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Kenya cult death toll hits 200

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:25 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The death toll linked to a doomsday cult in Kenya hit 201 Saturday after police exhumed 22 more bodies, most of them bearing signs of starvation, according to the coast regional commissioner.The bodies are believed to be those of followers of a pastor based in coastal Kenya, Paul Mackenzie. He’s alleged to have ordered congregants to starve to death in order to meet Jesus.More than 600 people are still missing.Mackenzie, who was arrested last month, remains in custody. Police plan to charge him with terrorism-related offenses.Hundreds of bodies have been dug up from dozens of mass graves spread across his 800-acre property, located in the coastal county of Kilifi.Mackenzie insists that he closed his church in 2019 and moved to his property in a forested area to farm.Autopsies conducted on more than 100 bodies last week showed the victims died of starvation, strangulation, suffocation and injuries sustained from blunt objects.Local media outlets have been report...

1 killed as tornado hits south Texas near the Gulf coast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:25 GMT

LAGUNA HEIGHTS, Texas (AP) — One person was killed when his mobile home was crushed as a powerful tornado tore through a community near the southern tip of Texas before dawn Saturday, damaging dozens of residences and knocking down power lines, authorities said.At least 10 others were hospitalized, including two people who were listed in critical condition, said Tom Hushen, the emergency management coordinator for Cameron County. Many residents also suffered cuts and bruises.The tornado hit at about 4 a.m. as most people were in their homes asleep in the unincorporated community of Laguna Heights, located on the mainland across from South Padre Island, off the Gulf of Mexico. The county has among the highest poverty rates in Texas and is dotted with substandard housing.There was no advance warning. Instead, the first warning of a tornado “went out at the same time it was touching ground,” said Barry Goldsmith, a warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in ...

Red Sox notebook: Adalberto Mondesi still a long way off as recovery from torn ACL drags

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:25 GMT

When the Red Sox acquired Adalberto Mondesi from Kansas City this past offseason, they understood he might not be ready for Opening Day. The electric shortstop was just about a year removed from suffering a torn ACL in his left knee, but the hope was before long his speed and explosiveness could become a game-breaking asset.Recovering that explosiveness, however, has proven a much slower process than expected.Though Mondesi has not experienced any setbacks and his surgically repaired knee is still structurally sound, he is not close to a return and isn’t expected to begin a rehab assignment in the near future.Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that while Mondesi is making progress, it has often come with fits and starts.“There are going to be good days and bad days, we’ve got to make sure when the bad days happen it’s ‘hey you’re fine structurally, you’re good,’ ” Cora said. “It’s just part of the process so be patient an...

6 places to go kayaking in San Diego

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:25 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- From wavy coastal waters to easy-going lakes, there are many places across San Diego County for kayakers of all levels to explore. With year-round weather that fares well with those looking to enjoy the great outdoors, kayakers in the region have ample opportunity to take out their personal watercrafts or rent them for the day. 5 ‘glamping’ sites for wary campers near San Diego Here are six places to go kayaking in San Diego County for water adventurers of all kinds. Lower Otay Lake This reservoir is located in Chula Vista and offers views of rugged mountain scenery. This artificial body of water is actually the home of the U.S. Olympic Training center for rowing sports, according to the City of San Diego. Its flatwater makes it perfect for kayaking. There's a $6 entry fee for those bringing their own boats and a boat rental dock for those needing to rent one for the day.Lake CuyamacaThis kayakers haven is located in Julian and is surrounded by pines and oak trees. O...

Smith says she’ll consider changes amid concerns wildfires politicized in election

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:25 GMT

EDMONTON — United Conservative Leader Danielle Smith says she will consider making changes amid questions over whether she is politicizing Alberta’s wildfire crisis by using party news conferences to deliver fire updates meant for the broader public.Smith says she is just trying to be helpful and deliver as much information as she can, but says she is open to another approach.“I’m happy if you want me to just refuse taking your questions on wildfires,” Smith told reporters in Calgary Saturday.“I just feel like this is information you want to know. And if you want to know it, I’m prepared to deliver it to you.”Smith had to begin walking a fine line of political convention this week after wildfires forced thousands to flee in the midst of an election campaign, with voters going to the polls May 29.She is expected to juggle her dual roles as premier and party leader: addressing the crisis as premier while separating it as much as possible from party matters to avoid the app...

Refocus, decommercialize Mother’s Day to return it to its roots, sociologist says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:25 GMT

A sociologist says it’s time to refocus Mother’s Day – but not in the way you might be thinking.Sarita Srivastava, a sociology professor and dean of arts and science faculty at OCAD University in Toronto, said the holiday has become overly commercialized and somewhat disingenuous.“It’s the one day to go, ‘Thank you mama for doing all the cooking, all the cleaning and all the domestic labour,”’ she said.Mother’s Day was originally conceived during the U.S. Civil War to highlight its effect on families, particularly women. In the last century-and-a-half, Srivastava said, the focus has shifted to be about celebrating mothers for the work they put in at home.She said some of those celebrations are performative – for example, when children make breakfast in bed for their mother, but the mother is then expected to clean it up.Instead, Srivastava said, society should return to treating Mother’s Day as a non-commercial call-t...

Welcome to the 942: Toronto to get new area code in 2025

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:25 GMT

Toronto is getting a fourth area code after the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved the 942 overlay code.The CRTC says the new area code will take effect on April 26, 2025, one full year before it projects phone numbers using the current 416, 437 and 647 area codes will be exhausted.Initially, the commission projected a new code would be needed in Toronto by January 2024.“This lead time allows for volatility in the projected exhaust dates, and if these were to advance by a few months there would be no need to change the area implementation plans,” the CRTC said in its report. “This timing also provides telephone service providers and customers the necessary time to implement the new area code into their systems, databases and telecommunications equipment.”The new area code comes 14 years after the introduction of 437. The 647 area code came into existence in 2001, 54 years after the original 416 was implemented. British...

Alberta county warns of danger when residents fight wildfires themselves

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:25 GMT

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. — As frustration mounts over the response to wildfires that have forced thousands of Albertans to flee their homes and rural properties, one county is warning its residents against “unsanctioned acts” it says put lives in danger.The County of Grande Prairie issued a statement saying a member of the public who was operating their own personal bulldozer on Friday “put themselves and crews in danger by knocking trees into the fire and nearly running over fire crews and their equipment.The statement says it’s “imperative” people understand that decisions on how to fight fires are highly coordinated and members of the public cannot act on their own, even if they mean well.”During an information session hosted by the Grande Prairie Regional Emergency Partnership earlier this week, one of the residents forced from their homes by the Dunes West fire said the blaze could have been stopped within 12 hours if the county had allowe...

Australian tennis player Owen Davidson, who won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles, dies at 79

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:25 GMT

Australian tennis player Owen Davidson, who won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles, has died. He was 79.The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced Saturday that Davidson died on Friday. Longtime friend Isabel Suliga said he died in Conroe, Texas.He won 11 major titles in mixed doubles and two in men’s doubles. Davidson teamed with Billie Jean King to win eight of his Grand Slam trophies in a career that spanned from the early 1960s to mid-1970s.In 1967, Davidson became only the third player in tennis history to earn all four major mixed doubles titles in the same year, including three with King.“Our hearts are broken, but we find peace in the lifetime of wonderful memories we shared with our friend Davo,” King said in a tweet. Known for his strong lefty serve, Davidson won the 1972 Australian Open with Ken Rosewall and the 1973 U.S. Open with John Newcombe — when they beat Rod Laver and Rosewall.In singles, he reached the 1966 semifinals of Wimbledon by upsetting two-time defending c...

Fallen CPD Officer Areanah Preston honored at Loyola graduation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:25 GMT

CHICAGO — Fallen Chicago police Officer Areanah Preston was honored during Saturday's graduation at Loyola University.She was supposed to graduate but her mother accepted her Master's of Jurisprudence instead after she was shot and killed outside her home last week after finishing a shift. ‘It was my work’: Teen bragged to friend after officer Aréanah Preston’s slaying, prosecutors allege Family members held a photo of Preston, 24, as they received a standing ovation.Police said she was shot during a robbery outside her Avalon Park home near 81st and Blackstone.Prosecutors charged three young men and a 16-year-old boy with murder. 4 charged with murder of CPD officer Aréanah Preston; no bail Preston earned her bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Illinois State University and joined CPD three years ago. Those who knew her said she was looking forward to a long career in law enforcement.