January 27, 2024 4:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters in Taiwan recently repelled a wave of disinformation seeking to undermine their democracy ahead of this month’s recent election. In doing so, the island can offer lessons to the U.S. and other nations holding their own elections amid the threat of foreign disinformation. Experts say Taiwan was able to rebuff China’s efforts to meddle with their democracy by taking the challenge of disinformation seriously. When rumors and hoaxes about voting discrepancies popped up, the government and independent fact-check groups responded aggressively and quickly. China views Taiwan as its own and has used propaganda and disinformation in an effort to undermine its democracy.
January 27, 2024 4:06 am
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The United Nations’ top court has ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in Gaza. But the panel stopped short Friday of ordering Israel to end the military offensive that has laid waste to the Palestinian enclave. In a ruling that will keep Israel under the legal lens for years to come, the court offered little other comfort to Israel in a genocide case brought by South Africa that goes to the core of one of the world’s most intractable conflicts. The court’s half-dozen orders will be difficult to achieve without some sort of cease-fire or pause in the fighting.
January 27, 2024 3:49 am
BENTLEYVILLE, Pa.(WPXI) — A Washington County man is facing nearly 100 charges after a dozen dogs were found to be emaciated in his house. According to the criminal complaint, Fredrick Frameli brought two dogs to Hidden Valley Animal Clinic in Bentleyville on Dec. 12. The two dogs, both under a year old, were considered emaciated, the complaint said. Tina, a Belgian Tervuren, weighed 16.4 pounds, and Gracie, a German Shepherd, weighed 18 pounds. Both had a body score of 1/9, with their fur matted, stained and smelling of urine. Both also had overgrown toenails and were noted to be “very hungry.” On Jan. 5, Frameli brought in another German Shepherd by the name of Katie. She weighed 19.4 pounds and had the same conditions as Tina and Gracie, the complaint said. On Jan. 12, Gracie and Tina came back for a recheck appointment. Both had only gained around one pound each and reports stated they were “ravenous” in the exam room for treats, the complaint said. Officers received a search warrant for Frameli’s house on Jan. 22. It was executed the next day. The complaint said upon entering the house, there was a “horrific odor of ammonia, urine and feces.” Eight German Shepherds were found in black wire crates throughout the kitchen and living room, all of which were malnourished and extremely skinny. The crates were also filled with feces. Four more German Shepherds were found in black wire crates in the basement, the complaint said. They were all in similar conditions. In total, 12 dogs were recovered from the home. Their ages ranged from 6 months old to 1 year old and all of them scored either a 1 or 2 out of 9 in body score. Frameli is charged with 12 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals – torture, 12 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals – causing severe bodily injury or death, 12 counts of cruelty to animals, 12 counts of neglect of animals – sustenance/water, 12 counts of neglect of animals – shelter/protection, 12 counts of neglect of animals – vet care, 12 counts of failure to have vaccination against rabies for dogs over 12 weeks old and 12 counts of failure to license a dog over 3 months of age.
January 27, 2024 1:18 am
A Canonsburg man faced his preliminary hearing Friday on three felony drug charges. John Backner, 57 opted to have his charges held for court without a hearing. He faces drug delivery resulting in death, possession and criminal use of a communications device charges. According to the criminal complaint, Backner was the individual responsible for obtaining and delivering a fatal dose of heroin to Sean Caldwell, 41 of Southview in October of 2023. Police were able to tie Backner to Caldwell’s death through text messages between the two in the hours leading up to Caldwell’s death regarding the purchase of heroin by Caldwell from Backner. A coroner’s report verified that Caldwell died from fentanyl and cocaine toxicity. Backner remains in the Washington County Jail on $500,000 bond.
January 27, 2024 1:14 am
(WPXI) – A substitute teacher at Seton LaSalle Catholic High School has been arrested following a ChildLine tip earlier this week. Damon Michael Gall, 24, of Canonsburg, is charged with institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors and indecent assault. The Mount Lebanon Police Department said that they received a ChildLine report on Wednesday from a mandated reporter who said an individual employed at the time as a substitute teacher at Seton LaSalle had unwanted and inappropriate contact with a student. Mount Lebanon detectives worked with school officials and law enforcement partners to investigate the complaint. Police said during the investigation, they compiled enough evidence to charge Gall. Authorities said Gall previously worked in the Ringgold School District in Washington County. The Washington County District Attorney’s Office was notified. If you have any information related to this incident, please contact the Mt. Lebanon Police Department at 412-343-4095. (Photo: www.pitflagfootball.com)
January 26, 2024 5:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan Senate deal to pair border enforcement measures and Ukraine aid faces potential collapse. Senate Republicans are increasingly wary of an election-year compromise that Donald Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, is calling “meaningless.” Senate negotiators have been striving for weeks on a carefully negotiated compromise on border and immigration policy. But even before the senators have had a chance to finalize the legislation and release it to their colleagues, election-year politics and opposition from Trump are weighing it down. The dynamic could derail a plan to approve wartime aid for Ukraine, potentially leaving the country stranded without robust supplies of ammunition and missiles to fend off Russia’s invasion.
January 26, 2024 5:08 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A jury has awarded an additional $83.3 million to advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who says former President Donald Trump damaged her reputation by calling her a liar after she accused him of sexual assault. Friday’s verdict was the second time in nine months that a jury addressed Carroll’s claim that Trump assaulted her in a New York City department store in 1996. Another jury last May found Trump liable for sexual abuse and ordered him to pay $5 million. This defamation trial was over things Trump said about Carroll while he was president. Trump continues to insist he was falsely accused.
January 26, 2024 5:07 am
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Israel is set to hear whether the United Nations’ top court will order it to end its military offensive in Gaza during a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide. The International Court of Justice’s president will read out the highly anticipated decision Friday. The ruling comes at an early stage in South Africa’s case alleging that Israel’s military action in its war with Hamas in Gaza amounts to genocide. Israel vehemently rejects the accusation and has asked the court to throw out the case. South African has asked for orders including one for Israel to “immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza.”
January 26, 2024 5:06 am
ATMORE, Ala. (AP) — A man who was paid $1,000 to kill an Alabama woman more than 30 years ago has been put to death with pure nitrogen gas, a first-of-its-kind execution that again placed the U.S. at the forefront of the debate over capital punishment. Kenneth Eugene Smith appeared to shake and convulse before being pronounced dead Thursday at an Alabama prison after breathing the gas through a face mask to cause oxygen deprivation. The execution came after a last-minute legal battle in which Smith’s attorneys said the state was making him the test subject for an experimental execution method that could violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Smith was one of two men convicted in the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of Elizabeth Sennett.
January 26, 2024 5:04 am
The International Court of Justice is reading out its decision on whether to order Israel to halt its offensive in Gaza. South Africa accused Israel of genocide and asked the court in The Hague, Netherlands, to issue an interim order for Israel to halt its offensive in Gaza. Israel rejects the filing and has asked the court to throw out the case. The Health Ministry in Gaza said Friday that over 26,000 people have been killed in the enclave since the Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel, when militants from Gaza killed around 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. On Thursday it said that Israeli fire struck a crowd of people waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza City, killing at least 20 and wounding 150. The Israeli military says it’s looking into the reports.
