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Dolphin that shared a tank with Lolita the orca at Miami Seaquarium moves to SeaWorld San Antonio

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:58:25 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — A Pacific white-sided dolphin who shared a tank with Lolita the orca at the Miami Seaquarium until Lolita died last month has been moved to SeaWorld San Antonio, where he will live with others of his species, officials said Monday.Li’i will be joining other Pacific white-sided dolphins in San Antonio, some of whom he lived with previously, the park said in a Facebook post. SeaWorld San Antonio is one of only two places in the United States to care for his species, officials said.The 40-year-old aquatic mammal had been the only remaining Pacific white-sided dolphin at the Seaquariam, according to a Seaquariam Facebook post. After Lolita’s death, animal care experts at the park suggested his relocation to a habitat with other peers of his species.“Although we will very much miss him, we feel happy to know this is the best for him,” the Seaquariam statement said.Lolita — also known as Tokitae, or Toki — died Aug. 18 after spending 53 years in captivity. The 57-year-o...

Federal minister criticizes Manitoba Tory ad that cites rejection of landfill search

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:58:25 GMT

WINNIPEG — Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives came under fire Monday for taking out a newspaper ad that highlights, in part, the province’s decision to not search a landfill for the remains of two Indigenous women.The full-page ad, on Saturday in the Winnipeg Free Press, touts the governing Tories’ promises on a few issues including tax cuts and violent crime. On the decision to not search the Prairie Green Landfill, the words “Stand Firm” appear in large text. In smaller font is the phrase: “For health and safety reasons, the answer on the landfill dig just has to be no.”Marc Miller, a former minister of Crown-Indigenous relations who was shifted to immigration, refugees and citizenship in July, expressed disappointment.“You know that I considered the decision (to not search the landfill) to be heartless in nature,” Miller told reporters in Ottawa.“It came to my attention last night when I was reading it, and it just see...

Brazilian President Lula to undergo hip surgery, will work from home for 3 weeks

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:58:25 GMT

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will undergo hip surgery on Friday and will work from the presidential residence for about three weeks, officials said. Doctors will replace the top of his right femur with an implant to treat his arthrosis.Spokespeople for the South American nation’s presidency said Monday that the 77-year-old leftist leader will not be able to travel for up to six weeks after the procedure. Lula has felt hip pains since August 2022.Lula will have the surgery at a hospital in the capital city of Brasilia. Since the beginning of the week he has been wearing a mask to avoid any airborne diseases that could lead to a postponement of the surgery.Lula is expected to remain in the hospital until Tuesday next week.Earlier this month, Lula told supporters during a government ceremony that he didn’t want to get the surgery during last year’s election campaign. He narrowly beat the incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, in October’s e...

Oregon’s top court asked to decide if GOP senators who boycotted Legislature can be reelected

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:58:25 GMT

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Court of Appeals on Monday asked the state’s highest court to decide whether Republican state senators who carried out a record-setting GOP walkout this year can run for reelection.The senators are challenging a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2022 that bars them from being reelected after having 10 or more unexcused absences. Oregon voters last year overwhelmingly approved the ballot measure that created the amendment following GOP walkouts in the Legislature in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Statehouses around the nation have become ideological battlegrounds in recent years, including in Montana, Tennessee and Oregon, where the lawmakers’ walkout this year was the longest in state history and the second-longest in the United States. Several Oregon state senators with at least 10 absences have already filed candidacy papers with election authorities, even though Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade announced on Aug. 8 that they a...

B.C. cities condemn posters found touting ‘whites only’ kids’ playtime

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:58:25 GMT

COQUITLAM, B.C. — Two Metro Vancouver cities have issued statements about posters popping up that advertise playtime for only white children and their parents, saying they have no place in their communities. The City of Coquitlam says in a statement that it is aware of notices posted around the community that were exclusionary based on people’s race. The city says RCMP are looking into the “racist” notices. Photos of the notices began circulating on social media on Sunday, showing posters advertising for “Whites Only Moms and Tots,” touting a space for European children to escape “forced diversity.” Photos of the notices show a QR code, an email address and a web address for the encrypted Telegram messaging app, but the account doesn’t appear to exist and there was no immediate response to an email. Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West says bylaw officers searched for the signs on bus stops and elsewhere when they became aware, but they foun...

King Charles III and Queen Camilla to welcome South Korea’s president for a state visit in November

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:58:25 GMT

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III and Queen Camilla will welcome the president of South Korea for a state visit to the U.K. in November, the second such visit of the monarch’s reign.The king and queen will host Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, at Buckingham Palace on an as yet unspecified date in November, the palace said Tuesday.Yoon, a conservative former prosecutor, has sought to strengthen South Korea’s military alliance with the United States, drawing an angry response from North Korea.But Yoon, 62, has also showed the lighter side of his character. During a state dinner at the White House in April, h e belted out the opening verse of one of his favorite songs, the 1970s folk-rock classic “American Pie,″ at the request of President Joe Biden.A state banquet at Buckingham Palace is unlikely to feature a moment of impromptu song. Such events are traditionally more composed affairs featuring tiaras, toasts and dinner for around 150 guests, with a string orchestra usually pro...

At least 6 people are dead and 12 missing after flash flood in Guatemala sweeps homes into river

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:58:25 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Heavy rains caused a flash flood in Guatemala’s capital early Monday sweeping several humble homes into a river and leaving at least six people dead and 12 missing, including 10 minors.Guatemala’s National Disaster Reduction Coordinator said in a statement Monday that the death toll had risen to six, including a young girl, along with 12 people missing. The 5-year-old girl was recovered by firefighters partially buried in debris and mud some 3 miles (5 kilometers) down the Naranjo river.Guatemala City officials explained in a news conference later Monday that garbage and other debris had effectively dammed the Naranjo river upstream causing water to pool in the overnight downpour. When the dam broke it unleashed a torrent that swept away precarious homes closest to the water’s edge.Officials said residents of the neighborhood had been warned repeatedly to move from the area because of the flood risk.Rushing water away six homes and the families who lived ...

Most evacuation orders, alerts lifted in B.C.’s Okanagan wildfires

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:58:25 GMT

WEST KELOWNA, B.C. — Evacuation orders and alerts have been lifted for all but one property in West Kelowna, B.C., about five weeks after thousands were chased out by a fast-moving wildfire.Central Okanagan Emergency Operations says BC Wildfire Service crews are now patrolling the fire’s edge, working to extinguish any remaining hot spots, but warn nearby communities can expect to see smoke within the perimeter in the coming weeks.The 139-square-kilometre McDougall Creek fire swept down on West Kelowna on the evening of Aug. 17, engulfing residential streets that were evacuated with little time to spare.A provincewide state of emergency was declared the next day, as the same winds that fuelled the McDougall Creek blaze fanned fires in the Shuswap region.About half of the 400 structures or homes destroyed in B.C.’s record-breaking fire season have been lost in the Kelowna area.The operations centre also announced it is rescinding evacuation alerts and downgrading evacuati...

Photos: Hail destroys cars in north central Austin

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:58:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As hail hit towns across Central Texas Sunday night, several people living in a townhome complex off Koenig Lane got their windows smashed during the storm."It sounded like someone was banging on our windows and doors trying to get in," said Joshua Brisbin. His car is fine, but "seeing my neighbors' property being destroyed by this, it's deeply troubling."Below are photos of the aftermath he described.Hail smashed through several cars in north central Austin.Shattered glass from hail-damaged car window in north central Austin.Car owner covers hail-damaged windows with tarp.Hail damages cars at north central Austin townhome complex.A few blocks away, Anthony Gentles was watching Sunday Night Football when the storm approached."I saw the news ticker at the bottom of the screen, and it was saying a storm was coming," he said. Anthony Gentles said his roommate called him when the storm started, suggesting they both take their cars to a nearby parking garage to wait out ...

Boil water notice issued for Bell-Milam-Falls WSC customers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:58:25 GMT

MILAM COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A boil water notice was issued on Monday for Bell-Milam-Falls Water Supply Corporation customers, due to a power outage caused by Sunday storms, according to a news release from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).The boil water notice affects Bell-Milam-Falls WSC customers in the areas below:BarlettRogersRogers to BuckholtsRogers to Wilson PHOTOS: Large, damaging hail pummels parts of Central Texas When the notice is no longer in effect, water system officials will notify customers that their water is safe for consumption.If a customer would like to reach TCEQ, they can call (512) 239-4691.