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A fiery explosion in a market area in the Dominican Republic kills 3 and injures dozens

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:15 GMT

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — A powerful explosion rocked a bustling market area near the capital of the Dominican Republic on Monday, killing at least three people and injuring more than 30 others as people tried to flee amid the chaos, authorities said.The explosion occurred at a bakery in the city of San Cristobal, which lies just west of Santo Domingo, the country’s 911 system said in a statement. Charred cars and debris from several collapsed buildings lined the streets as thick black smoke rose from the city’s center and enveloped several blocks, prompting businesses to evacuate while crowds gathered to film the incident. Some said they thought it was a bomb or an earthquake.Left behind in the rubble were shoes, overturned chairs and even a motorcycle helmet.It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the explosion, which officials said sparked a fire that spread from the bakery to a hardware store located next door and a nearby furniture store.The incident occurred Mon...

A passenger has been charged in Australia with allegedly threatening to blow up an airliner

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:15 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A 45-year-old man was charged on Tuesday with allegedly threatening to blow up a plane during a flight from Australia to Malaysia that returned to Sydney.Police arrested the Canberra resident and took him from the Airbus A330 on Monday, almost three hours after Malaysia Airlines flight MH122 returned to Sydney Airport.Police allege the man had become disruptive and claimed to have explosives on board.He was charged with making a false statement about a threat to damage an aircraft and failing to comply with cabin crew’s safety instructions.The charges carry a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of more than 15,000 Australian dollars (US$7,300) respectively.His name will be released after he appears in a Sydney court later on Tuesday.The airliner with 199 passengers and 12 crew aboard had left Sydney early Monday afternoon for an eight-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur.One of the passengers, Velutha Parambath, said the man had been drawing ...

Former ‘Family Feud’ contestant Timothy Bliefnick gets life for wife’s murder

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:15 GMT

QUINCY, Ill. (AP) — A judge sentenced a former contestant on the television game show “Family Feud” to life in prison after he was convicted of first-degree murder and other charges in the slaying of his estranged wife in western Illinois.Timothy Bliefnick, 40, showed no reaction as Adams County Circuit Judge Robert Adrian read the sentence Friday, news outlets reported.A jury in May convicted Bliefnick of murder, home invasion and use of a firearm to commit first-degree murder in the Feb. 23 shooting death of Rebecca Bliefnick, 41. Her body was found by a family member inside her Quincy home after she failed to pick up her children from school. She had been shot multiple times. The couple was separated and going through a divorce.Bliefnick’s attorney did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.In 2020, Timothy Bliefnick and some of his family members appeared on ABC’s “Family Feud,” KHQA-TV has reported. One of the questions asked by host Steve Harvey was, “What ...

Thousands in Bosnia protest against violence after man livestreamed killing of ex-wife on Instagram

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:15 GMT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Thousands of Bosnians took to the streets on Monday to demand authorities act to curb violence against women after a man last week shot and killed his ex-wife while streaming the slaying live on Instagram.Protests were held simultaneously in several Bosnian cities. In Sarajevo, the capital, a huge crowd of people walked through the city center to press for more protection for women, curbing of violent media content and control of police work in cases of violence. Participants carried banners reading “Silence is approval,” “We won’t live in fear” or “Stop femicide.” Protesters in Sarajevo held up a huge banner reading “Sarajevo against violence,” echoing a slogan of monthslong street protests in neighboring Serbia. “Today Sarajevo is saying no to violence and showing support to all the victims of violence,” said Mayor Benjamina Karic, who was at the front of the marching protesters. Bosnia’s Human Rigths Minister Sevlid Hurtic cal...

Family questions fatal police shooting of man after chase in Connecticut

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:15 GMT

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Relatives raised questions Monday about the police killing of a man who was trying to escape in a stolen car after an officer and police dog climbed in and the K-9 attacked. As Connecticut’s Office of Inspector General investigates the West Hartford police shooting of Mike Alexander-Garcia, his relatives and their lawyers said they believe it wasn’t justified. “The use of deadly force in this situation was unnecessary, excessive and irresponsible,” attorney Ken Krayeske said at a news conference. He and another lawyer for the family, Peter Billings, suggested that the officer escalated the situation and didn’t give Alexander-Garcia clear instructions about how he could avoid being shot. West Hartford police haven’t immediately commented on the family’s contentions. In a statement last week, Chief Vernon L. Riddick said that “a dangerous situation” led up to the shooting and that the department “believes strongly in transparen...

1 dead in Keele and Eglinton area house fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:15 GMT

A house fire in the Keele Street and Eglinton Avenue West area has claimed a life, Toronto Fire confirms.The deceased person was living in the basement of the home, fire officials said. Toronto police say the fire was reported at around 7:26 p.m. and the victim is male.No further details are immediately available. More to come

Georgia grand jury returns indictment in Trump election interference case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:15 GMT

The Georgia grand jury hearing evidence about former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election returned an indictment Monday night.It’s not clear who might be named in the indictment or what charges would be included. Clerks at the Fulton County Superior Court said it could take hours for the court documents to be posted publicly.The indictment comes after the grand jury heard a full day of testimony in the case after a more than two-year investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D).Jurors stayed at the courthouse until nearly 9 p.m. to complete its work, staying well after the court’s 5 p.m. closing time.Two Georgia Democrats, former state Rep. Bee Nguyen and former state Sen. Jen Jordan, testified in front of the Fulton County grand jury Monday, as did former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R).Duncan’s appearance came after hours Trump chided him for complying with the subpoena.“I am reading reports that failed former Lt. Governor of Georgia, Jeff Duncan, ...

Three military services now without Senate-confirmed heads for first time in history

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:15 GMT

(The Hill) – Three military services are now without Senate-confirmed heads for the first time in history, as Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) holds up the confirmations of more than 300 senior military officers to protest the Pentagon's new abortion policy. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday stepped down from his role Monday, leaving the Navy, Army and Marine Corps with acting heads.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday slammed the holds, which are stretching into a fifth month with no resolution in sight.“Because of this blanket hold, for the first time in the history of the Department of Defense, three of our military services are operating without Senate confirmed leaders,” Austin said during a relinquishment ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. “This is unprecedented, it is unnecessary, and it is unsafe. And this sweeping hold in undermining America’s military readiness.” President Biden nominated Adm. Lisa Franchetti to become the first woman to l...

Peyton Manning adds a new title: professor at his alma mater, Tennessee

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:15 GMT

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Peyton Manning, the five-time NFL MVP and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has a new title.Just call him Professor Manning.The University of Tennessee announced Monday that Manning has been appointed a professor of practice at the College of Communication and Information starting this fall. Manning graduated from Tennessee in 1997 with a degree in speech communication.He said in a statement his time as a student there was a foundation for teaching him critical skills and techniques he still uses almost daily.Related ArticlesDenver Broncos | In competition for starting safety spot, veteran Kareem Jackson wants to show he still has gas left in tank Denver Broncos | Kiszla vs. Gabriel: Should Mike Shanahan or Dan Reeves go first into the Hall of Fame? Denver Broncos | Broncos coach Sean Payton not worried about growing injury group, indicates Pat Surtain II will return this week Denver Broncos | ...

Maui wildfire death toll now 99, likely to rise

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:15 GMT

The death toll in the Maui wildfire, the deadliest fire storm in the United States in more than a century, has risen to 99 in the past hour and officials warn it will grow. More than 2,000 buildings were destroyed, most of them homes, in what state officials are saying is the worst natural disaster in Hawaii history. "All the houses behind the store were on fire, burning to the ground," said Nathon Holder, owner of the popular VigiLatte coffee shop on Front Street in Lahaina. Holder was on Front Street when the wildfire erupted and says his business and home, as well as his employees’ homes are destroyed. "We run back in and we empty all the cash from the safe, grab some hard drives, the fire was already caught in the building we were in," he said. "It literally felt like a blow torch to the face. Couldn't see at all, it was mid-day, but there was no light in the sky, couldn't see, couldn't breathe, the smoke was so thick."Fortunately, Holder made it safely back to his Los...