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Central African Republic validates vote for new constitution that increases the president’s control

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:12:23 GMT

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — The Central African Republic is set to adopt a new constitution after the country’s high court validated the results of a national referendum.According to the constitutional court, 95 percent of voters favored a new constitution that expands executive power. President Faustin Archange Touadera and his ruling party proposed changes that remove presidential term limits and expands terms from five to seven years.The new constitution will replace the one adopted at Touadera’s inauguration in 2016, when the country was in a civil war and 80% of it was not under state control. The changes could extend the ruling party’s rule indefinitely, analysts say.The mineral-rich but impoverished nation has faced intercommunal fighting since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power and forced then-President Francois Bozize from office. Mostly Christian militias later fought back, also targeting civilians in the streets. The United Nations, whi...

New Thai leader Srettha Thavisin is a wealthy property developer who didn’t hide his political views

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:12:23 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — The leader of one of Thailand’s best-known property empires has been selected prime minister just nine months after joining a political party that champions the poor.Parliament confirmed Srettha Thavisin on Tuesday, ending months of political uncertainty following May elections. The 61-year-old political newcomer, who exudes the confidence of a seasoned business tycoon, will lead the Pheu Thai party’s push to stimulate the economy and bridge one of the world’s worst inequality gaps.“I’m doing this because I want to improve the country and the economy,” Srettha wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, days ahead of the vote. “I’d like to emphasize again. My enemy is people’s poverty and inequality. My goal is a better livelihood for all Thai people.”Srettha announced last November that he had joined Pheu Thai, the latest in a string of parties associated with popular but divisive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a ...

List: Denver schools closing early due to heat on Tuesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:12:23 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — It is going to be another toasty day in Denver on Tuesday, and several Denver Public Schools will have an early dismissal to escape the heat.DPS went back to class for the 2023-2024 school year on Monday, and many students are already dealing with early dismissal due to the heat. Thirty-seven schools in the district are without air conditioning. On Monday, the heat took its toll on some schools. Traylor Academy in Bear Valley reported that it was 86 degrees in the lunchroom by 11 a.m. Scorching first day in Denver, where 37 schools lack AC The Pinpoint Weather team is expecting another day of high heat on Tuesday, with temperatures in the upper 90s once again.Denver schools closing early due to heatHere is a growing list of DPS locations that will close early due to the heat:Bryant Webster Dual Language ECE-8 School - Class will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m.Godsman Elementary - Class will be dismissed at 12 p.m.Goldrick Elementary - Class will be dismissed at 11:40 a....

Denver local to be featured on NYC jumbotron

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:12:23 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- In May, Jose Mondragon walked the runway during Denver Fashion Week as the only model with Down syndrome. This September, his photo from the show will be featured in Times Square. Learn more about the two-story sculpture new to Aurora Highlands On Sept. 9, Mondragon's photo will be broadcasted on two jumbotron screens as part of the annual video presentation from the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS). The one-hour video includes around 500 photographs of people of various ages with Down syndrome from all 50 states. Jose Mondragon before the show. (Photo credits: Arthur Vigil). ‘South Park’ fan Ed Sheeran dines at Casa Bonita during Denver tour stop "These collective images promote the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome in a very visible way," the NDSS said in a press release. The video marks the start of the New York City Buddy Walk in Central Park. The event raises awareness and funds that benefit people with Down syndrome. Mondr...

American Sha’Carri Richardson wins women’s 100 meters at world track and field championships

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:12:23 GMT

(CNN) — US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson won a scintillating women’s 100 meters in a championship record 10.65 seconds at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Monday.Jamaican sprinters finished second and third as Richardson, in the less-than-desirable lane 9, made up a deficit to edge ahead in the final meters. Olympic bronze medalist Shericka Jackson earned the silver medal in 10.72 seconds, and two-time Olympic gold medalist and last year’s 100-meter champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce claimed the bronze in 10.77.“I feel amazing,” Richardson told Eurosport, which like CNN is owned by Warner Brothers Discovery. “I feel like hard work pays off. I’ve been dedicating myself. I’ve been keeping my faith strong this season and just believing and knowing whatever you practice is what you put forward, and I’m grateful.”In 2021, Richardson had been expected to be one of the biggest draws at the Tokyo Olympic Games after winning the women’s 100 meters at the US trial...

Georgia sheriff pleads guilty to sexual battery and resigns after grabbing TV Judge Glenda Hatchett

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:12:23 GMT

(CNN) — A Georgia sheriff resigned and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor sexual battery charge Monday after he grabbed TV’s Judge Glenda Hatchett’s chest in January 2022, his attorney said.Bleckley County Sheriff Kris Coody was sentenced to 12 months probation and was also ordered to complete community service. He must also pay a $500 fine and was ordered to complete an alcohol and drug evaluation, his attorney Joel Pugh told CNN.Hatchett, a former chief presiding judge in Georgia and the star of TV shows “Judge Hatchett” and “The Verdict With Judge Hatchett,” thanked her attorneys during a news conference Monday and recounted what happened.Hatchett said she was attending a reception and the sheriff came up to her “uninvited.” During introductions, the sheriff poked her briefly in the chest after the judge said she was not familiar with Bleckley County, and he said it was “right in the heart of Georgia,” Hatchett said Monday.“But then he grabbed my breast. He grabbed my left breast. H...

Police: Man in custody after setting fire to home in Randolph during standoff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:12:23 GMT

A man has been taken into custody on criminal charges after police say he set fire to a home in Randolph three times overnight during a tense standoff with police.Officers responding to 11 Moulton St. learned that a man had snuck back inside the home after it had been boarded up and condemned by the town’s building inspector following a fire several weeks ago, according to Randolph police. The man, whose name has not been released, allegedly set fire to the home three times during the standoff. The first fire was reported at 11 p.m.The man has been taken to a nearby hospital for observation.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Patriots 53-man roster projection: How many rookie receivers make the cut?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:12:23 GMT

The Patriots are exactly one week away from one of the most difficult times on the NFL calendar: roster cutdown day.NFL teams must trim their rosters from 90 players down to 53 on Aug. 29 by 4 p.m. ET. The Patriots have two practices and one final preseason game Friday against the Tennessee Titans to make any final decisions.Here’s our latest crack at a 53-man roster projection:Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Mac Jones details ideal role as QB in Patriots’ offense New England Patriots | Bill Belichick not aware of any Patriots pursuit of Aaron Rodgers New England Patriots | Bill Belichick honors Tom Brady even before Patriots’ Week 1 tribute New England Patriots | Patriots coach Bill Belichick updates Isaiah Bolden’s injury, explains cancelling joint practices New England Patriots | Patriots-Packers film review: Mac Jones makes subtle progress and 29 more takeaways QUARTERBACK (3...

Thousands of Massachusetts police disciplinary records released by regulators [+link to data]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:12:23 GMT

The state’s police licensing board released thousands of disciplinary records Tuesday for law enforcement officers across Massachusetts as part of a long-awaited database that they were required to create under state law.LINK: POST Commission database…The database, available in PDF and spreadsheet formats, fulfills a requirement in a 2020 police reform law and offers the public an easily accessible look at the backgrounds of their hometown cops. The publication of the database also clears from the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission’s plate a challenging project that took years to make.Regulators published 3,413 disciplinary records from 273 of the 440 law enforcement agencies under the POST Commission’s purview. The Boston Police Department has the third-most disciplinary records in the database behind the Springfield Police Department in second and the Massachusetts State Police in first.The remaining agencies not represented in the database are those that confir...

Stock market today: Wall Street futures rise ahead of Fed conference, more retail earnings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:12:23 GMT

BEIJING — Wall Street pointed toward gains early Tuesday as markets digested more earnings from retailers while waiting for any hints about interest rates from the Federal Reserve at this week’s conference.Futures for S&P 500 rose 0.6% before the bell Tuesday, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.3%.Traders hope officials at the Fed’s summer Jackson Hole, Wyoming, conference say they are finished raising interest rates that are at a two-decade high. But forecasters warn they might say inflation isn’t under control yet.Upward pressure on prices has eased significantly this year, even though consumer inflation accelerated in July to 3.2% from the previous month’s 3%. That’s down from last year’s peak above 9% but more than the Fed’s 2% target.Fed Chair Jerome Powell “may even mention that further rate hikes cannot be entirely ruled out,” said Clifford Bennett of ACY Securities in a report.Economists say squeezing out the last bit of...