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Guatemalan police begin clearing protesters’ roadblocks after president threatens a crackdown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Riot police began efforts Tuesday to clear roadblocks by protesters that have paralyzed parts of Guatemala for more than a week, just hours after President Alejandro Giammattei vowed to clear the country’s roadways.More than 120 roadblocks have snarled traffic and disrupted commerce as thousands of farmers and members of Indigenous communities demand the resignation of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and express their support for incoming progressive President-elect Bernardo Arévalo.Porras’ office has multiple open investigations related to August’s presidential elections and has sucessfully sought the suspension of Arévalo’s party — moves that the protesters denounce as attempts to thwart the incoming leader before he takes office in January.At one roadblock on a major roadway in the capital, a couple dozen riot police stood in formation. There was brief pushing with some protesters, and more people quickly arrived and surrounded the outnumb...

Saskatchewan pronoun bill, notwithstanding clause coming later this week: Moe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

REGINA — On the day politicians returned to debate legislation over the Saskatchewan Party government’s pronoun policy in schools, Memphis Hartman reminded people he’s a human being.The 17-year-old student, who is transgender, told hundreds at a rally outside the legislature he’s grateful he received support from his family and teachers. “Trans people have existed and they will continue to exist in your classroom, whether you use their name or not,” Hartman told the crowd. Politicians returned to the legislature Tuesday ahead of the rally, with the  government prepared to legislate a policy that would require children under 16 to receive parental consent if they want to change their names or pronouns at school.However, the government has to wait until at least Thursday to introduce the legislation, known as Bill 137, the Parents Bill of Rights Act.Legislature protocol prevented the government from introducing the legislation Tuesday, as it’s requi...

Lidia makes landfall as Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds near Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta resort

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Lidia made landfall as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm Tuesday evening with winds of 140 mph (220 kph) near Mexico’s Pacific coast resort of Puerto Vallarta.The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Lidia’s eye appeared to have reached land near Las Penitas in the western state of Jalisco. The area is a sparsely populated peninsula. The storm is moving south of Puerto Vallarta, which could cushion the blow on the resort.In 2015, Hurricane Patricia, a Category 5 hurricane, also made landfall on the same sparsely-populated stretch of coastline between the resort of Puerto Vallarta and major port of Manzanillo.Lidia was expected to rapidly weaken over the mountains and dissipate, but was still capable of soaking the region with heavy rain. Forecasters predicted Lidia could still be a Category 1 hurricane when it brushed by Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, around midnight.The U.S. National Hurricane Center forecast rainfall totals of ...

California governor signs laws compelling universities to report return of Native American remains

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws Tuesday intended to compel California’s public university systems to make progress in their review and return of Native American remains and artifacts.Decades-old state and federal legislation, known as repatriation laws, require government entities to return these items to tribes. Those artifacts could include prayer sticks or wolves’ skins that have been used for ceremonies. But the state auditor found in recent years that many campuses have not done so due to a lack of funding or of clear protocols from chancellors’ offices.Democratic Assemblymember James C. Ramos, the first Native American in the California Legislature, said campuses’ failure to return remains to tribes has denied “the Indian people the right to bring closure to family issues and historical trauma.”“We’re still dealing with a state that has not come to terms with its history — deplorable history and treatment towards California’s first people,” Ramos sa...

Evacuations are underway in Argentina’s Cordoba province as wildfires grow amid heat wave

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Dozens of people were evacuated from their homes in Argentina’s central Cordoba province on Tuesday as wildfires grew amid an intense heat wave.Images and video from the area showed massive flames in hills surrounding populated areas as firefighters worked to combat the flames that had reached some homes in the region. It was not immediately clear how many homes had been affected by the flames.A total of 960 firefighters were working to combat the wildfires with eight firefighting planes and two helicopters, the provincial government said Tuesday evening. Local media reported that dozens of people had been evacuated. There was hope that rains expected Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning could help calm the fires that had spread rapidly due to strong winds.“I call on the population to respect the indications of the firefighters and authorities who are working in the affected areas,” Cordoba Gov. Juan Schiaretti wrote on social media. “The most imp...

California-based Navy sailor pleads guilty to providing sensitive military information to China

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A U.S. Navy sailor charged with providing sensitive military information to China pleaded guilty in Los Angeles on Tuesday to conspiring with a foreign intelligence officer and receiving a bribe, federal prosecutors said. Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, originally pleaded not guilty when he was charged Aug. 4. The Justice Department alleges that Zhao, based at Naval Base Ventura County, north of Los Angeles, conspired to collect nearly $15,000 in bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for information, photos and videos of involving Navy exercises, operations and facilities.The information included plans for a large-scale U.S. military exercise in the Indo-Pacific region, which detailed the location and timing of naval force movements, prosecutors said. The Chinese officer told Zhao the information was needed for maritime economic research to inform investment decisions, according to the indictment.Zhao, who also went by the name Thomas Zhao and hel...

‘They are in prison’: Canadians desperate to help family in Gaza struggle for options

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

Reem Sultan said she’s been struggling to hold herself together after recently losing loved ones in Gaza and is desperately looking for ways to help family still in the sealed-off Palestinian territory. The 49-year-old London, Ont., resident said she doesn’t know how to best support relatives in the region being bombarded by Israeli warplanes in retaliation for a deadly weekend attack by Hamas militants. “It’s been sheer hell. I’m trying to be strong for my children, and hiding so much fear,” Sultan, a pharmacist, said through tears in a phone interview.“I’m just praying and constantly thinking how can I help my family.”Sultan is among the Canadians with family in Gaza who have said they are terrified for their loved ones and desperate to help. The war, which has claimed at least 1,900 lives on both sides, is expected to escalate. Hamas militants stormed into Israel on Saturday morning, slaying hundreds of residents in homes and...

Morgan State University plans to build a wall around campus after shooting during homecoming week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — In the wake of a shooting that left five people injured during homecoming festivities, Morgan State University leaders announced Tuesday they plan to build a wall around most of the northeast Baltimore campus and station security personnel at entrances and exits.The wall would extend existing barriers by about 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) to encircle 90% of campus and effectively “eliminate unfettered access,” university President David Wilson said during a campus town hall.“We’re doing this, let me be clear, not to keep out our neighbors and our community writ large; we are doing it to keep out the bad actors,” Wilson told an auditorium filled with students, faculty and staff of the historically Black university.After the shooting the night of Oct. 3 following a coronation ceremony for this year’s Mister and Miss Morgan State, university leaders canceled classes and homecoming activities for the remainder of the week. They’re now grappling with how to keep students sa...

Drug dealer in crew blamed for actor Michael K. Williams’ overdose death gets 5 years in prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A member of a New York City drug-dealing crew blamed for the fentanyl-laced heroin death of actor Michael K. Williams was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison.Luis Cruz was the third of four defendants to be sentenced in connection with the drugs linked to the death of Williams, who overdosed in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment in September 2021. He died four hours after authorities said he bought the heroin from another member of the crew.A federal judge in Manhattan imposed the prison time on Cruz, who pleaded guilty in April to a reduced charge of narcotics conspiracy.Cruz’s lawyer, Deborah Colson, said in an email that Cruz “accepted responsibility and provided a genuine, heartfelt apology.” She declined further comment.In a letter to the judge, Cruz, who had been an electrician, said he was addicted to drugs and was selling them to support his habit and pay his bills. “It was a terrible mistake in judgment,” he wrote.Federal prosecutors, however, said...

Unifor ends strike less than 24 hour in after reaching tentative deal with GM

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:12 GMT

TORONTO — Unifor put a short-lived strike on hold Tuesday after General Motors agreed to a tentative contract that mirrors the one the union reached with Ford Motor Co. about two weeks ago. Close to 4,300 autoworkers at GM’s Oshawa assembly plant, St. Catharines propulsion plant, and Woodstock parts distribution centre had gone on strike at midnight after the company resisted the terms set out in the Ford deal.About twelve hours later though the company had relented, including on key sticking points like pensions, retiree income supports and converting full-time temporary workers into permanent employees.“Sometimes you have to take these tactics, sometimes we have to exercise our right to strike in order to get the kind of collective agreement that our members deserve,” said Unifor president Lana Payne at a press conference in Toronto.Workers at the three operations were expected to go back to work Tuesday afternoon, while Unifor said ratification votes would be sc...