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US expects to announce new weapons aid for Ukraine as Congress is stalled on more funding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:38:37 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is expected to announce a $175 million package of military aid to Ukraine on Wednesday, including guided missiles for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), anti-armor systems and high-speed anti-radiation missiles, according to U.S. officials.The latest aid comes as Congress remains stalled on legislation that would provide new funding for Ukraine as it battles to push back Russian forces, as well as money for Israel’s war with Hamas and other security needs. The Biden administration has said funding to aid Ukraine is running out, and the Pentagon packages of weapons and other equipment for the war have become much smaller in recent months.The White House is seeking nearly $106 billion, but the bill has gotten bogged down in negotiations over border security and because of increasing reluctance from Republican lawmakers to approve significant spending on the Ukraine war. GOP lawmakers are insisting on policy changes to halt the flow of...

Republican prosecutor will appeal judge’s ruling invalidating Wisconsin’s 174-year-old abortion ban

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:38:37 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Republican prosecutor said Tuesday that he plans to appeal a court ruling that Wisconsin law permits consensual medical abortions, the first step toward a potential showdown in the state Supreme Court over abortion rights.Sheboygan County District Attorney Joel Urmanski issued a statement through his attorneys saying that he disagrees with Dane County Circuit Judge Diane Schlipper’s July finding and state law clearly bans abortions, including consensual medical abortions.The case appears destined to end up at the state Supreme Court. Liberal justices currently hold a 4-3 majority on the court, making it unlikely that conservatives would prevail at that level. Urmanski could string out the process beyond the 2025 spring elections, however, in the hopes that liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley loses re-election and conservatives regain control of the court.In question is an 1849 Wisconsin law that conservatives have interpreted as banning abortion. The U.S. ...

Cargo ship breaks down in Egypt’s Suez Canal and crashes into a bridge. Traffic is not disrupted

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:38:37 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — A cargo ship broke down in Egypt’s Suez Canal on Wednesday and crashed into a bridge over the crucial waterway, authorities said, adding that the incident did not disrupt traffic through the canal. Adm. Ossama Rabei, head of the Suez Canal Authority, said the Singapore-flagged One Orpheus went off course after its rudder broke down before ploughing into the Mansi Bridge, near the port city of Ismailia. The extent of the damage to both the ship and the bridge is unclear.The incident happened in a newly expanded section of the waterway, where there are two separate shipping lanes, Rabei said in a statement issued by the authority.He said four tugboats have been dispatched to move the cargo ship, which was traveling north through the canal, on its way from Singapore to the Netherlands. Following the incident, all ships started using the second, original shipping lane.The incident was the latest of several such accidents in the crucial waterway. A number of ships have...

Democratic Wisconsin governor vetoes bill to ban gender-affirming care for kids

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:38:37 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Wednesday vetoed a bill that sought to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors.The veto was expected from Evers, who has vowed to strike down any proposals from the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature that he deems harmful to LGBTQ+ youth.The bill, which was passed by the Legislature in October, would have banned gender-affirming surgeries, which are rare, as well as all forms of gender-affirming care for minors in Wisconsin, including puberty blockers and hormone treatment using estrogen and testosterone.“This type of legislation, and the rhetoric beget by pursuing it, harms LGBTQ people and kids’ mental health, emboldens anti-LGBTQ hate and violence, and threatens the safety and dignity of LGBTQ Wisconsinites,” Evers wrote in his veto message. “I will veto any bill that makes Wisconsin a less safe, less inclusive, and less welcoming place for LGBTQ people and kids.”Public hearings on the proposal earlier this yea...

The US is poised to require foreign aircraft-repair shops to test workers for drugs and alcohol

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:38:37 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration proposed Wednesday to require drug and alcohol testing for employees of aircraft-repair shops in other countries.If the FAA proposal becomes final, foreign shops that perform certain safety-related work on planes would have to electronically transmit results of employee tests to the U.S. Department of Transportation.The FAA said its proposal would affect nearly 1,000 repair shops in 65 countries.Unions representing U.S. aircraft mechanics have long pushed for more scrutiny of foreign shops, calling it a safety issue, but the FAA resisted. Drug-testing rules that date to the 1980s do not cover situations in which mandatory testing would violate the laws or policies of another country.On Wednesday, however, the agency said that raising the standards on foreign shops would be an important safety measure because few countries require drug and alcohol testing of aircraft-maintenance workers.The FAA will publish its proposed rule in th...

Ford government’s decision to move science centre to Ontario Place ‘not fully informed’: auditor general

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:38:37 GMT

The Ford government’s controversial decision to relocate the Ontario Science Centre to Toronto’s waterfront was “not fully informed,” according to the province’s auditor general.In one of several reports on value-for-money audits released Wednesday, acting Auditor General Nick Stavropoulos says the province made the decision to move the attraction without proper input from key stakeholders and incomplete cost information.Questions have surrounded the government’s decision to move the attraction from its current location near Don Mills and Eglinton in North York to Ontario Place. The auditor general’s report also found that a proposal earlier this year to decision makers cited parking needs for the privately owned waterpark and spa that is planned for Ontario Place.The province has not disclosed details of the long-term lease with Therme for the highly criticized planned facility, but the auditor’s report says a “site-wide parking solut...

European Union calls for “the beginning of the end” of fossil fuels at COP28 climate talks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:38:37 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — This year’s climate talks should “mark the beginning of the end” of fossil fuels the European Commissioner for Climate Action said on Wednesday as the United Nations summit wrapped up its first week.Wopke Hoekstra told a news conference on the last day of the technical phase of the talks taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates that the bloc is seeking a “higher bar” in negotiations.Scientists, activists and U.N. officials repeatedly detailed how the world needs to phase-out the use of coal, oil and natural gas — which are responsible for most of the planet’s human-caused warming — but any agreement coming out of COP has to be near unanimous.“We have over 190 parties here at COP28 and we need all of these parties, all of these parties to agree to phase-out fossil fuels,” warned Hoekstra.Small island nations and other developing countries have also signaled support for a phase-out of fossil fuels.What to do about slashing fossil fuel ...

‘Blackberry,’ ‘Seven Veils’ among TIFF’s picks for top Canadian films of 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:38:37 GMT

TORONTO — A chaotic comedy about a generation-defining smartphone and a drama about a tortured opera director are among the Toronto International Film Festival’s picks for best Canadian films of the year.TIFF’s annual Canada’s Top Ten list includes Matt Johnson’s “BlackBerry,” the Toronto director’s rollicking account of the meteoric rise and disastrous demise of the once-ubiquitous gadget. Also making the cut is Toronto auteur Atom Egoyan’s opera drama “Seven Veils,” about a young director who stages a production of “Salome” while confronting her personal demons. Seven films are debut features, including Edmonton-born Cree director Cody Lightning’s mockumentary comedy “Hey, Viktor!” and Nova Scotia-bred Fawzia Mirza’s queer coming-of-age film “The Queen of My Dreams.”Another first-time filmmaker on the list is Quebec’s Ariane Louis-Seize, whose francophone comedy-drama ...

Guyana’s president says it is preparing to defend itself from Venezuela over disputed area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:38:37 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali told The Associated Press on Wednesday that his country is taking every necessary step to protect itself from Venezuela, which has ordered its state-owned companies to explore and exploit oil and minerals in Guyana’s vast Essequibo region that it considers its own.When asked if he has requested military assistance, Ali said his government is reaching out to allies and regional partners, some of which Guyana has defense agreements with, to protect the Essequibo region, which makes up two-thirds of the country.“We take this threat very seriously, and we have initiated a number of precautionary measures to ensure the peace and stability of this region,” Ali said in a brief phone interview.He noted that Guyana’s Defense Force also is speaking with counterparts in other countries but didn’t say which ones.“Should Venezuela proceed to act in this reckless and adventurous manner, the region will have to respond,” ...

2 Chicago officers among 3 seriously injured in West Side fire; man's body found

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:38:37 GMT

CHICAGO — A house fire has left two Chicago police officers and one other person seriously injured on the city's West Side. The body of a man who was unaccounted for in the fire has been located in the fire debris, according to officials.The blaze started around 1:15 a.m. Wednesday on the 1200 block of South Kedvale in North Lawndale. Officials said police were in the area and responded to the scene before the fire department arrived.According to authorities, two responding officers were on the porch of the home when it collapsed. They were transported to an area hospital in serious-but-stable condition.A 75-year-old woman, identified as Dessi Street, was critically injured and transported to Mount Sinai Hospital. The woman's son was unaccounted for, but his remains were located around 10 a.m. Wednesday. The man has been identified as 37-year-old Carl Street.The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.