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Boston City Council selects Ruthzee Louijeune as new president

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:02:53 GMT

After weeks of speculation, Ruthzee Louijeune’s November claim that she had the votes to become the next Boston City Council president turned out to be correct, as her colleagues selected her to lead the body in the first meeting of the new year.While multiple councilors were jockeying for the position, the final vote of 13-0 on Monday was unanimous, with at-Large Councilor Louijeune garnering overwhelming support to succeed Ed Flynn as the next council president.Louijeune was nominated by Councilor Gabriela Coletta, and officially took control of the meeting from Liz Breadon, who as the oldest city councilor, presided over the beginning, as Flynn’s term ended Dec. 31.“I am just overcome with emotion, with gratitude,” Louijeune said after the New Year’s Day vote. “We have real work to do, and I’m so excited to do it alongside each and every one of you.”In her speech, she noted that she wasn’t the first Black woman to lead the Council, while thanking now-Attorney General Andrea Campb...

Japan lowers tsunami warning after a series of earthquakes but tells people to stay away from coast

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:02:53 GMT

By YURI KAGEYAMA (Associated Press)TOKYO (AP) — Japan dropped its highest-level tsunami alert after issuing one following a series of major earthquakes Monday but told residents of coastal areas not to return to their homes as deadly waves could still come.The quakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.6, started a fire and collapsed buildings on the west coast of Japan’s main island, Honshu. It was unclear how many people might have been killed or hurt.The Japan Meteorological Agency reported more than a dozen strong quakes in the Japan Sea off the coast of Ishikawa and nearby prefectures starting shortly after 4 p.m. local time.At least six homes were damaged by the quakes, with people trapped inside, government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said. A fire broke out in Wajima city, Ishikawa Prefecture, and electricity was out for more than 30,000 households, he said. The meteorological agency initially issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsun...

These San Diego-area Rose Parade floats earned the judges' top honors

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:02:53 GMT

SAN DIEGO — The Pasadena Tournament of Roses marched through Pasadena for the 135th year on New Year's Day, and San Diego still had quite a presence in the parade.While no cities in the county participated this year, there were a handful of floats representing America's Finest, as well as a exciting band and equestrian performances — all tied into the parade's theme, "Celebrating a World of Music: The Universal Language."But two floats with a San Diego connection particularly stood out to the judges, taking home some of the top trophies for the year.The San Diego Zoo's float, called "It Began With A Roar," snagged the coveted "Sweepstakes" award for the most beautiful entry in the parade. The honor encompasses float design, floral presentation and entertainment.Featuring a design inspired by its 107-year history, the float from the San Diego Zoo was adorned with thousands of seeds, bark, flowers and other organic materials to bring some of the most iconic wildlife residing in the zo...

Mexican actor Ana Ofelia Murguía, who voiced Mama Coco in ‘Coco,’ dies at 90

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:02:53 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican actor Ana Ofelia Murguía, who gave voice to the character of “Mama Coco” in the popular Pixar film “Coco,” has died, Mexican officials said. She was 90.Mexico’s National Fine Arts Institute announced Murguía’s death Sunday without providing a cause of death.“She leaves an enormous void on our country’s sets,” Culture Secretary Alejandra Frausto Guerrero said in a statement.“Coco,” which was released in 2017, brought Murguía to an international audience late in life. But the actor had a long acting career in Mexican film and television, and on the stage. She appeared in some 70 plays and 90 movies, including ‘Life Sentence’ (1979) and ’The Queen of the Night’ (1994).In the animated “‘Coco,” she voiced the soft-spoken great-grandmother of a boy discovering his family’s musical history.In April, the National Autonomous University of Mexico awarded Murguía its Ingmar Bergman Medal for leaving “an indelible mark” on Mexican film and theater.In her a...

Peter Magubane, a South African photographer who captured 40 years of apartheid, dies at age 91

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:02:53 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Peter Magubane, a fearless photographer who captured the violence and horror of South Africa’s apartheid era of racial oppression, and was entrusted with documenting Nelson Mandela’s first years of freedom after his release from prison, has died. He was 91.Magubane died Monday, according to the South African National Editors’ Forum, which said it had been informed of his death by his family.He was a “legendary photojournalist,” the editors’ forum said. The South African government said Magubane “covered the most historic moments in the liberation struggle against apartheid.”Magubane photographed 40 years of apartheid South Africa, including the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, the trial of Mandela and others in 1964, and the Soweto uprising of 1976, when thousands of Black students protested against the apartheid government’s law making the Afrikaans language compulsory in school.The Soweto uprising became a pivotal moment in th...

Elvis is in the building, along with fishmongers as part of a nautical scene for the Winter Classic

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:02:53 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — The part-owner of the franchise who was once more known for his exploits on the football field led the way off the bus, followed by players clad in white T-shirts and orange overalls as a tribute to the fishmongers working across town at Pike Place Market.A few minutes later, a gaggle of Elvises – or would it be Elvi? – strode their way into the stadium in white jumpsuits, sunglasses and mostly fake hair.“Believe it or not, Paul Cotter didn’t even wear a wig. That’s just naturally his hair,” Vegas’ Keegan Kolesar said. “So he was pretty spot on.”The 15th version of the NHL’s Winter Classic had decidedly local flare as both the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights tapped into two of the most well-known aspects of their communities.For Seattle, it was led off its team bus by minority owner Marshawn Lynch and paid tribute to the fishing industry and the workers at the nearby market who fling fish around every day.For the reigning Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights, w...

Quebec appeal court upholds ruling finding that police watchdog issued biased release

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:02:53 GMT

MONTREAL — A Quebec appeals court has upheld a ruling that found the province’s police watchdog issued a biased news release harming the family of a man who was killed by officers in 2017.The family of Koray Kevin Celik sued the agency, known as the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, arguing that a press release outlining the result of its investigation was inaccurate and only included the police’s version of events.A provincial court judge sided with the family in a 2021 decision, and awarded Celik’s parents and brothers a total of $30,000 in damages.The provincial government appealed the ruling, arguing the BEI had done nothing wrong and even if it had, those faults hadn’t harmed the honour or dignity of Celik’s family.Court of Appeal Justice Simon Ruel found that while the trial judge had made some errors in his ruling, his conclusions were valid.Celik, 28, died after police were called to the family home in western Montreal by his parents who were w...

16-year-old boy fatally stabbed on a hill overlooking London during New Year’s Eve

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:02:53 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death on a hilltop overlooking central London as crowds gathered to watch New Year’s Eve fireworks, police said Monday.Harry Pitman was with friends on Primrose Hill just before midnight when he became involved in a dispute that turned deadly, Detective Chief Inspector Geoff Grogan said. Efforts to revive him failed.“He was a young man with the rest of his life ahead of him,” Grogan said. “His family are understandably devastated.”A boy the same age was arrested on suspicion of murder and was being held in custody, police said. Detectives were seeking information from witnesses who were among the hundreds of people gathered on the hill adjacent to Regent’s Park. It is surrounded by streets of wealthy homes and is also near several public housing towers. The Royal Parks noted on its website that the hill historically was a place where duels and prizefights were once fought. The park typically closes at night but it was scheduled to...

Detector dogs could help sniff out more fentanyl, firearms at border, review suggests

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:02:53 GMT

OTTAWA — An internal evaluation by Canada’s border agency suggests its detector dogs could play a bigger role in sniffing out deadly fentanyl and illicit firearms.The agency has dozens of canines trained to detect smuggled currency, drugs, guns, and food, plant and animal products.A recently published evaluation found the detector dog service helped reduce threats by effectively intercepting such regulated and prohibited goods at the border.But it says the program had a limited role in helping detect smuggled firearms.In addition, some dog handlers and their managers saw a need to train more canines to intercept fentanyl and precursor chemicals used to make such drugs.The evaluation report recommends further review of the detector dog program and allocation of resources to determine how the animals could be best used for enforcement.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2024.The Canadian Press

Ana Ofelia Murguía, who voiced Mama Coco in 'Coco,' dies

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:02:53 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican actor Ana Ofelia Murguía, who gave voice to the character of “Mama Coco” in the popular Pixar film "Coco," has died, Mexican officials said. She was 90.Mexico’s National Fine Arts Institute announced Murguía’s death Sunday without providing a cause of death.“She leaves an enormous void on our country’s sets,” Culture Secretary Alejandra Frausto Guerrero said in a statement.“Coco,” which was released in 2017, brought Murguía to an international audience late in life.But the actor had a long acting career in Mexican film and television, and on the stage. She appeared in some 70 plays and 90 movies, including ‘Life Sentence’ (1979) and ’The Queen of the Night’ (1994).In the animated “‘Coco,” she voiced the soft-spoken great-grandmother of a boy discovering his family’s musical history.In April, the National Autonomous University of Mexico awarded Murguía its Ingmar Bergman Medal for leaving “an indelible mark” on Mexican film and theater.In her acce...