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Heat and wildfires put southern Europe’s vital tourism earnings at risk

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:54 GMT

RHODES, Greece (AP) — Tourists at a seaside hotel on the Greek island of Rhodes snatched up pails of pool water and damp towels as flames approached, rushing to help staffers and locals extinguish one of the wildfires threatening Mediterranean locales during recent heat waves.The quick team effort meant that “by the time the fire brigade came, most of the fire actually was dealt with,” said Elena Korosteleva from Britain, who was vacationing at the Lindos Memories hotel.The next morning, some unsettled guests cut their holiday short — but most stayed on as the resort wasn’t damaged in the small brush fire outside its grounds.The Greek island known for sparkling beaches and ancient sites is nursing its wounds after 11 days of devastating wildfires in July. After thousands of people were evacuated during the height of travel season, Rhodes is weighing how the crisis will affect its vital tourism sector, which fuels most of its economy and some 20% of Greece’s.It’s the same...

Cambodia electoral body confirms Prime Minister Hun Sen’s party as the winner after final vote tally

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:54 GMT

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia’s electoral body on Saturday announced the final results of last month’s election, sealing a landslide victory for the ruling party of long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen and a mandate for the next five years.In an announcement on TVK state television and government social media platforms, the country’s National Election Committee said Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party won 120 of 125 available seats in the July 23 general election.The royalist Funcinpec Party won five seats, while none of the other 16 political parties gained any seats.The Cambodian People’s Party received 6,398,311 votes from a total of 8.2 million ballots cast in the popular vote. Funcinpec garnered 716,490 popular votes. There were 8.2 million paper ballots cast, including more than 7.7 million valid votes and 440,154 voided by the committee.In a widely anticipated move, Hun Sen announced on July 27 he was stepping down at the end of the month and handing the premiershi...

US and Sweden meet again in a Women’s World Cup match that will eliminate either Rapinoe or Seger

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:54 GMT

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Three powerhouse teams play on the second day of the Women’s World Cup knockout stage and at least one of the best will be eliminated. The United States is the two-time reigning tournament champions and ranked No. 1 in the world. But their lackluster play in the group stage stopped the Americans from winning their group, which knocked them down to second and a Sunday match against Sweden in the round of 16. Sweden is ranked third in the world and won its group by sweeping all three games. The seventh World Cup meeting between the two teams — the most frequent matchup in tournament history — will be played in Melbourne, Australia. Netherlands, meanwhile, is ranked ninth in the world and faces South Africa in Sydney. The Dutch were runners-up to the United States in the 2019 World Cup final. “Everything is related to our ambition as a football country,” Netherlands coach Andries Jonker said through a translator. “Being part of the top-10 in the ranki...

Florida shooting puts 2 officers in the hospital in critical condition, police chief says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:54 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Two Florida police officers were shot and critically injured during a traffic stop in Orlando late Friday, police said.The Orlando Police Department officers stopped a vehicle around 11 p.m. Friday as part of an investigation of a Miami homicide and were shot by a suspect in the car, Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said during a press conference early Saturday. The officers, who were not immediately identified, were transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, Smith said. The suspect carjacked another vehicle and police pursued, but did not immediately catch the suspect. A search was ongoing early Saturday, Smith said.“This is a sad day for our department,” Smith said. “For the suspects out there, we will find you and you will be brought to justice.”The Associated Press

DRENCHING RAINS THREATEN FLOODING IN PARTS OF THE AREA–THE AREA FROM THE I-88 CORRIDOR SOUTH APPEARS AT HIGHEST RISK SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT; A SECOND ROUND OF SHOWERS AND T-STORMS THREATENS SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:54 GMT

6-10 DAY PRECIPITATION OUTLOOKOn Friday it was another beautiful summer day with 94% of the day's possible sunshine as well as moderate air quality and humidities. The high reached 86 at O'Hare and 85 at Midway. Dew points were in the low and mid 60s—except closer to 70 in surrounding agricultural areas where crops were transpiring added moisture into the atmosphere. The haze is a combination of some moisture in the air—but also a some wildfire smoke sweeping into the area from the Western U.S. and Canada where fires are burning.Every day this week has featured highs in the mid 80s with the exception of Tuesday with its high of 90. The week (the 7-day period ending midnight Sat night) will post a modest 1-degree surplus.Easterly winds as high as 20 mph produced 2 to 4 ft. waves on Lake Michigan and prompted a BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT which continues into Saturday morning.6-10 DAY TEMPERATURE OUTLOOKThe moisture content of the atmosphere is to SOAR this weekend. Focusing rain & t-...

Al Bagnoli quits as Columbia football coach 6 weeks before opener, citing health

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia football coach Al Bagnoli quit Friday night because of health, six weeks before the Lions’ opener at Lafayette.The 70-year-old was replaced by offensive coordinator Mark Fabish, who was promoted to interim head coach for the 2023 season.Bagnoli said he had an aortic dissection in February“In consultation with my family, doctors and coaching staff, I have decided this is the right time for me to retire from coaching,” Bagnoli said in a statement. ” had every intention to get through this season, but after going through the recovery process, I realized the grind of the Ivy League season would be a lot to go through at this stage of my life.”Columbia is without an Ivy League title since its only one in 1961,Bagnoli won nine Ivy League championships in 23 seasons at Penn, then retired after the 2014 season and was hired a few months later by Columbia. The Lions went 2-8 and 3-7 in his first two seasons, then began 2017 with their first 7-0 start sinc...

‘Dangerous pivot’ on overseas oil and gas deals splits Biden administration

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:54 GMT

The Biden administration is retreating from its promises to stop funding oil and gas projects overseas, triggering a split among senior officials over whether to prioritize climate change or the diplomatic alliances the White House has deemed critical to counter Russia and China.Federal agencies have approved funding for proposals like renovations to an Indonesian oil refinery and shipments of natural gas to Poland — sometimes over the objections of President Joe Biden’s special climate envoy, John Kerry, and Democratic lawmakers.The policy shift shows how the fraught global political situation caused by the war in Ukraine and Washington’s tense rivalry with Beijing is threatening environmental goals. Democratic lawmakers and environmentalists fear the change could erode U.S. climate leadership as greenhouse gas emissions rise steadily and temperatures soar.“The Biden administration continues to approve one fossil project after another, which completely undermines our international ...

‘If you go after me, I’m coming after you!’: US prosecutors flag threatening Trump post to judge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:54 GMT

Prosecutors on Friday night called a judge’s attention to a social media post from Donald Trump — issued hours earlier — in which they say the former president appeared to declare that he’s “coming after” those he sees as responsible for the series of formidable legal challenges he is facing.Attorneys from special counsel Jack Smith’s team said the post from Trump “specifically or by implication” referenced those involved in his criminal case for seeking to subvert the 2020 election.In a court filing just before 10 p.m. Friday, Senior Assistant Special Counsels Molly Gaston and Thomas Windom alerted the judge in Trump’s latest criminal case – U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan – to a combative post Trump sent earlier in the day.“If you go after me, I’m coming after you!” Trump wrote in all caps Friday afternoon on Truth Social, which is run by a media company he co-owns.The prosecutors said Trump’s post raised concerns that he might improperly share evidence in the case on his ...

Pope visits Portuguese shrine known for apocalyptic prophesy linked to Russia as war rages on

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:54 GMT

FATIMA, Portugal (AP) — Pope Francis visited the Portuguese town of Fatima on Saturday to pray for peace at a shrine known for apocalyptic prophesies of hell, peace and Soviet communism that have found new relevance with Russia’s war in Ukraine.Francis was spending the morning in Fatima, praying with sick people and prisoners, alongside pilgrims who began filling the shrine’s central esplanade long before sunrise. As Francis prayed before a statue of the Madonna, nearby wildfires turned the sky smoky black and sent ash flittering down on the crowd.The trip was a brief excursion from Lisbon, where Francis has been presiding over World Youth Day celebrations, the big Catholic jamboree that has gathered nearly 1 million young Catholics together. He returns to the Portuguese capital for a Saturday night vigil service and then will preside over a final Mass on Sunday, where the site of the next edition of the faith festival will be announced.The Fatima story dates back to 191...

Niger’s junta isn’t backing down, and a regional force prepares to intervene. Here’s what to expect

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:54 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Regional mediation efforts to reverse the coup in Niger and restore its democracy collapsed as soon as they started. Tensions have escalated as the Sunday deadline nears for possible military intervention by other West African countries.As its meeting ended Friday in neighboring Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, the region’s defense chiefs finalized a plan to use force against the Niger junta — needing approval by their political leaders — if Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated as Niger’s president. An Economic Community of West African States delegation to Niger, led by Nigeria’s former head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, had tried unsuccessfully to meet with the coup leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who later declared that any aggression against Niger “will see an immediate response and without warning.”What started as an overthrow of the president by his closest commanders in the Presidential Guard has received the support of some other s...