it earned $30.6 million or 67 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Oct. 31, down from a profit of $55.7 million or $1.26 per diluted share a year earlier.The bank says the results included a $5.3-million charge related to the mainframe outage and $15.9 million in restructuring and strategic-review related charges.Revenue for the quarter totalled $247.4 million, down from $257.1 million a year ago, while provisions for credit losses totalled $16.7 million for the quarter compared with $17.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2022.On an adjusted basis, Laurentian says it earned $1 per diluted share in its latest quarter, down from an adjusted profit of $1.31 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.Laurentian named Éric Prov...

Seychelles declares state of emergency after huge explosion; at least 3 dead in separate flooding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:50 GMT

VICTORIA, Seychelles (AP) — The president of Seychelles declared a state of emergency on Thursday after a huge blast at an explosives depot and flooding in other parts of the country’s main island. Three people have died in the flooding, local media reported.The explosion overnight in the industrial area of Providence, southeast of the capital, Victoria, caused “massage damage” to it and surrounding areas, President Wavel Ramkalawan’s office said in a statement, which ordered the state of emergency. It ordered people to stay at home to give emergency services space to work.“Everyone is being asked to stay at home,” the statement said. “All schools will be closed. Only workers in the essential services and persons traveling will be allowed free movement.”“This is to allow the emergency services to carry out essential work.”The flooding has caused “major destruction,” the statement said.Ramkalawan told reporters later Thursday that three people had died in the heavy ...

St. John’s airport reopens after investigation into suspicious package

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:50 GMT

The international airport in St. John’s, Newfoundland, has been reopened following an investigation into the discovery of a suspicious package.The airport’s social media account on X, the platform formally known as Twitter, says the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary has resolved the situation, and the airport is once again open for operations.The R-N-C’s X account noted that patrol officers initially took control of the situation, and then utilized a specialized unit to make the area safe.Police are expected to provide an update later this morning.Due to the interruption in service at the airport, travellers may see a slight delay.Airport officials are urging passengers to contact their airline directly for flight information.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2023.The Canadian Press

Ex-UK leader Boris Johnson rejects notion he wanted to let COVID-19 ‘rip’ through the population

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:50 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday rejected suggestions that he wanted to let COVID-19 “rip” through the population as he defended his handling of the pandemic during a second day of testimony at a public inquiry into the crisis.Johnson shook his head and responded “No, no, no” as he was confronted with a series of diary entries by his chief scientific adviser that indicated he had argued in favor of letting the virus spread rapidly to increase immunity to COVID-19 rather than imposing further restrictions on the people of Britain. The former prime minister, who is testifying under oath, said he was simply pushing scientists to explain why such a strategy wouldn’t work as the government debated whether to impose a second national lockdown in the autumn of 2020 when infection rates were rising and vaccines weren’t yet available. Johnson said critics should look at his public statements and actions, rather than “people’s jottings from meetings that I...

Vegas shooter was a professor who recently applied for a job at UNLV, AP source says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:50 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The man suspected of fatally shooting three people and wounding another at a Las Vegas university Wednesday was a professor who unsuccessfully sought a job at the school, a law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press.The gunman was killed in a shootout with law enforcement, police said. The attack at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas sent shock waves through a city still scarred by the deaths of 60 people in a 2017 mass shooting.The suspect previously worked at East Carolina University in North Carolina, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information publicly.Police didn't immediately identify the gunman, the victims or a possible motive. Reports of shots fired at about 11:45 a.m. sent police swarming onto the campus while students and professors barricaded themselves inside classrooms and dorm rooms.Police said the shooting started on t...

Pedestrian struck and killed on sidewalk in River North

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:50 GMT

CHICAGO — Citations are pending against the driver accused of killing a pedestrian downtown.It happened around 12:30 a.m. Thursday in the 300 block of North State Street. According to a preliminary investigation by police, a 40-year-old woman driving a white SUV lost contro of her vehicle and jumped the curb — striking a 56-year-old woman who was on the sidewalk.The victim sustained trauma to the body and was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead.Citations are pending against the 40-year-old woman. Area Three Detectives are investigating.

Thursday Forecast: Temps in low 50s with mostly sunny conditions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:50 GMT

CHICAGO — Abundant sunshine and southwest winds Thursday will combine to push highs into the lower 50s this afternoon.  Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Temperatures will only fall into the low to mid-40s tonight as skies become partly cloudy and SSW winds gust up to 25 mph.  Friday Forecast: Friday brings partly sunny skies, but warmer temperatures with highs in the mid-50s.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Weekend cold front puts an end to ongoing 70s

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Couple more days of mild afternoon weather before Mother Nature pulls the rug out from underneath us.Afternoon highs will return to the upper 60s today under a sky mixed with filtered sunshine and high clouds. Winds will begin to increase out of the south late in the day today before they really get going on Friday.These gusty south winds will help boost temperatures to unseasonably warm levels - expect Friday afternoon highs to soar well into the 70s across the board.Weekend cold frontWHAT: Strong Pacific cold frontWHEN: Hill Country - 8AM-11AM / Austin-metro - 10AM-2PM / Eastern counties - 2PM-5PM IMPACTS: gusty north winds, low rain chance and cooler temperaturesSpotty rain showers will likely develop along and head of the cold front, mainly over the I-35 corridor eastward. Rainfall accumulation looks very light (a few tenths of an inch at best).Spotty rain squeezes out along and ahead of Saturday's cold frontGusty winds will hit next with winds out of the north ...

Hays County to host open house Thursday on SH 45 expansion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:50 GMT

Editor's note: The video in this story aired on June 8, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) – Hays County will hold an open house Thursday about a $2.5 million study to expand State Highway 45 between I-35 and RM 1626. The open house is from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Sunfield Station Event Center in Buda, located at 2610 Main St. There will be a comment period from Dec. 7 until Dec. 22. The county said comments may be submitted through the county's SH 45 Gap Study website, during the in-person open house, or by using these resources.This will be the county's second open house on the expansion study. It said people can get background data, input from the first open house and preliminary route concepts. Hays County expects the study to take one to two years. June 2023: Officials speak on closing the SH 45 gap Currently, many Hays and Travis County drivers use SH 45 Southwest to travel from southwest Austin to cities like Kyle and onto I-35, but they have to take 1626 to do so because that’s where SH ...