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US, allies stage drills as N. Korea warns of security crisis

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:14:53 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States, South Korea and Japan conducted a joint missile defense exercise on Monday aimed at countering North Korea’s growing nuclear arsenal, as a top North Korean army official warned the U.S. that it risks “a clearer security crisis and insurmountable threats.”Last week, North Korea conducted one of its most provocative weapons demonstrations in years by flight-testing for the first time an intercontinental ballistic missile powered by solid fuel. It is considered a more mobile, harder-to-detect weapon and could directly target the continental United States. South Korea’s navy said Monday’s three-way drills took place in international waters off the country’s eastern coast and focused on mastering procedures for detecting, tracking and sharing information on incoming North Korean ballistic missiles. The one-day naval exercise involved an Aegis destroyer from each country. “The drills’ goal is to improve our response capabilities against ballist...

Wall Street holds steady as earnings season kicks into gear

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:14:53 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks on Wall Street are drifting Monday at the start of the first full week of earnings reporting season. The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged in its first trading after squeezing out its fourth winning week in the last five. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 17 points, or 0.1%, at 33,903, as of 11:10 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% lower. Several financial companies reported a mixed set of profit reports for the first three months of the year. They followed up on a bevy of better-than-expected reports from JPMorgan Chase and other big U.S. banks that marked the unofficial start of reporting season late last week. A lot of focus has been on the strength of the financial industry broadly after the second- and third-largest U.S. bank failures in history last month rocked markets worldwide. Charles Schwab reported better profit than expected, and its stock rose 1.9%. It flipped from an earlier loss after it said deposits fell more last ...

Uganda charges second minister in major corruption scandal

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:14:53 GMT

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Ugandan prosecutors on Monday criminally charged a second government minister with corruption-related offenses in a scandal stemming from the diversion of roofing sheets that should have been distributed to vulnerable people. Amos Lugoloobi, the state minister for finance in charge of planning, pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was arraigned in a courtroom in the capital, Kampala. Another minister, Mary Goretti Kitutu, was similarly charged last week. At least 22 top officials are implicated in the scandal, including the vice president, the parliamentary speaker, the prime minister and government ministers. More officials are likely to be charged later this week.President Yoweri Museveni, whose government is often accused of lacking the political will to stem corruption, has ordered detectives to investigate the case and indict those deemed responsible for diverting thousands of metallic roofing sheets that had been appropriated for people in the remot...

Review: ‘Games and Rituals’ finds intrigue in the mundane

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:14:53 GMT

“Games and Rituals” by Katherine Heiny (Knopf)A driving examiner falls for the new guy. A woman wonders what to do about her teenage son who may be experimenting with drugs. A delayed flight turns into a trip down memory lane at a small-town airport bar.After two novels and a separate short story collection, Katherine Heiny is back with “Games and Rituals,” a delightful bundle of offbeat dramedy fiction. Heiny grabs readers from the jump in “Chicken-Flavored and Lemon-Scented,” when driving examiner Colette realizes that Ted Bundy must have taken a driving test, and some unknowing person was there in the car with him. The DMV suddenly got a lot more interesting. Thus, Heiny’s superpower: Finding intrigue in the mundane. Colette considers her fledgling feelings for the latest addition to their team as she moves through the surprisingly exciting day-to-day of her job, fleshing out her tiny corner of the world. “Chicken-Flavored” sets a precedent that carries on throughout the collecti...

Trudeau urges caution to ensure foreign influence registry doesn’t target diasporas

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:14:53 GMT

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is urging caution in the face of growing calls for Canada to adopt a registry to track foreign influence efforts.The prime minister says the government needs to find better ways to protect Canadians from foreign interference.But he says a balance must be struck to ensure any new measures are not too broad and do not target certain diaspora groups such as Chinese- or Iranian-Canadians.The Liberal government is facing calls to establish a foreign influence registry in response to reports of alleged interference by the Chinese government in recent Canadian elections.Trudeau cited the internment of thousands of Japanese- and Italian-Canadians during the Second World War as an example of why the government is taking its time.He says Ottawa is consulting with experts and Canadians to ensure whatever approach it takes is appropriate.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2023.The Canadian Press

Hug, Scaroni take Boston Marathon wheelchair titles

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:14:53 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A familiar name returned to the top of the podium and another one got there for the first time in the wheelchair division at the 127th Boston Marathon.Marcel Hug of Switzerland captured his sixth men’s wheelchair Boston Marathon title, claiming the victory Monday in a course record of 1 hour, 17 minutes, 6 seconds in the first race of the day. It bests his previous course mark of 1:18:04 set in 2017. American Daniel Romanchuk was second in 1:27.45, followed by Jetze Plat of the Netherlands in 1:28.35.In the women’s race, American Susannah Scaroni won her first Boston title, crossing the line in 1:41.45. Her victory followed runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2022. She was followed by Madison de Rozario of Australia in 1:46.55 and Wakako Tsuchida of Japan in 1:47.04.Hug’s win was the second-largest in the Boston wheelchair race’s history. He received $25,000 for the victory and a $50,000 bonus for setting the new course mark.The 37-year-old Hug surged to the fro...

Inquiry continues in Alabama shooting that killed 4, hurt 28

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:14:53 GMT

DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Alabama officials are identifying the four people who were killed in a weekend shooting at a teenager’s birthday party that also injured 28.Victims include Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, of Opelika; Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, of Dadeville; Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, 18, of Camp Hill and Shaunkivia Nicole “Keke” Smith, 17, of Dadeville, Tallapoosa County Coroner Mike Knox told The Associated Press on Monday. Relatives had identified Dowdell and Smith on Sunday.The Saturday night shooting took place at a birthday party for Dowdell’s sister at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio in Dadeville. It’s not clear how many of the 28 injured were shot.Also unclear is who may have started the shooting and why, or whether investigators have made any arrests. Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency did not take questions during news conferences Sunday. Officials repeatedly asked others to come forward with information on the shoot...

S&P/TSX composite edges up in late-morning trading, U.S. stock markets mixed

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:14:53 GMT

TORONTO — Strength in technology stocks helped Canada’s main stock index to edge higher in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were mixed to start the trading week.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 3.93 points at 20,583.84.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 32.25 points at 33,918.72. The S&P 500 index was down 1.71 points at 4,135.93, while the Nasdaq composite was down 11.21 points at 12,112.26.The Canadian dollar traded for 74.65 cents US compared with 74.84 cents US on Friday.The June crude contract was down 70 cents at US$81.73 per barrel and the May natural gas contract was up 18 cents at US$2.29 per mmBTU.The June gold contract was down US$16.00 at US$1,999.80 an ounce and the May copper contract was down four cents at US$4.07 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)The Canadian Press

Ottawa seeks better reporting on environmental emergencies after Kearl oilsands leak

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:14:53 GMT

OTTAWA — Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is taking the first step towards an improved reporting process for environmental emergencies following a leak of wastewater from an oilsands mine in Alberta that wasn’t made public for nine months.Imperial Oil and the Alberta Energy Regulator were required to notify the federal government about seepage from the tailing ponds at the company’s Kearl mine after first noticing it last May.But that didn’t happen until February, after 5.3 million litres of additional wastewater had been released.First Nations in the area whose members hunt and fish on the affected lands and waterways say they are furious that they were never told.Several chiefs and representatives from affected First Nations and Métis communities are appearing at a House of Commons committee today to discuss the situation.Guilbeault says their testimony should help inform the efforts of the new “notification and monitoring working group” he is ...

Victims identified in Alabama birthday party shooting that killed 4, injured 28

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:14:53 GMT

DADEVILLE, Ala. (NEXSTAR) — The people killed in a weekend shooting at a teenager's birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama, were identified Monday. The four victims identified by the Tallapoosa County Coroner to Nexstar's WRBL were 23-year-old Corbin Holston, 18-year-old Philstavious Dowdell, 19-year-old Marsiah Collins, and 17-year-old Shaunkivia Smith. All of the victims were from Dadeville or the surrounding area. Another 28 people were injured in the shooting, though their names and ages have not been released. The Saturday night shooting happened at a 16th birthday party at a downtown Dadeville dance studio, and witnesses said many of those injured were teenagers.The Associated Press reported Monday that the birthday party was for Philstavious Dowdell's sister. Dowdell was a Dadeville High School student who planned to attend Jacksonville State University to play football.Michael Taylor, an assistant coach, said he met Dowdell when the boy was 9 and coached him in youth football....