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NATO chief in new drive to bring Finland, Sweden in

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:22:35 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is spearheading a new drive this week to see Finland and Sweden become members of the world’s biggest military organization by the time U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts meet for their next summit in July.Fearing that they might be targeted next after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, the Nordic neighbors abandoned their traditional positions of military nonalignment to seek protection under NATO’s security umbrella.All 30 allies signed Finland’s and Sweden’s accession protocols. Almost all have since ratified those texts, but Turkey and, more recently, Hungary have sought guarantees and assurances from the two. NATO must agree unanimously for them to join.Representatives from the Nordic neighbors and Turkey are meeting on Thursday at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Stoltenberg isn’t directly involved in the talks, but he organized them after convincing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last...

COVID-19 pandemic led to largest drop in Canadian life expectancy on record, data shows

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:22:35 GMT

New data on the life expectancy of Canadians paints a stark picture of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.According to the new Health of People in Canada Dashboard, life expectancy dropped 0.4 years from 2019 going into early 2020 – the largest drop on record. The average life expectancy in Canada as of 2020 was around 82, with women averaging 84 years and men at 80. The average health-adjusted life expectancy – a measure of how many healthy years Canadians have left – averages just 69.7.The data also shows that the virus quickly became a leading cause of death in Canada, behind cancer and heart disease.Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, says the new interactive dashboard will become an integral part of her annual reporting on the overall health of Canadians.

Netanyahu airlifted to airport after protesters block road

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:22:35 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to be airlifted on Thursday to the country’s main international airport for an official overseas trip, after throngs of cars and protesters prevented him from driving there. The demonstrations were part of nationwide protests underway for more than two months against his contentious plan to overhaul the judiciary. Protesters had made blocking Netanyahu’s route to the airport a centerpiece of their intensifying efforts to oppose the legal changes, and the optics of the Israeli leader having to make alternate travel plans were a win for the demonstrators. The helicopter ride, far from the snarling traffic triggered by the protest, was also sure to deepen Netanyahu’s reputation as being out of touch with Israelis at a time when the country finds itself torn apart over the government plan and the economy is slowing.Thursday’s disruptions also took a toll on visiting U.S. Secretary of State Lloy...

3 Palestinian militants killed in Israeli raid in West Bank

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:22:35 GMT

JABA, West Bank (AP) — Three Palestinian militants were killed in a shootout with Israeli troops on Thursday, the latest deaths in a surge of Israeli arrest raids in the occupied West Bank. Israeli security forces said they raided the village of Jaba in the northern West Bank to arrest suspects wanted for attacks on Israeli soldiers in the area. The suspects opened fire on Israeli troops, who shot back and killed three people, all affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, police said. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the men as Sufyan Fakhoury, 26, Nayef Malaisha, 25 and Ahmed Fashafsha, 22, and said they were shot by Israeli fire during the military operation. It said a fourth man was hospitalized with a bullet wound to the head in stable condition.Israeli police released a photo of assault rifles, pistols, ammunition and explosive devices they said troops confiscated in Jaba, just south of the flashpoint city of Jenin. The militant group said the men ...

Shell CEO pay up 50% as soaring energy prices boosted profit

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:22:35 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The pay package for Shell’s CEO jumped by half last year to nearly $12 million, the fossil fuel giant said Thursday, as oil and gas companies made record profits from skyrocketing energy costs that have driven a cost-of-living crisis.London-based Shell paid Ben van Beurden a total of 9.7 million pounds ($11.5 million) in 2022 as annual company profits doubled to an all-time high of $40 billion because Russia’s war in Ukraine sent oil and gas prices soaring.Van Beurden’s pay includes a 2.6 million-pound bonus and 4.9 million pounds worth of stock, according to the company’s annual report. Van Beurden stepped down at the end of last year and was replaced by Wael Sawan, who will be paid a base salary of 1.4 million pounds and a bonus that’s expected to be bigger than the salary, the report said.Demands have increased for oil and gas companies raking in huge profits to do more to reduce high energy costs that are hurting consumers and small bu...

3 mine workers die in Spain after being trapped underground

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:22:35 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Three workers died after becoming trapped deep underground in a potash mine in northeastern Spain on Thursday, firefighters said.The three were working at the Cabanasses de Súria mine around 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Barcelona. Firefighters in Spain’s Catalonia region confirmed the deaths, after police said earlier that land collapsed inside the mine just before 9 a.m. (0800 GMT; 3 a.m. EST).The collapse occurred at a depth of 900 meters (nearly 3,000 feet), according to the firefighters.The mine is operated by the Iberpotash company, and owned by Tel Aviv-based ICL Group, which didn’t immediately comment.Around 20,000 people work in Spain’s mining sector, according to Energy Ministry statistics, a figure that has halved in the last two decades.Between 2016 and 2021, the last year for which statistics were available, an average of four workers died annually in Spain’s mining sector.Catalan regional president Pere Aragonès offered his condolences...

Winter Weather Advisory issued Thursday for Chicago area; significant snowfall expected

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:22:35 GMT

CHICAGO — A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Friday for the Chicago area, Southern Cook is excluded. Most of the day will be quiet, but rain and snow will likely arrive for the evening commute.Accumulating wet snow is expected with 2-7 inches possible. Highest totals near Illinois/Wisconsin line. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Roads could become snow covered and travel is expected to be difficult for the evening rush, especially between 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Allow extra time and drive with caution.Friday Forecast: 50% chance of snow mainly early, cloudy with breezy conditions. High: 35.Full forecast details at the WGN Weather Center

Boy, 7, dead after fire at home of Chicago firefighter ID'd

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:22:35 GMT

CHICAGO — A 7-year-old boy has died after a house fire that erupted in the home of a Chicago firefighter on the Northwest Side Tuesday evening. The medical examiner's office identified the boy as 7-year-old Ezra Stewart. According to police, the fire broke out at a home in the 2550 block of North Rutherford Avenue in the Montclare neighborhood Tuesday night. Memorial services begin Wednesday for fallen Chicago officer Police said a 34-year-old woman, a 2-year-old girl, 7-year-old girl and boy were transported to the hospital in critical condition due to smoke inhalation. The boy succumbed to his injures Wednesday evening. It is reported that the fire started in the kitchen and was accidental. WGN is actively following this story.

Renters gain power in housing market

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:22:35 GMT

(NewsNation) — The rental market is “rapidly shifting in the favor of renters,” according to RealPage, a real estate software company.“Renters facing lease renewals suddenly have a lot more options — often attractively priced as apartment operators push hard to keep occupancy elevated,” RealPage economist Jay Parsons said in a report last month.Unlike in 2021 and 2022, when it comes to leasing renewals, renters have more incentive to shop around for better-priced alternatives.Source: RealPage Market AnalyticsPrior to February, no metro area in the United States experienced positive rent growth for six months, according to the Apartment List National Rent Report for March 2023.This favorable trend, among tenants, is expected to continue due to a “robust supply of new inventory hitting the market” this year.  Dating costs skyrocket in big cities amid inflation For the first time in six years, the national median rent price showed consistent decline from August through January, ...

Council to take up paid South Congress parking, petition requirements Thursday

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:22:35 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin City Council will meet Thursday with roughly 40 items on their agenda. Here's some of what we're watching. Petition requirements Austin City Council could ask the city manager to create a charter review commission. It’s goal would be to look at City Charter and recommend changes, including possible changes to petition requirements.The resolution comes shortly after council voted to put two opposing petitions — both of which address police oversight — with the same name on the May ballot. In accordance with the law, when a determined number of signatures is reached, and then verified by the City Clerk, council’s only options are to adopt the petition outright or to send it to voters.In Austin, the magic number is 20,000 signatures, or 5% of voters, whichever is less. It’s been that way in Austin’s charter since 2012, according to council documents. Austin City Council eying changes to petition requirements “A piece of what we’re asking them to look at a...