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Australia decides referendum question to create Black Voice

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:35 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government on Thursday released the wording of a referendum question that promises the nation’s Indigenous population a greater say on policies that effect their lives.Australians will vote sometime between October and December on the referendum that would enshrine in the constitution an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.An emotional Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said such a body promoting Indigenous views to the government and Parliament was needed to overcome Indigenous disadvantage.“We urgently need better outcomes because it’s not good enough where we’re at in 2023,” Albanese told reporters.Indigenous Australians from the Torres Strait archipelago off the northeast coast are culturally distinct from the mainland Aboriginal population. The two peoples account for 3.2% of the Australian population and are the nation’s most disadvantaged ethnic group.“On every measure, there is a gap between the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander...

Thai police bust call scammers who preyed on older Americans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:35 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police said Wednesday they busted an international gang that operated call centers to deceive older Americans into wiring them money, netting more than 3 billion baht ($87 million).Police said they arrested 21 suspects Tuesday after raiding nine locations in four Thai provinces, seizing 162 bank accounts, 61 mobile phones, two cars, one gun, and multiple real estate properties. Another Thai suspect was arrested Wednesday. U.S. agents took part in the raids.The suspects, including five Indian nationals and 15 Thais, have been charged with involvement in transnational crime, fraud by impersonating others, fraud of the people, inputting false information into computer systems that causes damage to others, money laundering and conspiring to launder money.The scammers claimed to be law enforcement agents investigating money laundering and told victims their funds were suspicious so needed to be transferred to them to be verified, police said. In addition to that fairl...

Police find two more victims at site of fatal fire in Old Montreal, total now 4

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:35 GMT

MONTREAL — Police say two more bodies were recovered Wednesday from the wreckage of a building in Old Montreal that was destroyed by fire last week, bringing the total number of confirmed victims to four.A Montreal police spokesman said the bodies of the third and fourth victims have been turned over to a pathologist for identification as the search for others continues.Earlier Wednesday, one of the first two confirmed victims was identified and police said at least five others remained missing in the rubble of the historic building.Police Insp. David Shane identified the victim as 76-year-old Camille Maheux.Maheux’s body was recovered from the fire on Sunday evening; a second body was removed from the rubble on Tuesday but has not yet been identified. “The investigation and search for other victims are ongoing,” Shane told reporters at the scene Wednesday after formally announcing Maheux’s death.Firefighters and police said a fire tore through the historic s...

Uvalde parents get rendering photos of new school replacing Robb Elementary after mass shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:35 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Parents in Uvalde are now getting a look at what the new elementary school replacing Robb Elementary will look like after the May 24 mass shooting killed 19 children and two teachers.The new campus is expected to accommodate 800 students. That is nearly twice as big as Robb Elementary.The new campus will have a lot of new security measures, including fencing around the play fields, keyless entry points and privacy gates that are 9 feet tall, officials said. Additionally, there will be a secure waiting space at the front of the campus for visitors, as well as a new road to help first responders access the school to the north.There are also plans to memorialize the 21 Robb Elementary shooting victims in the school's new design.At a recent rally at the Texas Capitol, passionate chants for school safety lulled into pained silence as Caitlyne Gonzales took the microphone that day. ’21 for 21′: Hundreds join Uvalde survivors at Texas Capitol to call for gun safety “I re...

Video: Granite City school bus crashes into parked cars with students on board

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:35 GMT

GRANITE CITY, Ill. - A Granite City Community Unit School District #9 bus crashed Monday morning with kids on board into several parked cars, leaving a wake of damage.The bus was picking up students for class when, all of a sudden, it crashed directly into four cars."There were car parts everywhere, glass everywhere, it was just a nightmare,” said Alyssa Wells, the car owner.Wells said her boyfriend's truck was hit head-on and sent flying over her Mustang onto the sidewalk.The bus only stops after hitting her second car. Special prosecutor requested for child abuse case involving former Department of Corrections employee "Walking out to kids screaming was devastating and very scary,” Wells said.The entire front hood of the Mustang is hanging by a thread. The truck had most of the driver’s side ripped off, and her second car was damaged as well."We actually are expecting our first child as well, so on top of medical expenses, there's just a lot going on,” Wells said. “It's stressfu...

'It's like losing a family member,' Shoppers react to Walmart closing in Cahokia Heights 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:35 GMT

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, Ill. - While surrounding stores have closed, the Cahokia Heights Walmart has stood tall for 40 years. However, after not meeting the store's corporate financial expectations, it's closing its doors for good on April 21.“I’m feeling heartbroken," said Leroy Turner. "It kind of makes you wanna cry.”Turner lives right behind Walmart and has shopped at the store for nearly 30 years.“It’s like losing a family member," he said. "That’s the best way to say it." Special prosecutor requested for child abuse case involving former Department of Corrections employee In a statement, Felicia McCranie, the director of the store's corporate communication, said:"After a careful and thoughtful review process, we have made the difficult decision to close our Cahokia Walmart location. We have nearly 5,000 stores across the U.S., and unfortunately, some do not meet our financial expectations. While our underlying business is strong, this specific store hasn’t performed as well as we h...

Video: Burglars breaks into University City restaurant but coming up empty

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:35 GMT

UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. – Restaurant burglars came up empty in University City and end up getting punked in a new video on social media.Surveillance video shows three suspects breaking the front door glass of Diego’s Cantina just before 12:30 a.m. on March 14, hopping over the bar, and rifling through everything in an apparent search for cash.The restaurant’s owners are now using that surveillance video to send a message right back to the criminals, adding a few touches of their own, including music from the song, “Notorious Thugs,” and super-sarcastic captions like, “Nope – we don’t keep cash in our drawer.” The video highlights $2 the burglars left behind on the floor with the caption, “Oh wait, you missed $2.” Special prosecutor requested for child abuse case involving former Department of Corrections employee “$2 fell out. I guess it was leftover tips from someone or some extra change. It was just on the ground,” said Natasha Kwan, who owns the restaurant with her husband. “They ...

Kiszla: Avs coach Jared Bednar has earned every penny of new contract extension. This team’s resolve to seize big moment? Not worth 2 cents.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:35 GMT

Did somebody forget to give Sid the Kid the memo?On a Wednesday night when we were all supposed to stand up and cheer for Avalanche coach Jared Bednar and his well-deserved contract extension, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby gave Colorado a face wash during a 4-2 loss at Ball Arena with way too many rowdy Yinzers in the building chanting “Let’s go Pens!”“It was a big moment for our team, right?” said Bednar, who stressed to his players in the dressing room prior to taking the ice that this game meant more than the average regular-season tilt. “We had a chance to go into first in our division.”Bednar is worth every last penny of his contract extension, reported to be in the neighborhood of $5 million per season. But time and again, the resolve of his banged-up team to seize the moment in this wonky season hasn’t been worth two cents.The loss to Pittsburgh put a screeching halt to Colorado’s six-game winning streak. If we...

1 person injured after tree falls in Calabasas High School parking lot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:35 GMT

At least one person was injured and taken to the hospital after a massive tree came down at Calabasas High School Wednesday night.  Crews with the Los Angeles County Fire Department received calls about the downed tree in the performing arts center parking lot, located at 22855 Mulholland Highway, at around 6:47 p.m. Aerial footage from Sky5 showed first responders on the scene, where at least four cars were struck by the tree.  A large tree fell in the parking lot of Calabasas H.S. Mar. 22, 2023, sending one person to the hospital with minor injuries (City of Calabasas).A large tree fell in the parking lot of Calabasas H.S. Mar. 22, 2023, sending one person to the hospital with minor injuries (KTLA).A large tree fell in the parking lot of Calabasas H.S. Mar. 22, 2023, sending one person to the hospital with minor injuries (KTLA).A large tree fell in the parking lot of Calabasas H.S. Mar. 22, 2023, sending one person to the hospital with minor injuries (KTLA).A m...

Pedestrian suffers life-threatening injuries in San Jose hit-and-run

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:20:35 GMT

SAN JOSE – A pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries in a hit-and-run crash Wednesday night in San Jose, police said.The collision was reported just before 6:30 p.m. near 10th and East Santa Clara streets, according to the San Jose Police Department. The pedestrian was taken to an area hospital.East Santa Clara Street was closed to all traffic between 10th and 11 streets, police said.Additional details about the crash, including a description of the vehicle, were not immediately available Wednesday night.Units are on scene for a hit and run collision involving a pedestrian in the area of 10th St and East Santa Clara St. The pedestrian was rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. TOC: 6:27 pm pic.twitter.com/VHTZj0ePdg— San José Police Media Relations (@SJPD_PIO) March 23, 2023Check back for updates.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Suspect arrested following alleged family assault in South San Jose Crime and Public Safety | ...