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Greek authorities say the bodies of 18 people have been found in an area struck by a major wildfire

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:39:47 GMT

ALEXANDROUPOLIS, Greece (AP) — Firefighters scouring the area of a major wildfire in northeastern Greece burning out of control for a fourth day found the bodies of 18 people, authorities said Tuesday. They were examining whether the group might have been migrants who entered the country through the nearby border.The discovery in the Avanta area of the city of Alexandroupolis came as hundreds of firefighters battled dozens of wildfires breaking out across the country, fanned by gale-force winds. On Monday, two people died and two firefighters were injured in separate fires in northern and central Greece.With their hot, dry summers, southern European countries are particularly prone to wildfires. Another major blaze was burning across Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands for a week, although no injuries or damage to homes was reported from that blaze.European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that ...

Poland’s leader says Russia’s moving tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, shifting regional security

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:39:47 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday that Russia already is in the process of shifting some short-range nuclear weapons to neighboring Belarus, a move that Duda said will shift the security architecture of the region and the entire NATO military alliance.Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko said last month that Moscow already had shipped some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus after announcing the plan in March. The U.S. and NATO haven’t confirmed the move. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg denounced Moscow’s rhetoric as “dangerous and reckless,” but said in July that the alliance hadn’t seen any change in Russia’s nuclear posture.Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield and have a short range and a low yield compared with much more powerful nuclear warheads fitted to long-range missiles. Russia said it would maintain control over those it sends to Belarus.D...

Who’s in, who’s out, who’s boycotting: The 8 candidates expected on-stage for the first GOP debate

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:39:47 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The stage is set for the first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 campaign, with the Republican National Committee saying late Monday that eight candidates had met the qualifications to be on stage in Milwaukee.To qualify for the Aug. 23 debate, candidates needed to satisfy polling and donor requirements set by the RNC: at least 1% in three high-quality national polls or a mix of national and early-state polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21, and a minimum of 40,000 donors, with 200 in 20 or more states.To appear onstage, candidates needed to commit at least 48 hours before the Wednesday evening debate, according to RNC criteria, which also required participants to sign a pledge promising to support the party’s eventual nominee.A look at who’s in, who’s out and who’s decided not to participate:WHO’S IN RON DESANTIS The Florida governor has long been seen as former President Donald Trump’s top rival, finish...

Knicks sue Raptors, accusing rival of using ex-Knicks employee as ‘mole’ to steal scouting secrets

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:39:47 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks sued the Toronto Raptors, their new head coach and a former Knicks scouting employee on Monday, saying the defendants conspired to steal thousands of videos and other scouting secrets over the past few weeks.The lawsuit in Manhattan federal court seeks unspecified damages and a ban on the further spread of the Knicks’ trade secrets. The lawsuit claimed that secrets including scouting and play frequency reports, along with a prep book and a link to valuable software, had been downloaded thousands of times by Raptors employees.“This material consists of secret, proprietary information critical to the Knicks’ efforts to maintain a competitive advantage over their rivals, including the Raptors,” the lawsuit said.The Knicks said the theft occurred in recent weeks after the Raptors hired and recruited “a mole” within the Knicks organization. The lawsuit identified him as Ikechukwu Azotam, who since August 2021 had directed the planning, orga...

Stock market today: Wall Street ticks higher in early trading, led again by Big Tech

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:39:47 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is ticking higher in early trading, on track for its first back-to-back gain in what’s been a miserable August. The S&P 500 was up 0.3% early Tuesday, coming off a gain powered by Big Tech stocks. The Dow was little changed and the Nasdaq composite was up 0.6%. Stocks have struggled this month as yields shot higher in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was holding steady, a day after reaching its highest level since 2007. Tech stocks were again helping to lead the market ahead of what could be a pivotal earnings report from chipmaker Nvidia on Wednesday. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street pointed toward gains early Tuesday as markets digested more earnings from retailers while waiting for any hints about interest rates from the Federal Reserve at this week’s conference.Futures for S&P 500 rose 0.6% before the bell Tuesday, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0....

Some states reject federal money to find and replace dangerous lead pipes

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:39:47 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — As the Biden administration makes billions of dollars available to remove millions of dangerous lead pipes that can contaminate drinking water and damage brain development in children, some states are turning down funds. Washington, Oregon, Maine and Alaska declined all or most of their federal funds in the first of five years that the mix of grants and loans is available, The Associated Press found. Some states are less prepared to pay for lead removal projects because, in many cases, the lead must first be found, experts said. And communities are hesitant to take out loans to search for their lead pipes.States shouldn’t “shrug their shoulders” and pass up funds, said Erik Olson, a health and food expert at the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council.“It’s troubling that a state would decide to take a complete pass on the funding because part of the reason for the funding is to figure out whether you even have lead,” Olson said.The B...

Hundreds of patients evacuated from Los Angeles hospital building that lost power in storm’s wake

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:39:47 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A power outage at a Los Angeles hospital prompted the evacuation of at least 21 patients in critical condition to other facilities, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart said Tuesday morning.More than 200 other patients at Adventist Health White Memorial’s specialty care center were being moved to other buildings, officials said in an alert posted online. The specialty care center was the only building on the campus affected by the power outage.Stewart referred questions on the cause of the outage to hospital officials, who didn’t respond immediately to an email seeking comment. The power outage happened after Tropical Storm Hilary dumped record rainfall on Los Angeles.The Associated Press

Biden names former Obama administration attorney Siskel as White House counsel

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:39:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that the new White House counsel will be Ed Siskel, a former Obama administration attorney who helped craft the response to the congressional investigations into the 2012 Benghazi attack that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador. Siskel, who’ll begin in September, takes over during a critical time at the White House, when Biden is vying for reelection and congressional and judicial investigations into his administration and family are swirling. “Ed Siskel’s many years of experience in public service and a career defending the rule of law make him the perfect choice to serve as my next White House Counsel,” Biden said in a statement. Biden’s personal attorney remains Bob Bauer, who represents the Democratic president in his personal capacity, most notably in matters related to the classified documents found in his office and his home in Wilmington, Delaware. The White House counsel’s jo...

Hundreds still waiting for power after fire at west-end Toronto highrise

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:39:47 GMT

Hundreds of residents of a west-end Toronto highrise spent another night without power after a five-alarm electrical fire tore through the building over the weekend.Fire officials say it could take a number of days to restore power to the building in the area of Bloor Street West and Dovercourt Road. Crews responded to reports of an explosion and fire at 357 Rusholme Rd. on Sunday afternoon that ended up damaging the building’s electrical system.In an update on Monday, deputy fire chief Jim Jessop said water service was back on and crews were focused on restoring power to the building’s fire safety systems. He said that in-suite power, including lights, air conditioning and stoves, will not be restored for at least “a number of days.”Residents have been forced to navigate the halls of their building in darkness, using the light from their phones to go inside and retrieve belongings. The stairwells have been lit with portable generators.No evacuation orders are in place prevent...

Pakistani rescuers try to free 6 children and 2 men from a cable car hundreds of feet in the air

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:39:47 GMT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A cable car carrying six children and two adults dangled hundreds of meters (feet) above the ground in a remote part of Pakistan after it broke on Tuesday, trapping the occupants for hours before rescuers arrived in helicopters to try to free them. Army commandos could be seen on local TV trying to lower themselves on ropes from the choppers toward the cable car. An expert warned the rescue was incredibly delicate because the wind created by the helicopters’ blades could further weaken cables holding the car aloft.Commandos in helicopters were expected to make another attempt before sunset to rescue those trapped. Earlier, two helicopter attempts tried to free them but were unsuccessful.Relatives of those trapped prayed while anxiously watching the operation unfold. The rescue has also transfixed Pakistanis across the country who crowded around televisions in offices, shops, restaurants and hospitals.According to Pakistani TV stations, some of those t...