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New Zealand jury finds mom guilty of murdering her 3 young daughters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:08 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand jury on Wednesday found a mother guilty of murdering her three young daughters after rejecting her defense that she was so mentally ill at the time she couldn’t be held responsible.Lauren Dickason, 42, had earlier admitted killing her 2-year-old twin daughters Maya and Karla, and their 6-year-old sister Lianè, at their home in the town of Timaru nearly two years ago.She had pleaded not guilty to murder, arguing she was suffering severe depression that could be traced back to postpartum depression. Prosecutors acknowledged Dickason had suffered from depression but said it wasn’t enough to warrant a medical defense. They said she killed her children out of anger and resentment.They pointed to Dickason’s troubling phone messages and online history in the weeks before the killings, including comments about wanting to kill her children and Google searches for “most effective overdose in kids.”Dickason and her husband Graham D...

Nigeriens call for mass recruitment of volunteers as the junta faces possible regional invasion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:08 GMT

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Nigeriens are preparing for war against regional countries threatening to invade, three weeks after mutinous soldiers ousted the nation’s democratically elected president.Residents in the capital, Niamey, are calling for the mass recruitment of volunteers to assist the army in the face of a growing threat by the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, which says it will use military force if the junta doesn’t reinstate the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum. ECOWAS has activated a “standby force” to restore order in Niger after the junta ignored a deadline to reinstate and release Bazoum. The initiative, spearhead by a group of locals in Niamey, aims to recruit tens of thousands of volunteers from across the country to register for the Volunteers for the Defense of Niger, to fight, assist with medical care, and provide technical and engineering logistics among other functions, in case the junta needs help, Amsarou Bako, one of the founders, told The ...

A plan for how Indonesia will spend $20 billion to transition to cleaner energy has been submitted

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:08 GMT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A plan for how Indonesia will spend $20 billion to transition to cleaner energy was submitted Wednesday to the government and its financing partners, the planners said.Indonesia’s Just Energy Transition Partnership deal was announced last year and aims to use the funds over the next three to five years to accelerate retirement of the nation’s coal plants and development of renewable energy.Details were not made public. The investment plan will be reviewed and revised further by Indonesia and its JETP partners before being made available for public review and comment, according to a statement from Indonesia’s JETP Secretariat.“The Indonesian public will have the opportunity to review the full draft text of the (plan) and submit comments and feedback,” Dadan Kusdiana, Indonesia’s Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said in a statement.A person with direct knowledge of the talks who was not authorized to comment on the deal told ...

In the news today: Feds talk new Canadians and housing, First Nations policing delays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:08 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…Liberals say newcomers can help solve housing crisis …The alarm bells are becoming bull horns: Canada’s housing supply isn’t keeping up with the rapid rate of population growth.Academics, commercial banks and policy thinkers have all been warning the federal government that the pace of population growth, facilitated by immigration, is making the housing crisis worse.“The primary cause for (the) housing affordability challenge in Canada is our inability to build more housing that is in line with the increase in population,” said Murtaza Haider, a professor of data science and real estate management at Toronto Metropolitan University.A TD report released in late July also warned that “continuing with a high-growth immigration strategy could widen the housing shortfall by about a half-million units within just two years.”B...

Feds blamed AFN for delays, slow progress on First Nations policing bill: documents

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:08 GMT

OTTAWA — Federal officials worried long-promised legislation declaring First Nations policing an essential service was being delayed by Assembly of First Nations hesitations about the bill, newly released internal documents show. Records obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act also appear to show that one of the sticking points for both the advocacy organization and Ottawa is whether to recognize policing as an area of First Nations jurisdiction — something the government has done when it comes to child-welfare services. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised his government would bring forward a new First Nations policing law in 2020 after years of calls from Indigenous leaders. The federal government committed to co-develop the law with the Assembly of First Nations, which represents more than 600 communities across Canada. Last year, calls for legislative change were once again amplified after 11 people were killed and 17 injured in James Smith Cree Nati...

B.C. wildlife association reports uptick in heat-related calls, hospital admissions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:08 GMT

BURNABY, B.C. — As high temperature records fall across southern British Columbia, a wildlife rescue group is warning of the heat risks for animals. Kimberly Stephens, the hospital manager for the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC, says there has been an uptick in the number of calls and admissions of animals affected by extreme temperatures. She says some have heat exhaustion, others have been chased out by wildfires, or their food and water resources have dried up because of the extreme heat and drought. Stephens says that’s when they come into contact — and conflict — with domestic pets, vehicles and humans.Although much of the coastal region is expected to return to seasonal temperatures today, the central and southern regions of the province must endure the heat for a day or two longer.Stephens suggests people put out shallow water dishes for animals, allowing them to drink without drowning, but advises not to leave out food. “It’s going to affect all wildlife...

Firefighters hoping for rain for ‘reprieve’ in battling wildfires in Alberta-N.W.T.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:08 GMT

FORT SMITH, NWT — Firefighters will be watching the skies over the next couple of days hoping for help from Mother Nature as wildfires along the Alberta-Northwest Territories boundary continue to force evacuations.Thousands of N.W.T. residents have fled the 236 wildfires tearing through the northern boreal forest. More than 20,000 square kilometres have burned, an area almost four times the size of Prince Edward Island. Evacuations have been ordered for Fort Smith, Enterprise, Jean Marie River and Hay River. Many highways have been closed by the fires and the territory is mounting what officials have called the largest airlift in its history. Canadian Forces personnel are helping firefighters and flying evacuees out on Hercules aircraft. In addition to the military deployment, the federal government said in a statement it is providing funding dedicated to response and recovery activities for eligible First Nations, while Public Services and Procurement Canada and the Canadian Coast ...

Montreal researchers join international study of rare disease Friedreich’s ataxia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:08 GMT

Montreal researchers are joining an international study to learn more about a little-understood genetic disease that is found in Canada, and especially in Quebec and in Acadian regions of the Maritimes.Dr. Massimo Pandolfo of the Montreal Neurological Institute is among the experts collecting research about Friedreich’s ataxia, a condition that causes progressive mobility limitations as well as other issues, including cardiac problems. “This is a genetic, neurodegenerative and systemic disease that causes substantial disability, even in young individuals,” he said in a phone interview. “It most commonly starts during childhood or adolescence and leads to the inability to walk within 10, 15, 20 years.”Pandolfo said patients across Canada are eligible to participate in the observational study, which involves taking a lengthy MRI, some blood tests and a physical examination. He said patients who volunteer will help researchers better understand the disease and h...

Housing crisis: Feds stick by immigration plan, rethink international student flows

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:08 GMT

OTTAWA — The alarm bells are becoming bull horns: Canada’s housing supply isn’t keeping up with the rapid rate of population growth. Academics, commercial banks and policy thinkers have all been warning the federal government that the pace of population growth, facilitated by immigration, is making the housing crisis worse.“The primary cause for (the) housing affordability challenge in Canada is our inability to build more housing that is in line with the increase in population,” said Murtaza Haider, a professor of data science and real estate management at Toronto Metropolitan University. A TD report released in late July also warned that “continuing with a high-growth immigration strategy could widen the housing shortfall by about a half-million units within just two years.”But the Liberals are doubling down on their commitment to bring more people into the country, arguing that Canada needs high immigration to support the economy and build the ...

Daily horoscope for August 16, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:08 GMT

Moon Alert: Caution! Avoid shopping or important decisions from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EDT today (2:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PDT). After that, the Moon moves from Leo into Virgo.Happy Birthday for Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023:You can triumph over obstacles, especially because you are often an unconventional thinker. You are a powerhouse who demonstrates originality, enthusiasm and ambition. Simplicity is the key to life this year. It’s important for you to create solid foundations in your life. Take charge of your health.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★You’re creative. You will tackle anything, even without training. (You figure you’re just as capable as anyone else, so why not try?) This is a good day to ask yourself if you value your creative talents. Parents must continue to be vigilant about their kids. Tonight: Get organized.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★Today is the best day of the year to ask yourself what you could do to improve your relations with family members. Likewi...