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Thai police say Chinese church members to be deported soon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:53 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — More than 60 self-exiled members of a Chinese Christian church who were detained in Thailand after receiving U.N. refugee status will be deported by next week, probably to a third country, officials said Wednesday. Deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn said representatives of Thailand’s Foreign Ministry and Immigration Bureau were holding talks with the U.N. Refugee Agency and the U.S. Embassy to discuss the fate of the 63 members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church who were taken to court in the coastal city of Pattaya last Friday.“Within the next week, they will definitely be deported. What we don’t know is which country they will be deported to,” Surachate told The Associated Press.The members of the church, also known as the Mayflower Church, were granted refugee status by the U.N. agency after their arrival in Thailand last year. They say they faced unbearable harassment in China and are seeking asylum in the United States.Prior to their arrival in Thai...

Bulgaria: Borissov proposes coalition after contested vote

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:53 GMT

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, whose center-right GERB party clinched a narrow win in Bulgaria’s parliamentary election, invited his political opponents Wednesday to talks on forming a government.Results from Sunday’s election, Bulgaria’s fifth in two years, showed GERB with 26.5% of the vote, edging out the reformist We Continue the Change party by less than 2 percentage points. Four other parties passed the minimum support threshold needed to make it into the 240-seat National Assembly.Borissov led three governments in the last decade, but allegations of corrupt practices, links to oligarchs and suppression of media freedom, which sparked protests, gradually eroded his reputation. Speaking to reporters at his party’s headquarters, he said GERB would initiate talks with all groups in parliament to seek common ground for a viable governing coalition.Borissov was firm that lawmakers must approve a new government, arguing that holding yet another el...

B.C. decriminalized drugs. How’s it been going?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:53 GMT

In today’s Big Story podcast, at the end of January, British Columbia began a pilot program that decriminalized small amounts of drugs, including cocaine and opioids. It’s the first province-wide program of its kind in Canada and it comes amidst a spiralling overdose crisis. Already, opinions on the program are polarizing and some municipalities in BC are trying to find ways around it.To discuss the rollout of decriminalization, The Big Story is joined by Dr. Lindsey Richardson, and Associate Professor in Sociology at the University of British Columbia and Canada Research Chair in Social Inclusion and Health Equity.“Conversations that I’ve had with people in the community are really mixed,” she said, “they recognize that its a really important change that people have been fighting for for a long time … but that its only one piece in a broader puzzle.”So what do we know about how the program has been working so far? And what does ‘working’ re...

Report: Ex-Scottish leader’s husband arrested in party probe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:53 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The husband of former Scottish first minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has been arrested in a party finance probe, British media reported Wednesday.Police in Scotland did not identify Peter Murrell as the 58-year old man arrested Wednesday “in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.” However, Britain’s Press Association, the BBC and others reported it was Murrell.“Clearly it would not be appropriate to comment on any live police investigation but the SNP have been cooperating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so,” the party said in a statement released after the arrest.Murrell, 58, resigned as the party’s chief executive March 18 amid a controversy about the party’s declining membership and the contest to replace Sturgeon. Sturgeon, 52, abruptly announced her resignation in February after eight years as party leader and first minister of Scotland’s ...

Retailer Roots reports fourth-quarter profit and sales down from year ago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:53 GMT

TORONTO — Roots Corp. reported its fourth-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago as its sales also moved lower.The retailer says it earned $13.0 million or 31 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Jan. 28, down from a profit of $18.1 million or 42 cents per diluted share a year earlier.Overall sales totalled $111.5 million in the quarter, down from $121.3 million.The drop came as its corporate retail store and e-commerce sales fell to $98.5 million compared with $110.6 million a year ago.Roots says the result was primarily driven by economic headwinds and an intensified promotional environment.Partner and other sales totalled $12.9 million for the quarter, up from $10.7 million a year ago, helped by higher sales to the company’s partner in Taiwan, growth in the wholesale of Roots-branded products to select partners, and favourable foreign exchange impacts.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:ROOT)The Ca...

WATCH LIVE | CFD battling high-rise fire on DuSable Lake Shore Drive; 2 firefighters injured

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:53 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago firefighters are currently battling a high-rise fire on DuSable Lake Shore Drive.At around 7:20 a.m., CFD tweeted that they responded to the 1200 block of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive for a still-and-box response.Video shows flames shooting out of a unit of a high-rise. CFD said two firefighters have been injured. One is in good condition while the other's condition has not been released.At 7:40 a.m. they stated via tweet the main body of the fire is out however they are still addressing hot spots on the 27th floor while dealing with heavy smoke.On Tuesday morning, the department lost one of their own, 49-year-old Jermaine Pelt, in a South Side house fire. WGN News will update this story once more information becomes available.

Delmar Bistro closing its doors after 8 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:53 GMT

DELMAR, N.Y. (NEWS10) --Delmar Bistro, located at 180 Delaware Avenue, is closing after eight years. Owner Cindy Leffler made the announcement in a Facebook post on April 4. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "We just can't survive the aftermath of the pandemic," Leffler told NEWS10. "We incurred debt trying to stay afloat through it and I just want to cut my losses. It doesn't look like things will improve anytime soon. All of the mom and pop businesses are hanging on by a thread. It's a shame."Delmar Bistro's last day of service will be April 29. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dave’s Hot Chicken opening in Amsterdam "We are grateful for all of your support over the years," said Leffler in the Facebook post. "It's so hard to say goodbye."

'Widespread' damage from suspected tornado in Bollinger County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:53 GMT

MARBLE HILL, Mo. - Bollinger County, just south of the St. Louis region, was hit hard by tornado-warned storms Wednesday morning. Clarke Parrott, a spokesperson for Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop E, spoke with FOX 2 meteorologists and reporters this morning. He says, there are no reports of injuries or fatalities as of 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, though damage is widespread. Some rescue and search efforts are also underway. Trending: St. Louis-area April 4 municipal eleciton results FOX 2's Rogue Runner surveyed the streets of Missouri Route 34 on Wednesday near Marble Hill. Videos show lots of snapped trees and broken branches, some along the highway. The Glenallen community near Marble Hill is believed to be one of the hardest hit. Parrott says there have also been damages to power lines, tractor trailers and churches in the area. There are similar impacts to the west and east of Route 34 and the damage is considered "pretty widespread," according to Parrott. FOX 2 has reached ou...

MSHP: Deaths, injuries as tornado-warned storms strike southern Missouri

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:53 GMT

BOLLINGER COUNTY, Mo. - The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirms there are some deaths and injuries after a tornado-warned storm system struck some areas south of the St. Louis region Wednesday morning. MSHP was not able to confirm how many people have died or were hurt by the storm system. Rescue and search operations continue Wednesday in Bollinger County. Tornado-warned cells were warned around the 3 a.m. hour in Bollinger County and other counties a little closer to Cape Girardeau. Top story: Rescue efforts underway after tornado-warned storms strike south of St. Louis A spokesperson with the Missouri State Highway Patrol tells FOX 2 that officers have responded to the Glenallen community for search and rescue assistance. Because of the darkness to start the morning and debris all around the roads, there were some delays to operations this morning. FOX 2's debris tracker showed various impacts in Bollinger County, particularly in the Glenallen and Grassy communities near Ma...

Shooting and police chase forces closure of U.S. Highway 36

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:53 GMT

A shooting and police chase early Wednesday forced the closure of U.S. Highway 36, which links metro Denver and Boulder, as investigators worked at the scene between Federal and Sheridan boulevards.Both eastbound and westbound lanes of the highway were closed. Adams County Sheriff’s deputies called this an active investigation and said “it is unknown how long the closure will last.”Early Wednesday, shots were fired at deputies, and they chased a vehicle carrying a suspect, according to an Adams County Sheriff posting on Twitter. Deputies in pursuit stopped the vehicle using a tactical maneuver, and all occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody, agency Twitter postings said. No injuries were reported.Regional Transportation District officials said all buses were using detour routes and advised riders to check service alerts.Highway 36 is closed due to police activity. All highway 36 buses are detoured, please see Service Alerts at https://t.co/vva0Wrrlhe for...