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Sweden raises terror threat level after Quran burnings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:49 GMT

Sweden has raised its security threat level following a number of Quran burnings in the country. The head of the Swedish security service (Säpo), Charlotte von Essen, said Thursday that “we have gone from being considered a legitimate target to a priority target for violent Islamism.” She said the security level was being raised from three to four — described as “high threat.” The highest level is five.While that is — with the exception of a few months in 2015 and 2016 — the highest level since 2010, von Essen appealed to the public to “continue living life as usual.”Von Essen also warned Swedes about disinformation, telling them “not to believe unconfirmed information or rumors.”Meanwhile, the Estonian foreign ministry urged people visiting Sweden “to be more attentive than usual and to avoid large public gatherings.” On Monday, the U.K. warned that “terrorists are very likely to try and carry out attacks in Sweden.&...

Special prosecutor appointed in case related to crash involving Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:49 GMT

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office has appointed a special prosecutor in the case surrounding the June 30 crash involving Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara in Jamaica Plain, a spokesperson for the DA’s office confirmed. The spokesperson an employee of the DA’s office is married to one of Lara’s political opponents. As a result, the spokesperson said, officials have appointed someone else to look into the case “to avoid any appearance of a conflict.”The spokesperson continued, telling 7NEWS this move is standard procedure for these situations.Boston police have said Lara was driving without a license and speeding, going more than 25 miles-per-hour over the speed limit, when she crashed into a home on Centre Street. Police have also said Lara’s young son was not properly restrained at the time of the crash and had to be taken to the hospital. Lara has pleaded not guilty to a number of charges and has apologized to the community. She was recently in court...

Time is running out to file claims for Facebook’s $725 million data privacy settlement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:49 GMT

New York (CNN) — Anyone in the United States who had a Facebook account in the past 16 years has roughly one week left to file for payment in a data privacy settlement case.Facebook’s parent, Meta, in December agreed to pay $725 million to settle a host of privacy-related class action lawsuits alleging, among other things, that Facebook let third parties access its users’ private data and that of their friends without users’ permission.That includes roughly 70 million US-based users’ private Facebook data that was accessed by the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, which had been working for the Trump presidential campaign in 2016.That private information may have included everything from birthdays and hometowns to more personal information, such as private messages.Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering making a claim in the case:Who is eligible to file a claim?If you were a user of Facebook in the United States for any...

At least 10 dead in Malaysia after plane crashes onto expressway

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:49 GMT

(CNN) — At least 10 people have died after a charter plane crashed onto an expressway north of Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.The plane, carrying six passengers and two flight crew, departed from Langkawi International Airport and was headed to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia said in a statement.“First contact made by the aircraft with Subang Air Traffic Control Tower was at 2.47 p.m. [local time (2.47 a.m. ET)] and landing clearance was given at 2:48pm,” according to the statement. At 2.51 p.m. local time, the “Control Tower observed smoke originating from the crash site but no mayday call was made by the aircraft,” the statement added.The plane crashed into a car and a motorcycle, each carrying one individual, reported state newspaper Berita Harian, citing Selangor Police Head Hussein Omar Khan.“Forensic personnel are in the process of collecting the remains and will bring them to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang for a post-mortem...

Local researchers develop non-electric automatic toilet seats designed to make bathrooms more sanitary

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:49 GMT

It’s something everyone does. Now, sitting on a toilet could become a much more comfortable experience thanks to a set of non-electric automatic lifting and lowering toilet seats. The team behind the operation includes researchers from Boston University and MIT. Over the course of four years, they have made two products that are completely non-electric. Of the products, one is designed with messy public bathrooms in mind.“It lifts itself out of the way,” said Cleana Co-Founder Kevin Tang. “When you need to use it, you can simply pull it down either using the handle or a piece of tissue — there’s a large antimicrobial handle on it.” “By doing this one simple change — keeping the seat up — as well as making it antimicrobial, you can actually keep public toilets about 88% cleaner in men’s restrooms and gender-neutral restrooms,” Tang said. Cleana aims to make bathrooms more sanitary. In addition to the public bathroom seat, the company’s other product is des...

Massachusetts weather threat: More severe storms, flash flooding, ‘low risk for an isolated tornado’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:49 GMT

Had enough of this stormy and muggy summer?Yet another round of strong to severe thunderstorms could be on their way to the region on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.The main hazards with these storms will be damaging winds, large hail, and flash flooding on Friday morning and afternoon.The ground has been extremely wet from all of the recent rain, so any heavy rain can spark flooding.Friday will be a very warm and humid day, with dewpoints surging into the tropical 70s and temps in the 80s.Related ArticlesWeather | Storm-damaged eastern US communities clear downed trees and race to restore power Weather | Massachusetts could see more severe storms: ‘Brief tornado or waterspout’ possible Weather | Severe thunderstorms possible in Massachusetts: Hail, lightning, strong winds, torrential rain in forecast Weather | Tornado touched down along Easton/Foxboro town line, 105 mph peak winds: National We...

Mississippi judge declares mistrial in case of 2 white men charged in attack on Black FedEx driver

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:49 GMT

BROOKHAVEN, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi judge declared a mistrial Thursday in the case of two white men charged in the attack on a Black FedEx employee who was making a delivery.Brandon Case and his father, Gregory Case, are charged with attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy and shooting into the vehicle driven by D’Monterrio Gibson in January 2022. Gibson, now 25, was not injured. But the chase and gunfire led to complaints on social media of racism in Brookhaven, about an hour’s drive south of the state capital, Jackson.Judge David Strong said he made the decision because of errors by a Brookhaven Police Department detective. The officer failed to provide evidence to prosecutors and defense attorneys. The judge said the officer also improperly testified about some guns that were found in the home of one of the men on trial and about gun shell casings found outside the home.Defense attorneys requested the mistrial, and Strong said he had no choice but to grant it. “In 17 years, ...

Officials to discuss video evidence of Fargo shooting ambush

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:49 GMT

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Law enforcement officials plan to discuss video footage on Thursday related to the shooting ambush last month in Fargo that left one police officer dead and two others and a bystander wounded, an attack authorities say could have been much bigger.North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski will hold a news conference to discuss surveillance and police body camera evidence related to the shooting, Wrigley’s office said Wednesday.Authorities say the gunman, 37-year-old Mohamad Barakat, shot and killed Fargo Police Officer Jake Wallin and wounded officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes as they responded to a routine traffic crash on July 14. Barakat also wounded a bystander, Karlee Koswick, as she tried to flee. A fourth officer, Zach Robinson, shot and killed Barakat, preventing what authorities said could have been a much bigger attack with summer festivities occurring in the area at the time.After the shooting, investiga...

Biden to pay respects to former Pennsylvania first lady Ellen Casey in Scranton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:49 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is traveling to Pennsylvania on Thursday to privately pay his respects to the mother of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey in Biden’s hometown of Scranton. The president is expected to arrive before visiting hours for Ellen Casey, also a former first lady of Pennsylvania, at St. Peter’s Cathedral.Casey, the widow of Pennsylvania Gov. Robert P. Casey and the mother of Casey, D-Pa., died last week at age 91. Biden issued a statement Monday commemorating her life. “On the many trips I’ve taken home to Scranton over the decades, one of the things I’ve looked forward to most was the chance to visit or talk with Ellen Casey – I truly loved her,” Biden said. The president, who grew up a few blocks from the Casey household, said Ellen Casey embodied the “Scranton values,” of family and public service. Biden is no stranger to grief or loss, having lost his wife and infant daughter in a 1972 car accident. He lost his eldest son, Beau, to brain cancer in 2015. And ...

Bills’ Damar Hamlin has little more to prove in completing comeback, coach Sean McDermott says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:49 GMT

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Damar Hamlin has little more to prove to Bills coach Sean McDermott in the third-year safety’s bid to resume his football career after a near-death experience during a game at Cincinnati in January.“From my non-medical standpoint, I think he’s checked all the boxes as far as that goes,” McDermott said on Thursday. “There’s just been enough of a sample where you’re saying, he’s executed well and come out of that healthy.”McDermott based his assessment on how Hamlin has showed no signs of hesitation in passing each milestone of his recovery, and especially since the Bills began practicing with pads three weeks ago. Adding to that, the coach was further reassured by Hamlin’s performance in Buffalo’s preseason-opening win over Indianapolis last weekend.Hamlin was in on three tackles — including stopping Evan Hull for no gain on fourth-and-1 — in playing 22 defensive snaps in his first competitive setting since going into cardiac arrest and being resuscita...