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Slovakia’s new government closes prosecutor’s office that deals with corruption and serious crimes

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:38:49 GMT

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s new government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico approved on Wednesday an amendment to the country’s penal code to close the special prosecutor’s office that deals with the most serious crimes and corruption.President Zuzana Caputova, the opposition and nongovernmental organizations protested the move, saying it will harm the rule of law in the country.Caputova called the government’s plans for the legal system “unfortunate and dangerous.” The draft expects the special prosecutor’s office to cease operations by Jan 15. The prosecutors should move to work under the office of the prosecutor general while regional offices take over unfinished cases.The legislation needs parliamentary and presidential approval. The three-party coalition has a majority in Parliament. President Caputova could veto the changes or challenge them at the Constitutional Court, but the coalition can override her veto by a simple majority.Fico returne...

Activists say their voices are stifled by increasing rules and restrictions at COP28 climate talks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:38:49 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — This year’s United Nations climate talks may have seen record numbers registered to attend, but activists who have spent years demonstrating at the annual event say their space to voice their demands is shrinking year on year.Held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates — where broad laws tightly restrict speech — climate activists have been protesting at COP28’s Blue Zone, which is considered international territory. Demonstrators say there have always been strict regulations for protests at COPs, but they say actions this year have been further limited in terms of the number of people allowed to participate and which climate issues they’re allowed to address on any given day. It’s a stark contrast, activists say, to the growing presence of the fossil fuel industry, where those linked to the industry number around 1,400, according to an Associated Press analysis. “There’s always been a lot of restriction on civic space inside ...

Man suffers serious injuries in stabbing near Queen and Ossington

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:38:49 GMT

A man in his 30 has serious injuries after he was stabbed in Toronto’s west end.Police and paramedics responded to the area of Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue around 5 a.m. on Wednesday and found a man with stab wounds.He was rushed to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.There is no word on suspects.No further details have been released.

QPAREB says Montreal home sales in November edged down from year ago

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:38:49 GMT

MONTREAL — The Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers says Montreal-area home sales in November edged down one per cent compared with the same month last year.The association says home sales in the region totalled 2,664, down from 2,700 in November 2022.Single-family home sales totalled 1,329, down from 1,451 a year earlier, while condominium sales amounted to 1,051, up from 1,040 in the same month last year.Plex sales rose to 282 for November, compared with 208 sales of the small income properties a year earlier.Active listings for November rose 11 per cent compared with a year ago to 17,715, while new listings rose three per cent to 4,787.The association says the median price of a single family home was $539,700, up from $520,000 a year ago, while the median price for a condominium was $395,275, up from $380,000. The median price for a plex was $731,250, up from $715,000 in November 2022.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2023.The Canadia...

Suspect in custody after 6 dead and 3 injured in series of attacks in Texas, authorities say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:38:49 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A daylong series of attacks in Austin has left four people dead and at least three injured, and a man believed to be connected to them and the deaths of two people near San Antonio was taken into custody, Texas authorities said.The dead were found in several homes. The injured included two police officers and a bicyclist, police said.The man, who is in his 30s, was charged with capital murder, Robin Henderson, Austin interim police chief, said at a news conference Tuesday night. His name has not been released. “We strongly believe one suspect is responsible for all of the incidents,” Henderson said of the Austin attacks. She said that police “did not determine that these incidents were connected until the last incident occurred” Tuesday night.Henderson provided a timeline, saying an Austin independent school district police officer was shot and injured about 10:45 a.m. Tuesday. Then about noon, a man and a woman were found dead in a home. Another shooting ...

Vaughan movie theatre evacuated after unknown substance released into building; police investigating

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:38:49 GMT

Police are investigating after hundreds of patrons were evacuated from a movie theatre in Vaughan following reports of a substance being leaked into the building.York Regional Police say officers were called to the Cineplex theatre near Highway 7 and Weston Road around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.Around 200 moviegoers needed to be evacuated from the cinema, according to police. The entire RioCan Colossus Centre of Woodbridge, the building that houses the theatre, was also evacuated but has since reopened.No injuries were reported.Police have not been able to confirm what the substance was but believe the incident was an intentional act. It remains an active criminal investigation. No suspect information has been made available.

Dutch plans to tackle climate change are in doubt after the election victory of a far-right party

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:38:49 GMT

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The outgoing Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, told delegates at the COP28 United Nations climate conference his country is “committed to accelerating our efforts” to tackle climate change.Whether that happens in this nation — large parts of which are under sea level and protected by dikes — depends on talks that are underway to form a new ruling coalition.Rutte’s potential successor wants to trash the country’s climate policies.One of far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders’ pledges ahead of the Nov. 22 election his PVV party won set alarm bells ringing at environmental groups.“The climate law, the climate deal and all other climate measures will go straight into the shredder,” his PVV party’s election manifesto said. “No wasting billions on useless climate hobbies, but more money for our people,” it added.“Wilders really denies climate change as something that the Netherlands should worry about. Which is interesting given that a large part of the country is b...

0% credit card offers can provide holiday relief – if used wisely

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:38:49 GMT

It’s hard to say what kills the holiday buzz more: Putting away the festive decorations or a mountain of credit card debt that swells with every interest charge.But not all credit cards charge interest, at least for a time. If you lack cash on hand to buy all the holiday things, a 0% annual percentage rate card can help you finance those purchases and motivate you to pay them off before the 0% period ends.These credit cards temporarily waive interest on purchases, some for as long as 21 months, making paying off debt more manageable. Also, some 0% APR cards have a sign-up bonus and earn rewards that can be used to pay down any holiday spending.According to a 2023 survey from NerdWallet, 20% of Americans say that introductory APR would be among one of the most important factors if they were choosing a new credit card to apply for.Here are four tips that can help you maximize the value of a 0% APR credit card and avoid a never-ending cycle of debt.MAKE MONTHLY PAYMENTS ON TIMEA credit...

2 Chicago officers among 3 seriously injured in house fire on West Side; 1 person missing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:38:49 GMT

CHICAGO — A house fire has left two Chicago police officers and one other person seriously injured on the city's West Side. One person is missing, according to authorities.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 was critically injured and transported to Mount Sinai Hospital. Family has confirmed the woman's son is unaccounted for.The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.This is a developing story. Check back for details.

Mild midweek but quick switch for the weekend

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:38:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A nice stretch of weather will take us through the next couple of days, but brace yourself for some weather whiplash this weekend.Despite another chilly morning, today will shape up to be a gorgeous December day with afternoon highs returning to the upper 60s and low 70s under a sky of sunshine and high clouds.Wednesday afternoon forecast high temperaturesMore of the same will follow Thursday, but a noticeable jump in temperatures is expected on Friday as temperatures soar close to 80 degrees.Weekend cold frontGusty south winds will pump warmth and humidity into Central Texas through the day on Friday. A spot shower may squeeze out Friday night but a better chance for spotty to scattered showers and storms comes Saturday morning along and incoming cold front.Cold front arrives Saturday morningAlthough we don't expect much, some areas (especially along and east of I-35) could pick up a few hundredths to a couple tenths of an inch of rain.Rain is likely to clear by m...