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4 Britons who were detained in Afghanistan are released by the Taliban

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:08 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The Taliban released four Britons who were detained in Afghanistan on allegations that they broke the laws of the country, the U.K. government said Tuesday. The Foreign Office said in a brief statement that it welcomed the release of the four Britons, and expressed apologies on behalf of their families “to the current administration of Afghanistan for any violations of the laws of the country.”“The U.K. government regrets this episode,” it added. The Foreign Office didn’t provide details on who the four were or what laws they allegedly broke. It wasn’t immediately clear if the four were still in Afghanistan or returning to the U.K.Scott Richards, co-founder of the U.K.-based nonprofit Presidium Network, which was involved in negotiations to help secure the Britons’ release, said one of the four was Kevin Cornwell, who had been working with the United Nations in a medical capacity.Cornwell was detained in January in a Kabul hotel housing nonprofit workers, a...

New California law aims to force people with mental illness or addiction to get help

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:08 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — More Californians with untreated mental illness and addiction issues could be detained against their will and forced into treatment under a new law signed Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a move to help overhaul the state’s mental health system and address its growing homelessness crisis.The new law, which reforms the state’s conservatorship system, expands the definition of “gravely disabled” to include people who are unable to provide themselves basic needs such as food and shelter due to an untreated mental illness or unhealthy drugs and alcohol use. Local governments say current state laws leave their hands tied if a person refuses to receive help.The law is designed to make it easier for authorities to provide care to people with untreated mental illness or addictions to alcohol and drugs, many of whom are homeless. The bill was aimed in part at dealing with the state’s homelessness crisis. California is home to more than 171,000 homeless peop...

Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial resumes with ex-CFO Allen Weisselberg on the witness stand

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:08 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — As Donald Trump’s longtime finance chief, Allen Weisselberg helped spare his real estate empire from its last existential threat, staving off insolvency after casino bankruptcies and an airline failure in the 1990s.On Tuesday, after a recent jail stint for tax fraud, Weisselberg was again front and center at a key moment for the Trump Organization. Weisselberg took the stand in the civil trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud lawsuit against the Republican former president and his company.Weisselberg, a defendant testifying as a prosecution witness, was expected to testify about his role in preparing Trump’s annual financial statements — including conversations they had while finalizing the documents, which were given to banks, insurers and others to make deals and secure loans. James’ lawsuit alleges that Weisselberg engineered Trump’s financial statements to meet his demands that they show increases in his net worth and signed off on lo...

Voters in Iowa community to decide whether to give City Council more control over library books

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:08 GMT

PELLA, Iowa (AP) — Voters in a small Iowa city will decide in November whether to give their City Council more say over what books the public library can and can’t offer.A ballot proposition in Pella, a community of about 10,500 residents in central Iowa, asks voters if they support changing the structure of the Pella Public Library Board of Trustees. The change would limit the board’s authority over the library and give the City Council more control over library policies and decisions, the Des Moines Register reported Tuesday.The effort follows attempts by some community members two years ago to ban or restrict access to Maia Kobabe’s LGBTQ+ memoir “Gender Queer” at the library. The library board eventually voted to keep the book.Like many Iowa communities, Pella’s board holds independent control over how money is spent, who is hired as director and other key issues. It also decides whether to keep books if community members challenge them. The City Council appoin...

Rena Sofer returns to ‘General Hospital’ as fan favorite Lois after more than 25 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:08 GMT

It’s been nearly 30 years but Rena Sofer still remembers her line from a classic scene on ABC’s “General Hospital” in 1994 when her character jumped out of a cake to surprise her husband and his other wife.“She said, ‘Happy birthday, Mrs. Ned Ashton, from me, the other Mrs. Ned Ashton!’ And then she turns and she goes, ‘Help me out, boys,’” Sofer recalled in a recent interview.The scene was memorable (and even parodied in the 1996 movie “ The Great White Hype ”), but Sofer’s portrayal of Lois Cerullo — a fast-talking Brooklyn girl, with long nails and a thick accent, who wears her heart on her sleeve — made her a fan favorite. Sofer reprises the role for a limited run beginning Tuesday.“My husband and I are planning a move to the East Coast and, you know, I just thought, when I moved here, one of my first big jobs was ‘General Hospital,’ and it just felt very full circle for one of my last jobs in Los Angeles while I live here to be ‘General Hospital’ a...

Proposed class action case filed against TD on behalf of mobile mortgage specialists

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:08 GMT

TORONTO — A proposed class action lawsuit has been filed against Toronto-Dominion Bank alleging that more than 1,000 TD mobile mortgage specialists across Canada did not receive their proper vacation and holiday pay.The case alleges the bank failed to pay or properly pay its mobile mortgage specialists vacation and/or public holiday pay on their commissions, volume bonuses and other variable payments. It alleges the money was owed, but not paid, on top of the set commissions and other non-salary compensation.The allegations have yet to be tested or proven in court.Jason Chiang, who worked for TD in Vancouver for nearly 13 years, is the proposed representative plaintiff for the case filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.TD did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but lawyers for the plaintiff said they expected TD would deny the allegations and defend the case.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:TD)The...

US senators see a glimmer of hope for breaking a logjam with China over the fentanyl crisis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:08 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — A group of U.S. senators visiting Beijing expressed hope Tuesday that they had opened the door ever so slightly to government talks with China on its role in the fentanyl crisis ravaging America.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is heading the group of three Democrats and three Republicans, said Chinese President Xi Jinping had indicated he would consider Schumer’s request to appoint a high-level official for talks on the issue.“I asked him directly to do that, and he didn’t say no. He didn’t,” Schumer told reporters at the end of the delegation’s stay in China. “He could have said, ‘First, as we said before, first remove the sanctions.’ He didn’t say that.”China has refused to hold talks on fentanyl unless the U.S. lifts trade restrictions placed on a Chinese police forensics science institute in 2020. The fact that Xi did not reject the senator’s request outright could be hailed as progress reflects how low U.S.-China relations have fallen....

3 windows broken at Gov. Pritzker's Chicago home; person in custody

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:08 GMT

CHICAGO — A person is in custody after breaking three windows at Governor JB Pritzker's Chicago residence, according to Illinois State Police.The incident happened around 9:40 a.m. Monday at the governor's home in the Gold Coast. Troopers on the Governor’s Executive Protection Unit responded to a disturbance at the residence and searched the area with Chicago police.Police located and arrested the suspect who allegedly threw rocks at Pritzker's home, breaking three windows.Both the Governor and First Lady were home at the time, but no one was injured. 3 robberies involving rifles conducted in 15 minutes on NW Side, West Loop The investigation is ongoing and the suspect remains in custody. Charges are pending.

'The Rock' on Maui relief fund backlash: 'I could’ve been better'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:08 GMT

(KTLA) - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is finally responding to the public backlash over his Maui fundraiser with Oprah Winfrey. In early August, wildfires tore through the town of Lahaina and killed at least 98 people, and later that month, the two launched a campaign in response, with each of them donating $5 million. They asked their fans to also contribute, which drew heavy criticism. Johnson is worth an estimated $270 million, according to Forbes. The outlet calls Johnson the world's highest-paid actor due to big films like "Black Adam" and "Red Notice."Oprah is worth $2.5 billion, according to the site. On Sunday, Johnson took to Instagram to provide an update on the People's Fund of Maui. "I'm very grateful to share with you guys. The thousands and thousands of survivors, (and) the families, have now, over the past couple of weeks, started to receive their first round of funds, they're receiving their money," the Teremana Tequila founder explained. "I realized right away what thi...

City of Austin to host job fair Tuesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin's Human Resources Department will host a free job fair Tuesday.The fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the City of Austin Permitting and Development Center. The center is located at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive in central Austin.According to the city, people from city departments and local businesses will be at the fair looking to hire people from all backgrounds. To take part, the city asks you register at the event. Here is list of the employers who will be at the fair. The city said openings are available for full-time, part-time, entry level, blue collar, skilled craft and professional positions.