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Venezuela will hold military exercises off its shores as a British warship heads to Guyana

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:35:25 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — President Nicolás Maduro ordered Venezuela’s armed forces to conduct defensive exercises in the Eastern Caribbean after the United Kingdom sent a warship toward Guyana’s territorial waters as the South American neighbors dispute a large border region. In a nationally televised address on Thursday, Maduro said that 6,000 Venezuelan troops, including air and naval forces, will conduct joint operations off the nation’s eastern coast — near the border with Guyana.Maduro described the impending arrival of British ship HMS Trent to Guyana’s shores as a “threat” to his country. He argued the ship’s deployment violates a recent agreement between the South American nations.“We believe in diplomacy, in dialogue and in peace, but no one is going to threaten Venezuela,” Maduro said in a room where he was accompanied by a dozen military commanders. “This is an unacceptable threat to any sovereign country in Latin America.”Venezuela and Guyana are currently involved ...

Russian poet receives 7-year prison sentence for reciting verses against war in Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:35:25 GMT

A Russian poet was given a 7-year prison sentence Thursday for reciting verses against Russia’s war in Ukraine, a tough punishment that comes during a relentless Kremlin crackdown on dissent.Moscow’s Tverskoi District Court convicted Artyom Kamardin on charges of making calls undermining national security and inciting hatred, which related to him reading his anti-war poems during a street performance in downtown Moscow in September 2022.Yegor Shtovba, who participated in the event and recited Kamardin’s verses, was sentenced to 5 1/2 years on the same charges.The gathering next to the monument to poet Vladimir Mayakovsky was held days after President Vladimir Putin ordered a mobilization of 300,000 reservists amid Moscow’s military setbacks in Ukraine. The widely unpopular move prompted hundreds of thousands to flee Russia to avoid being recruited into the military.Police swiftly dispersed the performance and soon arrested Kamardin and several other participa...

Quebec reaches tentative deal on salaries with union representing 420K workers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:35:25 GMT

MONTREAL — An alliance of Quebec unions representing 420,000 public sector workers says it has reached a deal on salaries with the provincial government.The deal, which has to be approved by members, paves the way to ending the labour conflict with the so-called “common front” — the largest labour group negotiating new collective agreements.Four major unions compose the common front — FTQ, CSN, APTS and CSQ — and they represent hundreds of thousands of workers in sectors such as education and health care.Earlier this week, the government reached a tentative agreement with the common front on working conditions.In a news release, the common front says the tentative deal will be presented over the coming days to its member groups, which will decide whether to take the agreement to workers for a vote.The common front has launched 11 days of strikes since November to pressure the government to reach a deal.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2023. ...

Illinois basketball star, Chicago native Terrence Shannon Jr. charged with rape

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:35:25 GMT

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Illinois basketball player Terrence Shannon Jr. is suspended from all team activities after the senior All-American candidate was charged with rape in Kansas. The alleged incident occurred back in September when Shannon Jr. was visiting Lawrence for the Illinois football game. A warrant for his arrest was issued on Wednesday by the Douglas County District Attorney. Shannon Jr. turned himself into authorities Thursday, where he posted bail and returned to Champaign, per a release from the school.Shannon Jr. played for Lincoln Park High School prior to transferring to powerhouse IMG Academy in Florida for his final year. He transferred to Illinois in 2022 after playing three years at Texas Tech.Shannon Jr. is averaging over 21 points per game“The University and DIA have shown time and again that we have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct,” Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said in a statement. “At the same time, DIA policy affords student-athletes appropriate...

As migrant crisis grows, calls for government help increase

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:35:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Mayors across the country are begging the Biden administration to slow the flow of migrants illegally crossing the southern border, while up to 10,000 cross into the U.S daily, setting records.After a short meeting in Mexico City, with no obvious results, Mexican officials will come to the U.S. next month to continue talks about slowing migration through Mexico to the U.S.Big city mayors in New York, Chicago, and Denver say they are overwhelmed by the flood of migrants who are arriving from the southern border."This is a national problem," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “Without significant intervention from the federal government, this mission will not be sustained."Meanwhile, Denver’s Mayor Mike Johnston said, "We need more federal support."Adams blames Texas Governor Greg Abbott who has been sending thousands of migrants by bus out of Texas to northern U.S. cities."This has only been exacerbated by Governor Abbott'...

Idaho killings home demolished, despite objections from families

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:35:25 GMT

MOSCOW, Idaho (NewsNation) — Demolition of the home where four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed last year is complete, despite objections from the victims' families.Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were found dead inside an off-campus rental home in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.The demolition started around 9:30 a.m. ET, despite some insisting the house is a crucial piece of evidence. At least two of the victims' families have argued that it should be postponed until after the trial of suspect Bryan Kohberger. Idaho victim’s dad: Why is evidence ‘destroyed’ before trial? Neither the defense nor the prosecution are contesting the demolition this week. The university is trying to complete it before students resume classes after the winter break. Detailed documentation, including extensive 3D imaging, photos and measurements has been compiled from inside the property.Critics argue the crime scene should be preserved in ...

10 different foods used in New Year's Eve traditions and the stories behind them

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:35:25 GMT

(Stacker) — From creating vision boards to spending the night out with your most raucous friends waiting for midnight to strike, everyone chooses to celebrate New Year's holidays differently. Yet a common theme held from country to country and culture to culture is bringing people together and celebrating with food.Food has been a longstanding part of holiday celebrations. From the preservation of culture to the love and intention poured into creating a memorable feast, the sharing of meals means more than just survival. In many cases, these annual celebrations feature beloved family recipes that have survived wars and been passed down for generations, becoming cornerstones of holiday traditions and an homage to the resilience of the people who originated them.As New Year's approaches, Stacker looked at specific food practices from around the world. Where did they come from? What are the meanings behind these time-tested recipes? What makes these traditions so special to the culture...

How dangerous is driving on New Year's Eve?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:35:25 GMT

(Stacker) — As November gives way to December, most of the emphasis has been on Christmas. But New Year's Eve is now just around the corner, and it brings elevated risks with it.A 2021 Yahoo! Finance article cites data from Womply showing that New Year's Eve is the biggest sales day of the year for liquor stores across the U.S., with revenue jumping more than 159% over the average day. And any holiday with a heavy emphasis on alcohol consumption is likely to lead to a spike in deadly car crashes.To quantify just how much more dangerous American roads are over the New Year's holiday, Sargon Law Group analyzed records of more than 12,000 fatal car crashes from the National Highway Transit Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System database, comparing crashes on December 31 and January 1 to similar periods in the four weeks before (December 3-4, December 10-11, December 17-18, and December 24-25) and four weeks after (January 7-8, January 14-15, January 21-22, and Janua...

What Texas Longhorns defensive players had to say about playing in the Sugar Bowl

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:35:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — For junior defensive lineman Barryn Sorrell, playing in the Sugar Bowl is a full-circle moment.The New Orleans native and Holy Cross High School graduate said being in the game he grew up going to is "unreal." Sweat, Texas defense embracing challenge of trying to stop Washington’s No. 1 passing attack "It's a blessing to be able to come back," he said. "The atmosphere is unreal. It's the Superdome, it's the center of the city and heart of the city."Sorrell also said he loves seeing his teammates experience his hometown for the first time. While at Holy Cross, Sorrell won a National Football Foundation scholarship from the Sugar Bowl chapter in 2021 after having the highest GPA on the team and ending his high school days as a four-year letterman."It's crazy how life goes around like that," he said. "It was a great experience for me in high school and for my family to be rewarded for all the hard work I did on and off the field." By the numbers: Stats to know about...

$25K reward issued for the arrest of Castleton homicide suspect

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:35:25 GMT

CASTLETON, Vt. (NEWS10) -- Despite receiving hundreds of tips, Vermont State Police say they do not have significant evidence directed to any persons responsible for the murder of 77-year-old Honoree Fleming. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! To assist police with their three-month-long investigation, a $25,000 reward has been issued for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s). Castleton resident and business owner Mark Brown of Brown's Auto Salvage launched a GoFundMe and secured another funding source to raise the monetary rewards. Police said the person of interest is a white male believed to be in his 20s. The suspect is described to be about 5’10” tall with short red hair. A composite sketch was released based on testimony from multiple witnesses.Vermont State Police released a composite sketch of a person of interest in the shooting death of Honoree Fleming, 77, on the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail in...