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As Africa Climate Summit promotes solar, off-grid power ramps up below the Sahara

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:47 GMT

NAIROBI (AP) — A walk through the busy business district of Mombasa Road in Nairobi, or even a rural community in Kisii County, Kenya, highlights something that’s getting attention at the African Climate Summit in Nairobi this week — solar power that is not connected to the grid.With or without the encouragement of government policy, families and businesses are choosing off-grid solar in the face of an unreliable grid. According to the World Bank, the number of so-called minigrids, meaning solar systems that support a cluster of homes or businesses, has grown from 500 in Africa in 2000 to 3,000 today. In Kenya, the price of electricity has risen due to higher fuel costs, driving some to form their own local grids.It’s not just individual homes in Kenya: Solar energy’s reliability and lower cost, despite initial high installation capital, has attracted steel manufacturers and cooking oil factories, who form some of the biggest clients for one Nairobi-based company.CP Sola...

Stock market today: Asian shares fall, tracking a decline on Wall St on fears rates may stay high

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:47 GMT

NEW YORK — Shares fell in Asia on Thursday after a decline on Wall Street, where strong economic data revived worries that the Federal Reserve might keep interest rates high for longer than investors had been hoping. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, which has bounced this week on news about Chinese policy changes for the property sector, declined on selling of tech shares. It fell 0.8% to 18,313.73.The Shanghai Composite index lost 0.3% to 3,148.52, while Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 edged 0.1% lower, to 33,200.85. In Seoul, the Kospi sank 0.7% to 2,544.71. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was off 1.1% at 7,176.70. Shares in most other regional markets fell.On Wednesday, the S&P 500 dropped 0.7%, closing at 4,465.48. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.6% to 34,443.19, and the Nasdaq gave back 1.1% to 13,872.47.Big technology stocks were among the biggest drags on the market. Apple fell 3.6% and Nvidia dropped 3.1%.But several companies made big moves after reporting earnings and o...

A popular climbing area in Yosemite National Park has been closed due to a crack in a granite cliff

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:47 GMT

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — A popular rock climbing area in Yosemite National Park has been closed because of a crack that has developed in a massive granite cliff. Climbers recently reported the new crack on the western side of the Royal Arches formation near a climbing route called Super Slide, according to the park’s website. “Subsequent investigation revealed that this crack has partially detached a large pillar of rock, and that cracking was actively occurring,” the website said. An area including several climbing routes was closed Aug. 30. A short section of the Yosemite Valley Loop Trail was also closed, with a detour established. Yosemite experiences many rockfalls caused by natural processes every year, according to the National Park Service. Arcs across the cliff face that gave Royal Arches its name are caused by a type of weathering called exfoliation which causes slabs of granite to fall away. Other famous Yosemite landforms such as Half Dome were also cr...

Magic Johnson meets with Washington Commanders players for the first time

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:47 GMT

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Magic Johnson talked about how he won five NBA championships as a player, another five as an owner and an Olympic gold medal with the “Dream Team.” He talked about what it takes to win in sports and in business.As he spoke, players and coaches leaned in to hear every word.It was the Basketball Hall of Famer-turned-entrepreneur’s first visit with the Washington Commanders since becoming a part-owner of the NFL franchise, a surprise appearance that overshadowed football for a brief time Wednesday in the hopes of making a lasting impact on and off the field.“It was really cool because when he walked in, it’s kind of like you’re seeing a star,” second-year receiver Jahan Dotson said. “He was basically just giving us words of encouragement, making sure that we stay focused, stay disciplined and different things like that.”Only Washington’s coaches and a handful of players are old enough to have seen Johnson play for the Los Angeles Lakers. But so many have...

Names released of 4 who died in Seattle fire, 3 deaths ruled homicide, 1 suicide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:47 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has released the names of four people found dead Saturday after a house fire in Seattle and ruled three of the deaths homicides. The medical examiner said Wednesday that Lana A. Stewart, 40, died from multiple sharp-force injuries; Sebastino Ragusa, 7, died from asphyxia from the inhalation of toxic products of combustion; and 4-month-old Valentina Ragusa died from smoke inhalation.Salvatore Ragusa, 48, died from smoke inhalation, and his death was ruled a suicide, the medical examiner said Tuesday. Police are investigating the deaths as an arson-homicide, The Seattle Times reported. A Seattle Police Department spokesperson said Wednesday that investigators are not looking for suspects. The city’s police Arson & Bomb squad is working with the Seattle Fire Department to determine how the fire started.Though Seattle police have not disclosed the relationship between Ragusa and the victims, neighbors have referred to St...

Central African Republic faces humanitarian crisis with 2.4 million people needing aid, UN says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:47 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Central African Republic is facing a humanitarian crisis with 2.4 million people in need of assistance and the U.N.’s $534 million appeal only 36% funded, a U.N. official said Wednesday.Mohamed Ag Ayoya, deputy special representative for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country, told a news conference that 10 years of conflict have displaced half a million people within the country while 700,000 have fled to neighboring countries. Mineral-rich but impoverished CAR has a population of 6 million.But Ayoya said CAR has also opened its doors to 38,000 returnees and asylum-seekers from Chad, and more recently to 18,000 returnees and asylum seekers from another neighbor, Sudan, where a conflict between rival generals and their supporters is now in its fifth month.Ayoya stressed that CAR “is not just a humanitarian crisis, it’s also actually a protection and a gender crisis.”In the first six months of 2023, there have been an “extremely high” number of cases of ge...

Fallen CPD Officer Preston becomes 600th name added to Gold Star Memorial Wall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:47 GMT

CHICAGO — A somber ceremony took place Wednesday afternoon at the Gold Star Families Memorial. The names of each fallen Chicago police officer were read, and officer Aréanah Preston became the 600th name added to the memorial wall."Aréanah Preston is a star amongst the stars," said Maria Marmalejo, chairwoman of the Gold Star Families Foundation. "[She] will shine bright for the young woman she was, the life she lived and the sacrifice she made to protect the City of Chicago."A special memorial was held for Preston just hours before the 20th annual candlelight vigil, a ceremony where the Chicago Police Department honors all CPD officers who have died in the line of duty, reading each of their names aloud.Aréanah Preston's name unveiled at the Gold Star Memorial Wall.Preston's mother unveiled her name on the memorial wall, four months to the day the two-and-a-half-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department was killed.Preston was returning to her Avalon Park home from her shift in ...

NEA president vows to transform nation's largest union, putting 'social justice' first

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:47 GMT

CHICAGO -- The leader of the nation’s largest labor union, the three million member National Education Association, visited the Chicago area Wednesday.Nearly 450 kindergarten through eighth grade students have gone back to school and teachers are back to work at Pennoyer Elementary School in Norridge.Becky Pringle, the National Education Association (NEA) President, stopped by Pennoyer Elementary School on Wednesday to celebrate the school finally won a funding referendum after six failed tries.Pringle says she’ll take Pennoyer school’s example of persistence back to Washington as she works to shape the nation’s education policy.The NEA is a power player in shaping federal education policy and Pringle sees it as her mission to transform the union into a vehicle for social justice.“When I became NEA president, what I articulated as a strategic vision was, we would reclaim public education as a common good, as the foundation of our democracy, but we couldn’t stop there" Pringle said. ...

MLB pitcher's foot broken after hit by 119.5 mph comebacker

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:47 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Detroit pitcher Matt Manning's right foot was broken Wednesday night when he was hit by a 119.5 mph comebacker off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton in the Tigers' 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees.The 25-year-old right-hander will miss the rest of the season. He missed 2 1/2 months this year after being hit on the foot by a comebacker off the bat of Toronto's Alejandro Kirk.Stanton's hardest-hit ball this season rebounded off Manning's foot, struck the pitcher on the backside and was gloved by Manning, who threw to first for the final out of the first inning. Manning immediately was attended to by an athletic trainer and manager A.J. Hinch. Former NFL receiver on life support after work accident, sources say Beau Briske started warming up and relieved Manning to start the bottom of the second.Manning was struck by Kirk's 97.3 mph comebacker on April 11 and didn't return to the Tigers until June 27. He is 5-4 with a 3.58 ERA in 15 starts.In July, Los Angeles Angels outfi...

Former WWE pro wrestling star dies: reports

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:47 GMT

(WKBN) - A former WWE pro wrestling star has died, according to multiple reports.Adnan bin Abdul Kareem Ahmed Alkaissy El Farthie, who was known as General Adnan and Billy White Wolf in WWE, passed away on Wednesday. He was 84.His former stablemate, WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter, announced the news on X, formerly known as Twitter.WWE confirmed Adnan's death, extending "condolences to Adnan Al-Kaissie's family, friends, and fans."Al-Kaissie debuted in 1959 after an amateur wrestling career in Iraq and attending Oklahoma State University, WWE wrote. Bruce Springsteen postpones September concerts while receiving medical treatment The native of Iraq won the WWE Tag Team titles with Chief Jay Strongbow in 1976. He also competed for the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) during his decades-long career.In 1990, Adnan returned to the WWE and aligned himself with Sgt. Slaughter as a pro-Iraqi character "General Adnan." Adnan teamed up with Slaughter...