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Early vote count for Guatemala’s presidential election indicates second round ahead

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Preliminary results in Guatemala’s presidential election pointed to the likelihood of a second round of voting and narrowed the field considerably early Monday from nearly two dozen contenders to the two candidates leading for spots in the Aug. 20 runoff. With 97% of the votes counted early Monday, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal reported that former first lady Sandra Torres for the conservative UNE party had captured 15.6% of the vote and Bernardo Arévalo for the leftist Seed Movement had 11.8%. In a more distant third, was Miguel Conde of the ruling VAMOS party with 7.8% That is far from the 50% threshold needed to win in the first round. A cluster of other candidates hovered between 6% and 7% of the votes. Invalid ballots from a frustrated electorate led all the candidates with nearly all ballots tallied.Gabriel Aguilera, a magistrate on the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, said before dawn Monday that while not definitive, the trend showed that “we have three par...

Outrage erupts after man accused of blasphemy is stoned to death in latest mob killing in Nigeria

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A man was stoned to death after being accused of blasphemy in northwest Nigeria, authorities and activists said, sparking outrage on Monday from rights groups worried about what they said were growing threats to religious freedom in the region.Usman Buda, a butcher, was killed Sunday in Sokoto state’s Gwandu district after he “allegedly blasphemed the Holy Prophet Muhammad” during an argument with another trader in a marketplace, police spokesman Ahmad Rufa’i said in a statement on Sunday night.Local residents shared videos that appeared to be from the scene showing a large crowd that included children pelting stones at Buda on the floor as they cursed him. Rufa’i said a police team was deployed in the area but when they arrived, “the mob escaped the scene and left the victim unconscious.” He was later declared dead at Usmanu Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital in Sokoto, Rufa’i said.The killing was the latest attack rights campaigners have said threa...

Pro-government ethnic militias in east Myanmar shift loyalty to join fighters against military rule

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Units of an ethnic militia in eastern Myanmar that is nominally part of the military have switched sides, allying themselves with the country’s pro-democracy movement, and have carried out attacks in recent weeks on army outposts and a police station, its members said. The two Border Guard Forces units in Kayah state are believed to be the first military-affiliated militia units to change sides since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.The takeover was met with peaceful nationwide protests, but after security forces cracked down with lethal force many local armed resistance groups formed and have been loosely organized into what is called the People’s Defense Force. They have allied themselves with major ethnic guerrilla groups in border regions that have carried out armed struggle for decades, seeking greater autonomy.Kayah, which is the smallest of Myanmar’s seven states and dominated by the Karenni ethnic minority,...

Stock market today: Caution on Wall Street after armed rebellion quelled in Russia

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

TOKYO — Markets on Wall Street were slow to gain traction Monday, while global shares mostly fell after a short-lived armed rebellion in Russia added to uncertainties over the war in Ukraine. Futures for the Dow Jones industrials and the S&P 500 were flat before the bell Monday.The rebellion by mercenary soldiers who briefly took over a Russian military headquarters on an ominous march toward Moscow was over. But the brief mutiny weakened President Vladimir Putin just as his forces were facing a fierce counteroffensive in Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner troops were some of Russia’s most effective fighters in Ukraine. Their aborted takeover of the capital also left their fate uncertain.Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, said such geopolitical uncertainties have set off a cautious mood.“On the back of recent hawkish central bank moves amid high inflation and low growth environments, investors are now also having to factor in the chance of escalation on the g...

Amsterdam’s Hermitage museum to be renamed after cutting ties with Russia following Ukraine invasion

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An Amsterdam museum that severed ties with St. Petersburg’s Hermitage collection after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last year has been renamed and on Monday announced partnerships with renowned galleries in London, Paris and Washington, D.C.Starting in September, the Hermitage Amsterdam will be called H’ART Museum. It has established partnerships with the British Museum, Centre Pompidou and the Smithsonian American Art Museum to bring art to the historic building on the banks of the Dutch capital’s Amstel River.“It’s an exciting new step for us, a contemporary and future-proof model,” museum director Annabelle Birnie said in a statement. She said the museum’s program will be “multi-voiced reflecting the times we live in” and will range from major art exhibitions to smaller presentations.The first major show — scheduled to open midway through 2024 — will be a partnership with Paris’ Centre Pompidou focused on Wassily K...

Home improvement lender Financeit buys rival Simply Group Financial

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

TORONTO — Financeit Canada Inc. says it has acquired home improvement financing rival Simply Group Financial.Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.Financeit provides point-of-sale financing for the home improvement, recreational vehicle and retail markets. Financeit chief executive Michael Garrity says the deal is a milestone for the company and expands its footprint.The Toronto-based company was founded in 2011.It was acquired by InterVest Capital Partners from Goldman Sachs in 2022.This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2023.The Canadian Press

How libraries became ‘the last public space’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In today’s Big Story Podcast, in the age of the internet, it’s understandable to wonder what function, if any, our libraries still serve. But the shifting needs of the communities they cater to, and widening holes in the social safety net, have actually made these institutions more essential than ever. With the surge in homelessness and mental health crises, libraries and their staff have assumed the role of de facto social workers, sometimes tasked with everything from finding shelter beds to administering naloxone.Nicholas Hune-Brown, a Toronto-based journalist who wrote about libraries for The Walrus, says libraries are known to be the last public spaces, serving as social hubs for the communities and the issues in which they are located.“It’s the last place that you can go. And just sit down without someone hustling you along or asking you to buy something. It’s like the last open door for people to be in a world that’s increasingly privatized,” say...

Porter County EMA identifies unknown odor across NW Indiana counties

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Due to the severity of weather over the past few days, BP's Whiting refinery experienced an operational disruption that triggered unplanned flaring of gases from their facility, the Porter County Emergency Management Agency said.Fire and police departments across Lake, Porter, and La Porte counties in Northwest Indiana were flooded with calls about a strong gas-like odor outdoors Sunday evening. 15-year-old boy dead after Little Village shooting BP Crews have been on site to manage the situation and hope for it to be resolved shortly. Other industries throughout Porter, Lake, La Porte Counties have been contacted and no other evidence of releases or spills have been found. The Indiana Department of Enviornmental Management was notified and plans to conduct follow-up evaluations.

19-year-old dies after Humboldt Park shooting

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

CHICAGO — A 19-year-old man died following a shooting Sunday night in Humboldt Park.Just after 10 p.m., police responded to the 1000 block of North Pulaski on the report of a shooting.Officers at the scene located a 19-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the body. He was original transported in critical condition and died at the hospital. 15-year-old boy dead after Little Village shooting No suspects are in custody.

Hajj pilgrimage starts in Saudi Arabia with 2 millions expected after lifting COVID measures

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Some 2 million Muslim pilgrims officially began the annual Hajj pilgrimage on Monday, making their way out of Mecca after circling Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, and converging on a vast tent camp in the nearby desert for a day and night of prayer.One of the largest religious gatherings in the world has returned to full capacity this year for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic three years ago.The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all Muslims are required to make the five-day Hajj at least once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do it.For pilgrims, it is a deeply moving spiritual experience that absolves sins, brings them closer to God and unites the world's more than 1.8 billion Muslims. Some spend years saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the journey.The rituals during Hajj largely commemorate the Quran's accounts of Ibrahim, his son Ismail and Ismail's mothe...