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COVID-19 inquiry in UK asks whether ‘terrible consequences’ could have been avoided

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:23:06 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A mammoth three-year public inquiry into the U.K. government’s handling of the response to COVID-19 opened Tuesday by asking whether suffering and death could have been avoided with better planning.Lawyer Hugo Keith, who is counsel to the inquiry, said the coronavirus pandemic had brought “death and illness on an unprecedented scale” in modern Britain. He said that COVID-19 has been recorded as a cause of death for 226,977 people in the U.K.“The key issue is whether that impact was inevitable,” Keith said. “Were those terrible consequences inexorable, or were they avoidable or capable of mitigation?”A group of people who lost relatives to COVID-19 held pictures of their loved one outside the inquiry venue, an anonymous London office building. The first day of public hearings began with a 17-minute video in which people described the devastating impact of the pandemic on them and their loved ones.Britain’s pandemic death toll is one of the highest in Europe, and t...

John Fru Ndi, leader of Cameroon’s main opposition party and critic of president, dies at 81

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:23:06 GMT

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — John Fru Ndi, the leader of Cameroon’s opposition Social Democratic Front and one of the party’s founders, has died after a prolonged illness. He was 81.The party said Fru Ndi, who had been battling health issues for months, died late on Monday at his residence in the capital, Yaounde, a month ahead of his 82nd birthday in July.“It is with sadness that we announce the transition into eternal glory of the National Chairman of the (party),” Joshua Osh, the party’s vice president, said on Tuesday. An influential figure, Fru Ndi he was one of the founders of the Social Democratic Front in 1990 and a prominent opponent of Cameroon’s longtime President Paul Biya. He went up against Biya in three elections — losing each one — and more recently, became a strong critic of the president’s handling of the country’s crisis following the 2017 rebellion of English-speaking separatists. Last November, Biya marked 40 years in power — the only president most of t...

Lower house of Japan’s parliament passes bill to promote LGBTQ+ awareness, but not guarantee rights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:23:06 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — The powerful lower house of Japan’s parliament on Tuesday passed a bill to promote understanding of LGBTQ+ issues amid protests by activists that last-minute revisions by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s conservative party favored opponents of sexual equality instead of guaranteeing equal rights. The passage followed only a few hours of debate in a lower house committee last Friday, an unusually short period. The bill is expected to be approved quickly by parliament’s upper house, which is also controlled by Kishida’s governing bloc.Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations which does not have LGTBQ+ legal protections. Support for same-sex marriage and other rights has grown among the Japanese public, but opposition remains strong within the governing Liberal Democratic Party, known for conservative values and a reluctance to promote gender equality and sexual diversity.LGBTQ+ activists have increased their efforts to ...

Millennial Money: How to use ChatGPT to plan your next trip

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:23:06 GMT

Planning travel can be a daunting maze. Guidebooks, by their nature, send all readers to the same destinations. And web searches can yield an unhelpful mess of content.Yet some tech-savvy travelers are finding success using artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT and Bard to inspire and plan their vacations, treating these services like free, on-demand travel agents.“I liked the idea of ChatGPT because it gives you a very clear list,” says Alpa Patel, an avid traveler based out of New York City.Patel has been planning a family trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, for the summer. After getting frustrated with the cookie-cutter travel websites served up by Google, she had an idea: Why not ask ChatGPT for some advice?“I started with the best places to stay and it gave me a list of neighborhoods, along with the best hotels. I actually picked my hotel through that list,” Patel says.SET YOUR PREFERENCESAlthough Patel enjoyed the simplicity of these responses, she quickly found another reaso...

11 people shot in downtown Denver after Nuggets win NBA Finals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:23:06 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Multiple shootings sent 11 people to the hospital early Tuesday morning after thousands flocked downtown in celebration of the Denver Nuggets' historic NBA Finals win, celebrating into the early morning hours.Just before 1 a.m., the Denver Police Department tweeted that they were investigating a shooting in the 2000 block of Market Street. DPD said nine gunshot victims were located and that they identified a suspect who also had a gunshot wound. Three victims were in critical condition at a local hospital, and the other victims appeared to have non-life-threatening injuries, according to DPD. Photos: Denver Nuggets celebrate championship win At around 1:11 a.m., DPD said they were investigating a shooting in an area where one person was shot. However, officers provided an update that the victim was actually shot in a different location and self-transported to the hospital.In total, 10 people were injured in the 2000 block of Market Street, which is next to Coors F...

No immediate end to dangerous heat and humidity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:23:06 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Mother Nature throwin' us on the grill and turning the heat on high this week... and it'll get worse before it gets better.Afternoon highs will near 100° again this afternoon, but with the addition of humidity, will bring 'feels like' temps well above the century mark. Expect heat index values to range between 103°-113° -- a HEAT ADVISORY is in effect 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. today.A few isolated storms may clip our northern counties this evening, but the coverage and intensity of these storms should be less than what we saw Monday night. A low risk for strong to severe storms exists in the northern fringes of our northern counties.Isolated strong to severe storms possible in our northern counties Tuesday eveningHigh temperatures are expected to reach or exceed 100° every day this week and possibly much of next week in many areas. High humidity levels will combine to produce "feels like" temperatures over 10° hotter than what the thermometer reads.Temperatures continue to c...

5 things to know this Tuesday, June 13

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:23:06 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Happy Tuesday! Per Meteorologist Rob Lindenmuth, we are expecting increasingly sunny skies, less humidity, and seasonably warm temperatures through the afternoon with highs in the upper 70s to near 80. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Actor Treat Williams died after a motorcycle crash in Bennington County on Monday. Williams was airlifted to Albany for treatment but was later pronounced dead. Also, a new amendment in Hudson may invite bigger retail chains to the area. These stories, and more, are covered in your five things to know this Tuesday morning. 1. Asylees in Albany want work, not a handoutConfusion still lingers in the Capital Region about the services being provided to the recent asylees that have reached Albany. NEWS10 breaks down the confusion as the asylees are trying to acclimate to their new home.2. Treat Williams of ‘Everwood,’ ‘Hair’ dead after motorcycle crashTreat Williams, known...

Off the Beaten Path: The Farm Store at Tiashoke

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:23:06 GMT

EASTON, N.Y. (NEWS10) - Located in southern Washington County, you’ll find a retail farm store housed inside a 200-year-old barn. The Ziehm family opened The Farm Store at Tiashoke as a way to share the offerings from their dairy farm with the community.The Farm Store, operated by the Ziehm family, is allowing them to grow their family business by diversifying from the traditional dairy operation they have in Buskirk. The family has grown and sold pumpkins, beef and pork for years, and this new enterprise allows them to do so under one roof, while adding other local products and services. Bottomless Bricks reopens in Pittsfield “When we opened in September last year people came out in droves, and it was awesome. I think people really appreciate the invitation to come out to a farm and to get know their local farmers,” said Jessica Ziehm.“When we opened in September last year. People came out in droves, and it was awesome. I think people really appreciate the invitation to come ou...

J.B. Pritzker celebrating I-270 bridge work today

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:23:06 GMT

GRANITE CITY, Ill. - Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker will be in the metro east later Thursday morning focusing on a major Mississippi River bridge expansion project.Governor Pritzker is set to speak on the plans for a new Chain of Rocks Bridge at 10:00 a.m. A release from the Governor's Office said he is making a stop there Tuesday to celebrate the improvements coming to the bridge.    IDOT is in charge of building the new Chain of Rocks Bridge. The first phase of preliminary engineering and environmental study has already been done. Phase two which focuses on contract plans and land acquisition is underway now. Mizzou hazing case: 4th fraternity brother pleads guilty Phase three will be the main construction part of the project. The plans are to build two new twin bridges.One of the new bridges will be on the same alignment as the current Chain of Rocks Bridge. The other one will be directly south of the existing bridge.The new southern bridge will be constructed first ...

MLB celebrating 3rd annual 'Lou Gehrig Day' today

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:23:06 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Major League Baseball is celebrating the third annual 'Lou Gehrig Day' Tuesday. It's to raise awareness of the fight against ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The Hall of Famer retired from baseball after coming down with the disease. Former St. Louis alderman under federal indictment for insurance fraud The Cardinals sold $25 field box tickets to Tuesday night's game. Part of the money will be donated to the ALS Association.