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Polish Supreme Court overturns presidential pardon of top officials, going against ruling party

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:38:06 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a contentious presidential pardon of a top government official and three subordinates and ordered a retrial of their case.The surprise ruling in the years-long legal dispute surrounding the pardon went against the interests of the governing nationalist party. As such, it was a rare act of independence from a top court after years of efforts by the Law and Justice party and President Andrzej Duda to establish greater control over the judiciary.An aide to Duda criticized the court’s ruling, arguing that it didn’t have the right to reverse his pardon. A governing party spokesman, Rafal Bochenek, slammed the court ruling as “anti-democratic.”Opposition politicians who accuse government authorities of eroding democratic norms welcomed the court’s ruling in the case of Mariusz Kaminski, who is currently the interior minister and head of the secret services.It was the latest blow to Law and Justice in rece...

Japan, Australia, US to fund undersea cable connection in Micronesia to counter China’s influence

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:38:06 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan announced Tuesday that it joined the United States and Australia in signing a $95 million undersea cable project that will connect East Micronesia island nations to improve networks in the Indo-Pacific region where China is increasingly expanding its influence. The approximately 2,250-kilometer (1,400-mile) undersea cable will connect the state of Kosrae in the Federated State of Micronesia, Tarawa in Kiribati and Nauru to the existing cable landing point located in Pohnpei in Micronesia, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.Japan, the United States and Australia have stepped up cooperation with the Pacific Islands, apparently to counter efforts by Beijing to expand its security and economic influence in the region. In a joint statement, the parties said next steps involve a final survey and design and manufacturing of the cable, whose width is about that of a garden hose. The completion is expected around 2025.The announcement comes just over two weeks afte...

Report says 2.3 billion people globally use polluting fuel to cook; 675 million have no electricity

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:38:06 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Up to 2.3 billion people around the world are still using polluting fuels to cook and 675 million don’t have electricity, according to a report released Tuesday by five international organizations.The report said that at current rates, 660 million people are projected to be without electricity and 1.9 billion won’t have clean cooking opportunities by 2030. That’s the target date to achieve a United Nations goal set in 2015 “to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.” The report by the International Energy Agency, International Renewable Energy Agency, U.N. Statistics Division, World Bank and World Health Organization said that at the midway point toward the goal, the world is not on track to reach the energy target, which will negatively impact the health of millions and accelerate climate change.“The energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to have a profound impact on people all around the wor...

Canada’s healthcare system is falling apart. It’s not too late to fix it

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:38:06 GMT

Ahead of a Premiers meeting next month, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) issued a call on Monday for provincial leaders to work together to fix Canada’s healthcare system.In the grips of the pandemic, Canada’s healthcare system was upheld by people who signed up to save lives.However, after three years of combating both a virus and systemic problems, healthcare capacity is at an all-time low. ERs are closing — some temporarily, some permanently — while family doctors are impossible to find around the country.Dr. Alika Lafontaine, President of the CMA and rural anesthesiologist, says doctor shortages are due to burnout or a limited number of specialized doctors in various communities.“The pandemic was an amplification of how long and how hard people worked. And I can see across the country, people are being crushed by the weight of that expectation,” says Dr. Lafontaine.Money alone won’t fix Canada’s healthcare system but spending...

Police: Person shot in south Austin Monday night

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:38:06 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Police said a person was shot in south Austin Monday night. Police said they got a call about a robbery on South Congress Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Monday, which then turned into a pursuit near West Alpine Road. One person was shot, according to police. APD did not say who was shot or give any information on their condition. Austin-Travis County EMS said paramedics took two adult patients to the hospital. One person with a critical life-threatening gunshot wound and one with a non-life-threatening injury.Police did say someone was taken into custody. It's not yet clear what charges they face. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Austin City Council: Homeless shelter capacity, building height changes

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:38:06 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin City Council has a stacked agenda before taking a break for the summer. With nearly 100 items on this week's agenda, here's some of what we're watching. Salvation Army downtown shelterAfter the Salvation Army announced it was permanently closing its homeless shelter downtown, which dedicated beds to women and children, the City of Austin is working to lease the space from the nonprofit and make the beds available again.This week, Austin City Council will vote on a one-year agreement with the Salvation Army to lease the space starting July 1. It would cost the city roughly $1.2 million, a large chunk of which will come from the Austin Public Health budget, according to council documents. City of Austin could reopen downtown Salvation Army homeless shelter Another resolution could expand the city’s contract with Urban Alchemy, the group that runs the ARCH shelter nearby, to include operating and providing social services at the Salvation Army shelter.The...

Family of man shot, killed by APD officer holds press conference at City Hall

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:38:06 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The family of Raj Moonesinghe will hold a press conference Tuesday morning at Austin City Hall.Moonesinghe, 33, was shot and killed by Austin police officers outside of his south Austin home Nov. 15, 2022.  KXAN will live stream the press conference at 9 a.m. You can also watch it on Facebook.Ring camera footage released by APD in December 2022 showed Moonesinghe outside his home pointing a rifle at something off-camera and saying, "Are you sure you want this?" The person who called 911 told dispatchers that Moonesinghe seemed to be scared of something inside his home. Moonesinghe fired into his home twice before police arrived.Police arrived without sirens, the video showed, and one officer opened fire on Moonesinghe almost immediately after getting out of their patrol vehicle. The officer gave a command for Moonesinghe to put the gun down, but as the video showed, fired a split-second after he gave the command. The officer, later identified as Daniel San...

Crews responding to possible fire at Jamestown Mall

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:38:06 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Emergency crews are at the scene of a possible fire at the old Jamestown mall Tuesday morning. Video from Bommarito Automotive Group SkyFOX helicopter shows smoke rising from the building, so far no injuries have been reported. The mall closed its doors in July 2014 and has been vacant for nearly a decade.Several firefighters are inside the building Tuesday morning. Some of the plywood blocking windows and doors to the building have been removed. Light grey smoke can be seen coming from the roof of the building. Person dragged onto front lawn, killed during home invasion on Sunday morning The building was previously damaged after a fire broke out in April. Two firefighters were injured in that incident and taken to a hospital. Community leaders said $12 million in COVID relief funds is being used to demolish the old mall. Demolition is expected to be happening now.FOX 2 will update this story with more information as it becomes available.

Denver weed lounge could reopen next month, inviting locals for a toke in the consumption garden

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:38:06 GMT

Tetra Lounge, one of Denver’s first cannabis-friendly smoking lounges, is preparing to reopen this summer after closing temporarily more than a year ago.Owner Dewayne Benjamin retooled the concept slightly, transforming an outdoor patio into the primary marijuana smoking area as he works to upgrade the business’ indoor ventilation system. Think of it like a beer garden, but instead of drinking alcohol, guests smoke weed.Benjamin expects to begin welcoming tokers back to his spot at 3039 Walnut St. in early July.When it first opened in 2018, Tetra Lounge allowed patrons to smoke cannabis indoors because it operated as a private club, charging membership fees. That designation enabled it to sidestep the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act, which bans smoking in most public, indoor spaces. However, when the city of Denver opted to create and allow for a new category of “marijuana hospitality” establishments, the business was required to apply for a new license — and meet th...

Denver book club: “The Chinese Groove” and other quick reviews from readers, staff | Opinion

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:38:06 GMT

Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. Sure, you could read advertising blurbs on Amazon, but wouldn’t you be more likely to believe a neighbor with no skin in the game over a corporation being fed words by publishers? In this new series, we are sharing some mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email [email protected] (Mariner Books)“Stealing,” by Margaret Vreble (Mariner Books)A Native American girl’s life is seemingly idyllic — until she is suddenly sent to a Christian boarding school in the 1950s due to some event that she doesn’t consciously remember. Her experience at the school is horrific on many levels. She starts a journal, which she uses to bring her comfort through remembering her life prior to landing at this school and which she also uses to slowly remember what happened to land her th...