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At least 10 killed in southwest Congo as intercommunal violence worsens over land rights and taxes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:12 GMT

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — A militia group armed with guns and machetes killed at least 10 people in intercommunal violence in southwestern Congo, local authorities said Saturday. The attack is the latest episode in a deepening crisis that has been overshadowed by conflict on the other side of the vast Central African nation.According to provincial government spokesperson Adelard Nkisi, a militia group known as the Mobondo attacked civilians and burned down several houses in the village of Ipongi, just over 230 miles (370 kilometers) south of the capital Kinshasa, on Friday.An unknown number of people were tied up and kidnapped by the militia members, who fled into the bush, Nkisi said. The provincial government sent defense and security forces to restore security in the area.Tensions flared in June 2022 over land rights and customary taxes in Congo’s southwest, between the Teke, historical inhabitants of the region, and farmers from various other ethnic groups including the Yaka, who s...

Montreal Pride parade to go on as planned Sunday after 2022 cancellation: director

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:12 GMT

MONTREAL — The head of the organization behind Montreal’s LGBTQ+ pride festival says the city’s pride parade will go on as planned Sunday after its abrupt cancellation last year.The 2022 edition of the parade was cancelled just hours before it was supposed to begin in downtown Montreal.An independent report later found the incident was due to a misunderstanding among Montreal Pride festival personnel after they discovered 96 of the 200 volunteers needed to work security for the parade were never recruited.The report identified systemic communications and governance issues within the festival organization and recommended 13 reforms to address them.Montreal Pride Executive Director Simon Gamache says the organization has since fixed all of the problems that scuttled last year’s parade. He says Montreal Pride has all of the staff members and volunteers it needs for this year and Sunday’s event will go ahead on schedule.This report by The Canadian Press was first...

94th annual Bud Billiken Parade returns, inspiring Black youth

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:12 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Bud Billiken Parade returns to Chicago for its 94th year to kick off a new school year, celebrating African American culture and the talents of the youth. This year's theme is 'Parading in Peace Block by Block, sending positive vibes to youth going back to school. Founder of the Chicago Defender, Robert Sengstacke Abbott created the parade in 1924 which simply started as a picnic, then turned to festival in 1929. Kittens thriving after spending 5 days in shipping container from Georgia Generations of families lined the streets to watch marching bands, tumblers and the beloved South Shore drill team. Grammy winner and Chicago native J. Ivy will serve as Grand Marshal.'Bud Billiken' stands as a fictious character, or mascot of the Chicago Defender, made to protect and inspire the youth. The parade has now become the nation's second largest next to the Rose Parade. The three-mile-long parade kicked off Saturday morning and ends with a festival and picnic in Washington...

Weekend Break: Paranormal Cirque

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:12 GMT

ORLAND PARK, Ill. — A unique show is bringing mind-blowing stunts, thrilling magic tricks and horrors to Orland Park.Paranormal Cirque, which kicked off Friday, features some of the best acrobats from around the world as they put on a show packed with horror, cabaret, blood and eerie elements.“Every second is filled with something. You know, after five minutes, there’s something new, something new, something new,” Ben Holland, General Manager and Paranormal Cirque Contortionist said. Cirque show returns to ChicagolandOrganizers say those who dare to enter should be prepared to catch their breath or stop their hearts from racing as the thrills are so wild, even those who see it likely won’t believe it.“We have people suspended up 30 feet in the air, we have a lady that swings by her hair and is hanging around all up by the top of the tent,” Holland said. For information on showtimes or to purchase tickets visit the Paranormal Cirque websiteShows are taking place in the parking lot of...

Weekend Gardening with Tim Joyce: Mushroom Trees, American pokeweed and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:12 GMT

Check out Weekend Gardening with Tim Joyce for more on mushroom trees, American pokeweed and more.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Bestselling crime novelist thwarts California home invasion: 'Very unsettling'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:12 GMT

(KTLA) – A California homeowner and crime novelist thwarted a home invasion Thursday night thanks to the surveillance cameras in his yard.Lee Goldberg, the author of dozens of crime thrillers including "Lost Hills" and "True Fiction," was home with his wife and daughter at their Calabasas residence when they received a notification from the home's motion sensor a little after 9 p.m.It wasn’t the occasional bobcat or coyote that Goldberg expected, but rather four masked men climbing up a steep hillside into his backyard.They were dressed in hoodies and gloves, the bestselling author told Nexstar's KTLA.“They looked organized," he said. "They looked professional."Video provided by Lee Goldberg shows would-be theives crawl out of bushes in Calabasas on Aug. 10, 2023. (Lee Goldberg)Goldberg picked up the phone to alert the authorities. That's when the would-be thieves turned around and went right back down the hill they came from.Goldberg said he thinks they saw him calling police.“It’s...

A brief history of the s'more, America’s favorite campfire snack

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:12 GMT

(The Conversation) - This summer, millions of marshmallows will be toasted over fires across America. Many will be used as an ingredient in the quintessential summer snack: the s’more.Eating gooey marshmallows and warm chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers may feel like a primeval tradition.But every part of the process – including the coat hanger we unbend to use as a roasting spit – is a product of the Industrial Revolution.(Getty Images)The oldest ingredient in the s'more’s holy trinity is the marshmallow, a sweet that gets its name from a plant called, appropriately enough, the marsh mallow. Marsh mallow, or Althea officinalis, is a plant indigenous to Eurasia and Northern Africa. For thousands of years, the root sap was boiled, strained and sweetened to cure sore throats or simply be eaten as a treat.The white and puffy modern marshmallow looks much like its ancient ancestor. But for hundreds of years, creation of marshmallows was very time-consuming. ...

How to get hundreds of hummingbirds in your yard

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:12 GMT

ATHENS, La. (KTAL/KMSS) - Hummingbirds are emblems of tenacity - tiny, feisty, iridescent survivalists that fly like miniature helicopters. But despite their popularity and how common it is to feed them outside your windows, they are also among North America's most misunderstood birds. So, let's take a closer look at the only hummingbird that nests in the Eastern US, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris).First, although you might see hummingbirds that look different from each other from mid-March through October, it's a safe bet that at least 99.99% of all the ones that occur throughout the Ark-La-Tex during that time are Ruby-throats. Adult males arrive first after flying here from Mexico and Central America to set up territories, and they're easily separated from adult females because their colored throat patches, called a "gorget," are bright red in direct sunlight. Out of direct sunlight, the same gorgets are so dark they look black. But it's still the same bird. ...

Where are the best places to see stars in Texas? Top options in every region

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:12 GMT

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) - "The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas!" Perseid meteor shower to peak over Austin this weekend For over 80 years, "Deep in the Heart of Texas" has been a familiar refrain in the Lone Star State, standing as one of the most reliable ways to summon a chorus of clapping and answering shouts. However, the catchy tune also holds true; according to experts such as those with the International Dark-Sky Association and other agencies, Texas is home to some of the best places to stargaze in the world. Here are a few of the best locations in Texas to turn your gaze skyward this summer.The stargazing areas have also been included with their "Bortle Scale" rankings from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, a measurement used to convey the level of light pollution in a location from Class 1 (stars are the most visible) to Class 9 (stars are the least visible.) Panhandle Plains and North TexasCopper Breaks State Park (IDSP) The IDA...

Maui wildfire survivors return to communities in ruins and try to imagine rebuilding from nothing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:12 GMT

By CLAIRE RUSH, TY O’NEIL and JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER (Associated Press)LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Dogs trained to find bodies sniffed through piles of rubble and ash as stunned survivors of deadly wildfires that claimed at least 80 lives on the Hawaiian island of Maui took stock of their shattered lives and tried to imagine rebuilding from nothing.The only items Summer and Gilles Gerling were able to retrieve from the detritus-filled lot where their home once stood in Lahaina were a piggy bank Summer’s father gave her as a child, their daughter’s jade bracelet and watches they gifted each other for their wedding. Their wedding rings were gone.“Safety was the main concern. These are all material things,” Gilles Gerling said.The fires nearly wiped out the historic town of 13,000 people and were still not fully contained Friday night on some parts of the island. Maui County raised the number of confirmed deaths to 80 Friday night, and Gov. Josh Green wa...