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IS group says it killed more than 35 ‘Christians’ in Congo

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:36:37 GMT

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The Islamic State group has issued a statement claiming responsibility for killing more than 35 people and wounding dozens in eastern Congo. In the statement, posted Friday by Aamaq, the militants’ news agency, it said it killed “Christians” with guns and knives and destroyed their property in Mukondi village in North Kivu province. It also published a photo of the houses on fire. The announcement comes after local authorities confirmed that at least 45 people were killed last week in several attacks on different villages by rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces, a militia with links to IS.Conflict has been simmering in eastern Congo for decades as more than 120 armed groups fight for power, influence and resources, and some to protect their communities. The ADF has been largely active in North Kivu province but has recently extended its operations into neighboring Ituri province and to areas near the regional capital, Goma. Efforts to stem the violenc...

DC Health Link responds to data breach, saying investigation in the works

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:36:37 GMT

DC Health Link updated members Friday on the serious breach of confidential data that occurred this week.The health insurance marketplace was made aware it had been hacked on Wednesday and said that over 56,000 customers had confidential data, including their Social Security numbers, addresses, health plan information and more, released to the public.More Local NewsMore DC NewsIn a statement, the program said a third-party investigation would take place and that it is working with law enforcement. The FBI is also assisting in the investigation.“We recognize the seriousness of this incident and we have reached out to impacted enrollees to provide three years of free identity and credit monitoring for all three major credit bureaus. The three years of [credit] monitoring protection includes all enrolled dependents, spouses and children. In addition, and out of an abundance of caution, we are offering the same three years of monitoring to all other customers, who were not impacte...

Alexandria man gets 11 years in prison after stash of fentanyl pills found in crashed car

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:36:37 GMT

A man from Alexandria, Virginia, was sentenced Friday to over 11 years in federal prison after prosecutors said thousands of fentanyl pills were found in his wrecked vehicle last year.The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said that 25-year-old Alpha Amin Kamara was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute following the discovery of over 18,000 pills of the potent synthetic opioid during his arrest last June.More Local NewsMore Virginia NewsKamara was taken into custody after leading police on a high speed car chase that ended when he crashed his stolen car into a ditch near Occoquan Road on Interstate 95.He had just been released from prison and placed on house arrest at the time for a prior drug trafficking offense.Source

Juice box dispute that ended in near-fatal stabbing sees Maryland inmate get life in prison

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:36:37 GMT

An argument over juice boxes that preceded a vicious stabbing resulted in a Maryland inmate being sentenced to life in prison Friday, according to prosecutor’s.Courtney Butler, 35, was given life in prison plus 10 years for the attempted murder of a fellow inmate at Jessup Correctional Institution in 2021, according the Office of the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney. This sentence comes on top of a 35-year sentence Butler was already serving from a 2009 Baltimore County robbery and weapons charge.More Anne Arundel County NewsMore Maryland NewsMore Local News“To attempt to take a life over something so trivial is extremely disturbing and shows the defendant has no regard for human life,” Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said in a statement. “This wasn’t a spur of the moment crime as the defendant stewed and planned this attack. I appreciate the judge’s sentence as it will keep this defendant out of our community.”Butler and another inmate got int...

Lucas: Sununu’s GOP 2024 dance annoying

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:36:37 GMT

Donald Trump may not be the 2024 Republican nominee for president, but neither will New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu.Still, if the Granite State Republican were really interested in stopping Trump from becoming the Republican Party nominee for president in 2024, he would do more than just talk.He would run against him in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary. But he won’t. Trump would beat him.Sununu, 48, is more comfortable commenting than confronting. The same is true of former Maryland Gov.  Larry Hogan, a fellow Republican moderate and Trump critic who announced earlier that he would not run for president.Hogan, in anticipation of a crowded field of Republican presidential candidates, said he did not want to be part of “another multicar pileup that could potentially help Mr. Trump recapture the nomination.”It is a good excuse, but it will not stop others from running in what is expected to be a large field of Republicans, headed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who will c...

Battenfeld: Chinese cargo cranes at Massport under review for potential spying concerns

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:36:37 GMT

The highly touted purchase of three huge Chinese cargo cranes by Massport has turned into a security headache as defense officials are now worried they could be used for spying on U.S. shipping operations.The 205-foot tall cranes at Conley Terminal, made by ZPMC, which is owned by the communist government, have been identified as a potential security risk by the Pentagon, according to reports.Officials are concerned the Chinese government could be using the software and sensors on the cranes — bought by ports across the U.S. — to track shipments, including those that support military operations.Defense officials have reportedly compared the cranes to “Trojan horses” because of their spying capability. China could also attempt to disrupt shipping operations.The new worries come amid increased tensions between the U.S. and China, highlighted by the shooting down of a Chinese spying balloon last month.The cranes were bought by major ports in the U.S. and Massport officials ...

ASK IRA: Is Playoff Jimmy the only answer left for Heat in play-in/playoff race?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:36:37 GMT

Q: Well, well, Jimmy Butler single-handedly beats the Cavaliers. Not quite single-handedly, maybe. but still he was the one who caused the Heat to win – Roland, Borrego Springs, Calif.A: And while he denied during his postgame media session that he has activated his Playoff Jimmy mode, it does seem apparent that Jimmy Butler senses that what he typically can provide in April, May and possibility beyond is what is needed at the moment. With the Nets also winning on Friday, it doesn’t get any easier for the Heat, as they now play the second night of a back-to-back set against a rested Magic roster. But for the Heat to even get to the playoffs, it well may take Playoff Jimmy and beyond. Even Friday, with Butler at his best it still got harrowing at the finish. The Heat have a degree of talent. What they don’t have is a 1A beyond Jimmy when it comes to closers. So basically Defcon Butler or bust.Q: The best play call of the night was “get him open!” about f...

Yemen sides begin UN-brokered talks on prisoner exchange

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:36:37 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s warring sides began talks Saturday aimed at implementing a U.N.-brokered deal on a prisoner exchange, the United Nations said.The discussions between Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthi rebels are talking place in Switzerland. They are co-chaired by U.N. envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and the International Committee of the Red Cross.Grundberg urged both parties to “engage in serious and forthcoming discussions to agree on releasing as many detainees as possible,” according to a U.N. statement.“I urge the parties to fulfill the commitments they made, not just to each other, but also to the thousands of Yemeni families who have been waiting to be reunited with their loved ones for far too long,” he said.Yemen’s conflict erupted in 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country’s north. That prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene months later in a bid to restore the internationally recognized gove...

Maine college goes into lockdown after shot fired on campus

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:36:37 GMT

The campus of a liberal arts college in Maine was put on lockdown early Saturday morning after a shot was fired in a student housing complex during what one student called a massive annual party.Colby College said no students were hurt during an altercation that involved a firearm being discharged at the Alfond Senior Apartments on the campus in Waterville, Maine. No Colby students were injured and the suspect was not affiliated with the college, while the police were continuing to look for others involved, the school said in a statement.Police did not perceive imminent danger to the campus community, but asked students to stay in place throughout the night out of an abundance of caution, the college said. Normal operations were expected to resume in the morning and counseling services would be available for individual and group support on campus, where staff provided support to students during the night, the school said. An email sent to the student body by Interim Dean of the Coll...

Western Canada seeks LNG, energy pledges in Liberals’ Indo-Pacific strategy

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:36:37 GMT

OTTAWA — As the Trudeau government fleshes out its Indo-Pacific strategy, Western Canada is seeking more certainty from the Liberals on expanding energy exports to Asia.“There are people in Ottawa who understand what our energy mix is, and what it has to be in the future,” Alberta Trade Minister Rajan Sawhney in an interview this week.“And there are others who are pushing back.”Last November, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly unveiled the government’s approach to the Indo-Pacific, which calls for deeper economic and cultural links with countries that can counterbalance China’s growing influence.Sawhney said the strategy was seen as a positive first step in Western Canada, but that it needs to respond to more of her region’s trade issues. The Alberta minister is planning a summit so provinces can touch base and make a concerted pitch to Ottawa to refine parts of the strategy.In a recentvirtual event held by the Canada West Foundation, experts fro...