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South Africa hopes to ease crippling blackouts as major power station recovers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:52 GMT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African officials are hoping that the gradual recovery of one of the country’s biggest coal-fired power stations will reduce crippling power blackouts.At least two units at the Kusile power station have been restored in the last three weeks, adding 1,600 megawatts to the national grid and reducing the rolling power blackouts, which can last up to 12 hours a day.The units have been out of service since they broke down in October last year, contributing significantly to the blackouts, known in South Africa as loadshedding.The two units were restored nearly two months ahead of schedule and two more are expected to be brought back online before the end of the year, officials said.While the full recovery of the power station is unlikely to end all power blackouts, it is seen as a significant step toward resolving the power crisis that has severely affected households and the country’s economy.The Kusile power station has six generating units capable of pro...

Greta Thunberg charged with public order offense in UK after arrest outside oil industry conference

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:52 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been charged with a public order offense after being arrested at a demonstration against an oil and gas industry conference in London.The Metropolitan Police force said Wednesday that the 20-year-old Swedish campaigner was one of 26 people charged after protesters gathered outside the luxury InterContinental Hotel during the Energy Intelligence Forum. Thunberg was among dozens of protesters who chanted “oily money out” and sought to block access to the hotel on Tuesday.Thunberg was detained and taken to a police station before being released overnight, police said.She was charged with breaching a section of the Public Order Act that allows police to impose limits on public assemblies and was released on bail until a Nov. 15 hearing at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court. The other protesters facing charges were also allowed bail.The three-day conference, which runs until Thursday, features speakers including the chief executives ...

3 French airports forced to evacuate after security alerts in the latest of a series of threats

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:52 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Three French airports in the cities of Lyon, Toulouse and Lille were evacuated on Wednesday following security alerts, police said. They were the latest in a series of evacuations around France this week that included popular tourist attractions the Louvre Museum and Versailles Palace following the killing of a teacher in the northern city of Arras on Friday. All the threats up to Wednesday proved false. Emailed threats of an attack were received at the airports in the southeast city of Lyon, the southern city of Toulouse and Lille in northern France, police said, without elaborating on the contents of the emails.The prefecture for the Lyon region said Wednesday that the threat at the airport was a false alarm and reminded the public that communicating false information can lead to prison and a heavy fine.Meanwhile an abandoned piece of luggage briefly disrupted operations at the airport in the Riviera city of Nice, the airport said. The Louvre Museum and the Palais de ...

Edmunds recommends the five best SUVs for under $40K

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:52 GMT

The automotive experts at Edmunds test SUVs of all shapes, sizes and prices. During these evaluations, certain models rise to the top with qualities such as roomy seating and cargo areas, a comfortable ride, and easy-to-use touchscreens and technology features. But with many prospective buyers looking to make every dollar count, it’s important to consider value as well.Working with a budget cap of $40,000, Edmunds picked five SUVs to highlight. Some have city-friendly proportions that take the stress out of parking in tight spots, while others have cavernous cargo holds and handy third-row seating. They are listed below in order of price, which includes the destination charge. 2024 MAZDA CX-50 The Mazda CX-50 small SUV earns a spot in this list thanks to its driving refinement and upscale cabin. From inside it’s not hard to believe that you’re behind the wheel of a luxury-badged model. The design is first-rate and the seats are supportive in either row. T...

A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund reports Q3 profit up from year ago

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:52 GMT

VANCOUVER — A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund says it earned $10.6 million in net income in its third quarter up from $9.6 million a year earlier.The fast food income fund says the increase for the quarter ended Sept. 10 came as royalty income rose to $13.7 million compared with $13.2 million in the same quarter last year.The fund, which earns royalties on the gross sales of restaurants in a royalty pool, says gross sales reported by A&W restaurants in the pool totalled $456.8 million, up from $440.0 million a year earlier.The number of restaurants in the pool rose to 1,037 compared with 1,015 in the same quarter last year.Meanwhile, the royalty pool same-store sales growth was 1.1 per cent for the quarter.The fund’s payout ratio for the quarter was 81.3 per cent compared with 80.3 per cent for the same quarter in 2022. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:AW.UN)The Canadian Press

Republicans and Democrats agree that the Afghanistan war wasn’t worth it, an AP-NORC poll shows

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — At a time when Americans are deeply divided along party lines, a new poll shows considerable agreement on at least one issue: The United States’ two-decade-long war in Afghanistan was not worth fighting.The poll from the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research comes two years after the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban returned to power. The war was started to go after the masterminds of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the Taliban who allowed them to use Afghan territory. It ended in frantic scenes of Afghans and Americans desperately trying to get on one of the last flights out of Kabul.Polls suggest the withdrawal, seen by many as chaotic and ill-planned, may have been a turning point for President Joe Biden’s approval ratings, which started a downward slide around that time and have not recovered since. Two-thirds of Americans sa...

Debate begins today over whether to censure NDP MPP over controversial statement on Hamas attack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:52 GMT

A debate is set to begin at Queen’s Park on Wednesday on whether to censure an NDP MPP over a controversial social media post she wrote in response to the Hamas attack in Israel.The Ford government introduced a motion calling for rookie MPP Sarah Jama to apologize in the legislature for the post she wrote after the Oct. 7 attack. If she doesn’t, she could be banned from speaking in the chamber.The NDP is now accusing the Ford government of playing politics and NDP Leader Marit Stiles is calling the motion a distraction tactic to take focus off the RCMP’s criminal investigation into the Greenbelt scandal.“MPP Jama has apologized and made it clear she condemns the terrorist attack by Hamas,” says Stiles. “It is a very drastic move to censure an MPP.”Jama, the MPP representing Hamilton Centre, posted a two-paragraph statement last week under Ontario NDP letterhead that made no mention of the surprise attack by Hamas militants. The post instead ...

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov arrives in North Korea, Russian state media say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:52 GMT

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in North Korea on Wednesday, according to Russian state news agency Tass, the latest in a flurry of diplomatic activity between the two countries in which Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea in July and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia in September. Earlier in the week, Lavrov accompanied President Vladimir Putin on a visit to Beijing that underscored Chinese support for Moscow during its war in Ukraine.Lavrov last visited North Korea in 2018. During his two-day visit he is to meet with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said. Putin also accepted an invitation from Kim to visit North Korea, but the timing has not been announced. During Kim’s visit to Russia he met Putin at Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome and inspected fighter jets at an aircraft factory in Russia’s far east.The White House said on Friday that North Korea has delivered more than 1,000 c...

Adopting a rescue dog? Here’s what to know about pet insurance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:52 GMT

Adopting a rescue or shelter dog doesn’t just give a needy animal a home. It can provide a playmate for your kids, a jogging buddy for you and a loyal companion for everyone to cuddle with on the couch. But a new pet can also come with unexpected vet bills, which is why you might want to consider pet insurance.Pet insurance policies can help pay for treatment if your furry friend gets sick or hurt. In some cases, they may also cover vaccinations and other routine care. Here’s how to decide whether pet insurance is right for your rescue dog.ESTIMATE THE COST OF VET CAREIt’s impossible to know which medical problems a given pet may have in the future. However, researching the breeds you’re interested in can help you get a sense of which health conditions are most likely to crop up, says Dr. Antonio DeMarco, chief medical officer at GoodVets, a chain of animal hospitals with locations across the U.S. Some of these conditions can be both serious and expensive to treat, he says.For examp...

Wednesday Forecast: Temps in upper 60s, chance for afternoon showers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:52 GMT

CHICAGO — Increasing clouds Wednesday with milder conditions and a chance of late afternoon showers. Winds: S 5-10 mph. High: 68. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Cloudy and breezy tonnight with showers/t'storms likely. Wind: S 10-20, G30 mph. Low 53.Thursday Forecast: Rain at times and breezy. Winds: SSW 5-15 mph. High 62. Extended outlook calls for showers and breaks of sun on Friday with a high of 62. Still a few lingering showers are possible into Saturday. But partly sunny skies look to win out by the afternoon with a high in the upper 50s. Mid to upper 50s on Sunday with a bit more sunshine. Next week we're looking dry on Monday with highs back to near 60. Warmer on Tuesday with highs likely back upu to near 70. Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog