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UN warns that hundreds of thousands in Southeast Asia have been roped into online scams

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:26 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. human rights office says criminal gangs have forced hundreds of thousands of people in Southeast Asia into participating in unlawful online scam operations, including false romantic ploys, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes.The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a new report, cites “credible sources” that at least 120,000 people in strife-torn Myanmar and roughly 100,000 in Cambodia “may be held in situations where they are forced to carry out online scams.”The report sheds new light on cybercrime scams that have become a major issue in Asia, with many of the workers trapped in virtual slavery and forced to participate in scams targeting people over the internet. Laos, the Philippines and Thailand were also cited among the main countries of destination or transit for tens of thousands of people. Criminal gangs have increasingly targeted migrants, and lure some victims by false recruitment — suggesting they are destined...

University of North Carolina graduate student left building right after killing adviser, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:26 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — A University of North Carolina graduate student charged with killing his faculty adviser walked into a classroom building, shot the victim and then left, authorities said Tuesday, shedding light on an attack that led to a campuswide lockdown as police searched for the gunman.Tailei Qi, 34, was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder and having a gun on educational property in Monday’s killing of Zijie Yan inside of a science building at the state’s flagship public university.Chapel Hill city police arrested Qi in a residential neighborhood near the campus within two hours of the attack and didn’t need to use force to take him into custody, UNC Police Chief Brian Jones said at a news conference. He said investigators were still trying to determine a motive and were still searching for the gun used to kill Yan.UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said his team has met with Yan’s colleagues and family to express condolences and offer support.“He was a beloved...

Court rejects Connecticut officials’ bid to keep secret a police report on hospital patient’s death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:26 GMT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Police reports about deaths and other incidents in public hospitals cannot be kept secret, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, citing the importance of government transparency and the public’s right to know what happened.A majority of the justices rejected an attempt by state officials to prevent the release of a police report about a patient who reportedly choked to death on food in 2016 while being restrained by staff members at Connecticut’s only maximum-security psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane.State officials argued the report was confidential under the patient-psychiatrist privilege as well as under the federal medical privacy law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA.While the court majority acknowledged the harm that could result from publicly releasing a patient’s medical information, “we must also acknowledge the unfortunate and undeniable reality that governmental secrecy can be used to...

Canada ‘trailing partners’ on securing vital utilities and services: internal memo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:26 GMT

OTTAWA — A newly released federal memo concedes Canada is “trailing key international partners” who have updated their approaches to securing vital utilities and services from a growing array of risks. The Public Safety Canada memo says “new and rapidly evolving threats pose a greater risk of harm to Canadians and their cyber, economic and national security.” The Canadian Press used the Access to Information Act to obtain the internal briefing note, prepared in advance of a January meeting of deputy ministers.The federal government is looking to update a 2009 national strategy intended to protect critical infrastructure in sectors ranging from energy and water to manufacturing and transportation. An updated strategy would bring Canada into greater alignment with international partners as officials manage risks from extreme weather events, supply chain failures, cyberattacks or espionage, said Public Safety spokesman Tim Warmington.“With a renewed unders...

Quebec boy acquitted of assault after ‘teasing’ sister as they were watching movie

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:26 GMT

SHAWINIGAN, Que. — A child has been acquitted of assaulting his younger stepsister after what a Quebec judge deemed to be a harmless bit of teasing.The boy, who was 12 years old at the time, admitted to having touched his then-11-year-old sister’s thighs while the two were watching a movie one evening.But the girl suffered no harm as a result of her brother’s actions, Quebec court Judge Geneviève Marchand wrote in her June 14 decision, which was published this week.Though the boy admitted to touching his sister, the judge ultimately acquitted him of assault on the basis of a defence known in Latin as de minimis non curat lex — “the principle that the law does not concern itself with trivial matters,” Marchand explained. The boy’s only intention was to tease his sister, and this teasing was consistent with their playful relationship, the judge said.“The accused’s actions are so harmless and devoid of any violence or malicious intent that they...

Acuña’s encounter and Guaranteed Rate Field shooting raise questions about safety of players, fans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:26 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — A shooting that likely happened inside of Guaranteed Rate Field, followed by a scary moment for Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. in Colorado. Both in a span of four days.While Major League Baseball is on track for a marked increase in attendance this year, the pair of high-profile incidents raised questions about the safety of players and fans inside and outside of big league ballparks.A spokeswoman for the Major League Baseball Players Association said Tuesday that the union takes player safety “very seriously” and that it reviews club and stadium protocols throughout every season “to mitigate the possibility of similar future incidents.”Acuña had an encounter with two fans during Atlanta’s 14-4 win over Colorado on Monday night.One fan got his arms against Acuña during the middle of the seventh inning. Two security people quickly grabbed the fan and, as they tried to drag him away, a third security person approached.A second fan then sprinted t...

S&P/TSX composite gains 265 points Tuesday, U.S. markets also rise

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:26 GMT

TORONTO — Gains in energy, technology and base metals helped lead a broad-based rally on Canada’s main stock index Tuesday, which rose 1.32 per cent, while U.S. markets also posted gains. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 265.27 points at 20,290.41.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 292.69 points at 34,852.67. The S&P 500 index was up 64.32 points at 4,497.63, while the Nasdaq composite was up 238.63 points at 13,943.76.Stocks rose on a pair of economic reports that showed a continued downtrend in the data that informs central bank decisions on interest rates, said Lesley Marks, chief investment officer of equities at Mackenzie Investments.“I guess it’s the case of bad news is good news,” said Marks. The U.S. government reported that job openings in July fell to the lowest level since March 2021. “Job openings are a key indication of the health of an economy,” said Marks. Meanwhile, the Conference Board reported that consumer confidence fell in Au...

HeyJB LIVE: Hurricane Idalia becomes Category 2 hurricane

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:26 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Idalia strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane Tuesday and is expected to rapidly intensify in the Gulf of Mexico.As of a 5 p.m. update, the National Hurricane Center said Idalia is about 195 miles southwest of Tampa, moving north around 15 mph. The storm's wind speeds have increased to 100 mph. Real-time wobble tracker monitoring Hurricane Idalia’s shifts in Gulf of Mexico Idalia is forecast to track west of Tampa and make landfall along the northwest Gulf Coast of Florida sometime on Wednesday as an "extremely dangerous" Category 3 major hurricane, to the NHC said.Storm surge remains the biggest threat with Idalia, with some areas north of Tampa Bay expected to see 8 to 15 feet of storm surge, with 4 to 7 feet in the Tampa Bay area and 3 to 5 feet south of Tampa Bay.The storm surge threat is increased thanks to higher-than-normal high tides due to Wednesday's Super Moon. Do I need to evacuate? Orders issued for several counties ahead of Idalia A hurrican...

CPD: Bronzeville man who may need medical attention missing since 2019

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:26 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a missing 54-year-old man who was last seen in August of 2019.Michael Thomas, 54, was last seen on the 3400 block of South Michigan Avenue in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood on August 20, 2019. CPD: Man diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar missing since last week Thomas is described as 5-foot-6, weighing 125 pounds, with brown eyes and gray hair. He was last seen wearing a gray shirt, dark shorts, and uses a wheelchair to move around.Thomas may be in need of medical attention.Anyone with information regarding Michael Thomas' whereabouts are asked to contact the Chicago Police Department at 213-747-8380.

3M agrees to pay $6 billion to settle earplug lawsuits from service members

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:26 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Chemical and consumer product manufacturer 3M said Tuesday it has agreed to pay $6 billion to settle lawsuits from U.S. service members who say they experienced hearing loss or other serious injuries after using faulty earplugs made by the company.The settlement, consisting of $5 billion in cash and $1 billion in 3M stock, will be made in payments that will run through 2029.Hundreds of thousands of veterans and current service members have sued 3M and Aearo Technologies, a company that 3M acquired in 2008, over their Combat Arms Earplugs. The service members alleged that a defective design allowed the products — which were intended to protect ears from close-range firearms and other loud noises — to loosen slightly and allow hearing damage, according to Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis, & Overholtz PLLC, one of the law firms representing plaintiffs.In an online summary about the litigation, the Florida-based law firm notes that 3M previously agreed to pay $9.1 millio...