Tag Archives: associated press

South Africa ends rescue efforts at collapsed building with 33 confirmed dead, 19 still missing

An exhaustive rescue operation to find missing construction workers trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in South Africa will end on Friday after nearly two weeks and with 19 people still unaccounted for, authorities said. At least 33 people have been confirmed dead after the collapse of the unfinished five-story apartment complex in the city of George on …

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Once-in-a-generation wind event caused deaths, extensive damage across Houston, meteorologist says

Exceptional windstorms that could leave some Houston residents without power for weeks were a once-in-a-generation event and the damage left in their wake is comparable to that caused by a hurricane, meteorologists said Friday. “We believe this windstorm is the most significant windstorm likely for the Houston area since Hurricane Alicia back in 1983,” said Janice Maldonado, a meteorologist at …

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A college puts the 'cat' into 'education' by giving Max an honorary 'doctor of litter-ature' degree

A Vermont university has bestowed the honorary degree of “doctor of litter-ature” on Max the cat, a beloved member of its community, ahead of students’ graduation on Saturday. Vermont State University’s Castleton campus is honoring the feline not for his mousing or napping, but for his friendliness. CATS AT COLLEGE? ‘HIGHLY EMOTIONAL’ STUDENTS MAY BENEFIT FROM FELINES ON CAMPUS: STUDY …

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Washington state trooper fatally shoots a man during a freeway altercation, police say

A Washington state trooper fatally shot a man with a hammer who had attacked state Department of Transportation workers along Interstate 5 north of Seattle, law enforcement officials said. Around 4 p.m. Thursday, state patrol troopers responded to a report of a road rage incident on the shoulder of I-5 northbound in Everett, the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team …

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Army presents Purple Heart to Minnesota veteran 73 years after he was wounded in Korean War

After 73 years and a long fight with the U.S. Army, a Korean War veteran from Minnesota who was wounded in combat finally got his Purple Heart medal on Friday. The Army notified Earl Meyer, 96, of St. Peter, last month that it had granted him a Purple Heart, which honors service members wounded or killed in combat. Meyer, who …

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First brewery opens in Abu Dhabi as parts of UAE loosen alcohol laws

In 2018, Chad McGehee opened Side Hustle Brews and Spirits, an Abu Dhabi-branded brewery and distillery with funky camels on its cans and playful names familiar to anyone living in the United Arab Emirates. The only problem was it was illegal to produce alcohol in the country, so his company made its hoppy India pale ale in the United States …

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An unusual autumn freeze grips parts of South America, giving Chile its coldest May in 74 years

Chileans are bundling up for their coldest autumn in more than 70 years mere days after sunning in T-shirts — a dramatic change of wardrobe brought on this week by a sudden cold front gripping portions of South America unaccustomed to bitter wind chills this time of year. CHILE SHUTS DOWN A POPULAR GLACIER, SPARKING DEBATE OVER CLIMATE CHANGE AND …

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Ocean temperatures surge, threatening worst coral bleaching event in history, scientists say

Ocean temperatures that have gone “crazy haywire” hot, especially in the Atlantic, are close to making the current global coral bleaching event the worst in history. It’s so bad that scientists are hoping for a few hurricanes to cool things off. More than three-fifths — 62.9% — of the world’s coral reefs are badly hurting from a bleaching event that …

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What to know about South Africa's election that could see ruling party of 30 years deposed

South Africa’s election will determine how weary the country has become of the ruling African National Congress party that has been in power since the end of the apartheid system of white minority rule 30 years ago. President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC are struggling to keep their parliamentary majority and opinion polls predict that the party will likely receive …

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French security reinforcements ease violent unrest in New Caledonia

The number of violent incidents reported in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia fell slightly on Friday, a day after France imposed a state of emergency as 1,000 promised reinforcements for security services were deployed with increased powers to quell unrest in the archipelago that has long sought independence. The top French official in the territory, High Commissioner Louis …

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