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6 women are rescued from a refrigerated truck in France after making distress call to a BBC reporter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:59 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Six female migrants trapped inside a refrigerated food truck were rescued by French police after one of the women made a distress call to a reporter, the BBC reported Thursday.The women — four Vietnamese and two Iraqis — hid for hours in a truck loaded with boxes of bananas in northern France, believing the vehicle was on its way to the U.K. or Ireland. When they realized that the truck was going the opposite way, they started to panic in the cold and cramped, dark space. One of them managed to reach a BBC reporter in London, who then helped the women alert French police Wednesday.The broadcaster reported that the woman was able to send text messages, the truck’s GPS location and short videos showing the conditions inside the truck. The women were shown sitting in a tight space on the floor, surrounded by boxes of fruit, panicking and struggling to breathe, according to the BBC.French police soon tracked them down and managed to intercept the truck on a highway, ...

Winning ticket for historic $68M lotto jackpot was sold in Toronto

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:59 GMT

A Torontonian is waking up $68 million richer after the winning ticket for a record-breaking lottery prize was sold somewhere in the city.The Gold Ball jackpot drawn on Wednesday night was the largest in Lotto 649 history with just one guaranteed winner after 30 draws without the gold ball dropping.There were also a number of other life-changing prizes won across the province with the recent draw, including $100,000 Encore tickets in Toronto, Sarnia and Windsor.The previous largest Lotto 649 jackpot win was in April 2023 when a $64 million ticket was sold in New Brunswick. A $64 million jackpot was also won in 2015 by a Mississauga resident.The most recent Gold Ball jackpot was won back on June 14, 2023, when a ticket sold in Niagara Falls collected $42 million.The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is reminding everyone who bought a ticket to make sure they check and see if they won. In June, a $70 million OLG Lotto Max ticket went unclaimed in Scarborough after a June 28...

Thai police say drug bust nets methamphetamine, crystal meth and heroin worth $8.2 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:59 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Police in Thailand said Thursday they made one of the country’s biggest ever seizures of illicit drugs, a haul including methamphetamine, crystal meth and heroin, with a total estimated street value of about 300 million baht ($8.2 million).The police said the drugs were seized during a Wednesday night raid on a house in Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok, in which four men were arrested for possession of illegal drugs. They allegedly confessed to renting the house to stash the drugs before distributing them to dealers in the greater Bangkok area.The seized drugs included 15 million methamphetamine tablets, 443 wrapped packages of heroin, 420 kilograms (926 pounds) of crystal meth and a quantity of drugs often used for partying, including “happy water” — a powder comprising several psychoactive substances to be made into a drink — and “five-five,” a strong sedative with the pharmaceutical name Nimetazepam, police said. The drugs were displayed to the media at a news confer...

Powerball jackpot climbs again, hits $925 million after another drawing with no winner

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:59 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (NEXSTAR) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $925 million after no players hit it big Wednesday night, continuing a stretch of lottery futility that has lasted for more than two months.The winning numbers were: 1, 7, 46, 47, 63 and red Powerball 7. There were $1 million winners in California, Kansas, Maryland and New York.The jackpot has grown so large because there have now been 30 consecutive drawings without a big winner, dating back to July 19. Powerball’s long odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes becoming ever larger as they repeatedly roll over when no one wins.Despite its growth, the jackpot still comes in behind a $2.04 billion jackpot hit last November in California; a $1.586 billion jackpot split by three tickets (California, Florida and Tennessee) in 2016, and a $1.08 billion jackpot won by a California ticket in July.The jackpot is the ninth-largest ever and would ne...

The candidates went after Biden — and Trump — at the second GOP debate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:59 GMT

The field's early front-runner, Donald Trump, is skipping the event, just as he did the first. He was 2,000 miles away trying to woo union workers in Michigan amid a labor strike.The candidates on stage are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.What to know— 7 candidates qualified for the second debate. Here’s who missed the cut — Here's how to watch tonight's debate — Republicans face growing urgency to stop Trump ahead of debate — Trump is in Michigan to compete with Biden for union votes — Who’s running for president? See a rundown of the 2024 candidatesDeSantis rejects idea that anti-abortion stance costs GOP electionsDeSantis is rejecting the idea that Republicans have been losing elections because of their opposition to abortion, and he says his reelection as Florida governor...

Thursday Forecast: Temps in low 70s with patchy fog, sprinkles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:59 GMT

CHICAGO — Patchy fog with mostly cloudy conditions and isolated sprinkles Thursday. Decreasing clouds, Winds: NNE 0-5 G10. High: 70. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Partly cloudy tonight with patchy fog. Winds: NNE 0-5 G15. Low: 57.Friday Forecast: Patchy fog, mostly sunny, ESE 0-5. High: 75/71.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Actor Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore, has died at age 82: publicist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:59 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Veteran actor Michael Gambon, who was known to many for his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” films, has died, his publicist said Thursday. He was 82.A statement by his family, issued by his publicist, said he died following “a bout of pneumonia.”“We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon. Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside,” his family said.No matter what role he took on in a career that lasted more than five decades, Gambon was always instantly recognizable by the deep and drawling tones of his voice. He was cast as the much-loved Dumbledore after the death of his predecessor, Richard Harris, in 2002.

Longhorns' Gbenda seeing perseverance pay off

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The current landscape of college sports - particularly football - is very different from what it was just five years ago. For better or worse, players have much more freedom to transfer from one program to another.There is no better example in college football than Colorado, who welcomed more than 50 transfers with new head coach Deion Sanders this past off-season. Programs like Texas have seen players leave for other schools as well.The Longhorns do have players that have stuck with the development process to great success. A prime example is fifth-year senior linebacker David Gbenda."In this day and age of college football, I think we're diminishing and losing the value of perseverance," said Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. "[Gbenda] is a prime example of perseverance."Having started just twice in his first four years, Gbenda has broken out in a big way in 2023. The commitment to Texas never wavered, even during the moments of struggle."It's just the type of pers...

APD releases name of motorcyclist killed in Sunday crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police Wednesday released the name of the motorcyclist who died in a crash Sunday in southeast Austin. According to APD, Shane Donaway, 46, died at the scene of the crash in the 6600 block of South Pleasant Valley Road near William Cannon Drive. Austin Travis County-EMS posted that paramedics performed CPR on Donaway before he died. APD said the crash is being investigated as Austin's 67th fatal crash of 2023, resulting in 70 fatalities for the year. As of September 24, 2022, 76 fatal crashes resulted in 78 deaths, according to APD. An investigation into Sunday's crash is still pending, APD said, and information may change. APD asked anyone with information should call the Vehicular Homicide Unit at 512-974-8111. Police also accept anonymous tips through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program at 512-472-8477.

South Washington County Schools return to voters with smaller ask, more communication

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:59 GMT

A year after voters decisively rejected a historic $462 million bond request by a nearly two-to-one ratio, South Washington County school district officials are back with a smaller request based on community feedback.District officials on Nov. 7 will ask voters to approve a $200 million, two-question bond referendum to fund improvements at the schools. Voters also are being asked to increase the district’s current $2.8 million technology levy to $5 million.If passed, the measures would add about $10 a month, or $120 a year, to the property tax bill of a $409,000 house, the median value for homes in the district, according to district officials. The district includes all or parts of Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Newport, St. Paul Park, Afton, and Denmark and Grey Cloud Island Townships.The first question asks if voters would support a $160 million bond referendum for safety and security enhancements, expansions and renovation at secondary schools.The second question asks voters to support...