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Deadly blast in Guinea’s capital threatens gas shortages across the West African nation

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:55:10 GMT

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Residents in Guinea’s capital on Tuesday woke up to rising costs of transportation after authorities closed gas stations as a major explosion and ensuing fire left several dead, hundreds injured and could now disrupt the supply of gas across the West African nation.At least 14 people were killed, 178 injured and hundreds displaced by Monday’s blaze that followed an explosion at the country’s main fuel depot in the capital, Conakry, ripping through structures mostly in the Coronthie area that is home to some of the country’s poorest households.The fire was contained nearly 24 hours after it started and other West African countries, including Senegal and Mali, sent teams to assist as authorities investigate the cause of the explosion.Guinea relies on imported petroleum products, most of which are distributed from the destroyed depot, leading to fears of panic buying of the commodity. Authorities have closed most public places and halted operations of all gas sta...

Xfinity notifies its customers of data breach linked to software vulnerability

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:55:10 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Hackers accessed Xfinity customers’ personal information by exploiting a vulnerability in software used by the company, the Comcast-owned telecommunications business announced this week.In a Monday notice to customers, Xfinity said there was unauthorized access to internal systems as a result of this vulnerability — which was previously announced by software provider Citrix — between Oct. 16 and 19. Xfinity discovered the “suspicious activity” on Oct. 25, and in the following months determined that information was “likely acquired.” On Dec. 6, the company concluded that information included usernames and hashed passwords — and, for some customers, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, account security questions, birthdates and contact information.Analysis of the breach is still continuing but to date, Xfinity is “not aware of any customer data being leaked anywhere, nor of any attacks on our customers,” the company said in a statement sent to The Ass...

Wind farm off New Jersey likely to ‘adversely affect’ but not kill whales, feds say

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:55:10 GMT

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The lone remaining offshore wind project in New Jersey with preliminary approval is likely to “adversely affect” whales and other marine mammals, but its construction, operation and eventual dismantling will not seriously harm or kill them, a federal scientific agency said.In a biological opinion issued Monday night, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the Atlantic Shores project, to be built off the state’s southern coast, is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any species of endangered whales, sea turtles, or fish.Nor is it anticipated to destroy or adversely modify any designated critical habitat, the agency said.The ruling is nearly identical to one the agency issued in April for the now-canceled Ocean Wind I and II projects, which would have been built in the same general area.Danish wind giant Orsted pulled the plug on those two projects in October, citing inflation, supply chain problems and a failure to ge...

UN Security Council in intense negotiations on Gaza humanitarian resolution, trying to avoid US veto

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:55:10 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. Security Council members were in intense negotiations Tuesday on an Arab-sponsored resolution to spur desperately needed humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza during some kind of a halt in the fighting, trying to avoid another veto by the United States.U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood told reporters Tuesday morning that negotiations were still underway. Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh of the United Arab Emirates, the Arab representative on the 15-member council, said she hoped the council could vote on a resolution early Tuesday afternoon.The council had scheduled a vote late Monday afternoon, but it was postponed to try to get the U.S. to support the resolution or abstain.The U.S. vetoed a Security Council resolution backed by almost all other council members and dozens of other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. The 193-member General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a similar resolution on Dec. 12 by a vote of 153-10, with 23 abst...

Poland’s new government appoints new chiefs for intelligence, security and anti-corruption agencies

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:55:10 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s new prime minister, Donald Tusk, said on Tuesday that his pro-European Union government has appointed new heads of state security, intelligence and anti-corruption offices. Two of the new appointees are women. The appointments replace officials who had served under the previous right-wing, Euro-sceptic government. Tusk told a news conference he expects “very good, loyal and disciplined” cooperation with the new agency chiefs, all with significant experience in their areas. The two women are Col. Dorota Gawecka, who was named head of military intelligence, and Agnieszka Kwiatkowska-Gurdak, the new Central Anti-Corruption Bureau chief.Col. Rafal Syrysko, with more than 30 years of experience in counterintelligence and internal security sector, is the new head of the Internal Security Agency. Col. Pawel Szot is the new head of intelligence while the new military counterintelligence chief is Gen. Jaroslaw Strozyk, also with more than 30 years of experience...

New York will set up a commission to consider reparations for slavery

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:55:10 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state will create a commission tasked with considering reparations to address the persistent, harmful effects of slavery in the state, under a bill signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday. The bill signing comes at a time when many states and towns throughout the United States are attempting to figure out how to best reckon with the country’s dark past. “In New York, we like to think we’re on the right side of this. Slavery was a product of the South, the Confederacy,” said Hochul at the bill signing ceremony in New York City. “What is hard to embrace is the fact that our state also flourished from that slavery. It’s not a beautiful story, but indeed it is the truth.”Under the law, which was passed by state lawmakers in June, a study commission will examine the extent to which the federal and state government supported the institution of slavery. It will also look at how New York engaged in the transfer of enslaved African...

S&P/TSX composite up nearly 200 points, U.S. stock markets also climb

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:55:10 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index was up nearly 200 points in late-morning trading as gains in the base metal stocks helped lead a broad-based rally, while U.S. stock markets also climbed.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 191.07 points at 20,813.78.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 227.25 points at 37,533.27. The S&P 500 index was up 21.62 points at 4,762.18, while the Nasdaq composite was up 64.41 points at 14,969.60.The Canadian dollar traded for 74.98 cents US compared with 74.70 cents US on Monday.The February crude contract was up US$1.19 at US$74.01 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was down seven cents at US$2.43 per mmBTU.The February gold contract was up US$15.30 at US$2,055.80 an ounce and the March copper contract was up seven cents at US$3.92 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 19, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)The Canadian Press

Welding led to deadly explosion at Quebec propane company last January: safety board

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:55:10 GMT

JOLIETTE, Que. — Quebec’s workplace safety board says a fatal explosion earlier this year at a fuel distributor might have been avoided had proper safety procedures been followed.The board, known as the CNESST, released its report today on the explosion that killed three people on Jan. 12 at Propane Lafortune in St-Roch-de-l’Achigan, Que., about 50 kilometres north of Montreal.Board inspector Annie Lépine says a welder was sealing cracks in a fuel tanker truck when sparks from his tool came into contact with gas vapour.The explosion and ensuing fire killed the welder, Christophe Paradis, 26, and two secretaries working in an adjacent office, Celine Pilon, 65, and France Desrosiers, 65.Board inspector Martin Rondeau says the company and the welding contractor should have verified that the tanker was empty of fuel before work started.Rondeau says the risk of danger was increased because the welding was being done indoors.The CNESST says its legal department is analyzing th...

Remains found sunk in Kentucky lake almost 25 years ago finally identified

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:55:10 GMT

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — Authorities in Kentucky have identified human remains found wrapped in heavy chains and sunk to the bottom of a lake more than two decades ago.The identity of the man had remained a mystery since the discovery of his remains in Lake Barkley by two fishermen in 1999, Kentucky State Police said in a media release. The body had been wrapped in tire chains and anchored with a hydraulic jack.Efforts to identify the man were unsuccessful until state police began seeking help from a private forensic lab earlier this year. The company, Othram Inc., specializes in cold cases and performed genealogy DNA testing on the remains.With the testing, they were able to link a relative to the remains, which led to the identity of the man, Roger Dale Parham.Parham was awaiting trial on criminal charges in Fort Smith, Arkansas, at the time of his disappearance in 1999, state police said. He vanished in March of that year and was thought to have left the area to escape prosecution. S...

Machete-wielding woman charged in Kitchener road rage incident

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:55:10 GMT

A woman has been charged in an alleged road rage incident that saw the accused grab a machete and chase a driver through a Kitchener parking lot.The Waterloo Regional Police Service said officers responded to the parking lot of Fairview Park just before 5 p.m. on Dec. 17 for a weapon call.Police determined a verbal argument between a female driving a white Nissan and a male driving a silver Toyota occurred in the parking lot. It’s alleged that during the altercation, the female driver grabbed a large machete, exited her vehicle, and proceeded to chase the male driver on foot. A male passenger who was with the female driver intervened and took away the machete, sustaining minor injuries as a result.The man involved in the altercation with the machete-wielding woman was not injured. Police said the female driver was seriously injured while grabbing the machete and was taken to an out-of-region hospital.On Tuesday, authorities confirmed a 42-year-old woman from Waterloo was charg...