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Congo conducts a 2nd day of voting after delays and closed polls keep people from casting ballots

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo entered a second day of voting Thursday after a chaotic rollout and lengthy delays forced officials to extend the balloting in the general election, drawing criticism from some opposition candidates as concerns mount that the logistical hurdles could affect the credibility of the results. At stake is the future of one of Africa’s largest nations and one whose mineral resources are increasingly crucial to the global economy. Congo has a history of disputed elections that can turn violent, and there’s little confidence among many Congolese in the country’s institutions. President Felix Tshisekedi, who is seeking his second and final five-year term, has spent much of his time in office trying to gain legitimacy after a disputed 2018 election. Some 44 million people — almost half the population — were expected to vote in this year’s presidential contest and in legislative and provincial elections held simultaneously. Tshisekedi is the likely winner of ...

Grammy nominee Gracie Abrams makes music that unites strangers — and has Taylor Swift calling

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The year 2023 was good to Gracie Abrams. She released her debut album. She opened for Taylor Swift. She sold out a U.S. tour, and took that tour to Europe. She started writing new music. And to cap it all off, she got her first Grammy nomination: best new artist.When the nominations dropped in early November, Abrams, 24, was at home, alone. “I just couldn’t have anticipated it less, you know. And so it was kind of this really, extremely exciting honor and a really sweet cherry on top to a year of so many gifts.”Abrams immediately called her mom. But the first person to call her was fellow best new artist and first-time nominee, Noah Kahan. (They were “screaming on the phone,” she says.) The two are joined in the category by Ice Spice, Victoria Monét, Fred again.., Jelly Roll, Coco Jones and The War and Treaty.Looking ahead to the Feb. 4 Grammy ceremony in Los Angeles, Abrams said: “I’m really stoked to just cheer really loudly for everyone.”Her debut album, “ Good Ri...

Man indicted in tourist stabbing death at DC hotel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

A D.C. man was indicted Wednesday on five counts stemming from the March 2023 stabbing murder of a 31-year-old Virginia woman in Northeast D.C.George Sydnor Jr., a 44-year-old from D.C., was indicted by a D.C. Superior Court on charges of first-degree murder while armed, burglary, kidnapping and other charges. The indictment included an aggravating circumstance enhancement on all five counts, which found the offenses to be “especially heinous, atrocious or cruel.”On March 31, 2023, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department responded to a 911 call at the Ivy City Hotel in Northeast D.C., where they found Christy Bautista dead on the floor at the foot of the first bed. Sydnor was found sitting on the second bed covered in blood with cuts to his right hand, alongside a bloody knife, according to court documents.An autopsy determined that Bautista, who was visiting D.C. from Harrisonburg, Virginia, for a concert, had been stabbed approximately 30 times. Bautista had been stabbed ...

Driver charged in Broomfield crash that killed mom, son

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A man has been charged with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence after allegedly crashing into a mother and her teenager near Broomfield High School.On Thursday, the 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office charged 37-year-old Jose Menjivar with the following: Vehicular homicide - Class 3 felonyVehicular homicide - Class 4 felonyDriving under the influence - Fourth or subsequent offenseDriving under the influence per se - Fourth or subsequent offenseOn Dec. 12, Menjivar was allegedly driving at speeds of up to 100 mph down Main Street in Broomfield when he struck a 2016 Mazda CX-5 at Miramonte Boulevard. Melissa Powell, 47, and her son, 16-year-old Riordan Powell died in the crash. Riordan was a student at nearby Broomfield High School and Boulder TEC. Woman shot while inside Aurora home Police searched Menjivar’s Toyota and found at least two empty beer cans on the front passenger floorboard. Police also found a beer can on the road near the crash si...

Powerball jackpot climbs to $620 million. Colorado ticket wins $2 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — The Powerball prize continues to climb ahead of the holidays after no one won the big prize in Wednesday night's drawing. Three tickets sold in Colorado, Kentucky and Virginia were worth $2 million apiece, while two tickets sold in Kentucky and Rhode Island won $1 million each.The winning numbers drawn Wednesday were 27, 35, 41, 56, 60, and red Powerball 16. The Power Play was 2X.Powerball officials now estimate the jackpot to be $620 million with a cash value of $310.8 million ahead of Saturday night's drawing. How did two tickets sold at the same gas station win the Mega Millions jackpot? There are two payout options a Powerball jackpot winner chooses from: the cash lump sum payment (the most common, but the one you may want to think twice about) and the annuitized option. The cash payout is worth about $310.8 million in this drawing — it's the amount of money Powerball officials believe they’ll have in the prize pool at the time of the drawing, which would be enoug...

Colorado 20-year-old becomes world rodeo champion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A 20-year-old from Colorado's Yampa Valley is the world bareback riding champion. Keenan Hayes, of Hayden, secured the win at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas earlier this month. Denver restaurant recognized nationally for having one of best dishes in US According to ProRodeo, Hayes started riding mini steers when he was eight years old, then progressed to junior bulls and smaller horses.He competed in three roughstock events in high school before shifting his focus to bareback riding in 2021.This season, Hayes accumulated $434,050 in prizes for his success as a bareback rider and finished as the No. 1 bareback rider in the world.

Rudy Giuliani files for bankruptcy days after being ordered to pay $148 million in defamation case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Rudy Giuliani has filed for bankruptcy, days after being ordered to pay $148 million in a defamation lawsuit.The former New York City mayor listed nearly $153 million in existing or potential debts. Those included hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax liabilities, money he owes his lawyers and many millions of dollars in potential legal judgements in lawsuits against him.The biggest of those is the $148 million he was ordered to pay a week ago for making false statements about election workers in Georgia stemming from the 2020 presidential contest.

High school hero: 15-year-old rescues woman from carjacking near Tampa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

RIVERVIEW, Fla.(WSVN) — Fifteen-year-old Andrew Papp emerged as a silent hero after thwarting a violent carjacking at a Tampa-area supermarket. The incident unfolded as 42-year-old Robert Moore targeted Billie Richert in a Publix parking lot.Principal Brian Spiro revealed Andrew’s courageous intervention, describing how the teenager decisively stepped in to protect Richert from the assailant. “Andrew saw that as an opportunity to step in and protect her, and he did so decisively,” Spiro said.Video footage captured the intense moment as Andrew sprinted across the grocery store lot, tackling Moore and preventing further harm. “He told me to give him my keys, and I said no and turned away from him, and he was still all over me,” 65-year-old Richert said shortly after the attack.In an interview, Andrew explained his actions. “It’s just the right thing to do,” he said. “I mean that could be someone’s mom, someone’s aunt. L...

At least 15 people are dead after a mass shooting at a Prague university, police chief says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — An armed man opened fire in a university building in downtown Prague on Thursday, killing at least 15 people and sowing widespread panic with one of the Czech Republic’s worst mass shootings of its kind, police and the city’s rescue service said.The bloodshed took place in the philosophy department building of Charles University, where the shooter was a student, Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek said. He has not been named publicly.Police gave no details about the victims or a possible motive for the shooting at the building located near the Vltava River in Jan Palach Square. Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said investigators do not suspect a link to any extemist ideology or groups.Pavel Nedoma, the director of the nearby Rudolfinum Gallery, said he saw from a window a person standing on a balcony of the building and shooting a gun.Police said they were still searching the area, including the balcony, for possible explosives. The building was evacuated, Prague M...

Rich Brits get visa sweetener in Macron’s contentious immigration bill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

PARIS — Emmanuel Macron’s contentious immigration bill sparked a rebellion over its ruthless approach to unwanted immigrants, but one group of visitors comes out on top: British second home-owners.British citizens who own a second home in France will now be allowed to stay more than the 90 days agreed after Brexit, according to an amendment that was passed in the immigration bill on Tuesday.It addresses a recurring complaint from wealthier expats who split their life between France and the U.K. Currently British citizens can only spend a total of 90 days in any rolling 180-day period on the continent. While they can already apply for ad-hoc long-term visas to stay longer, many report being put off by the paperwork.The new long-term visa would be delivered automatically for Britons, according to the amendment, which goes against the grain of a bill that has tightened immigration rules in France. The draft legislation, which was passed with the support of the conservatives and t...