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Highly anticipated legislative election underway in Guinea-Bissau

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:22 GMT

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — An highly anticipated election to fill Guinea-Bissau’s national legislature was underway Sunday, more than a year after the West African nation’s president dissolved parliament.Nearly 1 million voters were registered to elect more than 100 lawmakers from six parties with active seats in the National People’s Assembly, according to the Centre for Democracy and Development, an African human rights organization. Tiny Guinea-Bissau gained independence from Portugal nearly five decades ago. The country has endured continued political turmoil, including multiple coups, since then. President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, a former army general, took office after he was declared the winner of a December 2019 runoff election. He survived a February 2022 coup attempt when assailants armed with machine guns and AK-47s attacked the government palace.Since assuming office, Embalo has cracked down on civic freedoms, while government bodies have lost significant independen...

14 dead, 5 missing in southwest China landslide

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:22 GMT

A landslide struck a rural district in China’s southwestern Sichuan province on Sunday morning, killing 14 people and leaving five others missing, authorities said. The mountainous region has seen rainfall lasting weeks, saturating the top soil. More than 180 people were mobilized to help find those buried under the debris in Sichuan’s Leshan county, with the search ongoing into the afternoon, the Communist Party committee of Jinhouke district said on its social media account. With its humid, rainy climate, southwestern China is prone to landslides, especially in areas where there has been large-scale shifting of land due to farming, deforestation or engineering projects. The Associated Press

Innu kids learn from their own as Labrador First Nations take control of schooling

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:22 GMT

SHESHATSHIU, N.L. — Inside a wide, white canvas tent behind the Sheshatshiu Innu School in Labrador, the first drop of sweet molasses dough falling into a bubbling pan of fat gives off an aroma that prompts a group of third graders to look up, almost in unison.Munik Aster, a pre-kindergarten teacher at the school, calls the scent “Innu heaven.”Aster is one of 11 Innu teachers who graduated last September from an Indigenous educator program offered through Ontario’s Nipissing University, in partnership with the Innu school board in Labrador. And she is a sign of a new approach to education in Labrador Innu communities that is yielding results.Inside the bright red and yellow hallways of the Sheshatshiu Innu School last month, teachers and administrators spoke in terms of before and after, with after being what has happened since the Innu took over from the Newfoundland and Labrador school board in 2009.In the four decades before the Innu took over, about 30 students...

Texas passes bill eliminating mandatory vehicle inspections

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:22 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Texas drivers will save a trip to the auto shop after lawmakers voted to eliminate the annual vehicle inspection requirement for most vehicles this legislative session.In 2025, those inspections will be replaced by an annual $7.50 fee — the same as the current inspection fee, but without the need to actually take your vehicle into the shop. Drivers in new vehicles that have not previously been registered will pay $16.75 upon registration. That money will benefit the Texas mobility fund, the clean air fund and the state's general revenue."Vehicle inspections are costly, time consuming, and provide little benefit to public safety," State Sen. Mayes Middleton said. "[This bill] saves hardworking Texans tens of millions of hours of their time, not taken away any more from their family or work."Some law enforcement officials opposed the bill in front of the Senate State Affairs Committee during the legislative session, arguing annual inspections protect the public fro...

Which Texas cities have the most forgetful Uber riders?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:22 GMT

TEXAS (KXAN) — From a Danny DeVito Christmas ornament to a half-dozen cheesecakes, Uber drivers have seen plenty of strange items left behind by riders. According to the 2023 Uber Lost & Found Index, two Texas cities are particularly guilty of forgetting items en route.The most forgetful cities in this latest ranking are as follows:Jacksonville, FloridaSan Antonio, TexasPalm Springs, CaliforniaHouston, TexasSalt Lake City, UtahMiami, FloridaAtlanta, GeorgiaIndianapolis, IndianaKansas City, MissouriSt. Louis, MissouriTypically, most forgotten items include clothing, backpacks, wallets and purses, electronics, headphones and keys. However, that isn't to say Uber drivers haven't seen some unusual finds in their backseats.Unique finds from an UberYou can take a complete look at Uber's strangest, forgotten finds online.How unique are we talking? Some top contenders include a toy poodle left behind, a pin of Jesus holding a slice of pizza, a Tamagotchi, two pet turtles and a pregnancy...

Mark Ritchie: Confident we’ll get to host the 2027 World’s Fair. If so, there are many people to thank

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:22 GMT

On June 21, a vote takes place in Paris to determine who will host the 2027 World’s Fair. Minnesota’s bid to host has four competitors – Serbia, Argentina, Thailand, and Spain.I’m confident we will win. Here’s why.First, our bid has strong support from national and local leaders.Minnesota’s congressional delegation, both Republicans and Democrats, have been enthusiastic backers since the beginning. Reps. Emmer, McCollum, and Phillips crafted and passed vital legislation and Rep. Omar spoke eloquently for our bid at crucial international meetings. All our recent U.S. senators – Boschwitz, Coleman, Franken, Klobuchar, and Smith championed Minnesota’s bid, as did Govs. Pawlenty, Dayton and Walz. This bi-partisan approach was key to official approval from Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden.Second, we have a universally relevant theme, “Good Health and Wellbeing.”One of the founders of the Minnesota bid, business leader Marilyn Carlson Nelson, brought this theme forward with strong endor...

2023 NASCAR Enjoy Illinois 300 Race taking place today

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:22 GMT

MADISON, Ill. - Anticipation is high as the NASCAR Cup Series race prepares to welcome a massive crowd for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at the Worldwide Technology Raceway.Remarkably, for the second consecutive time, the event is completely sold out, ensuring that the once-empty stands will soon be filled with enthusiastic fans. As attendees make their way to the venue, they can rest assured that there are certain items they are allowed to bring in: closed non-alcoholic beverages and a small soft cooler. St. Louis sheriff offers crime solution. Who’s listening? The grandstand seats, accommodating 1,200 people, along with numerous hospitality suite areas, will be bustling with activity come Sunday. The big race is at 2:30 p.m., but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a bunch of things you can do before to keep you entertained. Rows and rows of vendors are setting up for day 3 as we speak.One of those people is a painter, Kelly Telfer.FOX 2’s Stephanie Rothman spoke to Telfer about how ha...

Sunny and humid Sunday with temp highs in low 90s, mostly dry work week with highs in 80s

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:22 GMT

ST. LOUIS - It's expected to be mostly sunny to start Sunday, but some clouds will build in the afternoon along with spotty showers and storms. Temerature highs will be set in the low 90s and it'll a bit more humid. It's going to be partly cloudy and the mid 60s overnight. St. Louis radar: See a map of current weather here Monday is looking really nice, as we'll have sunshine with temp highs back down into the upper 80s. Low humidity! The work week should be mostly dry with highs in the 80s each day.

I-64 west and I-270 south closed today for various repairs

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:22 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The ramp from I-64 west to I-270 south has closed various repairs - that's exit 25.Crews are repairing pavement and guardrails. They're also painting the bridge. NFL player and others gift teen’s family a new car after he walks 6 miles to graduation The ramp will reopen Monday at 5:00 a.m.

Highlands Ranch’s Shae Holmes used “good vibes only” mindset to overcome three ACL tears, embrace rookie season with OL Reign

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:22 GMT

Shae Holmes doesn’t want to hear your wise cracks about having bad knees. Hers are so scarred up she’s got two separate cadavers holding them together.Yet even after three ACL tears between both knees plus having an ALL, a backup ACL on her right just in case, Holmes still puts on her OL Reign jersey every Saturday. The Highlands Ranch defender who spent five years at the University of Washington and countless hours in physical therapy is making her way through her rookie season in the NWSL — healthy, at long last.The third ACL tear of her soccer career left the biggest doubt, if only for a moment. It happened in 2021 against Utah, and her longest supporters, her parents and grandparents, plus longtime head coach Lorne Donaldson, were in attendance. Even Donaldson recalled thinking, “This might be the end of her, now.” Not Holmes.“Here I am thinking, ‘When can your body stop? When do you start thinking about your life after soccer?'” H...