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India beats Putin in race to moon’s south pole

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:38 GMT

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Wednesday successfully landed the uncrewed Chandrayaan-3 mission on the rocky surface of the lunar south pole, making India the first country to do so. “India is now on the moon,” declared India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi via videolink from a summit of global leaders in South Africa.The landing follows Russia’s dramatic failure to make it there first earlier this week as its Luna-25 probe, launched suddenly this month in an attempt to beat India, crash-landed on Sunday.Addressing a global audience after the landing was confirmed, Modi said that “India’s successful moon mission is not just India’s alone,” adding that “this success belongs to all of humanity and it will help moon missions by other countries in the future.”India is now the fourth country to place a spacecraft on the lunar surface after the United States, Soviet Union and China, but the first to do so on the especia...

Construction accident in Bedford sends 5 people to hospital, leaving 1 in critical condition

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:38 GMT

Five people were taken to a hospital following a construction accident in Bedford that left at least one worker critically injured, according to authorities. Police told 7NEWS a crew was putting up a wall at a home on Dunster Road Wednesday morning when the wall reportedly fell on several workers around 7:30 a.m.Authorities said that of the eight workers who took part in the effort, at least one was in critical condition and another had serious injuries after the accident. Three others were believed to have minor injuries. In an update, officials said that based on a preliminary investigation, the crash may have occurred due to the workers being unable to handle the weight of the wall.“The collapse occurred when eight workers were attempting to raise a gable wall as part of a major rehab project in a residential building,” said Interim Bedford Fire Chief Paul Sheehan. “First impressions by our building department are that improper procedures may have been used, ...

Teen charged with murder, to be arraigned as adult following deadly stabbing in Lynn

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:38 GMT

Two teenagers are facing charges in connection with a fatal stabbing that left another teen dead in Lynn.The Essex County District Attorney’s Office said one of the teenagers arrested will be arraigned as an adult and faces a murder charge after the stabbing happened at the Alpha Convenience Store on Freeman Square on Tuesday night.According to authorities, the stabbing occurred around 6 p.m. and was reported to a nearby fire station, leading to the victim being transported to Salem Hospital where they died from their injuries.In a news release, the DA’s office said a second teen who was arrested is facing a charge of possessing a dangerous weapon.“The incident remains under investigation by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office State Police Detective Unit and detectives from the Lynn Police Department,” the release stated, noting that the victim’s identity was being withheld until family and friends were notified.

Two tankers collided in Egypt’s Suez Canal, briefly disrupting traffic in the vital waterway

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:38 GMT

By SAMY MAGDY (Associated Press)CAIRO (AP) — Two tankers carrying oil products and liquefied natural gas collided in the Suez Canal, briefly disrupting traffic through the global waterway, Egyptian authorities said Wednesday. The Suez Canal authority said in a statement that the BW Lesmes, a Singapore-flagged tanker that carries liquefied natural gas, suffered a mechanical malfunction Tuesday night and ran aground while transiting through the canal. The Burri, a Cayman Islands-flagged oil products tanker, collided with the broken vessel.The collision disrupted traffic for several hours before it resumed after the two tankers were towed away, the Suez Canal authority said. The two tankers were part of a convoy transiting through the canal from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.“We’ve immediately handled the breakdowns … and traffic will go back to normal in both directions within the coming hours,” said Adm. Ossama Rabei, the head of the canal authori...

US Open 2023: With Serena and Federer retired, Alcaraz-Djokovic symbolizes a transition in tennis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:38 GMT

Based on the reactions on social media, it seems everyone in the world of tennis was riveted by Novak Djokovic’s victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the last tournament for both ahead of the U.S. Open.It was a titanic, 3 1/2-hour-plus showdown between the two titans of the men’s game at the moment — the third time they’ve played each other in Djokovic’s past three events, each on a different surface — and set the stage for what will be an expected meeting to determine the champion at Flushing Meadows, where play begins Monday and finishes on Sept. 10.Last weekend’s contest at the hard-court Cincinnati Masters, in which Djokovic, who is 36, saved a championship point in the second set and Alcaraz, who is 20, saved four in the third before succumbing 5-7, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (4), also served to symbolize the state of change the sport currently finds itself in, a year removed from Serena Williams’ farewell match in New York and Roger Federer’s retirement announcement soon thereafter.A...

South Carolina’s new all-male highest court reverses course on abortion, upholding strict 6-week ban

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:38 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s new all-male Supreme Court reversed course on abortion on Wednesday, upholding a ban on most such procedures after about six weeks of pregnancy. The 4-1 ruling departs from the court’s own decision earlier this year to strike down a similar law. The continued erosion of legal abortion access across the U.S. South comes after Republican state lawmakers replaced the lone female on the court, Justice Kaye Hearn. Writing for the new majority, Justice John Kittredge acknowledged that the 2023 law infringes on “a woman’s right of privacy and bodily autonomy,” but said the state legislature reasonably determined this time around that those interests don’t outweigh “the interest of the unborn child to live.”“As a Court, unless we can say that the balance struck by the legislature was unreasonable as a matter of law, we must uphold the Act,” Kittredge wrote. It was Hearn who wrote the majority’s lead opinion in January striking down the ban. The c...

Business software firm Open Text acquires Irish company KineMatik

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:38 GMT

TORONTO — Business software company Open Text Corp. has acquired Ireland-based KineMatik, which specializes in business process and project management. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed and Open Text said Wednesday the purchase was not material to its financial results.KineMatik helps with workflow automation, document change control, project management and electronic lab notebook solutions using Open Text’s content server.It works with businesses in life science, technology, finance, energy and other industries.Open Text CEO Mark Barrenechea says KineMatik helps enterprise customers in regulated industries meet the highest standards in business process and project management.Barrenechea says Open Text looks forward to bringing the KineMatik solution to its content management customers.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 23, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:OTEX)The Canadian Press

Wisconsin Republicans ask newly elected liberal justice to not hear redistricting case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:38 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature asked that the newest Democratic-backed justice on the state Supreme Court recuse herself from lawsuits seeking to overturn GOP-drawn electoral district boundary maps, arguing that she has prejudged the cases.Republicans argue in their motions filed with the Wisconsin Supreme Court that Justice Janet Protasiewicz can’t fairly hear the cases because during her campaign for the seat earlier this year she called the Republican-drawn maps “unfair” and “rigged” and said there needs to be “a fresh look at the gerrymandering question.”Protasiewicz, who was backed by Democrats in her winning election in April, never said how she would rule on a redistricting lawsuit. She never committed to recusing herself from hearing the case. Her win gave liberals a 4-3 majority on the court.Protasiewicz did promise to recuse herself from any case brought by the Wisconsin Democratic Party because it donated nearly $10 million to...

Ontario court rules against Jordan Peterson, upholds social media training order

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:38 GMT

An Ontario court has ruled against controversial psychologist Jordan Peterson, upholding a regulatory body’s order that he undergo social media training.Last November, Peterson, who is also an author and media commentator, was ordered by the College of Psychologists of Ontario to undergo a coaching program on professionalism in public statements.That followed numerous complaints to the governing body of Ontario psychologists, of which Peterson is a member, regarding his online commentary directed at politicians, a plus-sized model and transgender actor Elliot Page, among other issues.The college’s complaints committee concluded his controversial public statements could amount to professional misconduct and ordered the social media coaching program _ failure to comply could mean the loss of his licence to practice psychology in the province.Peterson filed for a judicial review, arguing his political commentary is not under the college’s purview.The Ontario Divisiona...

North Dakota Gov. Burgum may miss GOP presidential debate after hurting himself playing basketball

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:38 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum may not be able to participate in Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate after he injured himself playing basketball and was taken to the emergency room. Campaign spokesman Lance Trover said Wednesday that it was “unclear if he will be able to stand at the debate.” He didn’t say what type of injury it was but said Burgum’s team would have more information later. The injury, which occurred Tuesday while Burgum was playing with campaign staff, was first reported by CNN.Missing the two-hour debate would be a major setback for Burgum, who is the least known of the eight candidates expected to take the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night. The first debate of the GOP primary, which early front-runner Donald Trump has said he’s skipping, is his best opportunity for Burgum to introduce himself to voters. Burgum, a wealthy businessman, qualified for the debate after offering $20 gift cards to donors who gave h...