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Heavy monsoon rains return to Pakistan a year after deadly floods

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:09 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Heavy monsoon rains lashed Pakistan on Wednesday, causing deaths, flooding roads and disrupting lives in areas where residents already were struggling to recover from floods last summer that affected 33 million people and killed 1,739, officials said.At least 18 people have died in weather-related incidents since the rain started last week, including three who were killed in the past day, Pakistani media reported. The monsoon season officially started this week and will continue until September in the South Asian country. The first spell of rainy weather was expected to last until Saturday. Pakistan’s cultural capital, Lahore, received a record 272 millimeters (10.7 inches) of rain in nine hours Wednesday, flooding streets and the city’s canal. Efforts were underway to clear the water, Mohsin Naqvi, the top government official in Punjab province, said. The last time Lahore received such a deluge was 30 years ago, officials said. Pakistan’s capital, Islam...

UK, Canada, Sweden, Ukraine take Iran to top UN court over 2020 downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:09 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden and Ukraine have launched a case against Iran at the United Nations’ highest court over the downing in 2020 of a Ukrainian passenger jet and the deaths of all 176 passengers and crew.The countries want the International Court of Justice to rule that Iran illegally shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 on Jan. 8, 2020, and order Tehran to apologize and pay compensation to the families of the victims.Those killed included nationals and residents of Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, as well as Afghanistan and Iran. Their ages ranged from 1 year to 74 years old. The Associated Press

South Sudan president says he will be a candidate in long-delayed elections set for 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:09 GMT

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — President Salva Kiir of South Sudan says his country’s long-delayed elections will take place in 2024 and that he will be on the ballot. Kiir, who has led South Sudan since the territory became independent of Sudan in 2011, accepted the endorsement of the ruling party at a stadium event Tuesday in Bahr el Ghazal. “I am deeply touched by your endorsement and your continued support to our historic party,” Kiir told tens of thousands of supporters at the Wau Stadium.Kiir is expected to face his long-time rival, First Vice President Riek Machar, who has yet to confirm his candidacy.The opposition has accused the government of lacking the political will to hold elections. But Kiir said he was committed to free and fair elections.The vote would be the country’s first and the culmination of the peace agreement signed nearly five years ago to pull the young nation out of fighting that killed some 400,000 people. While large-scale clashes have subsided, violenc...

Conservatives go to red states and liberals go to blue as the country grows more polarized

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:09 GMT

STAR, Idaho (AP) — Once he and his wife, Jennifer, moved to a Boise suburb last year, Tim Kohl could finally express himself.Kohl did what the couple never dared at their previous house outside of Los Angeles — the newly-retired Los Angeles police officer flew a U.S. flag and a Thin Blue Line banner representing law enforcement outside his house.“We were scared to put it up,” Jennifer Kohl acknowledged. But the Kohls knew they had moved to the right place when neighbors complimented him on the display.Leah Dean is on the opposite end of the political spectrum, but she knows how the Kohls feel. In Texas, Dean had been scared to fly an abortion rights banner outside her house. Around the time the Kohls were house-hunting in Idaho, she and her partner found a place in Denver, where their LGBTQ+ pride flag flies above the banner in front of their house that proclaims “Abortion access is a community responsibility.”“One thing we have really found is a place to feel comfortable being ours...

Some vehicle updates are better than others and experts at Edmunds fill you in on the top 5 for 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:09 GMT

A few years into a new model’s launch, automakers will often update it with new features to spur interest and sales before it receives a full redesign. This update, which is commonly called a midcycle refresh, can vary in scope from revised styling to new engines and updated technology.These refreshed versions can be more desirable than the model years that preceded them, as they often remedy complaints from previous owners. Features that were once optional can become standard. A polarizing exterior might be given a face-lift to appeal to a wider audience. There’s also an opportunity for greater reliability since the automaker has had the time to fine-tune any issues that might have surfaced over the years. With this in mind, the automotive experts at Edmunds have gathered five noteworthy vehicle updates for 2024. 2024 HYUNDAI SONATA After debuting in 2020, the current Hyundai Sonata gets a face-lift with changes both inside and out. Inside, the Sonata ha...

GTA bracing for another steamy day. Extreme heat won’t relent for days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:09 GMT

The GTA is in for a another day of extreme heat with the sweltering conditions not expected to let up until later this week.It already felt close to 30 C as most Torontonians were waking up on Wednesday morning — it’s expected to feel much hotter later in the day with a high of 32 C expected.A heat warning remains in effect for much of Ontario with humidex values expected to be closer to 40. Thursday will bring much of the same, with a daytime high near 30 C and a chance of severe storms in the evening.Overnight temperatures will continue to hover around 20 C, offering little relief to the daytime heat. The hot and muggy air should relent on Friday when it will likely be several degrees cooler.Young children, pregnant women, older adults, people with chronic illnesses and people working or exercising outdoors are at greater risk during periods of extreme heat. Environment Canada is reminding residents to never leave pets or people in cars unattended, for any amount of ti...

Biden is hosting Sweden’s prime minister at the White House in a show of support for its NATO bid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to host Sweden’s prime minister at the White House on Wednesday in a show of solidarity as the United States presses for the Nordic nation’s entry into NATO, a week before the alliance’s summit. Biden and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will “review our growing security cooperation and reaffirm their view that Sweden should join NATO as soon as possible,” the White House said a statement announcing the meeting. The leaders also will discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine and matters involving China.Sweden and neighbor Finland ended their longstanding policy of military nonalignment after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Both applied for NATO membership, seeking protection under the organization’s security umbrella. Finland, which shares a more than 800-mile or 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, joined NATO in April. But Sweden, which has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, has seen its ascension delayed by Turk...

EU executive chides Poland, Hungary for democratic deficiencies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:09 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s executive on Wednesday chided Poland and Hungary for democratic deficiencies that have been accerbated by measures taken or left unaddressed by the current governments. While the EU Commission’s annual rule of law report noted a smattering of improvements in the two nations, it also underscored many remaining shortcomings that highlight the standoff between the Brussels-based EU institutions and the two east European nations. It constitutes one of the fundamental problems within the 27-nation bloc that has always sought to be a beacon of Western political liberalism in a world where autocracies sway ever more power. In the 35-page report, Poland came up time and again, specifically on legal issues that haven’t been fully addressed despite years of wrangling between Brussels and Poland, and EU action to deny Poland access to some EU funds. The report said there were still “serious concerns” related to the state institution ...

Several garages damaged in fire on Southwest Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:09 GMT

CHICAGO — Several garages were damaged in a fire early Wednesday on Chicago’s West Side.Chicago fire officials said the fire started in the 5700 block of West 64th Place around 1 a.m.Police and fire crews responded to the call and found six garages on fire.Firefighters extinguished the fires.No injuries were reported. No homes were damaged.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesOfficials said the fire started in one garage and spread to adjacent garages.The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Man dies after being pulled from Lincoln Park lagoon

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:09 GMT

CHICAGO — A man has died after he was pulled from the lagoon in Lincoln Park on the Fourth of July.According to Chicago Fire Department officials, emergency crews responded to the lagoon at 2200 North Cannon Drive around noon Tuesday. Several robberies reported in Lincoln Park The man was pulled from the water and taken to the hospital in critical condition where he later died.The Cook County Medical Examiner identified the man as 61-year-old Raymond Hopson.No other information has been provided.