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Ukrainian groups learn about DNA use to identify war victims

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Representatives of Ukrainian civil society and rights groups have visited an organization that uses high-tech DNA techniques to identify people who go missing in conflicts and natural disasters, a move intended to boost cooperation during the ongoing war in Ukraine. The head of the International Commission on Missing Persons, a Hague-based group that operates a human identification facility, said Thursday that her organization faces unprecedented challenges as it seeks to collect DNA samples and evidence amid the fighting.“I cannot think of another model whereby we’re working now actively to assist in investigations of missing persons cases while there’s an ongoing conflict,” ICMP Director-General Kathryne Bomberger told The Associated Press. “So this does present a challenge.”The people missing or unidentified following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago range from soldiers killed in battle to civilians killed in attacks by Russian...

Wall Street subdued ahead of jobs data, Good Friday holiday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

TOKYO — Wall Street was subdued early on the last day of trading this week as investors awaited Thursday’s weekly unemployment figures with the more significant government jobs report coming when markets are closed on the Good Friday holiday.Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up less than 0.1%, as were futures for the S&P 500. Two jobs-related reports this week showed that the labor market may finally be cooling, more than a year after the Federal Reserve began its aggressive campaign to bring down inflation by raising interest rates.ADP’s private payroll report on Wednesday said private employers added 145,000 jobs in March, down sharply from February’s 261,000. Perhaps more importantly for markets, pay raises also weakened for workers, according to the ADP Research Institute.ADP’s private payroll report could offer a preview of what Friday’s more comprehensive jobs report from the U.S. government will show. Economists expect it to say employers added 240,0...

Roxham Road, bodies near the border and the future of Canada-U.S. migration

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

In today’s Big Story podcast, just days after Canada’s official unofficial border crossing at Roxham Road was shut down, eight bodies were recovered from the waters of the St. Lawrence River near the Canada-U.S. border. The bodies belong to migrants believed to be travelling from Canada to the United States, but without the Roxham crossing, advocates say we should expect to see more dangerous attempts to cross the border that could end in tragedy.On today’s The Big Story, Toronto Star’s immigration and refugee reporter Nicholas Keung walks us through the realities of the Roxham Road closure.“Having that sense of control of our borders, that’s preoccupying government officials,” he said, “and sometimes in that process we may forget about that global, universal humanity that we need more [of] in this world.”So why did the government close Roxham Road, and was it the right call? What comes next for the border, and those seeking to cross it? And how should Canada balance th...

Aimia’s largest shareholder to vote against re-election of board at annual meeting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

TORONTO — The largest shareholder of Aimia Inc. says it will vote against the re-election of the company’s board of directors at its annual meeting later this month.Mithaq Capital SPC says it is disappointed with recent events and has lost confidence in the board and management. The affiliate of Mithaq Holding Company, a family office based in Saudi Arabia, says it holds a 19.9 per cent stake in the company.Aimia is scheduled to hold its annual meeting on April 18.The company, which sold its flagship Aeroplan loyalty program to Air Canada in 2019, has reinvented itself as an investment holding company. Mithaq says its decision to vote against the re-election of the board includes concerns regarding capital allocation decisions related to acquisitions.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:AIM)The Canadian Press

Report: Croatian officials shared information on migrants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — An independent investigative group on Thursday accused Croatian officials and police of using a clandestine WhatsApp group to share sensitive information about migrants trying to enter the country.It said it believed many of those discussed were later forcibly removed from the country, which is illegal under international treaties. Croatian police denied any wrongdoing.The Lighthouse Reports group, which spearheaded collaborative investigation among journalists at various European news organizations, said in a report published on Thursday that it received 60 leaked screenshots and managed to identify 33 participants in the encrypted group used between August 2019 and February 2020.“We found that among them were Croatian high-ranking officials,” the report, “Inside Croatia’s Secret WhatsApp Group,” said. “The WhatsApp group was used to exchange information about apprehensions of more than 1,300 people of mostly Afghan, Pakistani and Syrian nationality.”Th...

Man's body recovered from lake in Hobart

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

HOBART, Ind. — The body of a man was recovered from a lake in Hobart, Indiana.Police responded around 2 p.m. Wednesday to Robinson Lake in reference to a possible body floating in the lake.Officers arrived to the scene and were assisted by the Hobart Fire Department Dive Team, who recovered the deceased man from the lake. Man critical after being shot in the face on North Side The man's identity has not yet been released. Police said as of now, there were no apparent signs of foul play.A death investigation is underway.

Photos show how storms dramatically filled California reservoirs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

FOLSOM, Calif. (AP) — Water levels fell so low in key reservoirs during the depth of California's drought that boat docks sat on dry, cracked land and cars drove into the center of what should have been Folsom Lake.Those scenes are no more after a series of powerful storms dumped record amounts of rain and snow across California, replenishing reservoirs and bringing an end — mostly — to the state's three-year drought.Now, 12 of California’s 17 major reservoirs are filled above their historical averages for the start of spring. That includes Folsom Lake, which controls water flows along the American River, as well as Lake Oroville, the state's second-largest reservoir and home to the nation's tallest dam.A car crosses Enterprise Bridge over Lake Oroville's dry banks on May 23, 2021, left, and the same location on March 26, 2023, in Butte County, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)A car crosses Enterprise Bridge over Lake Oroville on March 26, 2023, left, and the same location on May 23, 20...

Elderly man, 82, reported missing from Portage Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

CHICAGO — Police are searching for an elderly man who was reported missing from Portage Park Wednesday night.According to police reports, 82-year-old Abbadi Abdel was last seen in the 6100 block of West Montrose Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Who Might be Chicago’s ‘next’ Top Cop? Police say the man is at high risk and is driving a 2015 silver Toyota Sienna with the license plate #BG86498.Anyone with information on Abdel's whereabouts should contact police at (312) 745-6110.

How a Texas sanctuary uses social media to highlight animal conservation needs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

CENTRAL TEXAS (KXAN) -- Tucked away in the Texas Hill Country is Alveus Sanctuary, a nonprofit organization where emus, cows, foxes and chinchillas have delighted audiences for more than two years. As founder Maya Higa works to educate the public on animal conservation needs, she's tapped into social media to expand her audience and help people see the humanity in exotic animals. Austin Public Library launches podcast to dive into classic, niche horror literature Along with its role as an animal sanctuary, Alveus serves as a virtual education center, streaming animals on Twitch to teach the public more about these exotic species and environmental dangers facing them.Higa's background is rooted in wildlife work, having grown up on a small farm in California before studying agriculture in college. In April 2019, she began streaming on Twitch a red tailed hawk she was rehabilitating. That was the spark that attracted audiences and inspired Alveus Sanctuary, she said."I learned that m...

What caused the giant seaweed blob in the Atlantic Ocean?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – A giant floating blob of Sargassum seaweed, floating in the Atlantic Ocean, can be detected and tracked all the way from space. It is already 5,000 miles long and an estimated 13 million tons. This bloom of seaweed is expected to grow in size and, depending on the wind and ocean currents, impact more and more beaches. Seaweed that washes up on shore can cause devastation to the ecosystem as well as deter tourism. Seaweed bloom reaches record size: ‘Major beaching events are inevitable’ Meteorologist Sean Kelly spoke with Dr. Edward Buskey, the Director of Marine Science at the University of Texas, to learn more about the cause of this increasingly large patch of seaweed. Read the interview below to learn more.Sean Kelly, KXAN News: We hear a lot of the headlines of seaweed out in the Gulf taking over some of the beaches in Florida, can you can you tell me what you know about it? Why is it so large in size right now?Dr. Edward Buskey, Director of Marine Science: Wel...