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US, Japan and South Korea leaders meet to bolster mutual security over objections of Beijing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:49 GMT

CAMP DAVID, Md. (AP) — President Joe Biden marked the historic summit with Japan and South Korea at Camp David on Friday by saying that “our countries are stronger and the world is safer … as we stand together.”He described the meeting as the first standalone summit among leaders of the three countries.Addressing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Biden said, “I want to thank you both for your political courage that brought you here.”He added: “Today will be remembered as a historic day” when they committed to the trilateral partnership.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.CAMP DAVID, Md. (AP) — The United States, Japan and South Korea have agreed to a new security pledge committing the three countries to consult with each other in the event of a security crisis or threat in the Pacific, according to Biden administration officials.Details about the new “duty to consult” commitment emerged as President Joe Biden...

Who’s in, who might be out: Nine candidates have qualified for the first Republican debate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:49 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — With less than a week until the first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 campaign, nine candidates say they have met qualifications to be on stage in Milwaukee, with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announcing on Friday he had secured enough donors.But a handful of candidates in the broad GOP field are running short on time to make the cut.To qualify for the Aug. 23 debate, candidates need to satisfy polling and donor requirements set by the Republican National Committee: at least 1% in three high-quality national polls or a mix of national and early-state polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21, and a minimum of 40,000 donors, with 200 in 20 or more states.To appear onstage, candidates must commit at least 48 hours before the Wednesday evening debate, according to RNC criteria, which also requires participants to sign a pledge promising to support the party’s ultimate nominee.A look at who’s in, who’s (maybe) out and who’s still working on making...

Michigan school shooter who killed 4 was not mentally ill, doctor testifies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:49 GMT

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A teenager who killed four students at a Michigan school in 2021 was not mentally ill at the time and understood the tragic consequences of his actions, a psychiatrist testified Friday as prosecutors tried to bolster their argument that a life prison sentence fits the mass shooting.“I can absolutely understand how it would be difficult to imagine how a sane person could commit mass murder,” said Dr. Lisa Anacker, who evaluates criminal defendants at a state psychiatric hospital. “But the research does show us that mental illness does not account for most of the violence in our country.”She said Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 at the time, communicated clearly with police immediately after the Oxford High School shooting, followed commands and showed no signs of bizarre behavior.A reference to “demons” in a video that he made on the eve of the shooting was a reference to his “idol,” a Florida school shooter, not himself, Anacker said.“I asked the defendant if h...

Ex-wife charged in ambush-style killing of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:49 GMT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The ex-wife of a Microsoft executive who was gunned down by a triggerman in front of his young daughter has been charged with first-degree murder, and prosecutors in Florida plan to seek the death penalty.A grand jury indicted Shanna Lee Gardner in the ambush-style death of Jared Bridegan, State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced Thursday at a news conference in Jacksonville, Florida. Gardner, 36, was arrested in West Richland, Washington, and will be extradited to Florida to stand trial, Nelson said.“From very, very early on, everything in my body and soul told me she was behind it,” Kristen Bridegan, Jared Bridegan’s wife, said during the news conference.Hank Coxe, who represents Gardner, said via email that he he does not comment on pending cases.The state is also seeking the death penalty against Gardner’s husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, who was arrested in March and charged in Bridegan’s death. His attorney, Jesse Dreicer, said in an...

Baltimore teen accused of firing into crowd during block party mass shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:49 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — A second teenager has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting that left two people dead and 28 others injured during a Baltimore block party earlier this summer, authorities announced Thursday evening.The teen fired a handgun at a group of partygoers on July 2, according to charging documents, but the papers don’t specify whether anyone was injured by the bullets from his gun. Police said at least three people shot into the crowd, turning the annual neighborhood summer celebration into a scene of terror and bloodshed. Most of the victims were teens and young adults.Tristan Brian Jackson, 18, was wearing an ankle monitor from an unrelated case in juvenile court when he arrived at the Brooklyn Homes block party and joined the crowd, which grew to several hundred people in the hours leading up to the shooting, according to police. Detectives said GPS data from his ankle monitor corroborated his location at the party. They said he was also caught on surveillanc...

Ex-Rogers CEO Joe Natale suing company for wrongful dismissal, seeking $24 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:49 GMT

TORONTO — Former Rogers CEO Joe Natale is suing the company for wrongful dismissal and breach of contract, alleging Rogers chairman Edward Rogers carried out “malicious, high-handed, and oppressive conduct.”In a statement of claim filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Thursday, Natale accuses Edward Rogers and his wife Suzanne Rogers of attempting to “tarnish his reputation” following his ouster in 2021.That includes an accusation that they hired actor Brian Cox of HBO’s “Succession” to create a “demeaning” video about the ex-CEO, which included a message congratulating Edward Rogers on his “real-life Succession at Rogers Communications” that they allegedly distributed and that was eventually reported on by media.He says he and his firm Natale Industries Inc. are entitled to a combined $24 million, including $4 million from an unpaid bonus related to the closing of Rogers’ acquisition of Shaw Communication Inc...

‘They are my records’: Patients question why they have to pay to access certain medical files

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:49 GMT

In our Speakers Corner report, a man is asking about medical records and why there is sometimes a fee to access them.“Who owns these records? Is it me, OHIP, or the clinic?” asked Eric Hudson, who recently tried to get copies of an X-ray he had done.“I had X-rays done of my knee and I wanted to see the copies of it.”But in order to do so, he had to pay a fee, which he has paid for other records in the past.“I thought, why should I be doing this? I don’t understand, they are my records, which the government paid for and they should be shared for free.”While you can typically get doctor’s notes and test results for free, clinics are within their right to charge a fee for other records, such as copies of X-rays.“Because copying or transferring medical records is an uninsured service, physicians are entitled to charge patients or third parties a fee for obtaining a copy of their medical records,” according to The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO)But there are li...

Firefighters battle smoke and heat to control a major wildfire in Spain’s tourist island of Tenerife

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:49 GMT

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Canary Islands (AP) — Firefighters in Spain’s Canary Islands are battling dense smoke and high temperatures to try to control the worst wildfire in decades on the main tourist island of Tenerife, officials said Friday.The fire started late Tuesday in the north of the island and has forced authorities in eight municipalities to order the evacuation of more than 4,500 people and the confinement of thousands more. Confinement means residents are strongly advised to stay indoors with windows closed.No injuries have been reported so far. The fire is located in a steep and craggy mountain area with pine trees, with several municipalities on its flanks, including El Rosario, Arafo and Candelaria to the east, and La Orotava to the west. Access for firefighters is extremely difficult.Television images and videos posted on social media have showed the flames coming down a hill close to houses in small neighborhoods and a massive cloud of smoke rising from the are...

Top-secret briefing on foreign interference left out key documents: Green leader

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:49 GMT

OTTAWA — Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says a top-secret briefing on foreign interference did not allow her to access key intelligence documents.Former special rapporteur David Johnston had released an initial report on alleged meddling in Canadian elections in May, along with a confidential annex of evidence that he said opposition party leaders who obtained relevant clearance could review.May and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh have both received top-secret security clearance, and May was the first to attend a confidential briefing on Wednesday. She told reporters this morning that the briefing included just two documents and 25 pages in total, which cited intelligence reports that she was not allowed to read.May says she is asking the Privy Council Office for access to all such records, saying it’s otherwise impossible for any politician to assess the credibility of Johnson’s findings.The B.C. MP is critical of whoever has been leaking intelligence to media, as well as what she...

Biden administration sharply expands temporary status for Ukrainians already in US

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:49 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Biden administration on Friday announced a major expansion of temporary legal status for Ukrainians already living in the United States, granting a reprieve for those who fled Russia’s invasion.The move is expected to make 166,700 Ukrainians eligible for Temporary Protected Status, up from about 26,000 currently, the Homeland Security Department said. To qualify, Ukrainians must have been in the United States by Aug. 16, two days before the announcement. They are eligible for work authorization.The temporary status was originally scheduled to expire on Oct. 19, 2023 but is being extended 18 months to April 19, 2025. “Russia’s ongoing military invasion of Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis requires that the United States continue to offer safety and protection to Ukrainians who may not be able to return to their country,” said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.The expansion comes as the administration extends Temporary Protected Stat...