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Over 1,000 migrants reach Italian isle; 23 reported missing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:55 GMT

ROME (AP) — With the return of calm seas, migrant smugglers launched dozens of boats from Tunisia during the weekend and some 1,200 people ended up on a tiny Italian island while several were reported missing at sea, the Italian Coast Guard said Monday.Coast guard officials said in a statement that they responded to 35 boats that had left Tunisia, three of which came to grief.In one shipwreck some 20 nautical miles off Lampedusa island coast guard and border police vessels said three migrants were missing. In a second, in Malta’s search-and-rescue area, survivors said some 20 people were missing, while in the third, also in Malta’s rescue area, Italian rescuers recovered a man’s body, the Coast Guard said.Some 20 more boats crowded with migrants were in the sea Monday night, it said.The coast guard said air and naval assets of the Coast Guard, the Border Police, the European border protection agency Frontex as well as a humanitarian organization were involved in th...

India will be most populous country by month’s end, UN says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:55 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — India will be the world’s most populous country by the end of this month, eclipsing an aging China, the United Nations said Monday. The milestone raises questions about whether India can repeat the economic success that has made China central to the world’s economy and a leading global power.The news comes at a moment when India is promoting itself as a rising international player as the host of this year’s Group of 20 summit. It’s also becoming a more attractive destination for multinational companies seeking to reduce their reliance on China. By the end of April, India’s population is expected to reach 1.425 billion, which means it will match and then surpass mainland China’s, the U.N.’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs said in a statement. The forecast is based on their latest estimates of global population. It’s not clear exactly when India’s population will pass China’s. It may have already have done so. Demographers say the limits of...

Leafs erase three-goal third-period deficit, stun Bolts 5-4 in OT for 3-1 series lead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:55 GMT

Alexander Kerfoot scored on a power play at 4:14 of overtime as the Toronto Maple Leafs roared back from a 4-1 deficit in the third period to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4 on Monday and take a commanding 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.With Mikaeil Sergachev in the penalty box for tripping, Kerfoot tipped a Mark Giordano point shot for his first goal of the series and move the Leafs to within one victory of their first series victory since 2004.Auston Matthews, with two goals, Morgan Rielly and Noel Acciari also scored for Toronto. Ilya Samsonov made 27 stops for the Leafs, who improved to 2-17 over their last 19 post-season contests when leading a series.William Nylander had three assists, while Mitch Marner and Ryan O’Reilly each had two for Toronto, which famously botched a 4-1 lead in the third period of Game 7 against the Boston Bruins in 2013 before losing in OT.Alex Killorn scored twice for Tampa, while Sergachev, with a goal and an assist, and Steven ...

Asylum seekers shuffled between CPD police stations as area shelters reach capacity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:55 GMT

CHICAGO — The 14th District police station is one of several in the city where asylum seekers could be seen camping out Monday evening as Chicago-area shelters reach capacity.The Fraternal Order of Police told WGN that there are other city resources and departments that should be taking care of this, but instead, it's been left solely with CPD to handle."Apparently the police department is now a homeless shelter and taxi service," said Chicago FOP President John Catanzara. "We’ve been receiving calls for the better part of a week plus now about this issue, that’s only getting worse." Vigil held on 4th anniversary of the murder of Marlen Ochoa Lopez, baby cut from womb A Venezuelan mother who spoke to WGN, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, Anngimar, said she has been taken back and forth between the 8th and 14th District police stations with her two daughters."They’re just shuffling them around from station to station," Catanzara said. "they’re not doing anything ...

Powerful geomagnetic storm triggers Northern Lights Sunday night; Tuesday's "NE" winds deliver March-level chill Tuesday/Wednesday; modest Thursday/ Friday warming but another cool, cloudy, showery weekend ahead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:55 GMT

2023 — severe weather season off to quite a startQuieter weather ahead this week given the cool pattern underway—expected to last into next weekAn interesting post and analysis on the Chicago 2023 SEVERE WEATHER SCENE from my NWS-Chicago colleagues who report in a post today (Monday):“Our local severe weather season is off to a very active start. We’ve already seen 10 more tornadoes than the annual average, and saw several rounds of damaging wind and hail storms in March and April. Our typical peak of the severe weather season is May through June.”A MAJOR "G4" INTENSITY GEOMAGNETIC STORMSunday night set off a spectacular Northern Lights display visible in places far south of regions most often able to see Auroral displays in the Northern Hemisphere—Auroras were reported in Europe and in Australia in the Southern HemisphereMost often, auroral displays are seen across Alaska, Canada and Scandanavia. But last night's displays were visible much farther south.Robert Steenburgh, space wea...

Victim 'brutally assaulted' in north Austin robbery, APD searching for suspect

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department is seeking the public's help in finding a suspect wanted in connection with a north Austin robbery, APD said in a news release.Shortly before 2 p.m., April 8, two suspects "brutally assaulted" the victim by punching and stomping on the victim's head in an alleyway in the 900 block of Rutland Drive, police said.One of the suspects has been arrested, police said. The other is who the police need help to find.During the attack, both suspects took the victim's belongings and ran north away from the scene, the release said. Detectives believe this was not a random attack.A video of the assault can be viewed on APD's YouTube.The description of the unidentified suspect is below:Black maleStocky build20 to 30 years of ageHe was last seen wearing a dark blue, flat-brimmed hat with a gray New England Patriots logo, a dark blue and white hooded jacket with a white logo on the left, and light-colored jeansThe Austin Police Department is searching fo...

Judge says Kim Gardner is not in contempt; calls out her office management

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:55 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A judge did not hold Kim Gardner in contempt of court in a hearing Monday, but said he fears her office’s misstep is just the beginning of issues we’ll see. The victim’s family shared concerns about future justice.The Scott family’s concerns might best be summed up by Judge Scott Millikan's frustrations.“I’m just trying to bring some semblance of order to this circuit (court),” he said.The family of the victim, Brandon Scott, walked out of court stunned.“Everything was just everywhere. I think even the judge was just confused about everything,” April Scott, the victim's sister, said. Gardner won’t be held in contempt, judge rules April said she doesn’t want people to forget who her brother was. “Brandon was a loving family man with two beautiful children," she said.Brandon Scott died in September 2021. His was found shot to death inside his car, which had crashed onto the steps of the Arch grounds.“He was on his home. He was trying to get on the highway, and he acciden...

Caught on camera: Thieves break into multiple cars in The Grove

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:55 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Multiple cars were broken into Saturday night at The Grove. One victim who caught thieves on camera recounts the scare."For this very reason, I got a ring camera, and lo and behold, my car gets broken into,” said the car break-in victim.The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, was having a drink at a neighboring bar, Taha'a Twisted Tiki. When she was getting ready to leave, she noticed that she and at least three other cars had their windows smashed. Gardner won’t be held in contempt, judge rules "It was triggering; it was upsetting," the woman said. "But to see how close it was to the time they broke into my car, I think it was six minutes to me getting back in."The masked man was seen on video rummaging through her car with a gun. Flashlight attached.He stole a case, which may have looked like a concealed carry to the thief, but it was something much more sentimental."These darts were given to me by my family, my first set of darts," the victim said. "Darts that a ...

Ameren and St. Charles reach no agreement on the water contamination crisis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:55 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Monday was the end of the 21-day deadline set by the EPA for the water contamination crisis in the City of St. Charles.St. Charles is at odds with Ameren over the issue. EPA directed the two sides to reach an access agreement to city property that would allow Ameren to address groundwater contamination from the Huster Road Substation.St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer said St. Charles and Ameren representatives met on Monday, but no agreement was reached."We're sitting down at the table with this supposedly shortly and negotiating, but that's still a long way away," Borgmeyer said. "Nobody rolls over for that kind of money. So it will probably wind up in court, is my guess." Gardner won’t be held in contempt, judge rules St. Charles has launched its own cleanup plan. It’s having a special set-up to decontaminate and clean the water. It’s an eight-tank assembly that will cost the city around $18 million.It's not having to shoulder that expense by itself. The state o...

St. Louis reparations commission holds first public meeting  

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:55 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The newly formed City of St. Louis Reparations Commission held its first public meeting at Harris-Stowe State University Monday night.The commission was formed by St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and is tasked with identifying the results of slavery, segregation, and other race-based harms in St. Louis before ultimately making recommendations for how that harm should be repaired.The nine-member commission will hold monthly meetings to hear from the public and experts before forming recommendations for Jones and the St. Louis Board of Aldermen to consider.“What we will deliver will be a set of recommendations, and then it’s up to us as residents to organize our board of aldermen and the mayor to actualize those recommendations,” said Kayla Reed, chair of the St. Louis City Reparations Commission. Gardner won’t be held in contempt, judge rules “This is a historic opportunity to really acknowledge the historic wrongs that have been evident in St. Louis for generations," sai...