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☆ Water trickling and taps running dry are part of daily life in South Africa’s biggest city
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Sarah Dean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

It’s ironic, because Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city, has plenty of water at the moment — authorities and water companies just can’t seem to get it to where it’s needed. South Africa is naturally dry, and the climate crisis has hit the nation many times with crippling drought. “But there have been multiple times where we’ve been without water for five, seven days,” he said. Ravin Singh founded the Water Crisis Committee civic group last September, after his neighborhood northeast of downtown Johannesburg was suddenly hit with prolonged outages. Now Joburgers also talk about “water shedding.”But Singh concedes that people could be doing more to lower water consumption, voluntarily.

Persons: Duane Riley, we’ve, I’ve, ” Riley, Joburgers, ”, Riley, “, Ravin Singh, Singh, “ Young, ” Singh, Senzo Mchunu, Mchunu, Rand Water Organizations: Johannesburg CNN, South Africa’s, CNN, Getty, Water, Sanitation, Johannesburg Water, Rand, Cape Town Locations: Johannesburg, South, Africa, Southern Africa, Soweto, Kensington, Blairgowrie, AFP, City, Ekurhuleni, South Africa, African, Cape

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Authorities in Rwanda on Monday rejected U.S. calls for the withdrawal of troops and missile systems from eastern Congo, saying they are defending Rwandan territory as Congo carries out a "dramatic military build-up” near the border. The U.S. State Department in a statement Saturday criticized the worsening violence caused by M23, describing it as a “Rwanda-backed” armed group. That statement also urged Rwanda “to immediately withdraw all Rwanda Defense Force personnel from the (Congo) and remove its surface-to-air missile systems." M23 is one of more than 100 armed groups active in eastern Congo, seeking a share of the region’s gold and other resources as they carry out mass killings. After being largely dormant for a decade, M23 resurfaced in late 2021 and has since captured wide parts of eastern Congo.

Persons: FLDR, Rwanda “, U.N, Goma Organizations: —, Monday, Rwanda's Foreign Ministry, Rwandan, U.S . State Department, Rwanda Defense Force, Rwandan Foreign Ministry Locations: KAMPALA, Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, Congolese, United States, Africa's Great Lakes, Congo’s North Kivu’s, Goma

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities have exhumed the body of the wife of a famed former Tennessee sheriff more than a half-century after she was fatally shot in a still-unsolved killing. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed that it oversaw the exhumation of the body of Pauline Pusser on Thursday at Adamsville Cemetery. A TBI statement said the agency received a new tip that led agents to find that there was never an autopsy performed on Pauline Pusser's body. The Pusser car was hit 11 times. Buford Pusser spent six years as McNairy County sheriff beginning in 1964, and aimed to rid McNairy County of organized crime, from moonshiners to gamblers.

Persons: Pauline Pusser, Buford Pusser, Joe Don Baker, Dwayne “, ” Johnson, Pauline Pusser's, Mark Davidson, Pauline Pusser’s, Keli McAlister, McAlister, “, Sheriff Pusser, Pusser Organizations: —, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Adamsville, Judicial, Tennessee, Selmer, Sheriff, Tennessee -, Tennessean Locations: Tenn, Tennessee, McNairy County, Adamsville, Tennessee - Mississippi, County, moonshiners, Washington state

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities in eastern Tennessee were searching early Friday for a suspect they say was involved in a shooting that killed one sheriff's deputy and left another wounded. Deputy Greg McCowan was killed in the shooting during a traffic stop. We had an officer killed tonight,” Berrong said during a news conference in which he was visibly upset. Photos You Should See View All 21 Images“We’re going to get this man off the streets of east Tennessee and put him behind bars,” he said. Dehart was last seen in the city of Maryville, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said on social media.

Persons: Kenneth Dehart, Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong, Greg McCowan, Berrong, ” Berrong, “, we’ve, ”, Dehart Organizations: —, Blount County Sheriff, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Locations: Tenn, Tennessee, Blount County, Maryville, Knoxville

LONDON, Ontario (AP) — Authorities scheduled a news conference for Monday to discuss a 2018 case that has led to sexual assault charges against four current NHL players and a former NHL player, all of whom were on Canada's world junior hockey team that year. McLeod is facing an additional charge of being a party to the offense of sexual assault. A woman sued Hockey Canada in 2022, alleging she was sexually assaulted in a hotel room by eight members of Canada’s world junior team after a fundraising gala in London in June 2018. Hockey Canada settled the lawsuit, and then an investigation revealed the organization had two secret slush funds to pay out settlements on claims of sexual assault and abuse. He said the NHL interviewed every player from that team, adding the woman involved declined to take part in the investigation.

Persons: Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote, Dillon Dube, Alex Formenton, McLeod, Gary Bettman, Bettman, ___ Organizations: — Authorities, NHL, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, Calgary Flames, Hockey Canada, London Locations: Ontario, Swiss, London, Toronto

NORTH BELLMORE, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities seized about a hundred animals from a Long Island home packed with exotic species — including a giant African snail, a sulcata tortoise and a South American ostrich, advocates said Friday. The menagerie's owner was cited for 30 violations related to the illegal possession of animals, according to the advocacy group Humane Long Island. Especially not in someone’s shed or their basement,” said John Di Leonardo, the group's president and executive director. The group took custody of several dozen animals, including a five-month-old, female South American ostrich — or lesser rhea — named Eddy found in the crowded basement. Authorities said the investigation began after the man began appearing with animals at events like birthday shows and street fairs.

Persons: ”, John Di Leonardo, rhea —, Eddy, Di Leonardo, rhea, Matt Roper, Roper, ” Roper Organizations: — Authorities, Nassau County SPCA, Authorities Locations: North Bellmore, New York City, Nassau County

LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — Authorities in Zambia said Tuesday they were frantically pumping water and mud from a Chinese-owned copper mine where seven miners were trapped underground. Local media reported that the miners were working at around 235 meters (257 yards) underground. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesLocal media reported that the miner who escaped, Penjani Kaumba, said he noticed water coming from a tunnel and immediately informed colleagues, but it was too late. Zambia is one of the world's largest copper producers, and Chinese firms have invested billions of dollars in mining there. Another mine accident in Zambia in November killed at least 11 people, with others missing.

Persons: Peacewell Mweemba, ”, Penjani Kaumba Organizations: —, Associated Press, Local Locations: LUSAKA, Zambia, Ndola, Lusaka, Copperbelt Province

“We don’t know what the drilling machine will have to cut through. They could also face similar risks or problems they encountered earlier that damaged the first drilling machine attempting to cut through rocks. Most of the trapped workers are migrant laborers from across the country. Authorities have supplied the trapped workers with hot meals through a six-inch (15-centimeter) pipe after days of surviving only on dry food sent through a narrower pipe. The tunnel the workers were building was designed as part of the Chardham all-weather road, which will connect various Hindu pilgrimage sites.

Persons: Devendra Patwal, ”, Arnold Dix Organizations: DELHI, —, Authorities Locations: India, Uttarakhand, Uttarakhand’s

WRANGELL, Alaska (AP) — Authorities recovered the body of an 11-year-old girl Saturday evening from the debris of a landslide in southeast Alaska that tore down a wooded mountainside days earlier, smashing into homes in a remote fishing village. The girl, Kara Heller, was the fourth person confirmed killed by last Monday night's landslide. The girl's parents Timothy Heller, 44 and Beth Heller, 36, and her sister Mara Heller, 16, were discovered and confirmed dead in the initial days after the landslide. Political Cartoons View All 1265 ImagesDeSpain said the latest victim was found under debris in the slide area. Troopers had initially said a large-scale search and rescue mission wasn’t possible because the site was unstable and hazardous.

Persons: Kara Heller, Timothy Heller, Beth Heller, Mara Heller, Heller, Derek, Otto Florschutz, Tim DeSpain, DeSpain Organizations: — Authorities, Alaska Department of Public Safety, Authorities, Troopers Locations: WRANGELL, Alaska, Wrangell, Juneau

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Authorities in several West African countries are trying to manage their huge diphtheria outbreaks, including in Nigeria where a top health official said Thursday that millions are being vaccinated to cover wide gaps in immunity against the disease. The highly contagious bacterial infection has been reported in 20 of Nigeria's 36 states so far. The fate of the affected countries is worsened by the global shortages of the diphtheria vaccine as demand has increased to respond to outbreaks, the MSF said. But several states continue to struggle, including Kano, which accounts for more than 75% of cases in Nigeria but has only two diphtheria treatment centers, according to Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, the state’s top health official. “Once people have to travel or move significant distances to access treatment, that becomes a challenge,” Adetifa said.

Persons: Ifedayo Adetifa, “ We’re, ”, Dagemlidet Tesfaye, Adetifa, Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, ” Adetifa Organizations: —, “, Nigeria Centre for Disease, Associated Press, World Health Organization, MSF, Nigeria CDC Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Niger, Guinea, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Kano, Africa, africa

WESTCLIFFE, Colo. (AP) — Authorities in Colorado hunted Tuesday for a man they believe shot and killed three people and critically wounded a fourth in a property dispute. The 45-year-old suspect was believed to be driving a white Ram 1500 pickup truck with a camper shell, according to a Facebook post from the Custer County Sheriff's Office. The shooting took place on the property line in a wooded area and began with “a suspected property dispute,” the Sheriff's Office said. Political Cartoons View All 1260 ImagesTwo men and a woman died at the scene and a fourth person was taken to a trauma center in critical condition but was expected to survive, the Sheriff's Office said. Four people were wounded Monday night when a gunman opened fire in a Walmart in Beavercreek, Ohio, before apparently killing himself, police said.

Persons: “, weren't, Mavis Christian Jr Organizations: —, Residents, Sheriff's, Walmart, Memphis Police Department Locations: Colo, Colorado, Custer, Rocky, Westcliffe, Colorado Springs, Beavercreek , Ohio, Tennessee, Memphis

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Authorities say the gunman who was killed after shooting to death a security guard at a New Hampshire psychiatric hospital has been identified. He said CPR was performed on the victim, who later died at Concord Hospital. Authorities identified the victim Friday night as Bradley Haas, 63, a state Department of Safety security officer who was working at the front lobby entrance. All patients at the psychiatric hospital were safe, and the state trooper who killed the shooter was not wounded, according to authorities. “Investigators with the New Hampshire State Police have searched and cleared a suspicious box truck near the scene.

Persons: John Formella, John Madore, Bradley Haas, Madore, Formella, Mark Hall, Haas, “, Annie Kuster, ” Kuster, Holly Ramer, Patrick Whittle, David Sharp Organizations: CONCORD, — Authorities, New Hampshire, New Hampshire Hospital, of, State Police, Concord Hospital, Authorities, New Hampshire State Police, Franklin Police Department, Hospital, Department, Safety, Democratic U.S . Rep, AP Locations: N.H, New Hampshire, New, Concord, Franklin, U.S, Maine, Concord , New Hampshire, Portland , Maine

MACON, Ga. (AP) — Authorities on Tuesday arrested two women accused helping one of four men who escaped from a Georgia jail last month. Authorities did not elaborate on what Smith and Green are alleged to have done. The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to an email seeking that information. Barnwell was being held on drug charges when he and three other inmates escaped through a damaged window and a cut fence at the jail early Oct. 16. News outlets reported that Fournier was being held on a murder charge in connection with the 2022 death of his ex-girlfriend when he and the others escaped.

Persons: Jacorshia Smith, Dernard Barnwell, Smith, Green, Bond, Barnwell, Joey Fournier, Fournier Organizations: —, Sheriff's Locations: MACON, Ga, Georgia, Macon, Augusta, Bibb

The potential Georgia connection surfaced a day after authorities in Washington state said four county election offices had to be evacuated as election workers were processing ballots cast in Tuesday’s election, delaying vote-counting. Election offices in Seattle’s King County and ones in Skagit, Spokane and Pierce counties received envelopes containing suspicious powders. Political Cartoons View All 1237 ImagesTacoma Police spokesperson William Muse said a message inside the envelope received by Pierce County election workers said “something to the effect of stopping the election." It was not immediately clear how authorities came to suspect that a letter might have been sent to the Fulton County election office or whether similar ones went to election offices in other states. "Election officials should be free from fear and intimidation, which is why I’ve called on the General Assembly to increase penalties for election interference,” Raffensperger said.

Persons: William Muse, Muse, Steve Hobbs, ”, Brad Raffensperger, I’ve, ” Raffensperger, accidently, Gene Johnson, Lindsay Whitehurst Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Georgia Emergency Management, Homeland Security Agency, The Associated Press, Tacoma Police, U.S . Department of Justice, FBI, U.S . Postal, Service, AP, Assembly, Associated Press Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Atlanta, Washington, Seattle’s King County, Skagit , Spokane, Pierce, Kings, Spokane, Pierce County, United States, Seattle

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Authorities in Croatia on Wednesday recommended people drink only tap water as they investigated reports of several cases of people falling ill and suffering injuries allegedly after consuming bottled beverages. Health Minister Vili Beros said several people have sought medical help for “injuries inflicted by suspected chemical elements." “There is no need for panic but there is for caution.”The Coca-Cola Co. in Croatia offered full cooperation in a statement. “Until then, it is our general recommendation to drink water from the water system, which should be safe,” Beros said. Reports of alleged poisoning emerged after a man was hospitalized over the weekend in the northern Adriatic port of Rijeka after drinking fizzy bottled water in a cafe.

Persons: Vili Beros, ” Beros, “, Krunoslav Capak Organizations: — Authorities, Health, Co, Police, Croatia's Public Health Institute Locations: ZAGREB, Croatia, Rijeka, Zagreb

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Authorities in Bangladesh announced a new salary structure on Tuesday for protesting garment factory workers with a 56% increase in the monthly minimum wage to $113 from the previous $75, a decision rejected by some workers' groups as too small. The decision came after weeks of violent protests by workers demanding a $208 monthly minimum wage. The protests began after the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association offered to increase the monthly minimum wage by 25% to $90. Political Cartoons View All 1234 ImagesThe last increase in the minimum wage was announced in 2018. It says factory owners are under pressure because global brands in Western countries are offering less than before.

Persons: Monnujan Sufian, Kalpona Akter, Akter, ” Organizations: —, State, Labor, Workers, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers, Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, Owners, Bangladesh Locations: DHAKA, Bangladesh, China, United States, Europe, Japan, India

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities in Tennessee have settled a First Amendment lawsuit for $125,000, the plaintiff's attorneys said Monday. The suit was filed by a man who said he was arrested over a disparaging social media post about a law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty. Garton's attorneys filed a federal lawsuit in Nashville, saying their client's First Amendment right to free speech was violated. Garton's post was captioned, “Just showing my respect to deputy Daniel Baker from the #dicksoncountypolicedepartment.”The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was called in at the request of District Attorney Ray Crouch. A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesperson declined to comment.

Persons: Joshua Andrew Garton, Daniel Baker, ”, Attorney Ray Crouch, Garton, ” Garton's, Daniel Horwitz, “, Crouch, Horwitz, —, David Rausch, “ incarcerating Organizations: —, Tennessee Bureau, Investigation, Attorney, Investigators, Tennessee, of Investigation, Tennessee Bureau of Locations: Tenn, Tennessee, Dickson County, Nashville, Dickson

At least 18 people were killed in shootings at a restaurant and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night, sparking a massive search for the suspect. — Social media posts spread an incorrect photo of the Maine suspect. Political Cartoons View All 1220 Images— Maine passed a law to try to prevent mass shootings, but some say more is needed. SEARCH FOR SUSPECTED SHOOTER PROMPTS DREAD IN MAINEThe ongoing search for Robert Card, an Army reservist who authorities say fatally shot 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in Maine, has prompted dread around the state. Bates College in Lewiston also canceled classes Friday and postponed the inauguration of the school’s first Black president, Garry Jenkins, the school's website said.

Persons: —, — Authorities haven't, Robert Card, Jake Langlais, “, Garry Jenkins Organizations: — Authorities, Lewiston Public, ”, Bates College Locations: Lewiston , Maine, Maine, — Maine, United States, MAINE, Bowdoin, Portland, LEWISTON, LEWISTON , Maine, Lewiston, Maine’s

INDIANA, Pa. (AP) — Authorities are seeking suspects in a shooting that killed one man and wounded eight other people at a private party in a Pennsylvania community center. State police in Indiana County said nine people between the ages of 18 and 23 were shot at about 12:35 a.m. Sunday at the Chevy Chase Community Center in White Township, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh. The shooting was about 2 miles (3 kilometers) from the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, which was having its homecoming weekend. Dozens of people, including some university students, attended a vigil Sunday night on the steps of the county courthouse, about a mile away from the community center, The (Johnstown) Tribune-Democrat reported. The Chevy Chase Community Center was built in 1971 by a group established in 1969 to fight poverty and help those in need, according to its website.

Persons: George Bivens, ”, Bivens, Stoppers, Thomas Segar, Robert Manzi Jr Organizations: —, State, Chevy Chase Community Center, Police, of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Johnstown ) Tribune, Democrat, Chase Community Locations: INDIANA, Pa, Pennsylvania, Indiana County, White Township, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Florida, Johnstown, ”

PENROSE, Colo. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the improper storage of human remains at a southern Colorado funeral home that performs “green” burials without embalming chemicals or metal caskets. The investigation centers on a building owned by the Return to Nature Funeral Home outside Colorado Springs in the small town of Penrose. Under Colorado law, green burials are legal but state code requires that any body not buried within 24 hours must be properly refrigerated. Under Colorado law, green burials are legal but state code requires that any body not buried within 24 hours must be properly refrigerated. The Return to Nature Funeral Home was licensed in Colorado Springs in 2017.

Persons: PENROSE, Joyce Pavetti, “, ”, Pavetti, Ron Alexander, Paul Saito Kahler, Hallfordhomes, Amy Beth Hanson, Mead Gruver, Matthew Brown, Jennifer Farrar Organizations: —, Deputies, Investigators, Fremont County Sheriff’s, . Navy, Nature, Pikes, Colorado, Hallfordhomes, Colorado Springs, Associated Press Locations: Colo, Colorado, Colorado Springs, Penrose, Fremont County, Fountain , Colorado, Fremont, Helena , Montana, Cheyenne , Wyoming, Billings , Montana, New York

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (AP) — Authorities rescued a 17-year-old boy in Southern California after he was kidnapped and held hostage for four days by captors who threatened to harm him if his family did not pay a $500,000 ransom. The teen was rescued Friday after law enforcement tracked him and his three kidnappers to a motel in Santa Maria, a city about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The men repeatedly called her over the four days and threatening to harm her son if the family did not pay. Law enforcement used a Facebook Marketplace posting and the doorbell camera footage to track the victim and the suspects to Santa Maria. Authorities found the boy lying on the floor in a corner of the motel room.

Persons: Martin Estrada Organizations: — Authorities, Attorney's Locations: SANTA MARIA, Calif, Southern California, Santa Maria, Los Angeles, San Bernardino County, Sant Maria, Nogales , Mexico, New York, U.S

(AP) — Authorities in Pennsylvania launched a search Sunday night for nine people who escaped from a juvenile detention facility following a riot. The Reading division of the Pennsylvania State Police and other agencies were searching for nine juveniles who escaped from Abraxas Academy around 8 p.m., Pennsylvania State Police Trooper David Beohm said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The juveniles were wearing white or grey shirts,” the department said, advising anyone encountering them to immediately call 911. Political Cartoons View All 1163 ImagesThe Pennsylvania State Police did not immediately respond to a message from The Associated Press seeking additional information. The search for the escaped juveniles follows shortly after the capture of an escaped murderer who eluded Pennsylvania authorities for several days despite an extended manhunt.

Persons: David Beohm Organizations: —, Pennsylvania State Police, Abraxas Academy, Twitter, Caernarvon Township Police Department, Abraxas, Associated Press Locations: MORGANTOWN, Penn, Pennsylvania, Morgantown, Philadelphia, Caernarvon

Shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday, police said, Cavalcante went to the Phoenixville area home of another former work associate, who wasn't home, police said. “I do not have a report of a stolen vehicle; I anticipate that we will,” he said. Cavalcante, 34, escaped from the Chester County Prison while awaiting transfer to state prison on Aug. 31 after being sentenced to life for fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend in 2021. Police on Saturday had reported two more confirmed sightings of Cavalcante within the search area around the Longwood Gardens botanical park, the center of the search in recent days. Police had been planning to use close to 600 personnel Monday for “one massive sweep” of the search area, he said.

Persons: George Bivens, Danelo Souza Cavalcante, Bivens, “, ”, “ We’ll, Dairy, Cavalcante, van, he’s, Cavalcante’s, Válter Júnior Moreira dos Reis Organizations: —, Pennsylvania State Police, Prosecutors, Police, Saturday, Authorities, Friday Locations: Pa, Pennsylvania, East Pikeland Township, Phoenixville, Pikeland, East Nantmeal Township, Chester, Brazil, Longwood, Tocantins, Figueirópolis

☆ Police charge second teenager in Iowa school shooting that killed 2
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

DES MOINES, Iowa — Authorities on Friday charged a second teenager with murder in the shooting deaths of two students at a Des Moines educational program. Bravon Michael Tukes, 19, of Des Moines, faces two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of criminal gang participation. Police said evidence shows Tukes communicated with Walls before and immediately after the shooting and drove the vehicle in which Walls allegedly fled. Police say the shooting was premeditated and that Walls, who was on supervised release for a weapons charge last year, cut off an ankle monitor 16 minutes beforehand. Classes at the education program, which works with Des Moines Public Schools to help students who haven’t succeeded in traditional schools, were cancelled this week.

☆ North Korea locks down capital city over ‘respiratory illness’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, South Korea — Authorities in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, have ordered a five-day lockdown due to rising cases of an unspecified respiratory illness, the Russian Embassy and Seoul-based NK News reported on Wednesday, citing a government notice. On Tuesday, the website reported that Pyongyang residents appeared to be stocking up on goods in anticipation of stricter measures. North Korea acknowledged its first Covid-19 outbreak last year, but by August had declared victory over the virus. Instead, Pyongyang reported daily numbers of patients with fever, a tally that rose to some 4.77 million, out of a population of about 25 million. On Tuesday, state news agency KCNA said the city of Kaesong, near the border with South Korea, had intensified public communication campaigns “so that all the working people observe anti-epidemic regulations voluntarily in their work and life.”

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