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Rishi Sunak previously questioned controversial Rwanda asylum plan: BBC

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:53 GMT

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak previously expressed doubts on a controversial program to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda, the BBC reported on Saturday.Sunak when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer attempted to convince then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson to scale back a migration scheme before a deal was signed with Rwanda in April 2022, the BBC said, citing documents seen by the media outlet. The Conservative government led by Johnson in 2022 proposed a hardline plan to deport undocumented migrants to Rwanda in a bid to dissuade people from crossing the English Channel. Sunak — who became prime minister in October 2022 — has made the immigration program a top priority, despite it being knocked down in the U.K. Supreme Court on human rights grounds. But the BBC reported it has seen “No. 10 documents” dated March 2022 indicating that Sunak had been uncertain about the plan. Sunak “is refusing to fund any non-detained accommodation, eg Greek-style receptio...

A starring role for NASA in Biden’s push to end cancer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:53 GMT

Two hundred and fifty miles above Earth, astronauts on the International Space Station have embarked on an audacious mission: curing cancer.Because cells age faster in the absence of gravity, they’re using the atmosphere on board to conduct experiments that could speed development of treatments.The efforts could aid President Joe Biden’s so-called cancer moonshot — a plan to cut the cancer death rate in half over 25 years, a goal that would be easier to hit with rapid development of new drugs. But supporters, including NASA, will need to persuade a cost-conscious Congress to back research by funding public-private partnerships and to help a transition to commercial space stations.Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly interested in space to develop and improve drugs, and to extend their patents.“We’re right on the cusp of some major new developments,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told POLITICO. “They’ve got a full-time laboratory with all of the instruments and dedicated crew t...

Police investigating fiery rollover crash in Rockland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:53 GMT

Police are investigating a fiery rollover crash overnight in Rockland.Video from the scene showed a charred and overturned SUV being removed from the side of the roadway on Market Street.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

House Speaker Mike Johnson invites Biden to deliver the State of the Union address on March 7

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:53 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Mike Johnson is inviting President Joe Biden to deliver his annual State of the Union address on March 7.In a letter sent to the White House on Saturday, Johnson, R-La., extended the formal invitation for Biden to speak to a joint session of Congress. Johnson said he was inviting Biden “in this moment of great challenge for our country.”This will be the first State of the Union for Johnson as speaker, who traditionally sits behind and to the left of the president during the address to Congress. This year’s speech will offer an opportunity for Biden to detail his broader vision and policy priorities as he campaigns for reelection in November.Notably, Biden’s address is scheduled for after a pair of critical deadlines to avert a government shutdown.Funding for federal agencies that oversee programs for veterans, and on transportation, housing, agriculture and energy, is set to expire Jan. 19. Funding for the rest of the federal government, in...

Column: Before we turn attention to a pivotal Chicago Bears offseason, a look at 10 developments from the 2023 season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:53 GMT

A news-filled Chicago Bears season ends Sunday with a trip to Lambeau Field, where the Green Bay Packers have a playoff bid on the line.After that the Bears will quickly turn the page to what could be a seismic offseason at Halas Hall.General manager Ryan Poles already knows he owns the No. 1 pick in 2024, and the first order of business will be announcing the future of coach Matt Eberflus and his staff. The team’s improvements since November surely help Eberflus, but there is one final piece to the evaluation puzzle before attention turn to free agency and the draft.What does Poles plan to do with his picks? Will he choose to build around quarterback Justin Fields or chart a path with a rookie and a roster that’s far better than most teams have when choosing a passer at No. 1? The clearest options are to keep Fields and trade down for even more picks or to choose a quarterback with the top pick.Before we go headlong into the biggest Bears offseason since … the pre...

Toronto police probing alleged murder-suicide at North York home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:53 GMT

Toronto police officers say they’re treating the deaths of a man and a woman at a North York home as a murder-suicide.In a Toronto Police Service statement released Saturday morning, it said officers were called to a home near Bathurst Street and Baycrest Avenue before 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday.The statement said the man and the woman were found dead inside, noting the man had “signs of trauma.” It said the pair were known to each other, but the nature of the relationship wasn’t disclosed.Investigators alleged the woman was “responsible for both deaths.”The victim was identified as 28-year-old Mert Sozdinler and officers said they’re looking to speak with those who knew him as part of their investigation.A police spokesperson wouldn’t release further information about the circumstances of the deaths and the probe underway when asked for further information on Saturday.Toronto police officers said Sozdinler’s death is the first homicid...

‘Good friends do exist’: London attack victims remembered at sentencing hearing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:53 GMT

LONDON, Ont. — A father revered by relatives for his seemingly endless generosity; a devoted mother who persevered through obstacles; a grandmother who painted cartoon characters for her grandchildren and a teenage girl who a friend described as a “giver of hope.”They were the victims of the deadly attack against four members of a Muslim family perpetrated by a self-proclaimed white nationalist.Nathaniel Veltman’s killings on June 6, 2021 in London, Ont., have prompted calls for Canada to confront Islamophobia and raised new concerns about the threats of online radicalization. But at Veltman’s sentencing hearing this week, attention re-focused on his victims, members of a family that immigrated from Pakistan in 2007 and built a life in Ontario before being run down while they were out for a walk.  Forty-four-year-old Madiha Salman, her 46-year-old husband Salman Afzaal, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna and the teen’s 74-year-old grandmother Talat Afzaal...

Canadian director of Mickey Mouse horror film: ‘We kind of shook the world’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:53 GMT

TORONTO — Here’s Mickey!A Canadian horror director is riding a wave of viral buzz for turning Disney’s most famous character into a gruesome slasher flick.The trailer for “Mickey’s Mouse Trap” was released on Jan. 1, the same day the earliest iteration of the beloved animated rodent entered the public domain, and it’s been making headlines.“We kind of shook the world,” says Toronto-based filmmaker Jamie Bailey, 46, who has been fielding interview requests from the likes of ABC News and Rolling Stone over the last few days. “It’s been a wild ride. One of the craziest weeks of my life.”“Mickey’s Mouse Trap,” directed by Bailey and written by Simon Phillips, who also plays the titular mouse, sees a group of friends throw a birthday party at a Dave & Buster’s-esque venue, when “someone becomes possessed by Mickey Mouse and goes crazy and starts killing people.”The film was shot in eight days at Funhaven, an amusement centre in Ottawa, “on a super low, micro-budget,” says Bailey. He ...

What happens to unclaimed Texas Lottery money?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:53 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — When Texas Lottery officials announce a winning ticket(s), a person with a winning ticket has 180 days following the draw date to claim a prize. But what happens to unclaimed Texas Lottery money?According to the Texas Lottery, the money won’t just disappear. Unclaimed $1 million winning Powerball ticket sold in Texas to expire Jan. 15 “Unclaimed prizes revert back to the State to use for several programs authorized by the Texas Legislature, including the Foundation School Fund and Fund for Veterans’ Assistance, which are the primary beneficiaries of the Texas Lottery. Government Code Section 466.408 sets forth the complete list and priority of state programs authorized to use unclaimed prize money,” Texas Lottery officials said.How and where to claim a prizeDepending on the prize amount, there are a few ways to redeem a winning ticket and collect that money, according to the Texas Lottery.Nearly all prizes are redeemable through a local claim center, the Lottery Co...

Lisa Jarvis: A pioneering Oregon project could help the youth mental health crisis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:53 GMT

Last year saw a stream of dismal headlines about kids’ mental health. Children and teens in the U.S. are struggling with higher levels of depression and anxiety. Rates of suicides and eating disorders are on the rise. But now there’s reason to be hopeful: an ambitious experiment in Oregon could point the way to a novel solution.Much of the last two years has been spent trying to parse the root cause of the alarming statistics rather than discussing what to do about them, though there has been some positive change. New guidelines recommending widespread screening for childhood anxiety and depression were a good start. So was the Biden administration’s investment in helping better connect families to behavioral and health services. And several states have expanded training for educators and improved access to telehealth.But none of those can fully address a fundamental problem: The number of kids who need help exceeds the number of available mental health providers. ...