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German foreign minister scraps Pacific trip after a persistent problem with her plane

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:59:22 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s foreign minister has abandoned a trip to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji after a problem with her government plane twice forced it to return to Abu Dhabi, delaying her by more than a day.Annalena Baerbock set off from Berlin Sunday on what was supposed to be a nearly weeklong trip, and was scheduled to arrive in Canberra on Monday night. But a mechanical problem with her aging German air force Airbus A340’s landing flaps meant that it had to turn back to Abu Dhabi after a refueling stop there.The aircraft took off again for Australia on Monday night after a test flight was conducted without problems. But the technical problem resurfaced shortly after takeoff and the plane had to return to the Emirati capital again.On Tuesday morning, Baerbock called off the trip.“We tried everything — unfortunately it is not logistically possible to continue my Indo-Pacific trip without the defective plane,” the minister wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Thi...

Finland’s former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb will run for president in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:59:22 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Finland’s former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb said Tuesday he will run as a candidate in the presidential election early next year, in a race that also includes a popular former Finnish foreign minister who was a key negotiator of the Nordic country’s recent membership in NATO.Stubb, 55, who headed the Finnish government in 2014-2015 and later served as foreign minister, said he was “both honored and thankful for the trust bestowed upon me.” Prime Minister Petteri Opo and Finland’s conservative National Coalition Party had asked him to run. The Finnish head of state is elected by a popular vote every six years. Finland’s president has substantial powers, particularly in matters related to foreign and security policy, which the president decides together with the government. The president also signs bills into law, can veto legislative proposals and acts as Finland’s supreme military commander.The two-leg Finnish presidential elections will be held in Jan...

In the news today: Wildfires in NWT, heatwave in B.C. breaks records

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:59:22 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…Soldiers set to help fight wildfires in N.W.T.Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are set to be mobilized in the Northwest Territories today as wildfires threaten communities, including the capital, and hundreds of people have been airlifted to safety.The military is expected to send a helicopter and Twin Otter airplane along with 124 soldiers, with 100 set to help with firefighting tasks such as dousing hot spots and clearing areas, and the other 24 co-ordinating logistics.The City of Yellowknife declared a state of local emergency Monday night, citing an imminent wildfire threat.Records tumble as heat wave spreads from B.C.’s south coast to Interior, hitting 40 CEnvironment Canada is forecasting hot and humid weather for parts of B.C. for much of the week.By 4 p.m. Monday, at least 12 daily heat records had fallen, surpassing the eight that fell Sunday...

A rights group says it can’t get access to detained officials in Niger

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:59:22 GMT

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Human rights activists in Niger say they have been unable to gain access to top political officials detained after mutinous soldiers ousted the democratically elected president nearly three weeks ago.After soldiers ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, they also arrested several former ministers and other political leaders, but requests to see them and check on their wellbeing have gone unanswered, Ali Idrissa, executive secretary of a local human rights group, the Network of Organizations for Transparency and Analysis of Budgets, told The Associated Press. The junta has also been holding Bazoum, his wife and son under house arrest in their compound in the capital. Those close to Bazoum say his electricity and water have been cut off and he’s running out of food. The junta says it plans to prosecute Bazoum for “high treason” and undermining state security. If convicted, he could face the death penalty, according to Niger’s penal code.In a television ...

Quebecers no longer seeing doctor-assisted deaths as exceptional, says oversight body

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:59:22 GMT

MONTREAL — As the frequency of medical aid in dying continues to rise in Quebec, the head of the independent body that monitors the practice in the province says he worries doctor-assisted deaths are no longer being seen as a last resort.Quebecers have stopped appreciating MAID as an exceptional procedure for people with incurable illnesses whose suffering is unbearable, Dr. Michel Bureau said in a recent interview. “We’re now no longer dealing with an exceptional treatment, but a treatment that is very frequent,” said Bureau, head of Commission sur les soins de fin de vie, which reports to the legislature. Quebec is on track to finish the year with seven per cent of all deaths recorded as doctor-assisted, Bureau said. “That’s more than anywhere else in the world: 4.5 times more than Switzerland, three times more than Belgium, more than the Netherlands. It’s two times more than Ontario.”Earlier this month, Bureau’s commission sent a me...

StatCan to release July inflation report this morning

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:59:22 GMT

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada is set to release its July consumer price index report this morning.Forecasters expect inflation ticked up last month, as gasoline prices rose.Canada’s annual inflation rate tumbled to 2.8 per cent in June, falling back to the Bank of Canada’s target range for the first time since March 2021.But economists say the challenge ahead for the central bank is getting inflation back to the two per cent target.The Bank of Canada’s latest projections show it expects inflation to hover around three per cent for the next year, before gradually falling back to two per cent by mid-2025.Today’s release will be the last inflation report ahead of the central bank’s interest rate decision, slated for Sept. 6. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2023.The Canadian Press

How the feds could push cities to build more homes — with a carrot or stick

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:59:22 GMT

OTTAWA — From local zoning to community consultations, there are plenty of ways cities are hitting the brakes on residential construction, even as Canada faces a significant housing shortage.According to the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, average municipal approval timelines for housing projects in 2022 spanned from three months to nearly three years, depending on the city.That’s why encouraging municipalities to build more homes, more quickly, is becoming a major focus of federal housing policy, as well as the politics around it.The $4-billion Housing Accelerator Fund launched in June is a prime example of how the federal government plans to influence change at the municipal level.Through the program, which runs through to 2026-27, municipalities territories and Indigenous governments can apply for extra funding to help boost housing supply. The Liberal government has said it would expedite the building of 100,000 new homes across the country. “Although we m...

Daily horoscope for August 15, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:59:22 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Leo.Happy Birthday for Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023:You are courageous, confident and a natural leader. You are also generous to others. Enjoy socializing with others this year. Get in touch with your creative activity and zest for life. Nurture the happiness and beauty that you have within yourself. You might reconnect with old friends.ARIES(March 21-April 19)★★★Be extra vigilant today, because this is an accident-prone day for your kids. Meanwhile, all of you might encounter canceled social situations or, alternatively, a surprise invitation somewhere. Guard against sports accidents as well. Expect surprises, especially if you work in the hospitality industry or the entertainment world. (No coffee?!) Tonight: Be alert.TAURUS(April 20-May 20)★★★Conversations with parents might be touchy today because you feel rebellious. Meanwhile, your home routine will change. A minor appliance might break do...

EU ice cream production grew by 5% in 2022

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:59:22 GMT

In 2022, the EU produced 3.2 billion litres of ice cream, marking a 5% increase from the previous year.Among the EU countries, Germany was the main producer of ice cream in 2022, producing 620 million litres of ice cream, followed by France (591 million litres) and Italy (571 million litres). As well as being the largest ice cream producer in 2022, Germany produced on average the cheapest ice cream at €1.5 per litre. France reported an average price of €1.9 per litre of ice cream, while Italy reported an average price of €2.3 per litre of ice cream.The most expensive ice cream was produced in Austria, with an average price of €7.0 per litre of ice cream, followed by Denmark (€4.4 per litre), and Finland (€2.8 per litre).Source dataset: DS-066341France accounted for a fifth of the total extra-EU ice cream exportsIn 2022, the EU countries exported 250 million kilograms (kg) of ice cream to non-EU countries, worth a total of €930 million. On the other hand, imports of ice cream fr...

Miss Manners: Why are parents miffed at me? They’re the ones who spell the kids’ names wrong.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:59:22 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Regardless of anyone’s feelings on the matter, the popularity of giving children unique or unusual names is continuing. So what is a reasonable person to do when the name as written is pronounced differently than phonetics would allow?Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: She’s so rich, but she never gives us anything Advice | Miss Manners: She wants to turn our music festival into a get-drunk weekend Advice | Miss Manners: My rule is no gift for a second wedding, no attendance for a third Advice | Miss Manners: She became irate when I corrected her statement about the moon Advice | Miss Manners: I complimented this celebrity, and his reply was insulting For example, I recently came across a “Courtneigh.” I thought it would be pronounced “Court-nay,” but when I did that, I was corrected and told it should be “Court-nee.”I met one little ...