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Attack on Chinese mining convoy in Congo leaves 4 dead, authorities say

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:23:24 GMT

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — An attack on a Chinese mining convoy transporting gold in northeast Congo killed four people, including two Chinese nationals, authorities said Friday.Sammy Badibanga Kalonji, administrator of the Fizi territory where the attack took place, said a Congolese soldier, a driver and two Chinese nationals were killed in the armed robbery near the Kimbo river.Three people were seriously wounded in the attack, including a Congolese soldier and a worker, Kalonji said. The wounded were receiving treatment in a local hospital.Kalonji said the assailants stole a “large quantity” of gold from the convoy, which belonged to a Chinese mining company operating in the restive South Kivu province. He had no additional details.Many Chinese companies mine gold and other minerals in South Kivu, one of the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo that have been plagued by violence from armed groups for nearly three decades.Attacks on quarries and mining cooperatives ar...

Roglic beats Evenepoel for stage win at Spanish Vuelta, Kuss takes lead

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:23:24 GMT

XORRET DEL CATÍ, Spain (AP) — Primoz Roglic beat Remco Evenepoel to win the mountainous eighth stage of the Spanish Vuelta, while Jumbo-Visma teammate Sepp Kuss took the lead of the three-week race on Saturday.In a duel of the last two Vuelta winners, Roglic bettered Evenepoel in a sprint to the finish line after a climb up the category-one Xorret del Catí. It was Roglic’s first stage win of this edition and his 11th career stage win at the Vuelta.Roglic won three Vueltas in a row from 2019-21. The Slovenian is aiming to recover his title after he crashed and withdrew from last year’s race won by Evenepoel.Kuss became the first American rider to lead one of the three Grand Tours since Chris Horner won the 2013 Vuelta, the race organizers said.Lenny Martínez lost the red jersey he had worn for two stages after the Frenchman cracked on the day’s final climb after a 165-kilometer (102-mile) ride from Dénia in eastern Spain. Evenepoel’s Soudal-Quickstep team reeled in a breakaway group ...

Prince William Co. officials divided over Haymarket affordable housing project at town hall-style event

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:23:24 GMT

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.Republican Prince William supervisors Jeanine Lawson and Bob Weir held a town hall-style meeting Monday night where they sought to drum up opposition to a 144-unit affordable housing proposal near the town of Haymarket.The project, Highpointe at Haymarket, is proposed for development at 6652 James Madison Highway on the border of Haymarket, with 12.6 acres in the county and the remaining 3.8 acres within the town’s boundaries. While the project would include 240 multi-family affordable housing units total, only 144 of those units would be zoned for Prince William. The remaining would sit inside the town.Lawson, who represents the Brentsville District on the Board of County Supervisors and is seeking election as board chair, and Weir, who represents the Gainesville District, argued the proposed development is incompatible with the ...

Electric truck company Rivian hires former Porsche North America CEO

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:23:24 GMT

Rivian announced Friday that it has poached a former Porsche executive to add to its team at a critical juncture for the electric vehicle startup.The California-based automaker hired Kjell Gruner as its chief commercial officer and president of business growth, tasking him with overseeing several company functions including sales and marketing. Gruner has 25 years of automotive experience working stints with Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. He was the CEO of Porsche Cars North America, which is based in Atlanta, until he announced his departure in July.Gruner’s addition is the latest move Rivian has made in preparation for its planned $5 billion EV factory in Georgia, where it will launch its new electric crossover SUV called the R2. It also comes at a time when the startup is trying to ramp up production and turn a profit by the end of next year.“We will rely on Kjell’s talent and experience as we position ourselves for growth domestically and internationally, the launch of a new platfor...

Facebook owner Meta rejects Trudeau’s olive branch in Canada online news feud

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:23:24 GMT

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government released new details of a law that tries to force technology companies to pay news providers, but Meta Platforms Inc. said it will continue to block users in Canada from seeing news stories on Facebook.Draft regulations published Friday say Meta and Alphabet Inc. would need to pay news outlets a minimum of 4% of their annual revenue in Canada in return for carrying links to news articles. That means the law compels Alphabet’s Google to pay about $127 million annually to the news industry in Canada, while Meta’s Facebook would need to shell out $46 million per year, according to the government’s estimates.The regulations are meant to be an olive branch that addresses the companies’ complaints that the law, known as the Online News Act, exposes them to unknown financial liabilities. The act says the platforms must negotiate payments with news providers.Facebook has already blocked users in Canada from posting or seeing links to news stories —...

'Parrotheads' mourn: Jimmy Buffett's last full concert performed in San Diego

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:23:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KSWB) -- To much surprise from his devoted fans, Jimmy Buffet's last-ever concert performance with his band was at Snapdragon Stadium on May 6.This show date came after the originally scheduled concert -- first set for Oct. 22, 2022 -- was postponed due to health issues experienced by Buffet.Now four months later, "Parrotheads" are mourning the loss of the singer-songwriter, who died in his sleep Friday night. In a statement posted to Buffet's official website, loved ones relayed the following message:“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs. He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.” It’s always 5 o’clock at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter The specifics surrounding his cause of death have not been disclosed, though Buffet has previously acknowledged in social media posts some health issues that led to a bri...

Clashes in Iraq’s Kirkuk over handover of police HQ to Kurds leave 1 dead, several injured

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:23:24 GMT

BAGHDAD (AP) — Demonstrations in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk over the handover of a key facility from federal to local Kurdish authorities turned violent Saturday, and one protester was killed and several were injured, witnesses and local officials said.Clashes broke out around the planned handover of the Iraqi federal police headquarters to the Kurdish Democratic Party in the city, which is home to a mixed population of Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen.Federal forces seized Kirkuk and the surrounding oil fields in October 2017 after Kurdish regional authorities organized a symbolic but controversial referendum for Kurdish independence. The KDP vacated its headquarters in the city at the time.The agreement to form the current government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, included a provision for the return of the Kurdistan Democratic Party to the province.Last week, a group of Arabs from Kirkuk closed the Kirkuk-to-Erbil highway in protest over the re-ope...

Twenty six properties on evacuation order in B.C. wildfire zones dropped to alert

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:23:24 GMT

VICTORIA — Evacuation orders for 26 properties in British Columbia’s Kamloops and Shuswap Lake areas affected by two separate wildfires have been lifted and downgraded to alert status.The Thompson-Nicola Regional District issued a statement on Saturday saying the changes involve three properties affected by the ongoing Ross Moore Lake wildfire south of Kamloops and 23 properties ordered evacuated by the Bush Creek East blaze.The regional district statement says residents of properties placed on evacuation alert can return to their homes, but should still be prepared to leave on short notice.The regional district says the downgraded evacuation orders allowed officials to expand the alert areas in both the Ross Moore Lake and Bush Creek East wildfire areas.The regional district advises residents of 11 properties in the Little Shuswap Lake area to access their homes by boat due to fire damage to the local road.Regional district officials say about 200 homes in the Shuswap lake ar...

Biden surveys hurricane’s toll from the sky and ground in Florida. DeSantis won’t see him

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:23:24 GMT

LIVE OAK, Fla. (AP) — President Joe Biden got a look Saturday from the sky at Hurricane Idalia’s impact across a swath of Florida before setting out on a walking tour of a city recovering from the storm. Notably absent from his schedule was any time with Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican president candidate who suggested a meeting could hinder disaster response efforts.The mayor of Live Oak, which is about 80 miles east of Tallahassee, the capital, thanked the president and first lady Jill Biden for coming to their community and “showing us that we’re important to you.” “Everybody thinks Florida is rich, but this is not one of the richest counties in the state and there are people who are suffering,” said Frank Davis, who was grateful that he knew of no loss of life or serious injury. At Suwannee Pineview Elementary School, local officials offered praise for early disaster declarations by the White House and the quick flow of federal aid. “What the federal government...

Some Ottawa residents lose up to $2,000 in fake Taylor Swift ticket scam

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:23:24 GMT

Ottawa police say they’ve seen an increase in reports of fake ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s sold-out Toronto shows due to what they’re describing as online ticket scams.Demand is high for next year’s six shows in Toronto, the only Canadian stop on Swift’s global Eras Tour, and are expected to draw fans from all over the country and beyond.The OPS Fraud Investigation Unit said they have received an increased number of reports of fake Taylor Swift ticket sales, with fraudsters targeting fans through Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace.According to the OPS, some victims have lost upwards of 2,000. In all, scammers have taken more than $12,000 in the last three days from people from Ottawa looking for tickets.Police are urging buyers to take time to meet with prospective sellers and inspect what they are acquiring before closing the deal. Fraud Unit investigators said they’re seeing a recent trend where buyers place large deposits on unseen goods with unknown...