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Australians decide against creating an Indigenous Voice to advise Parliament on minority issues

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australians voted in a referendum Saturday against enshrining in the nation’s constitution a mechanism for Indigenous people to advise Parliament on policies that affect their lives.Proponents said creating an Indigenous Voice via the constitution would recognize the special place that Indigenous people have in Australian history while giving them input in government policies.Opponents argued it would divide Australians along racial lines without reducing Indigenous disadvantages.Bipartisan support regarded as essential in Australia for successfully changing the constitution never emerged, and Indigenous leaders were divided on the idea.WHO ARE THE INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS?The Aboriginal people of Australia’s mainland are culturally distinct from Torres Strait Islanders who come from an archipelago off the northeast coast. So Australia’s Indigenous population is known collectively as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.They accounted for 3.8% of Aus...

Former businessman Christopher Luxon wins New Zealand election as voters seek conservative change

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Conservative former businessman Christopher Luxon will be New Zealand’s next prime minister after winning a decisive election victory Saturday.People voted for change after six years of a liberal government led for most of that time by Jacinda Ardern.The exact makeup of Luxon’s government is still to be determined as ballots continued to be counted.Luxon arrived to rapturous applause at an event in Auckland. He was joined on stage by his wife, Amanda, and their children, William and Olivia. He said he was humbled by the victory and couldn’t wait to get stuck in to his new job. He thanked people from across the country.“You have reached for hope and you have voted for change,” he said.Supporters chanted his campaign slogan which promised to get the country “back on track.” Outgoing Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who spent just nine months in the top job after taking over from Ardern in January, told supporters late Saturday he had called Luxon to con...

Palestinians stream south in Gaza as Israel urges mass evacuation and conducts brief raids

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians scrambled to flee northern Gaza on Saturday after the Israeli military ordered nearly half the population to evacuate south and carried out limited ground forays ahead of an expected land offensive a week after Hamas’ bloody, wide-ranging attack into Israel.Israel renewed calls on social media and in leaflets dropped from the air for some 1 million Gaza residents to move south, while Hamas urged people to stay in their homes. The U.N. and aid groups have said such a rapid exodus would cause untold human suffering, with hospital patients and others unable to relocate. Families in cars, trucks and donkey carts packed with possessions crowded a main road heading away from Gaza City as Israeli airstrikes continued to hammer the small, besieged territory, where supplies of food, fuel and drinking water were running low because of a complete Israeli siege. Egyptian officials said the southern Rafah crossing would open later Saturday for ...

Armenian president approves parliament’s decision to join the International Criminal Court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan approved the parliament’s decision to join the International Criminal Court in a move that has further strained the country’s ties with its old ally Russia. Last week, Armenia’s parliament voted to join the ICC by ratifying the Rome Statute that created the tribunal. Countries that have signed and ratified the Rome Statute are bound to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was indicted for war crimes connected to the deportation of children from Ukraine, if he sets foot on their soil.Moscow last month called Yerevan’s decision an “unfriendly step,” and the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Armenia’s ambassador. Armenia later sought to assure Russia that Putin would not be arrested if he entered the country.Armenian officials have argued the move has nothing to do with Russia and was prompted by what they call Azerbaijan’s aggression against the country.Lawmakers voted to ratify the Rome Statute by a vote of 60-22....

An Australian referendum to create an Indigenous advocacy committee to Parliament has failed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Advocates for constitutional change in Australia said they were devastated on Saturday by the defeat of a referendum that would have created an advocacy committee to offer advice to Parliament on policies that affect Indigenous people — the nation’s most disadvantaged ethnic minority.Early counting showed that 57% of voters opposed the Indigenous Voice. Australian Broadcasting Corp. projections found New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia had rejected the amendment.The Voice needed majorities in each of at least four of the six states as well as a national majority for the referendum to pass. Voice advocate Tanya Hosch, who spent a decade on developing the model, told ABC: “On a personal level, I feel devastated.”“There’s going to be a lot of pain and hurt and dismay and we’re going to need to take a moment to absorb that message and what it says,” Hosch said.Another advocate, Tom Mayo, said he was also “devastated” and...

Poland prepares to vote in a high-stakes national election with foreign ties and democracy at stake

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland is holding an election Sunday that many view as its most important one since the 1989 vote that toppled communism. At stake are the health of the nation’s democracy, its legal stance on LGBTQ+ rights and abortion, and the foreign alliances of a country on NATO’s eastern flank that has been a crucial ally to Ukraine.Political experts say the election will not be fully fair after eight years of governing by a conservative nationalist party that has eroded checks and balances to gain more control over state institutions, including the courts, public media and the electoral process itself.Opponents of the ruling Law and Justice party fear it could be their last chance to preserve the constitutional system won at great cost through the struggle of many Poles, from former President Lech Walesa to the millions who supported his Solidarity movement.The election “will decide the future of Poland as a country of liberal democracy, a system that has bee...

Ask Amy: Divorce leads to friendship divide

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

Dear Amy: I am going through a divorce, and I’m having a hard time finding myself.I was with my husband for a total of 14 years.I feel lost and don’t know what to do.I’ve lost a lot of my friends in the process. We were friends with “Frank and Christie,” and I noticed that they don’t care what I’m going through!Frank was my ex’s friend, but I got close to Christie.Last year she and I got together.We had too much to drink and my mouth wouldn’t stop. I told her how I was hurt that she didn’t reach out to me for my birthday and then I told her that she never reached out to me, even though I’m going through a divorce.She’s been divorced three times now, so I would think she’d know how it feels.Last month we had planned to get together, but she never responded to my text.She is neglecting me. I really can’t say she’s a friend now.Three weeks after she ghosted me, she had the nerve to invite me to her son’s baby gender reveal.Related ArticlesAsk Amy | Ask Amy: Elder man wants t...

Buyers ready to take post-sale action after appraiser discovers key discrepancies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

Question: We moved into our first home. The purchase was fast. It was a multiple-offer scenario. We tried to buy a Bay Area home with a loan contingency. That strategy failed. So our parents pooled resources. As a result, we were able to compete. We paid all cash. No contingencies. We closed the sale in seven days. It was an easy process.In hindsight, we made a big mistake. We are refinancing. The plan was to pay our parents 50% of the purchase money back in 2023. The remaining balance would be due in 2030. Now we have issues. The appraiser measured the property. It is 1,498 square feet. The appraiser also claims our new home is legally a three-bedroom house — not the advertised four-bedroom, 1,650-square-foot home that we thought it was. My father looked at the disclosures. There is nothing that would show a discrepancy for would-be homebuyers.The day after this discovery, we were angry. Today, we are ready to pursue a legal remedy. Where do homebuyers in our position begin?Answer:...

Horoscopes Oct. 14, 2023: Usher, focus on your target

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Usher, 45; Natalie Maines, 49; Lori Petty, 60; Ralph Lauren, 84.Happy Birthday: Think before you act. A methodical approach to life and your desired achievements will require intelligence, timing and discipline. An offshoot will be a chance to build a strong foundation for future endeavors. Put one foot in front of the other and make your mark. Rise above conflict and focus on your target. Use your charm and passionate attitude to win favors and support. Your numbers are 4, 12, 19, 23, 32, 38, 45.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take a fresh look at an old situation and evaluate your next move. Relationships will require nurturing and changes that will enforce equality. Communication can be a passage to a better connection if you keep the peace and are willing to meet halfway. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): A change is overdue. Decide what you want to keep and what you want to discard. An orderly attitude will help you make hard decisions. Give birth to new...

Increased security at Bowie State University after homecoming shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

Bowie State University is tightening security after a shooting during homecoming events this past weekend.In an online message posted by University President Dr. Aminta Breaux on Friday, she outlined the security measures students can expect to see when they return to the Prince George’s County, Maryland, campus on Monday.The measures include more local police and security officers on campus and BSU police patrolling campus grounds and buildings.Surveillance of campus entrances at the historically Black university is also being enhanced, including armed guards at entryways and license plate readers scanning all cars.The school is also reminding students that blue light phones have been installed around campus so students can reach campus police immediately in case of emergency.BSU is also considering additional security measures including installing metal detectors at residential housing and active shooter training for students, faculty and staff.Classes were canceled this wee...