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At least 74 are dead, many of them homeless, as fire rips through a rundown building in South Africa

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:20:36 GMT

By GERALD IMRAY and MOGOMOTSI MAGOME (Associated Press)JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A nighttime fire ripped through a rundown apartment building mainly occupied by homeless people and squatters in Johannesburg early Thursday, leaving at least 74 dead, officials said. Some people threw babies out of third-story windows to others waiting below in the desperate scramble to evacuate, witnesses said.At least 12 of those killed were children, the youngest a 1-year-old, according to city and medical officials, who held a press conference to give an update on the death toll. They said an undetermined number of people were still missing and many bodies recovered were burned beyond recognition.More than 50 people were injured, six of whom were in a serious condition in the hospital. Emergency services officials had earlier warned that the death toll could rise as they continued to search the scene more than 12 hours after the blaze broke out at around 1 a.m.Dozens of bodies recovered by firefigh...

Do this before the redesigned 2024 FAFSA launches in December

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:20:36 GMT

By Trea Branch | NerdWalletFor the first time since 2016, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will not be ready on Oct. 1 for the following academic year. Instead, students have to wait until December to fill out and submit a redesigned application for financial aid — including federal student loans, grants and work-study — for the 2024–25 school year.Nearly 72% of college families didn’t know that the 2023-24 FAFSA became available on Oct. 1, 2022, according to a 2023 study by private student loan lender Sallie Mae. If families aren’t ready to go when the new FAFSA is released this year, they could miss out on vital aid to help them cover college expenses.“We’re dealing with a truncated financial aid season,” says MorraLee Keller, senior director of strategic programming at the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), a nonprofit organization supporting college affordability. Keller says all students should do what they can to be re...

Giancarlo Stanton’s historic home run numbers are flying under the radar for Yankees

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:20:36 GMT

When Giancarlo Stanton pummeled a 425-foot home run during Wednesday’s win against the Tigers, the Yankees slugger quietly achieved MLB history.The solo shot was the 20th home run of the year for Stanton, making him the only player to reach that milestone in 12 different seasons since 2010. He broke a tie with Nelson Cruz, who had done so 11 times over that stretch.The lack of attention around Stanton’s fourth-inning blast was perhaps fitting, considering his prolific power numbers and consistency have frequently been overshadowed by his massive contract and rash of injuries in recent years.Wednesday’s home run was the 398th of Stanton’s career. Only 57 players have hit 400 home runs. Still just 33 years old, Stanton is on pace to eventually join the 500 home run club, which was long considered an automatic admission into the Hall of Fame.Of the 28 players to hit 500 homers, 19 are Hall of Famers. Two others — Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera — ap...

Is Gen Z the generation that knows how to make the most out of travel?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:20:36 GMT

By Holly D. Johnson, BankrateIt’s easy to see why Generation Z (anyone born after 1997 according to Pew Research Center) has a different worldview than those in Generation X and even millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996). The young people who make up Gen Z have never known a world without the internet, phones that tether you to the wall or rapid technological disruptions and discoveries taking place every few years.Gen Z also tends to be more open-minded and understanding of social change, and they seem to think anything is possible because it is. Those in the younger generation seem more inclined to want to get out and explore — even though their parents and grandparents may not have had the same opportunities.In fact, a new Bankrate survey released in July 2023 showed that, this year, younger generations are more likely to travel just for fun than their older counterparts. Specifically, survey results showed 68% of Gen Z respondents planned to travel for leisure this year...

Tropical Storm Idalia heads out to sea as Florida and Georgia begin arduous cleanup process

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:20:36 GMT

By TERRY SPENCER (Associated Press)PERRY, Fla. (AP) — Tropical Storm Idalia headed out to sea Thursday after thrashing parts of Florida and Georgia with punishing rains and destructive winds, leaving residents to begin the arduous process of clearing fallen trees, restoring power and picking through the debris of devastated homes.Thus far, authorities have only confirmed only one death, that of a man hit by a falling tree in Georgia. But the storm’s ferocious winds shredded homes in Florida’s Big Bend area, where Idalia roared ashore as a major hurricane. As many as a half-million customers were without power at one point in Florida and Georgia as the storm ripped down power poles.After pounding Florida, Idalia swung east, flooding many of South Carolina’s beaches and leaving some in the state and North Carolina without power before heading back into the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters said the weakened storm should continue heading away from the U.S. for several days, although of...

Bavaria’s deputy governor rejects new accusations of antisemitic behavior when he was in school

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:20:36 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The deputy governor of Germany’s Bavaria state defended himself Thursday against mounting allegations that he was responsible for an antisemitic flyer, gave the Hitler salute, and imitated the Nazi dictator as a high school student — claims that have caused an uproar weeks before a state election.Pressure has been growing on Hubert Aiwanger, who is also Bavaria’s economy minister, to explain himself, as German media have been confronting him with more allegations since the first report about the antisemitic flyer was published last week.Aiwanger told reporters in Munich that “I emphasize again I did not write the pamphlet.” “I don’t remember ever giving a Hitler salute. I did not rehearse Hitler’s speeches in front of the mirror,” Aiwanger said. “Further accusations, like demeaning jokes, I can neither completely deny nor confirm from my memory. If this has happened, I apologize for it.”Aiwanger did previously admit that several copies of the flyer ha...

Pope makes first visit to Mongolia as Vatican relations with Russia and China are again strained

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:20:36 GMT

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis is travelling to Mongolia to encourage one of the world’s smallest and newest Catholic communities, the first papal visit to the Asian country at a time when the Vatican’s relations with Mongolia’s two powerful neighbors Russia and China are once again strained.Francis arrives in the Mongol capital Ulaanbaatar on Friday morning after an overnight flight passing through Chinese airspace, which will give him a rare opportunity to send a note of greetings to President Xi Jinping. Vatican protocol calls for the pope to send such greetings whenever he flies over a foreign country.After a brief airport welcome, the 86-year-old Francis takes the remainder of the day off to rest before his official program begins Saturday.On tap are official meetings with the Mongolian president and prime minister and a speech before Mongolian government, cultural and business leaders, followed by Francis’ first encounter with the bishops, priests and nuns who form the b...

Poland and South Korea defense ministers discuss security cooperation, support for Ukraine

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:20:36 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The defense ministers of Poland and South Korea held talks in Warsaw Thursday on security and support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s aggression, as well as on further cooperation in the armaments sector. Poland is purchasing tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons and military equipment from South Korea as it upgrades its defense potential with concern rising because of the war in neighboring Ukraine. The new equipment is also replacing that which Poland has given to Ukraine to help it defend itself against the Russian invasion.Poland’s Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak met with his Korean counterpart Lee Jong-Sup at the Defense Ministry. The military equipment Poland bought from South Korea includes K2 tanks, Thunder K9 howitzers, training and combat FA-50 fighter jets and K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery systems.The Associated Press

Judge to decide whether white man will stand trial for shooting Black teen who went to wrong house

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:20:36 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge is expected to rule Thursday on whether an 84-year-old white homeowner will stand trial for shooting a Black teenager who went to the wrong home to pick up his brothers.A preliminary hearing began Thursday morning for Andrew Lester, a retired aircraft mechanic from Kansas City who is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the April 13 shooting of Ralph Yarl. Lester previously pleaded not guilty.A handful of people wearing shirts that said “Justice for Ralph” were seen entering the courthouse. Others wore shirts that read: “Ringing a doorbell is not a crime.”Yarl continues to heal from the traumatic brain injury he suffered but was able to complete an engineering internship this summer and just started his senior year in high school. The 17-year-old is planning to major in engineering when he graduates, with several college visits planned for the fall.Yarl was supposed to pick up his younger brothers but went to the wro...

EU grapples with its African army training dilemma as another coup rocks the continent

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:20:36 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union ministers expressed deep concern Thursday at the growing number of military coups across Africa as the bloc draws up sanctions targeting the junta in Niger which overthrew an elected government a month ago.On Wednesday, the oil-rich nation of Gabon became the eighth Central or West African country to be hit by a military takeover in the last three years. The EU has not been training Gabon’s armed forces -– although French troops have -– but it has funded and taught troops in Mali and Niger.The military training has focused mainly on the volatile Sahel region to combat extremism, particularly groups linked to al-Qaida. Many Europeans worry that instability in Africa will drive more people to flee, and the 27-nation bloc is already divided over how to cope with large numbers of migrant arrivals.Some European countries have strong economic interests in Africa, notably France with its need for Niger’s uranium. The growing influence of Russia, t...