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Traveling this holiday season? The time to book trips is now, experts say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:41 GMT

The holidays are around the corner, and for those looking to travel, now is the time to plan. But with prices higher than ever, experts say, there are some things they should consider.Holiday season might still be weeks away, but travel experts advise to start booking trips now.“With inflation and in a post-pandemic world, the price of traveling, specifically airfare, has gone up drastically,” said Adam Duckworth, the founder of Travelmation.With bookings being so expensive, there is one thing travelers may want to consider to save a few bucks this year.“Traveling on the holiday itself,” said Duckworth.Those who are flexible with their travel dates tend to save the most during peak flight seasons, but for those who don’t want to be traveling on the holiday itself, flying out four to five days in advance can still be budget-friendly.For those who remain unsure about the best time to book a trip, Duckworth has a word of advice.“You want to book as e...

7 key faces to watch in the Polish election

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:41 GMT

Poland’s October 15 general election looks a lot like a feud between two grizzled political veterans.Two men — Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the ruling right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, and Donald Tusk, head of the opposition Civic Platform party — have dominated Polish politics for two decades. But this year they’ll have to deal with other players if they want to rule. POLITICO’s Poll of Polls shows that no party has enough support to win an outright majority in parliament, meaning they’ll need the support of smaller groups like the centrist Third Way or the far-right Confederation — as well as the loyalty of their own party members, which isn’t always a given.Here are seven faces that matter in Polish politics:Jarosław Kaczyński: The Puppet MasterLeszek Szymanski/EFE via EPA The 70-year-old leader of PiS is also Poland’s de facto ruler.A minor figure in the anti-communist movement of the 1980s, Kaczyński climbed the po...

Iran is the only one likely to benefit from Hamas’ attack on Israel

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:41 GMT

Anchal Vohra is an international affairs commentator and was based in Beirut until recently.Israelis woke up to a nightmare on Saturday as Hamas fighters infiltrated the country’s south, indiscriminately opening fire on passersby, throwing hostages in their trucks, shooting at young people at a music festival and firing thousands of rockets at Israeli cities, including Jerusalem. Some of those who managed to escape the gunfire gave harrowing accounts of how they saw “bullets fly’’ around them and had friends die in their arms. By the end of the day, at least 700 Israelis were massacred, more than 2,000 were injured and “a significant number’’ were held captive.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israel was “at war’’ and warned of a massive response. “What happened today has never been seen before in Israel and I will ensure it never happens again,’’ he said in an address to the Israeli people. This “black day” will be “avenged,” he added, calling in reservists fo...

Labour wants to decarbonize UK power by 2030. Mission impossible?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:41 GMT

LONDON — Keir Starmer’s Labour Party heads into its annual conference in Liverpool with a big, bold green promise: net zero electricity in Britain by 2030. There’s just one problem with the pre-election pitch. Many in the energy sector, and even some of Westminster’s loudest green advocates, doubt the ambitious decarbonization drive — meant to galvanize Whitehall and industry — can be done.“Frankly, no,” said Neil Golding, head of market intelligence at the Energy Industries Council, a trade association, when asked if the U.K. opposition party’s target is achievable. “Certainly not at the current pace of developments.” Gary Smith, boss of the GMB union, which represents oil and gas workers, has called it “impossible.”“I personally don’t think it’s achievable,” said Chris Skidmore, a Conservative MP and former energy minister.Skidmore has become an outspoken critic of his own government’s decision to water down net zero commitments, and recently voted with Labour on ...

Orioles on brink of elimination after falling to Rangers, 11-8, in Game 2 of ALDS: ‘There is no tomorrow’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:41 GMT

The last time the Orioles were this good, a team that appeared on track to make the World Series was swept in the league championship series.The last time they made the playoffs, a managerial blunder and a walk-off home run ended their season.Those two postseason appearances — in 2014 and 2016, respectively — ended in disaster, and the 2023 Orioles are one loss away from their own playoff nightmare coming true.Baltimore on Sunday lost Game 2 of the American League Division Series, 11-8, to the Texas Rangers and trails 2-0 in the best-of-five series. Only 10 teams in MLB history have come back from such a deficit, with the most recent in 2017.“Our backs are against the wall right now,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We have to go to Texas and play well. We haven’t played our two best games here. We played well on the road all year, so hopefully we can play well on the road.”Grayson Rodriguez and the Orioles’ bullpen were tagged for...

Opinion polls show Australians likely to reject Indigenous Voice to Parliament at referendum

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:41 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australians appear likely to reject the creation of an advocate for the Indigenous population in a referendum outcome that some see as a victory for racism.Two opinion polls published in newspapers on Monday are the latest to show a majority of respondents oppose enshrining in Australia’s constitution an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Creating the Voice would aim to give Australia’s most disadvantaged ethnic minority more say on government policies that effect their lives.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday would not concede defeat before voting on the referendum ends Saturday.“We’ll wait and see when they cast their vote. I’m not getting ahead of the Australian people,” Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp.“I know there’s some arrogance has crept into the no-side campaign, but it’s a campaign based upon fear,” Albanese added.Albanese has said the world will judge Australians on how they vote at their first referendum since 1999.Indigeno...

Hamas attack at music festival led to chaos and frantic attempts to escape or hide

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:41 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The outdoor Tribe of Nova music festival was meant to be an all-night dance party in a rural area near the Gaza-Israel border, where thousand of young people would celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.But it became a site of deadly chaos when Hamas militants attacked the festival in the desert area early Saturday, killing an estimated 260 people. Terrified revelers tried to run and hide from the gunfire, according to an Israeli rescue organization, news outlets and accounts on social media. The Israeli rescue service Zaka said paramedics have removed about 260 bodies from the music festival, with the figure expected to rise as teams continue working to clear the area. Festival organizers said in a statement on social media they were assisting security forces to help locate missing people who attended the event.The attack on the music festival was part of the larger assault on Israel by Hamas fighters who blew through a fortified border fence in an unprecedented su...

Tourism resumes in West Maui near Lahaina as hotels and timeshare properties welcome visitors

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:41 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — The area around the Maui town largely destroyed by wildfire two months ago began welcoming back travelers on Sunday after the mayor and Hawaii’s governor pushed ahead to restart tourism to boost the economy despite opposition from some Lahaina residents. Five hotels in West Maui were accepting reservations again, according to their websites and the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association. In addition, eight timeshare properties — in which visitors have an ownership stake in their room — were opening across the region early this month, including some a few miles from the devastation.The reopening fell on the two-month anniversary of the wildfire that killed at least 98 people and destroyed more than 2,000 structures, many of them homes and apartments. Ilihia Gionson with the Hawaii Tourism Authority said Sunday that a huge influx of visitors was not expected based on conversations with hotels. Precise figures for how many travelers were returning to the area’s hotels and t...

Sunday forecast: Clearing skies & cooler temperatures

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:41 GMT

Tonight: Clearing skies & getting cold. Patchy fog late. Frost possible in some outlying areas. NW 5-10 mphLow 39 Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Tomorrow: Mostly sunny & a bit milder. NW 10-15 mphHigh near 60Extended outlook calls for more sunshine on Tuesday. Temps a bit closer towards normal in the mid to low 60s. Clouds and a rainy period moves into Chicagolanad on Wednesday in the afternoon and stay with us through the end of the week. Rain at times and highs in the mid to upper 50s. 

Powerball jackpot up to $1.55 billion as lottery losing streak continues

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:41 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.55 billion after no one matched the game’s six numbers Saturday and won the giant prize.The numbers drawn Saturday night were: 47, 54, 57, 60, 65 and red Powerball 19.The $1.55 billion prize is for a sole winner who is paid through an annuity, with annual checks over 30 years. Most jackpot winners opt for cash, which for the next drawing Monday night would be an estimated $679.8 million.The jackpot is now the world’s fourth-largest lottery prize after rolling over for 34 consecutive drawings, since the last time someone won the top prize on July 19. That streak trails the record of 41 draws set in 2021 and 2022.The scarcity of Powerball jackpot winners reflects the game’s daunting odds of 1 in 292.2 million.Powerball is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.