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Man charged with terrorism over a fire at South African Parliament is declared unfit to stand trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:32 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A man charged with terrorism and other offenses over a 2022 fire that badly damaged South Africa’s historic Parliament complex in Cape Town was declared unfit to stand trial by a court on Monday.Zandile Mafe was diagnosed with schizophrenia by an expert panel in a report, and a judge in the Western Cape High Court ruled that he agreed with the assessment. Judge Nathan Erasmus said that Mafe wasn’t able to understand the charges against him.Mafe has said he’s fit to stand trial and has admitted in previous court hearings to starting the blaze in January 2022. He said he did it in protest against Parliament, the local government in Cape Town and the national government. He said all of them have failed South Africa’s people.In a previous court outburst, he threatened to burn the Parliament building again and challenged the court to send him to prison, saying he wasn’t afraid of a life sentence.Mafe’s lawyer said at Mond...

Wisconsin secretary of state calls for removal of fake Trump elector from elections commission

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:32 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s Democratic secretary of state on Monday called for a Republican who served as a fake elector for former President Donald Trump and admitted trying to overturn the 2020 election results to be removed from his position on the Wisconsin Elections Commission.Bob Spindell was one of 10 Republicans who signed certificates in 2020 falsely stating that Trump had won Wisconsin. President Joe Biden won the battleground state. Spindell and other nine fake electors conceded in a legal settlement last week that Biden had won the state and agreed to not serve as electors in next year’s election or in any in which Trump is running. They also agreed that their actions were “part of an attempt to improperly overturn the 2020 presidential election results.”But they also avoided paying any damages and didn’t accept any liability or admit any wrongdoing for their actions.Spindell, who didn’t respond to voicemails or text messages left last week a...

The Supreme Court rejects an appeal over bans on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ children

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday refused to take up a case about whether state and local governments can enforce laws banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ children.Over the dissent of three conservative justices, the court turned away an appeal from Washington, where the law has been upheld. An appellate panel struck down local bans in Florida as an unconstitutional restriction on counselors’ speech.The high court often steps in when appellate courts disagree, and in separate opinions Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas said that standard was easily met in the controversy over conversion therapy bans.Thomas wrote that his colleague should have taken up the Washington case because “licensed counselors cannot voice anything other than the state-approved opinion on minors with gender dysphoria without facing punishment.”Justice Brett Kavanaugh also voted to hear the case. It takes four of the nine justices to set a case for arguments.The court’s decision...

Speaker Greg Fergus apologizes to committee for video shown at political convention

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:32 GMT

OTTAWA — House Speaker Greg Fergus apologized to a committee of MPs this morning for a video he made that was shown at a recent Ontario Liberal Party convention. Fergus was called to speak to the committee on procedure and House affairs, which is examining whether the non-partisan Speaker should be punished for appearing in the video in his ceremonial robes.The committee has scheduled five hours of hearings on this today, with witnesses that also include House clerks and John Fraser, the Ontario member of the provincial parliament who was the subject of Fergus’s video. Fergus says a member of Fraser’s family asked him to send a video message to commemorate his time in a senior position in the provincial Liberal party.The Speaker says he believed it would be shown at a private event and not a partisan event — but he also says he should not have made the video in the first place. Fergus says a protocol is being put in place to ensure he gets advice from the House clerk and...

Indigenous advisory council for CN resigns, says railway won’t take responsibility

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:32 GMT

A council of prominent Indigenous leaders tasked with advising Canadian National Railway Co. says all 12 members have submitted resignations over what they say is the company’s failure to acknowledge past wrongs and to follow its recommendations for reconciliation.The resignations take effect Dec. 31.Its co-chairs, Murray Sinclair, a former senator and head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and Roberta Jamieson, the first female Indigenous lawyer in Canada, say in a statement that they tried to foster understanding, connections and transparency in outlining steps for the railway’s reconciliation efforts. But they say the 104-year-old company has “missed the mark” on reconciliation and that in order to have a better relationship with Indigenous Peoples, it must accept its past, take action and commit to change led by Indigenous business leaders.“Regardless of who was in charge, CN played a role in the oppression of Indigenous peoples and there is no path forward...

Work to resume at Tahiti’s legendary Olympic surfing site after uproar over damage to coral reef

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:32 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Organizers of the Paris Olympics say work will resume this week to prepare the surfing venue in Tahiti, after an uproar over damage to a coral reef put efforts on hold.Teahupo’o is famed on the surfing circuit for its big waves, but fierce concerns in Tahiti for marine life have proven to be a challenge for Olympics organizers as they head into 2024, less than 230 days out from the Summer Games.Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris Olympics organizing committee, said Monday that preparations at Teahupo’o will start again this week. The resumption comes after the president of French Polynesia, Moetai Brotherson, held talks with groups on the island that are concerned about plans to build a tower for surfing judges and television cameras in the Teahupo’o lagoon, fearing it will damage the coral reefs.Work stopped earlier this month at the site after coral was damaged during a test of a barge meant to transport the aluminum judging tower into the lagoon so it...

Snowfall, rain, gusty winds hit Northeast as Tennessee recovers from deadly tornadoes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:32 GMT

A combination of heavy rain, snow, and wind brought threats of flooding and power outages to the Northeast on Monday, part of the same storm system that killed six people in Tennessee, where tornadoes toppled houses and tens of thousands of people lost power in the wintry weather. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings through the evening as snow fell across Vermont and northern New York, where up to 10 inches of snow could accumulate. The weather service said that snowfall rates of an inch an hour were possible. Many schools were closed in Vermont. A mix of rain and snow was falling in New Hampshire and some roads had minor flooding in Maine, and gusty winds were expected in New England Monday afternoon. Between 1.5 to 3 inches of rain fell in the New York City area overnight, but the storm was moving fast and a flood watch and wind advisory were lifted Monday morning. The Washington, D.C., area also saw rain and mild temperatures turn into some slushy snow and n...

NDP health critic holding out hope pharmacare bill could be tabled in next five days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:32 GMT

Time is running out for the Liberal government to table pharmacare legislation before the end of the year, but the NDP’s health critic says almost-daily phone calls are still giving him hope.Still, if the Liberals need more time, New Democrat MP Don Davies says his party is prepared to give it.The Liberals and NDP signed a supply-and-confidence deal last year that sees the opposition party support the minority government on key votes in exchange for progress on New Democrat priorities.The deal states that pharmacare legislation must be passed by the end of the year.That hope is now dashed, with the House of Commons set to break for the holidays at the end of this week.Davies says the bill could still be tabled before the deadline, but there are issues the two parties haven’t been able to resolve in their negotiations.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2023.Laura Osman, The Canadian Press

Person of interest arrested in slaying of Detroit synagogue president

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:32 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — A person of interest has been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a Detroit synagogue leader whose death after the start of the Israel-Hamas war prompted speculation the slaying could have been the result of antisemitism.But Police Chief James White has said the attack does not appear to be a result of antisemitism.The arrest is the second announced by the city’s police department since the Oct. 21 slaying of Samantha Woll, 40, who was found dead outside her near-downtown home hours after returning from a wedding. Investigators believe the attack occurred inside Woll’s home.A suspect initially taken into custody was released last month without any charges being filed. Detroit police did not say Sunday evening if the suspect currently being held is the same person previously arrested in the case.An attorney for the person arrested in November told The Associated Press on Monday that her client is not the person of interest currently being held...

Wauconda math teacher dies after being struck head-on by alleged intoxicated driver

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:32 GMT

WAUCONDA, Ill. — A longtime Wauconda math teacher and athletic trainer died early Sunday morning following a head-on crash caused by an alleged intoxicated driver.Wheeling police responded to the crash at around 2:15 a.m. near East Palatine Road and Wheeling Road.Police believe Bob Gillen, 53, was traveling westbound on Palatine Road when the vehicle was struck head-on by a suspected intoxicated driver. Gillen died as a result of the crash.Two occupants were in both vehicles and one was transported in serious condition.Gillen worked at Wauconda High School since 1996 as a math teacher and athletic trainer. Previous: Driver dies after being hit head-on by alleged intoxicated driver in Wheeling School counselors and student services personnel are available for students Monday, the district said.David Wilm, superintendent of D118 Schools, released the following statement."The Wauconda District 118 community is saddened by the unexpected passing of Bob Gillen, a dedicated M...