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Taiwan indicts 2 communist party members accused of colluding with China to influence elections

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:57 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Prosecutors in Taiwan have indicted two leaders of the island’s tiny Taiwan People’s Communist Party on accusations they colluded with China in an effort to influence next year’s elections for president and members of the legislative assembly.Party Chairman Lin Te-wang and Vice Chairman Chen Chien-hsin were accused on Tuesday of violating the Anti-Infiltration Act and the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act after having accepted funds and other benefits from China’s ruling Communist Party, the official Central News Agency said.It wasn’t clear whether the two men were in Taiwan when the indictments were issued.Taiwan will elect a new president and legislators in January, and Beijing is suspected of seeking to boost the chances of politicians favoring political unification between the sides through social media and the free press and by bankrolling candidates it favors. Current Vice President William Lai, whose Democratic Progressive Party party strongly backs...

Manitoba NDP to form majority government in historic win for First Nations premier

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:57 GMT

WINNIPEG — Wab Kinew, who is to become Canada’s first First Nations provincial premier, spoke to young Indigenous people and those from all backgrounds in his victory speech Tuesday after the NDP won a majority in the Manitoba election. “I was given a second chance in life,” Kinew said to a cheering crowd. “And I would like to think that I have made good on that opportunity. And you can do the same.” Kinew’s late father was not allowed to vote as a young man under Canadian law at the time. His mother’s birthday was election night, and he brought her on stage to celebrate the historic win along with his wife and three sons.The NDP’s victory also brought the resignation of the other two main party leaders.Heather Stefanson announced she would step down from the helm of the Progressive Conservatives after several of her cabinet members lost their seats in Winnipeg. The provincial capital holds 32 of the 57 legislature seats. Manitoba Libe...

Premier Wab Kinew: From rapper to reporter to Manitoba’s top political office

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:57 GMT

WINNIPEG — Rap artist. Journalist. Economics student.Premier.Wab Kinew’s path as a young man, including several brushes with the law and some convictions, did not appear a likely path tobecoming the first First Nations premier of a province.Kinew and the Manitoba NDP won a majority government Tuesday night, defeating the governing Progressive Conservatives and making Canadian history.“I was given a second chance in life. I’d like to think that I made good on that opportunity,” Kinew said in his victory speech.“My life became immeasurably better when I stopped making excuses and I started looking for a reason. And I found that reason in our family, I found that reason in our community and I found that reason in our province and country.“So young people out there who want to change your life for the better: you can do it.”Kinew decided political office might be where he could make a difference when he entered his 30s.One of the reasons, he has said,...

A timeline of recent provincial elections and governments in Manitoba

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:57 GMT

WINNIPEG — Manitobans elected a new government on Tuesday, with the New Democrats sweeping the Progressive Conservatives from power after seven years in Opposition. Here is a look at Manitoba elections and governments over the past 20 years. New Democrats, 2003The NDP under then premier Gary Doer wins a second consecutive term with a larger majority, capturing 35 of the 57 legislature seats. The New Democrats secure longtime Progressive Conservative strongholds in suburban Winnipeg. Party leader Stuart Murray steps down two years later after lukewarm support in a party leadership review. He is replaced by Hugh McFadyen.New Democrats, 2007The NDP under Doer wins a third consecutive majority with 36 seats. Two years later, Doer leaves the premier’s office to become Canada’s ambassador to the United States. The New Democrats select Greg Selinger, Doer’s longtime finance minister, to lead them into the next election.New Democrats, 2011Under Selinger, the NDP wins a fou...

Bus crash across lagoon from Venice’s historic center kills 21 people, including Ukrainian tourists

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:57 GMT

ROME (AP) — At least 21 people were killed and 18 injured in a fiery bus crash in a borough of Venice, Italy, across the lagoon from its historic center, where firefighters and other emergency responders worked into the night trying to extract bodies and squelch the flames.The bus was carrying foreign tourists, including Ukrainians, according to a Venice official, when it fell from an elevated street Tuesday in Mestre en route to a camping site near the community of Marghera.“The people in the bus found themselves surrounded by flames,” said Mauro Luongo, commander of the Venice firefighters team. “The scene we found was terrible. It took about one hour to extract some of the bodies.” Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that the crash scene was “apocalyptic” and declared the city in a state of mourning. Four of the injured were in serious condition following the accident, which happened on the mainland just 9 km (3.7 miles) no...

A Nepal town imposes a lockdown and beefs up security to prevent clashes between Hindus and Muslims

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:57 GMT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Despite quickly escalating tensions between Hindus and Muslims, the night passed peacefully after a lockdown was imposed and security heightened in a city in southwest Nepal, officials said. Trouble began in the regional hub city of Nepalgunj over the weekend after a Hindu boy posted a status about Muslims on social media. Muslims protested the status inside the region’s main government administrator’s office building, burned tires on the streets and blocked traffic.A larger Hindu rally was held Tuesday until stones and bottles were thrown at protesters, resulting in a few minor injuries.The indefinite curfew was imposed since Tuesday afternoon in Nepalgunj, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu, directly after the Hindu protest came under attack.Area police chief Santosh Rathore said officers were patrolling the city and people were not allowed to leave their homes or gather in groups during the lockdown. There were no reports of an...

Lotto Max winning numbers for Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:57 GMT

TORONTO — The winning numbers in Tuesday’s Lotto Max draw for an estimated $40 million: 01, 07, 10, 15, 30, 34 & 47. Bonus: 29In the event of any discrepancy between this list and the official winning numbers, the latter shall prevail.The Canadian Press

Flights canceled and schools closed as Taiwan braces for Typhoon Koinu

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:57 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Flights were canceled and schools were closed in parts of Taiwan on Wednesday as the island braced for strong winds and downpours brought by Typhoon Koinu.At least 93 flights were canceled at airports across the island on Wednesday, according to the Civil Aviation Administration.The Maritime and Port Bureau said 96 ferry trips had been canceled, according to the Central News Agency.The typhoon may make landfall in the southeastern part of Taiwan overnight on Wednesday or Thursday morning, according to meteorologists.On Wednesday, rain from the typhoon’s periphery was falling in northern and eastern Taiwan and was expected to become heavier on the eastern coast and in the south later in the day.Taiwan’s outlying Penghu, Orchid and Green islands announced school and office closures in anticipation of severe weather brought by the typhoon.Parts of the southern Pingtung county also announced closures.The typhoon was moving west toward Taiwan with maximum sustained ...

Cleanup from Maui fires complicated by island’s logistical challenges, cultural significance

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:57 GMT

Cleanup of areas destroyed in the Maui wildfires could end up being one of the most complex to date, federal officials said, given the island’s significant cultural sites, its rich history including a royal residence and possibly remains of people who died in the disaster.The first stage of cleanup started in late August, with around 200 Environmental Protection Agency workers in white protective gear removing toxic household debris from Upper Kula and the town of Lahaina including gas cylinders, pesticides, fertilizers and battery packs used in solar power. They have monitored the air quality and sampled for heavy metals and asbestos.The EPA expects to hand over responsibility later this month or in November to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which will oversee removing the remaining debris over the next six to 12 months. About $400 million has been budgeted, but the cost could go higher to remove an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 tons of building debris from about 1,600 parc...

Looking for a good family-friendly place to eat? This is just the job

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:57 GMT

The pleasant Belgian commune of Linkebeek was once home to countless cafes and coaching inns, writes Martin Banks.That was at the start of the 20th century and, nowadays, few of these are left.Happily, one does remain and is proving as big a hit as ever.It is called La Laiterie and a potted history of both the area and restaurant can be found on the inside page of the menu.It makes fascinating, if brief, reading.You learn that people would visit the aforementioned inns from far and wide, including Brussels to enjoy their conviviality.The phrase “Toernee Generale” – roughly meaning “drinks all round” – is typical of what you may have heard at the time.Fast forward to 2023 and this lovely resto is still attracting customers from a wide area, all drawn to its enviable reputation for very good food and hospitality.It may not quite amount to “drinks all round” but the emphasis on friendliness and “un bon moment” remains.It had been a resto for many years but was given a completely new le...