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Cyprus to speed up repairs to high-rises amid quake worries

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:13 GMT

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cypriot authorities will spend more than 100 million euros ($106 million) to repair dozens of dilapidated high-rise housing units built decades ago for refugees from the island’s 1974 Turkish invasion, officials said Thursday.Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said the plan foresees immediate repairs or complete reconstruction of 43 buildings deemed to be most at risk. He spoke after a meeting with lawmakers, engineers, municipal officials and representatives of thousands of displaced persons.Repairs will eventually be carried out to 315 other apartment buildings erected in the immediate aftermath of the invasion, which was triggered by a coup aimed at union with Greece and has left the island divided along ethnic lines.The buildings were among dozens of housing estates hastily constructed throughout the southern part of the island to shelter 160,000 Greek Cypriots who fled their homes amid fighting in the north where the Turkish army invaded.Renovat...

Why TikTok’s security risks keep raising fears

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:13 GMT

TikTok is once again fending off claims that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, would share user data from its popular video-sharing app with the Chinese government, or push propaganda and misinformation on its behalf.China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday accused the United States itself of spreading disinformation about TikTok’s potential security risks following a report in the Wall Street Journal that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. — part of the Treasury Department — was threatening a U.S. ban on the app unless its Chinese owners divest their stake.So are the data security risks real? And should users be worried that the TikTok app will be wiped off their phones?Here’s what to know:WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS ABOUT TIKTOK?Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that ByteDance could share TikTok user data — such as browsing history, location and biometric identifiers — with China’s authoritarian government. A law implemented by China...

Proposed 6-week abortion ban advances in Florida legislature

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:13 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A proposed six-week abortion ban received overwhelming approval from a Florida House committee Thursday as even Democrats acknowledged there’s nothing they can do to stop it from eventually becoming law.The proposal is moving along while a 15-week abortion ban signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year i s still being challenged. The new proposal would only go into effect if the current law is upheld and would would make it a crime to provide an abortion past six weeks’ gestational age.“It’s a bill that recognizes the importance and value of the life of innocent, unborn human beings,” said Republican Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka said of her proposal. “The bill that’s before you is not solely a reflection of my personal beliefs, but a result of listening in an attempt to build consensus around a policy that supports life.”The measure could give DeSantis, who is widely expect to run for president, additional fodder to woo conservative ...

BNSF trains derail in Washington, Arizona; no injuries

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:13 GMT

ANACORTES, Wash. (AP) — Two BNSF trains derailed in separate incidents in Arizona and Washington state on Thursday, with the latter spilling diesel fuel on tribal land along Puget Sound.There were no injuries reported. It wasn’t clear what caused either derailment.The derailment in Washington occurred on a berm along Padilla Bay, on the Swinomish tribal reservation near Anacortes. Most of 5,000 gallons (nearly 19,000 liters) of spilled diesel fuel leaked on the land side of the berm rather than toward the water, according to the state Ecology Department.Officials said there were no indications the spill reached the water or affected any wildlife.Responders placed a boom along the shoreline as a precaution and removed the remaining fuel from two locomotives that derailed. Four tank cars remained upright.The derailment in western Arizona, near the state’s border with California and Nevada, involved a train carrying corn syrup. A spokeswoman for the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office...

Collision between minivan and truck leaves three dead, three injured in Quebec

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:13 GMT

SAINT-JOSEPH-DE-BEAUCE, Que. — A head-on collision between a minivan and a heavy truck in Quebec’s Chaudière-Appalaches region has left two children and their father dead.Provincial police today confirmed the death of a 4-year-old girl after reporting Wednesday that a 12-year-old boy and a 42-year-old man had been killed in the crash.Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday on Highway 112 in the small municipality of St-Frédéric, about an hour’s drive south of Quebec City.The minivan was carrying a family of six — four children and two adults. Provincial police say that one of the van’s occupants remains in critical condition while the other two suffered serious injuries that are not considered life-threatening.Authorities also said that none of the five people in the truck sustained any apparent injuries.It was not immediately clear what led to the collision, but investigators have ruled out weather or road conditions. Initial fin...

Businesses expect slower sales in short term as cost, labour issues persist: survey

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:13 GMT

OTTAWA — Businesses expect subdued sales in the short term as they face continued cost and labour pressures, despite slowing inflation, according to a survey by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.The chamber’s Business Data Lab released the results of its first-quarter poll on business conditions on Thursday, which found one-third of companies expect to raise prices next quarter.The retail, accommodation and food services sector, along with wholesale trade, construction and manufacturing sectors, reported feeling the most impacted by ongoing price pressures.Businesses said they expect inflation to remain the top obstacle over the next three months at 58 per cent, followed by input costs at 46 per cent and interest rates and debt costs at 40 per cent.Inflation slowed to 5.9 per cent in January, down from 6.3 per cent the month prior. Statistics Canada is expected to release February’s inflation rate next Tuesday.Most companies with at least five employees said they are stil...

AP sources: Banks working on rescue plan for First Republic

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:13 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A group of Wall Street banks is planning a rescue package of around $30 billion for First Republic Bank, sources told The Associated Press on Thursday. The rescue package comes as San Francisco-based First Republic has been battered by investors and worries have grown that the midsized bank might be the next to fail, after Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.Sources familiar with the matter said that JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs are part of the group of banks pulling together the package. It is likely to consist of $30 billion in deposits and capital for First Republic.The list of 11 banks involved also includes Truist, Morgan Stanley, BNY Mellon, State Street, US Bank, PNC and Bank of America, a source said.The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because the package was still being developed.A First Republic spokesman declined to comment on the reports.First Republic serves a similar clientele as Silicon Valley Bank, which fail...

Father-to-be and ‘snow angel’: Edmonton officers shot and killed on duty remembered

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:13 GMT

One of the police officers killed in Edmonton was about to be a father and the other was called a “snow angel” for going beyond the call of duty to help people.Const. Brett Ryan, 30, and Const. Travis Jordan, 35, were shot and killed responding to a domestic violence call Thursday morning.Ryan, who had been with the Edmonton force for 5 1/2 years, is being remembered as a pillar of the community and a longtime minor hockey referee. Darcy Carter, with the Spruce Grove Minor Hockey Association, said Ryan and his wife are expecting a child.“I was alongside him growing up as he grew as an official and grew into a person and a husband,” Carter said.Ryan, who lived in Spruce Grove just west of Edmonton, was always willing to give back, helping younger hockey officials develop their skills, Carter said. The officer was also active in the slow pitch community.Ryan was a paramedic before he became a police officer, Carter said, adding the officer was passionate about his work and his d...

Recently opened restaurants in the Chicago area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:13 GMT

Stacker compiled a list of recently opened restaurants in Chicago from Yelp. Restaurants listed as hot and new were included. Read on to see restaurants that opened near you that are worth checking out.1 / 20 YelpBandol- Rating: 4.0 / 5 (11 reviews)- Categories: French- Address: 100 W Monroe Chicago, IL 60603- Read more on Yelp2 / 20 YelpKyuramen - Downtown Chicago- Rating: 4.0 / 5 (106 reviews)- Categories: Ramen- Address: 6W Hubbard St Chicago, IL 60654- Read more on Yelp3 / 20 YelpThe M Room- Rating: 5.0 / 5 (6 reviews)- Categories: Japanese- Address: 450 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60654- Read more on Yelp4 / 20 YelpKindling Downtown Cookout & Cocktails- Rating: 4.5 / 5 (11 reviews)- Categories: American (New)- Address: 202 S Franklin St Willis Tower Chicago, IL 60606- Read more on Yelp5 / 20 YelpRaising Cane's- Rating: 4.0 / 5 (7 reviews)- Categories: Chicken Shop- Address: 2 N Michigan Ave Chicago, IL 60603- Read more on YelpYou may also like: Most...

Experts urge lawmakers for funding, regulations after healthcare cyber-attacks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:13 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – On Capitol Hill, senators held a hearing about cyber security threats that hospitals and health care groups face, which can impact both the care and personal information of patients.Cyber-attacks on hospitals and health care groups are becoming more frequent and dangerous because they disrupt the use of critical equipment.Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) pointed out an “infant tragically passed away because of delayed medical care.”California Senator Alex Padilla says bad actors don't just get a payoff from ransomware attacks; they also benefit from selling patient information on the black market.Stirling Martin of Epic Systems, says health information “isn't something that can be reset or changed, like a password or credit card number.”At Thursday’s hearing, Senator Josh Hawley highlighted why rural providers are especially vulnerable, which Kate Pierce of Fortified Health Security added, “most of them have no staff that are directly assigned to cyber.”Experts told la...