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A series of powerful earthquakes shakes eastern Indonesia. No immediate reports of casualties

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:11:41 GMT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A series of powerful and shallow earthquakes shook a sparsely populated island chain in eastern Indonesia on Wednesday. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.The U.S. Geological Survey said a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit an area 341 kilometers (211 miles) southwest of Tual, a coastal town in Maluku province, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).It was followed by another 7.0 magnitude quake in the same area and two 5.1 magnitude aftershocks, the USGS said.Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami but warned of possible aftershocks.Villagers in the Tanimbar Islands reported strong tremors for a few minutes but there was no panic, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s spokesperson Abul Muhari said in a statement.He said the epicenter of the quakes was in the Banda Sea near the Tanimbar Islands, with a population of about 127,000.The country of more than 270 million people is freq...

Islamic State group claims responsibility for a minibus explosion in Afghan capital that killed 7

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:11:41 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a minibus explosion in the Afghan capital late on Tuesday that killed at least seven people. The Sunni militant group said its members detonated an explosive device on the bus carrying Shiite Muslims.Twenty others were wounded in the attack in Kabul’s western Shiite neighborhood of Dashti Barchi, according to police spokesman Khalid Zadran.The bombing was the second attack to have struck the area in as many weeks. Four people were killed and seven were wounded when an explosion hit a sports club in the neighborhood on Oct. 26. IS also claimed responsibility for that attack.The Dashti Barchi area of Kabul has been repeatedly targeted by the Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan. The group has carried out major assaults on schools, hospitals and mosques, and has also attacked other Shiite areas across the country.The IS affiliate is mainly based in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province and has been a...

Librarians turn to civil rights agency to oppose book bans and their firings

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:11:41 GMT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — She refused to ban books, many of them about racism and the experiences of LGBTQ+ people. And for that, Suzette Baker was fired as a library director in a rural county in central Texas. “I’m kind of persona non grata around here,” said Baker, who had headed the Kingsland, Texas, library system until she refused to take down a prominent display of several books people had sought to ban over the years.Now, Baker is fighting back. She and two other librarians who were similarly fired have filed workplace discrimination claims with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. And as culture war battles to keep certain books from children and teens put public and school libraries increasingly under pressure, their goal is redemption and, where possible, eventual reinstatement.So far, it’s a wait-and-see whether the claims will succeed — and set new precedent — in the struggle between teachers and librarians around the country who oppose book bans an...

China’s Xi urges countries unite in tackling AI challenges but makes no mention of internet controls

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:11:41 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that potential risks associated with artificial intelligence are challenges that countries should deal with together, remarks that come against the backdrop of China’s rigid control of free speech on the internet. At the same time, China has also maximized the internet’s economic benefits and social media’s propaganda contributions to the ruling Communist Party’s authoritarian agenda. Xi’s prerecorded speech was broadcast at the opening of the World Internet Conference Summit in the eastern city of Wuzhen.He called for common security in cyberspace instead of confrontation. He said China would work with other countries to address risks brought by the development of AI and expressed his objections to “cyberspace hegemony.” China is ready to “promote the safe development of AI,” he said, with the implementation of the Global AI Governance Initiative, a proposal launched by the Chinese government last month calling for an open ...

Groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State take root on the coast of West Africa

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:11:41 GMT

ATACORA, Benin (AP) — The insurgents pressured Zackari to join their movement, and he turned them down.Now he’s frightened of their revenge. He has been on the run from the jihadi fighters for more than a year. They regularly call the 33-year-old, warning: “We haven’t forgotten about you.”Groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have been spreading for years from the vast arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert — the Sahel — into wealthier West African coastal states like Benin. Militants once were believed to want to use coastal nations like Benin, Togo and Ghana as bases for attacks on Sahel governments. Now militancy is taking root. Benin has been the hardest hit. This year it had more than ten times the number of violent incidents involving jihadis than Togo did, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.Attacks by jihadis against civilians in Benin nearly tripled from last year, from more than 30 to approximately 80. The overall number...

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman declares victory in bid for reelection

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:11:41 GMT

Incumbent Mike Coffman declared victory in the race for Aurora mayor Tuesday night after securing a decisive lead over challenger Juan Marcano in early returns.Marcano, though, was not prepared to concede.Coffman had received 29,418 votes, or 54.66% of the total, to Marcano’s 20,607 votes, or 38.29%, as of the latest results posted at about 10 p.m. Tuesday.The third candidate in the nonpartisan race, Jeff Sanford, who ran a limited campaign, had received 3,798 votes, or 7.06%.As of 9:40 p.m., Marcano said he had not spoken to Coffman and that he was not conceding the race until more votes were counted.Marcano noted that the votes that typically come in on the Monday and Tuesday of an election skew more progressive. He said until it was clear how many votes were still outstanding and what the city’s election turnout was, it was premature to call the race.At Coffman’s election watch party after the 9 p.m. results were posted, Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsk...

NGOs call for urgent action: Conservation measures vital for protection of Mediterranean fisheries and ecosystems

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:11:41 GMT

New Measures Would Allow Authorities to tackle non-compliance and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing - As officials from Mediterranean countries gather this week for the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) annual session in Croatia, NGOs are urging the adoption of a system of corrective measures that would allow the GFCM to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and cases of non-compliance within its region - a call backed by a legal analysis published this week that shows that GFCM has the competency to impose such measures.The proposed system under discussion this week - which already exists in other regional fisheries management organisations - would allow the GFCM to take action against countries that consistently disregard fishing regulations. Several organizations of the Med Sea Alliance (MSA) argue that creating a compliance mechanism is crucial for the Mediterranean's biodiversity, fish stock recovery, and the communitie...

'Shockwaves of emotions' after 4 L.A. Sheriff's Department employees die of suicide in 24-hour span

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:11:41 GMT

Warning: This article discusses suicide.After the suicide deaths of one retired and three current members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a 24-hour period, officials released a statement Tuesday saying the department “is beyond saddened to learn of the deaths.”  While the sheriff’s department did not identify the employees or say the deaths were self-inflicted, the Los Angeles Times cites numerous sources who agreed to talk about the suicides on the condition of anonymity. The first victim was discovered Monday at around 10:30 a.m. in Valencia. A little more than two hours later, at 12:53 p.m., LASD detectives responded to another death in Lancaster and a third at 5:40 p.m. in Stevenson Ranch. The fourth victim was discovered Tuesday at around 7:30 a.m. in the city of Pomona.  “We are stunned to learn of these deaths, and it has sent shockwaves of emotions throughout the department as we try and cope with the loss of not just one, but four beloved ac...

Hamas victim shares terrifying survival story in Los Angeles event

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:11:41 GMT

A survivor of a Hamas terrorist attack, along with loved ones of current hostages are speaking out and calling for freedom amid the Israel-Hamas War.The Israeli-American Council of Los Angeles held a special event Tuesday night at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills where those affected by the war gathered.The event’s organizers said the goal is to show the world the horror inflicted on Israel by the Palestinian terrorist group, Hamas, on Oct. 7th in what they are calling, “Black Sabbath” or “Black Saturday.”The terrorist group has killed at least 1,400 people and captured hundreds of hostages. More than 250,000 Israelis have evacuated homes near the borders of Gaza and Lebanon as rockets were continuously fired into Israel, the Associated Press reports.“I really believed this was the way I’m going to die,” said Ariel Ein-Gal, a 26-year-old Hamas victim. “Like, I really accepted it.”Ein-Gal is an Israeli citizen visiting Los Angeles to share the terrifying story of how he and 19 frie...

Democrats fend off challenges to retain control of majorities in New Jersey’s Legislature

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:11:41 GMT

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Democrats kept control of their legislative majorities on Tuesday, holding the line against Republican challenges as well as flipping seats in pivotal Senate races and Assembly contests. The results buoyed the party’s prospects after a bleak showing in the last election. Democrat John Burzichelli defeated Republican Ed Durr, who stunned Senate President Steve Sweeney two years ago by beating him in a race that few expected would be competitive that year.Burzichelli, a longtime lawmaker and former appropriations committee chairman, was ousted alongside Sweeney in 2021 by Durr, a truck driver who hadn’t been elected before, and his running mates.He attributed the win on Tuesday to a focus on abortion and reproductive health throughout a campaign that featured relentless attacks against Durr. Burzichelli used comments attributed to Durr from before his election, suggesting women could avoid abortions by not having sex. “I think women’s issues playe...