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Two men who lost fingers crossing into Canada become Canadian citizens

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:55:29 GMT

WINNIPEG — Razak Iyal was given a warm embrace as he officially became a Canadian citizen, more than six years after nearly freezing to death  walking across the Canada-United States border in Manitoba.It was a low-key citizenship ceremony but one steeped in hope, gratitude and assurance. Iyal, 40, was joined by a group of close friends as he logged on last week for the virtual event, which included dozens of others sitting in front of a judge to swear their allegiance to Canada. As the ceremony concluded with the playing of “O Canada,” the Ghana-born Iyal revelled in his new Canadian status. “At that time, I (felt) like a Canadian because reciting the national anthem means everything,” he said Monday in an interview. The day concluded with a few photos and some food. Iyal was gifted a Canadian flag by a woman and friend whom he calls his “Canadian mom.” He held onto the flag as he took his oath. “I’ll make sure I protect this flag ...

1 dead in Mississauga shooting

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:55:29 GMT

One person has died following a shooting in Mississauga.Peel Regional Police were called to Dream Crest Road and Fallingbrook Drive around 7:15 p.m. on Monday for reports of a shooting.Officers located one victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene.Investigators said there is limited information at this time, and a heavy police presence is expected in the area.There aren’t believed to be any more victims.

Cruise wants to test self-driving vehicles across California

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:55:29 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle unit on Monday asked California for permission to test the cars across the entire state.The GM subsidiary already is running an autonomous ride-hailing service in its hometown of San Francisco after testing for more than two years. It doesn’t have specific plans yet to expand testing in California, but applying with the Department of Motor Vehicles is a step toward entering cities such as Los Angeles.“While this application doesn’t represent any immediate change to our testing or operations, we hope to continue working with the California DMV to safely and responsibly test our services in other cities in the future,” Cruise spokesman Drew Pusateri said in a statement.If granted, the test permit won’t allow Cruise to carry non-employee passengers outside of San Francisco. Testing could be done up to 55 miles per hour (88 kilometers per hour) statewide, Cruise said. Cruise also has been testing autonomous Chevr...

Review says London police racist, misogynistic, homophobic

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:55:29 GMT

LONDON (AP) — London police have lost the confidence of the public because of deep-seated racism, misogyny and homophobia, according to an independent review commissioned after a young woman was raped and killed by a serving officer.The Metropolitan Police Service, which has more than 34,000 officers and is Britain’s biggest police force, must “change itself” or risk being broken up, the report published Tuesday said.“It is not our job as the public to keep ourselves safe from the police. It is the police’s job to keep us safe as the public,’’ said Louise Casey, an expert on victims’ rights and social welfare who led the review. “Far too many Londoners have now lost faith in policing to do that.”The findings ratchet up the pressure for a major overhaul of the Metropolitan Police after a series of scandals involving its treatment of women and minorities. In a preliminary report released in October, Casey found that the department had failed to properly vet and train officers, a...

Top 10 historic Sierra snow seasons

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:55:29 GMT

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Here is a list of the Top 10 Sierra winters with the most snow in the 77 years since the UC-Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab started keeping records in 1946 northwest of Lake Tahoe near Donner Pass at Soda Springs, California:TOP TEN HISTORIC SIERRA SNOW SEASONS1951-52 — 812 inches (2,062 cm), or 67.7 feet (20.6 meters)2022-23 — 677 inches (1,719.6 cm), or 56.4 feet (17.2 meters)1982-83 — 651 inches (1,704 cm), or 56 feet (17 meters)2010-11 — 643 inches (1,635 cm), or 53.6 feet (16.35 meters)1981-82 — 624 inches (1,583 cm), or 52 feet (15.8 meters)1968-69 — 602 inches (1,529 cm), or 50.2 feet (15.3 meters)1994-95 — 598 inches (1,519 cm), or 49.8 feet (15.2 meters)1955-56 — 594 inches (1,509 cm), or 49.5 feet (15.1 meters)1957-58 — 593 inches (1,506 cm), or 49.4 feet (15 meters)2016-17 — 573 inches (1,455 cm), or 47.7 feet (14.5 meters)___Source: UC-Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab; Soda Springs, California; founded 1946. The snow season coincides with the water sea...

Kidnappers who snatched San Jose baby are sentenced

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:55:29 GMT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Two people who kidnapped a 3-month-old baby from his San Francisco Bay Area home last year were sentenced Monday to prison.Yesenia Ramirez was sentenced to 13 years and four months in prison. Jose Portillo received five years.The two pleaded no contest last August to kidnapping Brandon Cuellar on April 25, 2022. Prosecutors said Ramirez met the boy’s family through church and plotted to kidnap the child after lying to her boyfriend — telling him that she had given birth to their baby and was going to bring him home from the hospital.Ramirez took the baby’s grandmother shopping and arranged for Portillo to enter the family’s San Jose apartment while they were out. This gave Portillo time to take the child while Ramirez helped the woman unload groceries from the car, prosecutors said.Video showed Portillo walking away with the baby in a carrier covered with a white blanket.The boy’s mother was at work at the time.After an intense search,...

Safety board: Alabama derailed train lacked needed couplers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:55:29 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A Norfolk Southern train that derailed in Alabama earlier this month lacked required alignment control couplers for two of its locomotives and a company inspection did not identify their absence, federal investigators said Monday.The notation comes in one of three preliminary reports issued Monday by the National Transportation Safety Board about Norfolk Southern train accidents this month as the board investigates the railroad’s safety practices after the fiery February derailment and toxic chemical burn in East Palestine, Ohio.In a report released Monday about a March 9 derailment of two locomotives and 37 rail cars in Anniston, Alabama, the safety board said two of the train’s six locomotives were “waybill locomotives,” or towed cars not used for any tractive power. The cars weren’t equipped with alignment control couplers that “resist lateral coupler movement under compressive in-train forces.” A company rule bars towing waybill locomotives without such ...

Ukraine hints it hit Russian missiles in occupied Crimea

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:55:29 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military intelligence agency reported what appeared to be a brazen attack late Monday on Russian cruise missiles being transported by train in the occupied and illegally annexed Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula. The region’s Russian-appointed governor reported an incident in the area of the same Crimean town, Dzhankoi in the northern part of the peninsula, though he did not mention cruise missiles as an attack target.None of the reports could be independently verified.A vague statement by the Ukrainian military agency, posted on its website, said multiple Kalibr cruise missiles were destroyed by an explosion, without explicitly saying Ukraine was responsible or what weapon had been used. It said the missiles were being carried by rail and were destined for submarine launch. The agency implied the Kyiv government was responsible by saying the explosion destroying the missiles continues “the process of Russia’s demilitarization and prepares the Uk...

Top Chicago chefs come together to fundraise for earthquake victims in Turkey, Syria

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:55:29 GMT

CHICAGO — Dozens of chefs from across Chicago teamed up to fundraise through food Monday evening.Forty-five chefs from some of Chicago's best restaurants came together at Avli on the Park to help raise money for people in need in the aftermath of last month's earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which registered as high as 7.8 on the Richter scale in Turkey and killed more than 50,000 people, while also leaving hundreds of thousands more homeless."In the news, stuff goes so fast," said Guiseppe Tentori of Boka Restaurant Group. "They're still suffering over there. They need some money, they need help." Looking to avoid the Kennedy Expressway construction? Here’s what you should know Organized by Chicago Chefs Cook, which organized its first fundraiser benefitting Ukraine after Russia invaded last year, has hosted events for several humanitarian crises before.All of the proceeds from the event will go to the World Central Kitchen, which distributes meals to survivors from the earthquak...

Vallas, Johnson notch key endorsements ahead of WGN-TV debate

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:55:29 GMT

CHICAGO — A little more than two weeks before Election Day, Chicago's mayoral candidates picked up some key endorsements. City and Cook County Black legislators, including the Chair of the City Council's Black Caucus, stand behind Brandon Johnson. "I think he has the energy, the exuberance, the vision to be a great leader for Chicago," said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. How to watch WGN’s Chicago Mayoral Debate Johnson also picked up endorsements from the Polish community and retired Black firefighters and paramedics. "The failures of old that have left families behind and have created this tale of two cities, we’re going to disrupt, dismantle and destroy that tale of two cities and we're going to usher in one story for one Chicago," Johnson said. On Sunday, former mayoral candidate Willie Wilson and 150 faith leaders endorsed Paul Vallas. The mayoral candidate also got the nod from the Latino Leadership Council, a group of civic, business and elected off...