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At least 40 civilians killed by al-Qaida-linked rebels in a Burkina Faso town, UN rights office says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:09 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 40 civilians were killed last weekend by al-Qaida-linked rebels trying to take control of a besieged town in Burkina Faso’s hard-hit northern region, the United Nations’ rights office said, calling the attack a war crime.In one of the largest clashes in recent years in the West African nation under threat from fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, a large number of fighters tried to take control of Djibo near Mali’s border.The town, located 210 kilometres (130 miles) from the capital, Ouagadougou, has been under blockade by rebels for more than a year, often struggling to provide essential services.The militants in the latest attack, which happened on Sunday, also wounded 42 people and set fire to three camps for internally displaced people, U.N. Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango said in a statement on Tuesday that blamed the attack on JNIM, an umbrella coalition of armed groups aligned with al-Qaida.“Deliberately t...

Emirati-designated COP28 leader forcefully denies report UAE wanted to seek oil deals in summit

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:09 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Emirati president-designate for the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate talks forcefully denied Wednesday a report alleging his nation planned to use the summit to strike oil and gas deals, a day before the summit was due to begin. However, Sultan al-Jaber, who also leads the massive state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., will step down from his position as CEO of the company — trying to head off the major criticism surrounding his selection of a planned vote to formally make him the leader of the talks. Al-Jaber called the allegations from a BBC report “an attempt to undermine the work of the COP28 presidency” before the talks begin Thursday. The report cited what it described as “leaked briefing documents” the broadcaster described as showing the Emirates planned to discuss fossil fuel deals with 15 nations. “These allegations are false, not true, incorrect and not accurate,” al-Jaber told a small group of journalists gathered for a news con...

AI won’t pose immediate existential threat but ‘safety brakes’ needed: Microsoft

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:09 GMT

Microsoft’s president says he doesn’t think artificial intelligence poses an immediate threat to humanity’s existence, but governments and businesses still need to move faster to address the technology’s risks by implementing what he calls “safety brakes.”“We don’t see any risk in the coming years, over the next decade, that somehow AI is going to pose some kind of existential threat to humanity, but … let’s solve this problem before the problem arrives,” Brad Smith said in an interview with The Canadian Press.Smith — a stalwart of Microsoft who first joined the company in 1993 and now doubles as its vice-chair — said it’s important to get the problems posed by the technology under control so the globe doesn’t have to be “constantly worried and talking about it.”He feels the way to address potential problems is through safety brakes, which could act like the emergency mechanisms built into elevators,...

El Niño brings a warm start to winter, but that could change: Weather Network

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:09 GMT

Chilly nights and snow-covered slopes may not be easy to come by in much of Canada during the first part of the winter season, according to the winter outlook from one of Canada’s prominent forecasters. The Weather Network predicts El Niño conditions will lead to above-average temperatures and lower-than-normal precipitation levels in much of the country, particularly in Western and Central Canada. While that trend is expected to hold throughout the winter in British Columbia and the Prairie provinces, the network said areas further east may see more variable conditions as the season progresses.“It’s an El Niño unlike anything we’ve quite seen before. And that means there could be a few surprises in store this year for Canadians,” said Chris Scott, chief meteorologist at The Weather Network. “Yes, El Niño means mild, but we’re going to have to watch for a change midwinter that could lead us down a different road than we’ve been down be...

Biden targets GOP Rep. Boebert in her district in a fresh political attack on Republicans

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:09 GMT

DENVER (AP) — President Joe Biden will try to turn Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado into the embodiment of Republican opposition to his agenda as he visits her congressional district on Wednesday. The trip comes as Biden struggles with low approval ratings while he prepares for a likely 2024 rematch against former President Donald Trump, leaving Democrats eager for opportunities to score political points against Republicans. Biden plans to tour CS Wind, the world’s largest facility for wind tower manufacturing, in the town of Pueblo. The trip was originally scheduled for last month, but it was delayed as the Democratic president focused on the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas. CS Wind is undergoing a $200 million expansion that is expected to create 850 jobs by 2026 with help from the tax benefits in the Inflation Reduction Act, which included hundreds of billions of dollars of financial incentives. In addition, a new analysis from the Treasury Department said clean energy in...

Austin man’s journey to transform the life of Alva, a dog with wobbler syndrome

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:09 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In honor of Giving Tuesday this week, Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) shared a success story about one of their long-stay dogs. Joe Rotunda, a pet advocate, formed a unique bond with Alva, a dog with wobbler syndrome, after discovering her on Instagram. Despite Alva’s challenging condition, which led to her return to APA! after an initial adoption, Rotunda was determined to make a difference in her life.For two months, Rotunda visited Alva daily at APA!, gradually gaining her trust. Recognizing her special needs, he modified his home, adding ramps and safe spaces to accommodate her mobility issues. This effort was supported by APA!’s dog behavior training team, which provided essential training to help Alva adapt to a home environment.Dr. Ellen Jefferson, President and CEO of APA!, acknowledged Rotunda’s efforts as reflective of the success of Austin’s No Kill policy, which saves healthy and/or treatable animals from euthanasia. Rotunda, through his persistence, has shown ...

Cold-weather recipes: Chicken and potatoes, avocado salad and rice pudding

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:09 GMT

For a cool-weather meal that feeds a crowd, consider a braise. Slow simmered and deeply flavored, it has a number of attractive qualities. For one thing, it benefits from steeping in its own juices; cooking it several hours ahead of serving, even a day before, is ideal. The flavors intensify, mature, strengthen.The best braising cuts include beef chuck, lamb shoulder or pork shoulder. But chicken is the easiest to braise, since it takes less time to cook than red meat. Legs are best. I like both thighs and drumsticks, sometimes cooking them as a whole leg, sometimes in two pieces.For a main, I went with a dish that approximates the Spanish chicken and potatoes in salsa brava I tasted years ago in Madrid. But I added ancho chile, traditionally used in Mexican cooking, for a different kind of heat. And I couldn’t resist adding a bit of cumin, so the result is a bit of a hybrid. Along with a splash of wine and chopped tomato, it is hearty and warming with a ruddy red sauce.The now-clos...

Driver airlifted after crash involving tractor-trailer

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:09 GMT

PITTSFORD, Vt. (NEWS10) -- Vermont State Police and rescue personnel responded to a crash involving a tractor-trailer that left one person with life-threatening injuries. The crash happened Tuesday around 3:04 p.m. on Route 7 in Pittsford, Vermont. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Police say an initial investigation found the tractor-trailer was taking a left turn to travel north on US Route 7 when a 2010 Toyota Prius was traveling south on US Route 7. Police say evidence indicated the tractor-trailer was taking up both the north and southbound lanes when leaving Casella's parking lot.Police say the front end of the Prius struck the trailer portion and the driver sustained life-threatening injuries. He was airlifted to UVM Hospital for treatment. Market 32 purchases former ShopRite Capital Region assets Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to contact Vermont State Police at (802) 388-4919.

5 things to know this Wednesday, November 29

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:09 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A camel in a Geico commercial once asked about Wednesday, "Guess what day it is?" Happy hump day! According to Meteorologists Jill Szwed and Matt Mackie, we have one cold day left until we move onto slightly better temperatures the rest of the week. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Price Chopper/Market 32 has finalized the purchase of the leases, store equipment, and fixtures of the five former ShopRite stores in the Capital Region. Several Capital Region ShopRites closed on Saturday, November 18, including locations in Albany, Colonie, Niskayuna, Slingerlands, and North Greenbush. Meanwhile, a 24-year-old involved in the fatal crash on I-87 on May 28, 2022, has pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide. Vasu Laroiya of Iselin, New Jersey, faces eight-and-a-third to 25 years in state prison. These stories, and more, are covered in your five things to know this Wednesday.1. Market 32 purchases form...

Ask Amy: Retirees rebound from a major whoopsie

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:09 GMT

Dear Amy: My husband and I retired to a wonderful Southwestern city.Our two adult children are married and live in other parts of the country. They each have young children.During the pandemic, my son, daughter-in-law and baby granddaughter in Florida were alone, with no nearby relatives — as were we.After the pandemic, we decided that we should move to Florida to help them out, and in turn, they would be there for us as we aged.They were also excited and encouraged us to purchase a home near them. We bought a home (over FaceTime!), sold our other home, quit our local clubs and activities and moved.We quickly realized we had made a mistake and that we didn’t like living in Florida.We assumed we would become an integral part of our kids’ lives, but their expectations were totally different. We only babysat twice in six months!After six months, we moved back to the Southwest.We are now working to resume our old lives, but my daughter-in-law no longer calls us or participates in ...