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Australia to seek to stop Russia building embassy near Parliament House

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government expects to introduce legislation on Thursday to prevent Russia from building a new embassy near Parliament House on security grounds.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the legislation to be presented to Parliament would extinguish Russia’s lease on the proposed site based on the advice of security agencies.“The government has received very clear security advice as to the risk presented by a new Russian presence so close to Parliament House,” Albanese told reporters. “We are acting quickly to ensure the lease site does not become a formal diplomatic presence.” Albanese said Australia’s government condemns Russia’s “illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine.” Albanese said opposition and other lawmakers that are not aligned with the government were briefed on the legislation on Wednesday night and had agreed to pass it through the House of Representatives and the Senate on Thursday.“To be clear, today’s decision is...

Chasing Horse charged with more sex crimes in new Canadian case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nathan Chasing Horse has been charged in Alberta, Canada, with new sex crimes in the latest criminal case to be brought against the former “Dances With Wolves” actor, who remains jailed in Las Vegas as he awaits trial in a sweeping sexual abuse case that stunned Indian Country and has helped law enforcement in two countries corroborate long-standing allegations against him.At a virtual news conference Wednesday, Sgt. Nancy Farmer of the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service acknowledged that the Alberta case is largely symbolic. Chasing Horse — who faces not only decades in a Nevada prison if convicted in the Las Vegas case but criminal prosecution in five jurisdictions — might not ever return to Canada to answer to these charges.“At the end of the day,” Farmer said, “it is important for us to have these warrants in the system so our victims know they’ve been heard. It’s extremely important that we continue to support them that way.”Chasing Horse has declined multip...

North Carolina governor signs sports, horse racing betting law; wagering could begin in early 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Regulated sports betting and horse racing is expected to begin across North Carolina in the first half of next year, enabled by legislation Gov. Roy Cooper signed Wednesday that greatly expands gambling opportunities in the ninth-largest state.The Democratic governor held the bill-signing ceremony at Spectrum Center, home to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. It could house one of several anticipated sportsbooks allowed at or near professional sports venues as part of the law that received final approval in the Republican-controlled General Assembly last week.The new law says betting could begin as early as Jan. 8 or as late as mid-June 2024. Supporters say the expansion will bring new revenue and jobs, and attract stronger in-state pro sports franchises.“This is an historic moment for the state of North Carolina and this will benefit our economy for generations to come,” Cooper said.The law directs the North Carolina Lottery Commission to issue as many ...

Energy secretary Granholm says she failed to reveal stock holdings; GOP calls for investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top Republican on the Senate Energy panel is calling for an investigation of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, after she told the committee she mistakenly provided false information about her family’s stock holdings in testimony earlier this year.Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso on Wednesday asked the Energy Department’s inspector general to look into what Barrasso called “multiple instances of questionable ethical conduct since the start of her tenure” in 2021. Barrasso’s request came after Granholm sent a letter to the committee revealing she owned financial stocks as recently as May, contradicting testimony she gave to the panel in April.Granholm also said her husband, Daniel Mulhern, owned previously undisclosed stock in Ford Motor Co., a key player in the Biden administration’s efforts to improve fuel efficiency for cars and trucks and boost sales of electric vehicles.Granholm said at an April 20 budget hearing that she did ...

15-year-old boys charged in death of Toronto man

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

Two 15-year-old boys were charged, one with manslaughter, after a man died in the hospital from injuries he sustained in an altercation last September.Toronto police were called to the Victoria Park Avenue and Ellesmere Road area in Scarborough on September 29, 2022, for reports of an assault.It’s alleged that there was an altercation between two youths and a man, and as a result, the male victim was rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.At the time of the incident, two 15-year-old boys were charged — one with aggravated assault and the other with assault.Police said the male victim died of his injuries in the hospital on December 29, 2022.Authorities identified the man as 59-year-old Dane Chung of Toronto.Investigators confirmed on June 2, 2023, that the boy who was charged with aggravated assault had his charges upgraded to manslaughter.The accused youths were not identified as a result of the province’s Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).It...

Detroit-area city bans LGBTQ+ pride flags on public property

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (AP) — A Detroit-area community has banned LGBTQ+ flags from publicly owned flagpoles after a tense hourslong meeting that raised questions about discrimination, religion and the city’s reputation for welcoming newcomers.In protest, a woman speaking during the public comment portion of the Hamtramck City Council meeting kissed a woman standing next to her Tuesday night.“You guys are welcome,” council member Nayeem Choudhury said. “(But) why do you have to have the flag shown on government property to be represented? You’re already represented. We already know who you are.”Some members of the all-Muslim council said the pride flag clashes with the beliefs of some members of their faith. Businesses and residents aren’t prohibited from displaying a pride flag on their own property.“We want to respect the religious rights of our citizens,” Choudhury said.Hamtramck, population 27,000, is an enclave surrounded by Detroit. More than 40% of residents were born i...

Nunavut judge rules mandatory minimum for sexual crime violates Charter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

IQALUIT, Nunavut — A Nunavut judge has ruled that the mandatory minimum sentence for inviting a person under the age of 16 years to sexual touching violates Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A 27-year-old man, referred to as SS in the ruling, pleaded guilty to the offence that carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 90 days.During sentencing, his defence lawyer challenged that minimum as cruel and unusual punishment contrary to the Charter. He instead sought a 90-day conditional sentence, sometimes referred to as house arrest. The Crown, however, opposed the Charter application and argued for a sentence of 120 days in jail followed by one year of probation.In a written decision, Justice Christian Lyons found a 90-day jail sentence was not grossly disproportionate in this particular case. He did, however, find that in some circumstances it “would outrage standards of decency to the extent that reasonable members of the public would find the punishment abhorrent or i...

Man gets 18 years in federal prison for shooting, plan to rid Montana town of LGBTQ residents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — A southwestern Montana man has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after being convicted of a hate crime and firearms charges for threatening a woman with violent, homophobic slurs and shooting at her house with an assault rifle as part of a self-described “mission” to rid a small town of its LGBTQ community.John Russell Howald, 46, was convicted in February and sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Brian Morris in Great Falls for the March 2020 shooting. His indictment in June 2021 was part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s increased enforcement of hate crimes under U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.“Hate crimes are especially pernicious because they harm targeted individuals and the entire community to which the individual belongs,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark said in a statement to The Associated Press at the time. “No community should live in fear because of who they are, where they are from, or what they believe, an...

More complaints possible after ‘Dances With Wolves’ actor charged in Alberta: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

TSUUT’INA FIRST NATION — Police in Alberta say they anticipate more complainants will come forward after a former actor and self-described medicine man was charged with sexual exploitation and sexual assault in the province. The Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service announced Tuesday that warrantshave been issuedfor Nathan Chasing Horse, who appeared in the 1990 movie “Dances With Wolves.” He faces nine charges, including sexual exploitation, sexual assault and removing a child from Canada under the age of 16.He has been in jail in Las Vegas since his arrest in January in southern Nevada, where he is charged with 18 felonies, including sexual assault of a minor, child abuse and kidnapping.“At the end of the day, it is important for us to have the warrants on the system so our victims know they’ve been heard,” Tsuut’ina police Sgt. Nancy Farmer said Wednesday. She would not say how many complainants have come forward to police at the First Nation west of Calgary, bu...

Divvy rolls out new e-scooters featuring charging dock locations, turn signals, & more features

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

CHICAGO -- The next generation of Divvy scooters have arrived in the Windy City.The Chicago Department of Transportation and Lyft on Wednesday introduced the new Divvy docked scooter program."Over the past year, Divvy stations have proven they are uniquely capable of meeting residents’ preference for scooters while eliminating sidewalk clutter downtown,” said Caroline Samponaro, VP of Transit, Bike and Scooter Policy at Lyft.“Our new scooter is purpose-built for cities like Chicago, incorporating learnings from the previous model to make it more reliable and theft resistant, while keeping safety and the rider experience top of mind.”  Grocery, gas taxes set to rise in Illinois next month The new scooters have several features that improve safety and convenience:Docked scooters at Divvy stations offer a convenient, predictable experience for riders, and a clutter-free sidewalk for pedestrians. New dual handbrakes offer riders more control, while turn signals allow riders to easily ...