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No fire plans, keys left out and no clean laundry. Troubled South Carolina jail fails inspection

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:30 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina jail that is being investigated by federal officials has failed a state inspection after it was found to have unsafe and unsanitary conditions.The South Carolina Department of Corrections’ review of the Richland County jail found, among other things, a lack of written plans to evacuate inmates during a fire, keys for cells and exits that had been left in an unlocked desk drawer in a juvenile wing, prisoners who were tasked with conducting head counts and prisoners only being given clean clothes once a week.Several of the problems involved units holding women. One had urinals, and a male inmate was able to drop into the female unit through the ceiling. The women weren’t regularly given toothbrushes, soap, tampons and pads.A cell used for women who are a danger to themselves doesn’t have cameras or other ways to constantly monitor the prisoner. Women awaiting trial and others who have already been convicted of crimes were being ...

1 dead, 6 others treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after gas leak in Kitchener

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:30 GMT

Investigators in Waterloo say a 25-year-old man is dead, and six others were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning following a gas leak at a home in Kitchener.Police were called to a home in the Activa Avenue and Periwinkle Street area just after 7:30 a.m. on Monday.Officers located several people suffering from what was determined to be carbon monoxide poisoning. One man, a 25-year-old, was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.Six others were transported to the hospital for treatment. The male victim was not identified.Police said the incident is not considered suspicious as the source of the carbon monoxide was determined to be a vehicle left running in the home’s garage.According to the City of Toronto, more than 80 per cent of injuries and deaths from carbon monoxide in Ontario occur in the home.Exposure to carbon monoxide can cause flu-like symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, as well as confusion, drowsiness, loss of consciousness and death.

AI systems can’t be named as the inventor of patents, UK’s top court rules

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:30 GMT

LONDON (AP) — An artificial intelligence system can’t be registered as the inventor of a patent, Britain’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in a decision that denies machines the same status as humans. The U.K.’s highest court concluded that “an inventor must be a person” to apply for patents under the current law. The decision was the culmination of American technologist Stephen Thaler’s long-running British legal battle to get his AI, dubbed DABUS, listed as the inventor of two patents. Thaler claims DABUS autonomously created a food and drink container and a light beacon and that he’s entitled to rights over its inventions. Tribunals in the U.S. and the European Union have rejected similar applications by Thaler. The U.K. Intellectual Property Office rejected Thaler’s application in 2019, saying it’s unable to officially register DABUS as the inventor because it’s not a person. After lower courts sided with the patent office, Thaler took his appea...

Ireland to launch a legal challenge against the UK government over Troubles amnesty bill

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:30 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Ireland’s government said Wednesday it will take legal action against British authorities over a controversial law that gives some immunity from prosecution for offenses committed during three decades of sectarian violence.Irish Deputy Prime Minister Micheál Martin said that “after much thought and careful consideration,” his government is launching a legal challenge against the Legacy and Reconciliation Bill, which critics say shuts down access to justice for victims and survivors. The law, passed in September, stops most prosecutions for alleged killings by militant groups and British soldiers during “the Troubles” — the three decades of violence in which more than 3,500 people died.Those who cooperate with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery — loosely modeled on South Africa’s post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission — can be granted immunity from prosecution. The new law also halts future civil cases and legacy...

American consumers are feeling much more confident as holiday shopping season peaks

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:30 GMT

American consumers are feeling more confident than they have since summer, good news for businesses with the all-important holiday shopping season peaking.The Conference Board, a business research group, said Wednesday that its consumer confidence index rose for the second straight month, to 110.7 in December from 101 in November. That’s much better than analysts’ forecasts of 104.5.The index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity, so economists pay close attention to consumer behavior as they take measure of the broader economy.Matt Ott, The Associated Press

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina kicks off election campaign amid an opposition boycott

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:30 GMT

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally kicked off her ruling Awami League party’s campaign Wednesday amid an election boycott by the country’s main opposition party.Addressing a massive rally in the northeastern city of Sylhet, Hasina strongly criticized the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for refusing to participate in the Jan. 7 general election. She also blamed the party, which is led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and its allies for recent acts of violence.Hundreds of thousands of Awami League supporters cheered and raised their hands when Hasina asked if they would cast their ballots for the ruling party’s candidates, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported.The prime minister denounced the party of her archrival Zia after the country’s railway minister alleged that arson and sabotage caused a fire on a passenger train that killed four people Tuesday. Hasina joined the minister Wednesday in accusing the Bangladesh National...

Editors explain why they chose wildfires as Canadian news story of the year

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:30 GMT

Canadian wildfires were the first choice for The Canadian Press news story of the year, as voted by editors in newsrooms across the country. Here is a sampling of comments from editors who identified the wildfires as the year’s biggest story:One of the stories that consistently made headlines — and that has been dividing Canadians on social media and among partisan circles generally — has been climate change. These discussions became overly heated during the summer of wildfires that claimed large swaths of Canadian forests, and forced an entire city, Yellowknife, to evacuate. I fear we will only see more of these kinds of stories in the coming years.— Matt Goerzen, Brandon Sun2023 proved wildfires are now a national problem and a harbinger of Canada’s new normal. This year, fire season started earlier, spread farther and hit the country harder than ever before. It made John Valliant’s book “Fire Weather” both timely and essential reading in a climate-ch...

Analysts say Ukraine’s forces are pivoting to defense after Russia held off their counteroffensive

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:30 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s armed forces are taking up a more defensive posture, a military analysis said Wednesday, after their summer counteroffensive failed to achieve a major breakthrough against Russia’s army and as winter weather sets in after almost 22 months of the war.“In recent weeks, Ukraine has mobilized a concerted effort to improve field fortifications as its forces pivot to a more defensive posture along much of the front line,” the U.K. Ministry of Defense said in an assessment.The Kremlin’s deep defenses held firm against Ukraine’s monthslong assault, using Western-supplied weapons but without essential air cover, along the around 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line.Most fighting in recent weeks has focused on artillery, missile and drone strikes as mud and snow hinder troop movements.“Russia continues local offensive options in several sectors, but individual attacks are rarely above platoon size,” the U.K. analysis said. “A major Russian breakthrough is unlik...

Home sales snapped a five-month skid in November as easing mortgage rates encouraged homebuyers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:30 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in November, ending a five-month skid, as easing mortgage rates encouraged homebuyers.Existing home sales rose 0.8% last month from October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.82 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That tops the 3.78 million sales pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.Sales were still down 7.3% compared with November last year. The pickup in sales helped push up home prices compared with a year earlier for the fifth month in a row. The national median sales price rose 4% from November last year to $387,600.“Home sales always respond to lower interest rates,” said Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist, adding that home sales have “no doubt” hit their low point of the current housing market cycle.The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has eased after climbing to 7.79% in late October to its highest level since late 2000. The average dropped to 6.95% last we...

Wildfire devastation voted Canadian Press news story of the year

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:25:30 GMT

It was the year unprecedented wildfires disrupted the lives of thousands from coast to coast, shattering records for the total area burned.Canadian wildfires — which consumed an area roughly one-quarter the land mass of Manitoba — were by far the first choice for The Canadian Press news story of the year, as voted by editors in newsrooms across the country.An unusually warm and dry winter in much of Canada set the stage for a wildfire season that led to 200,000 people fleeing their homes.One of the first communities evacuated was Evansburg, a hamlet west of Edmonton, on April 29. Evacuation orders for other communities were issued in the following days.On May 29, Nova Scotia’s fires spun out of control, in a fashion that experts said was an ominous signal for the rest of Canada. “If Halifax can burn, any place can burn, and that blows all our minds,” said John Vaillant, author of the award-winning “Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast.”A heat dome and tinder-dry forests fed the blaze...