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North Korea’s Kim lambasts premier over flooding, in a possible bid to shift blame for economic woes

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:12 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un severely rebuked his premier and other senior officials over what he called their irresponsible response to recent flooding of farmlands along the country’s western coast, state media reported Tuesday.Summer floods in North Korea often cause serious damage to farmlands due to poor drainage and deforestation. Observers say Kim’s lambasting of top officials likely aims to shift blame to them for the country’s economic hardships and food insecurity, or could set the stage for a reshuffling of senior leadership.Kim on Monday visited a western coastal tideland where seawater recently destroyed the embankment, flooding more than 270 hectares of rice paddies. After inspecting the situation, Kim accused officials of “very irresponsible neglect of duties,” according to the official Korean Central News Agency.Kim criticized Premier Kim Tok Hun for showing “the attitude of an onlooker,” KCNA said. He berated the vice premier...

Marine Corps Marathon 2023 runners: Share your stories with WTOP

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:12 GMT

Runners start the 44th Marine Corps Marathon, in Arlington, Va., Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)(AP/Jose Luis Magana) Runners start the 44th Marine Corps Marathon, in Arlington, Va., Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)(AP/Jose Luis Magana) Over 23,000 runners from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 63 countries are now registered to run the 48th Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) on October 29 in Arlington, Virginia and our nation’s capital.WTOP wants to know why you’re planning to run and what is motivating you to train for this event. WTOP will choose some of these stories to feature in an upcoming on-air and online special report. If you or someone yo...

Fire at Lakewood storage facility likely caused by homeless campers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:12 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Crews from West Metro Fire Rescue responded to a structure fire in Lakewood around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.According to WMFR, a passerby noticed smoke at a storage facility at the intersection of West 13th Avenue and Depew Street. Gov. Polis signs executive order on housing The assistant chief told FOX31's Lisa D'Souza that the building where the fire started had been abandoned for some time, and there had been groups of unhoused people staying in it off and on for several months.This was not the first fire in the building that was believed to have been caused by the transient people living there, but because of the size, there was concern the fire would spread."The biggest challenge is that we don’t know who’s in the building since it’s not supposed to be occupied," the assistant chief said.By 10 a.m. WMFR said the fire was under control, although there are expected to be traffic impacts to the area for another hour or so as cleanup continues and crews clear the scene....

Denver Police therapy dog helps with 1st-day jitters at Morey Middle School

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:12 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The return to school can be exciting, but also anxiety-inducing for children. So, a Denver Police therapy dog showed up on the first day of school hoping to help calm any first-week jitters.“I think even just that unknown, the first days of school you're wondering, 'Is my outfit good? Are my friends gonna like me? Can I be myself? Will people approve of who I am?’ and letting them start walking to the school feeling a little bit less stressed, smiling, connecting, sharing that connection that they had with Shelby. There were a lot of kids who were asking questions together, so hopefully that evens a little bit of camaraderie,” Teresa Gillian said.Denver Public Schools, DPD therapy dog Shelby, her handler Gillian, and other officers visited Joe Shoemaker School on Monday and Morey Middle School Tuesday. Bus cuts a ‘huge crisis,’ parents tell Denver school board Kids showing up to Morey Middle School were greeted by the cute pup, and after a few pets, they left smili...

Man rushed to hospital after near-drowning incident in Tamarac

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:12 GMT

Tamarac Fire Rescue responded to an emergency call reporting a man pulled from a swimming pool just after noon today. The incident occurred at 7740 Southampton Terrace in Tamarac.Bystanders at the scene initiated life-saving measures by pulling the man from the pool and starting CPR. Upon arrival, paramedics took over CPR and immediately transported the man to Broward Health North. The bystander who pulled the man from the pool was transported to HCA Woodmont Hospital with unknown injuries. His current condition is unknown. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Teen arrested for bringing gun to Coconut Creek High School on first day

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:12 GMT

A teenage student at Coconut Creek High School was arrested on the first day of school after being found in possession of a handgun on campus. The incident led to a brief lockdown of the school, located at 1400 NW 44th Ave, at approximately 1:15 p.m., Monday.According to officials, school security acted promptly after receiving a report from another student who spotted a handgun. The 15-year-old’s bag was quickly searched, leading to the discovery of the firearm. While Coconut Creek Police said no direct threats were made, the individual was taken into custody.The teen has been charged with several felonies, including possession of a handgun as a minor, concealing a firearm, and disrupting a school function. Following the arrest, the teenager was transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center.

Miramar Police hold news conference on double homicide, families plead for information

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:12 GMT

Miramar Police Department alongside the victim’s families held a news conference Tuesday to address the double homicide that took the lives of their loved ones on March 17, 2022. Brent Hart, 25, and Dumas Cherizol-Amilcar, 27, were fatally shot in a drive-by shooting that unfolded at a strip mall situated on the 4000 block of Southwest and 69th Avenue in Miramar.The two men, who were lifelong friends were at a restaurant picking up dinner at around 9:00 p.m. when someone opened fire. During the news conference, family members of the victims and the Miramar PD asked anyone with information to come forward in order to solve this homicide that occurred over a year ago and a half ago. Both were struck and died on the scene. In a surveillance video, the number of shots fired can be heard. Erica Wilson-Price, Hart’s mom spoke at the conference and said she was devasted. “Somebody shot my son in cold blood along with his best friend. I need someone to come forward and lik...

Relief for UK’s Jeremy Hunt as robust economy again keeps lid on borrowing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:12 GMT

LONDON — The United Kingdom is borrowing a lot less than it expected to when Chancellor Jeremy Hunt put together his budget late last year. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it doesn’t really give Hunt any more scope to lighten the heaviest tax burden in decades before the next election.Higher-than-expected tax receipts kept public-sector borrowing down to £4.3 billion in July, with receipts from self-assessment coming in nearly 20 percent ahead of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecasts of £9.9 billion. That also bodes well for August’s data, given that self-assessment payments usually straddle those two months.As a result, the government has borrowed £56.6 billion in the first four months of its fiscal year, a big rise from last year but well below the OBR’s forecast of £68 billion. That’s mainly a result of two things, analysts said: First, the economy has performed better than expected, avoiding the recession that was expected after Russia’s invasion ...

Šefčovič replaces Timmermans as EU Green Deal chief

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:12 GMT

Maroš Šefčovič — the European Commission’s Mr Fix It — on Tuesday took control of the EU’s climate policy after Frans Timmermans quit to make a run for Dutch prime minister.Šefčovič was handed the powerful role of executive vice president by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.“Having successfully dealt with the most challenging files in the past, Maroš Šefčovič is one of the most senior and experienced members of my college,” said von der Leyen. “He will be in charge of bringing the European Green Deal forward with the same priority.”The Commission president paid tribute to Timmermans’ “passionate and tireless work to make the European Green Deal a reality.”A member of the center-left Social Democrats, Šefčovič takes the post at a perilous moment for EU climate policy. EU efforts to reduce greenhouse gases are being met with growing resistance as concerns mount over the costs to business and mandatory interventions into everyday life.It is not the first time Šefčovič has been...

Woman admits bribing state employee to issue driver’s licenses without a road test

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:12 GMT

A woman has admitted to bribing an employee of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to issue driver’s licenses to people who never took a road test.Neta Centio, 56, of Taunton, pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, the latest scandal at the RMV’s Brockton branch.From July 2020 until April 2021, Centio paid a road test examiner at the Brockton office to say that applicants for driver’s licenses had passed their road tests when they had not even showed up, federal prosecutors said.That resulted in driver’s licenses being given to several unqualified drivers, prosecutors said.Centio took money from several learner’s permit holders and used mobile payment service CashApp to split the money with the road examiner, prosecutors said.After Centio’s fraud was discovered, she told the road test examiner, “Don’t say nothing about the CashApp. … Break the phone.”Centio faces up to 20 years in prison and the fo...