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Sweden raises its terror threat level to high for fear of attacks following recent Quran burnings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:41 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden raised its terrorism alert level on Thursday one notch to the second-highest, following a recent string of public desecrations of the Quran in the Scandinavian country by a handful of anti-Islam activists, sparking angry demonstrations across Muslim countries.Sweden has in recent weeks asked citizens abroad and businesses linked to the country to “be attentive and aware of the information the authorities communicate,” following a string of public burnings of copies of the Quran by an Iraqi asylum-seeker.The Scandinavian country’s domestic security service, SAPO, said the overall security situation has deteriorated and the risk of terrorism in Sweden was now at level four or “high” on its five-point scale, a first since 2016. “We are in a deteriorating situation and this threat will continue for a long time,” SAPO head Charlotte von Essen said, adding that “the threat of attacks from actors within violent Islamism has increased during the yea...

Poland’s lawmakers approve government plan for divisive referendum on election day

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:41 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s lawmakers on Thursday approved a government plan to hold a controversial referendum on migration alongside key parliamentary elections in October. One of the questions on the referendum paper will ask voters whether they “support the admission of thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa under the forced relocation mechanism imposed by the European bureaucracy.”Voters will also be asked whether they support the dismantling of a wall recently built along the border with Belarus with the aim of reducing unauthorized migrant arrivals. In the election for both houses of parliament, scheduled for Oct. 15, the populist ruling Law and Justice party is seeking an unprecedented third term. The Polish government has vehemently opposed a proposal agreed by EU member states to share out responsibility for migrants entering the bloc without authorization, either by taking a proportion of the new arrivals or by paying money into a s...

Russia opens a criminal investigation into a leader of a prominent election watchdog

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:41 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into one of the leaders of a prominent independent election monitoring group, his lawyer said Thursday. The case against Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Russia’s leading election watchdog Golos, is the latest step in the months-long crackdown on Kremlin critics and rights activists that the government ratcheted up after sending troops into Ukraine. Melkonyants’ lawyer Mikhail Biryukov told The Associated Press that his client is facing charges of “organizing activities” of an “undesirable” group, a criminal offense punishable by up to six years in prison. Golos has not been labeled “undesirable” — a label that under a 2015 law makes involvement with such organizations a criminal offense. But it was once a member of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations, a group that was declared “undesirable” in Russia in 2021. Police raided the homes of a further 14 Golos members ...

UN says militants are occupying a school complex in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian camp after clashes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:41 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Two weeks after clashes between armed factions in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp ended, militants are still occupying a United Nations-run school complex, U.N. officials said Thursday.Dorothee Klaus, director of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, in Lebanon, said in a statement that the agency has “received alarming reports that armed actors continue to occupy its installations including a school compound” in the Ein el-Hilweh camp. The compound provides education to 3,200 out of a total of 6,000 students in the camp, which is home to more than 50,000 people. Earlier this month, Klaus said that the start of the school year might be delayed for students in the camp due to damages to the school facilities.Klaus said the continued presence of militants is a “grave violation of the inviolability of UN premises under international law, which compromises the neutrality of UNRWA installations and undermines the safety and security of o...

A remote evacuation scramble as the Northwest Territories burns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:41 GMT

(UPDATE: Late Wednesday night, the government of the Northwest Territories announced a phased evacuation order for Yellowknife as the fires closed in.)In today’s Big Story Podcast, there are hundreds of fires burning in the Northwest Territories right now. Some are threatening Yellowknife, leaving parts of the city under evacuation watch. Others have already forced evacuations by plane in remote communities without road access. The challenge is immense. The area is vast, much of it is on fire, and communication can be unstable.Emily Blake is a reporter and assistant editor of Cabin Radio, based in Yellowknife. She said there already seems to be more property loss this year than the devastating NWT fires of 2014.“We care about our homes, we care about our communities, and this is just really shocking and devastating,” said Blake.How bad is this season compared to seasons past? How much has already been destroyed and how tense is the situation? Is any relief in sight? And why can̵...

North side pharmacy burglarized, unknown medication stolen

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:41 GMT

CHICAGO -- Unknown medication was stolen from a pharmacy during a burglary on the North Side early Thursday morning, police said. Officers responded to a burglary at Tarpey's Pharmacy in the 5900 block of North Cicero Avenue around 2:48 a.m. and found damaged windows. Man dies after being found shot multiple times in alley on West Side Security camera footage showed three unknown individuals breaking into the business using an object and taking unknown medication. The individuals fled the business eastbound on Cicero Avenue.There is currently no one in custody and police are investigating the incident.

Opioids, obesity now ranked as top public health threats in new poll 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:41 GMT

(The Hill) - Americans have ranked opioids and obesity as the top threats to public health while ranking COVID-19 toward the bottom of the list, according to a new poll.The new Axios-Ipsos poll found that 26 percent of Americans said opioids and fentanyl are the top public health threat, closely followed by 23 percent that said obesity is. Twenty percent listed access to firearms as the number one threat and 11 percent listed cancer.Just 2 percent of Americans said COVID-19 was the top threat. This comes as COVID-19 cases have increased this summer, with some areas seeing hospitalizations triple due to the cases.Only about a third of Americans reported social distancing or wearing a mask at least sometimes, the poll noted.The results also show that views on the top public health threats were largely divided along party lines. Republicans were more likely to report opioids and obesity as their number one concern, while Democrats were more concerned about gun deaths.Level of education...

More Americans say moderate drinking is unhealthy: Gallup

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:41 GMT

(The Hill) -- A record-high percentage of Americans say drinking in moderation is bad for one’s health, according to a new poll.The Gallup poll, released on Thursday, revealed 39 percent of respondents said consuming one or two drinks a day is bad for one's health — an increase of 11 points since the survey was last conducted in 2018. The sharp rise also marks a departure from the stagnant levels seen since the survey was first conducted. In 2001, 27 percent of respondents said moderate drinking was bad for your health. While that level dipped to 22 percent in 2005, it has hovered at about 25-28 percent in the years since.Fewer Americans say moderate drinking is good for your health, at 10 percent in 2023, compared to 16 percent in 2018. Half of the respondents in the new poll say moderate drinking makes no difference to one’s health, a 5-point drop from 55 percent in 2018.  Opioids, obesity now ranked as top public health threats in new poll The rise is attributed la...

Missouri parents can be jailed if kids miss too many school days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:41 GMT

(NewsNation) — The Missouri Supreme Court upheld a state law requiring school attendance after two Lebanon, Missouri, parents were sentenced to jail following excessive absences by their children. Court documents indicated that during the 2021-2022 academic year, a first-grade student missed nine days of school, while a kindergartner missed seven days without any explanation. The two mothers, Caitlyn Williams and Tamarae Larue, took their case to the Supreme Court, arguing that the state law mandating "regular" attendance lacks clarity. The state's compulsory attendance law requires children to attend school on a "regular basis." The mothers appealed, arguing that this requirement is constitutionally unclear. However, the court disagreed, ruling against them in a 6-0 vote, with one justice not participating. “Given the notice provided to each parent and that each parent was in control of their young child, evidence existed to support the inference that each parent knowingly failed t...

'That was my moment': Christopher Morel has dramatic homer - and celebration - in Cubs' walk-off win

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:41 GMT

CHICAGO — One of the most exciting young players on the Cubs' roster added a dramatic first to his Major League Baseball resume on Wednesday night along with a celebration to remember. All were part of his moment that took what looked like a City Series win for the White Sox and flipped it on its head. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)With the Cubs down 3-1 with two runners on in the ninth, Christopher Morel took the fourth pitch he saw from Gregory Santos deep to right center field. The ball would drop just above the basket into the first row of the bleachers to give the Cubs a 4-3 win, setting off a celebration to remember. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)As fans roared their approval around Wrigley Field, Morel took his helmet off and sprinted around the bases looking towards the dugout. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)He eventually threw his helmet away as he rounded second, then around third base Morel completely took his jersey off. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)He'd toss that away before leaping onto ...