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China Ukraine envoy urges governments to ‘stop sending weapons to the battlefield,’ negotiate peace

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:28 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China’s Ukraine envoy appealed Friday to other governments to “stop sending weapons to the battlefield” and hold peace talks but gave no indication that his trip to the region made any progress toward a settlement.Li Hui’s appeal came as Washington and its European allies are ramping up supplies of missiles, tanks and other weapons to Ukrainian forces that are trying to take back Russian-occupied territory.Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government says it is neutral and wants to serve as a mediator but has supported Moscow politically. “China believes that if we really want to put an end to war, to save lives and realize peace, it is important for us to stop sending weapons to the battlefield, or else the tensions will only spiral up,” Li told reporters. Li visited Ukraine, Russia, Poland, France, Germany and the European Union headquarters during a May 15-28 trip.Political analysts saw little chance that the Chinese initiative would make progress, but it gives Beijing a...

Unconscious man pulled from burning building in Mississauga

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:28 GMT

A man is in critical but stable condition after being pulled from a two-alarm fire in Mississauga overnight. Fire crews say they were called to a generator fire on the exterior of a two-storey commercial property in the area of Dundas and Hurontario Streets around 10:30 p.m. Thursday.“Upon arrival, crews noticed heavy flames coming from the rear of the building, extending into the roof,” Fire Chief Deryn Rizzi said in an online post. “Crews used a thermal imaging camera to detect a person in the dark, smoke filled structure.”Incredible rescue by Captain Skare and the crew from FS 110 in what became untenable fire conditions within the structure (video taken prior to a person being rescued). Firefighters used aggressive fire tactics to knock down the fire and prevented fire extension to exposures. pic.twitter.com/9vCjSihEJ7— Chief Deryn Rizzi (@derynrizzi) June 2, 2023The unconscious man was pulled from the building with a pulse. Paramedics transported h...

Centrist parties alarmed as poll shows growing support for German far right

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:28 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Prominent members of German mainstream parties have expressed alarm at a new poll that shows support for the far-right Alternative for Germany at a record high.The DeutschlandTrend survey, conducted monthly by infratest dimap for public broadcaster ARD, that was released on Thursday puts voter support for Alternative for Germany at 18%, on a par with Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats. In the 2021 election, Scholz’s party received 25.7% of the vote, while Alternative for Germany, or AfD, got 10.3%.“This (…) is a disaster and should be understood as an alarm signal for all parties of the center,” said Norbert Roettgen, a senior lawmaker for the main opposition Christian Democrats, whose support stood at 29% in the poll of 1,302 voters conducted from May 30-31. The margin of error was up to 3 percentage points.Roettgen said his own center-right party should ask itself why it hasn’t profited as much from voters’ unhappiness at the gove...

Amid shrinking freedoms, Hong Kongers commemorate Tiananmen anniversary privately

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:28 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — As the 34th anniversary of China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown approaches Sunday, many in Hong Kong are trying to mark the day in private ways in the shadow of a law that prosecuted leading activists in the city’s pro-democracy movement. For decades, Hong Kong was the only place in China where people held large-scale commemorations about the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in which tanks rolled into the heart of Beijing and hundreds, and possibly thousands, of people were killed. People gathered in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park annually to mark the June 4 anniversary with a candlelight vigil. In 2020, thousands defied a police ban to hold the event.This Sunday, Victoria Park will be occupied instead by a carnival organized by pro-Beijing groups to celebrate Hong Kong’s handover to Chinese rule in 1997. Organizers say it will feature a bazaar with food from across China.As the government arrested activists, publishers and opposition politicians under the ...

Tropical Storm Mawar intensifies rains for Japan, threatens floods and mudslides in some regions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:28 GMT

NAHA, Japan (AP) — Heavy rains intensified by Tropical Storm Mawar fell on Japan’s main archipelago Friday, halting trains and transit and threatening floods and mudslides in central and western regions, while residents were urged to use caution.Warnings were issued in parts of western and central Japan, with up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain forecast through Saturday evening. Residents in vulnerable areas, including those in Mie, Wakayama, Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures in central Japan, were warned of the potential for flooding and mudslides and advised to go to evacuation centers if possible.Television footage showed swollen rivers in residential areas in Wakayama city, including one where brown water rose as high as the bottom of a bridge over it.In Tokyo, the few pedestrians on the rainy streets clutched umbrellas as winds blew tree branches around. Afternoon classes were also cancelled at some schools. Ferry operations in the Tokyo Bay were canceled for the rest of Frid...

Erykah Badu basks in her new era of reinvention and expansion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:28 GMT

New York (AP) — Erykah Badu has unintentionally occupied the role of culture shifter and influencer for 20 plus years, well before it became a trendy, social media descriptor. Her impact has vibrated throughout music and fashion, and the “Green Eyes” songstress sees it clearly.“I can hear my influence in music. I can see my influence style,” explained the four-time Grammy winner. “I hear my words resonated all over the world…So yeah, I can see it.”That cultural cache may be why her collaboration with Italian fashion house Marni has been so anticipated. The Marni x Erykah Badu capsule was released in select U.S. Marni boutiques last month. The 42-piece collection features women’s ready-to-wear garments, including dresses, accessories and footwear, accented with handmade leather patchwork, heavy wools, bold sequins and lush velvets. Badu, 52, who is known for her creative and eccentric style, was hands on in all aspects.“I’ve worked the same way in every area of my life; on stag...

Leading Pakistani human rights lawyer taken by armed men in port city of Karachi, his family says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:28 GMT

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — A leading Pakistani human rights lawyer in the southern port city of Karachi is missing after more than a dozen armed men snatched him from his car, his family said. Jibran Nasir’s wife said the couple were returning home after dining out on Thursday evening when armed men in two white vans intercepted their car in an upscale area. The men took Nasir away but left her unharmed, said Mansha Pasha. She said she did not know who was behind the abduction. No one immediately claimed responsibility for Nasir’s abduction and the police said they were investigating. The disappearance drew condemnation from rights activists who planned to rally in the city later on Friday to demand Nasir’s release. Amnesty International said the Pakistani “authorities must expeditiously and impartially investigate and determine his whereabouts.”“If in state custody, Jibran must either be released immediately or if there is sufficient evidence, produce him in a...

Home sales up 25% from last year, but supply remains low: Toronto real estate board

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:28 GMT

The slowdown in Toronto’s housing market continued to slip away last month as home sales came in higher than they were a year ago and prices edged closer to pandemic highs.The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board found May’s home sales amounted to 9,012, up 25 per cent from a year earlier and 20 per cent from April.Jason Mercer, TRREB’s chief market analyst, took the numbers as a sign that demand for home ownership has picked up markedly in recent months, after many prospective buyers moved to the sidelines, when interest rates were hiked eight times in a rapid succession.“Many homebuyers have recalibrated their housing needs in the face of higher borrowing costs and are moving back into the market,” he said, in a release.“In addition, strong rent growth and record population growth on the back of immigration has also supported increased home sales.”However, sellers appear to still be awaiting higher prices and have not moved to list their hom...

National Spelling Bee champ Dev Shah goes from 'despondent' to champion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:28 GMT

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Fifteen months ago, Dev Shah spent a miserable five hours spelling outdoors in chilly, windy, damp conditions at a supersize regional competition in Orlando, Florida, only to fall short of his dream of returning to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.“Despondent is the right word,” Dev said. “I just didn’t know if I wanted to keep continuing.”Look at him now.Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the National Spelling Bee title Thursday night.Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, in the Tampa Bay area, first competed at the national bee in 2019, then had his spelling career interrupted. The 2020 bee was canceled because of COVID-19, and in the mostly virtual 2021 bee, he didn't make it to the in-person finals, held in his home state on ESPN's campus at Walt Disney World. Trump on reported audio discussing classified document: ‘Everything I did was ri...

'Largest nurses strike in Texas history': Ascension Seton nurses vote to authorize strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A union that represents 900 registered nurses at Ascension Seton Medical Center said Thursday that 98% of its members authorized a one-day strike at the health system. A strike at Ascension Seton would be the first nurses strike in an acute care setting, as well as the largest nurses strike in Texas history, according to the release from The National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United. The release said the nurses voted Wednesday and Thursday to authorize the strike. The union said if nurses do strike they would provide notice at least 10 days in advance. According to the Thursday's release, the union called the hospital management’s responses to its contract proposals "unacceptable and delayed". NNU said the proposals would ensure "the highest level of patient care in Austin, by improving nurse recruitment and retention so that every unit has safe staffing levels."In January, KXAN obtained official union complaint forms that cite instances of “inad...