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Live updates | Blinken urges aid for civilians as Israeli troops tighten encirclement of Gaza City

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:01 GMT

By The Associated PressU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday to urge protections for civilians in the fighting with Hamas, as Israeli troops tightened their encirclement of Gaza City.Tensions escalated along the northern border with Lebanon ahead of a speech planned later Friday by Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Hamas ally. It is his first public speech since Hamas attacked Israel last month, stoking fears the conflict could become a regional one.Roughly 800 people — including hundreds of Palestinians with foreign passports and dozens of injured — have been allowed to leave the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing under an apparent agreement among the U.S., Egypt, Israel and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas.Israel has allowed more than 260 trucks carrying food and medicine through the crossing, but aid workers say it’s not nearly enough. Israeli authorities have refused to allo...

Unattended candle sparks apartment fire in Oceanside

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:01 GMT

OCEANSIDE, Calif. -- An unattended candle inside a North County apartment sparked an overnight fire, the Oceanside Fire Department (OFD) confirmed Friday morning. Fire crews responded to reports of a structure fire at Presidio Apartments on the 4400 block of Mission Avenue around 1:20 a.m. Victim, suspect identified in deadly downtown stabbing According to OPD, the fire originated on the second floor due to an unattended candle and was promptly detected by a functioning smoke alarm.Firefighters quickly responded to the affected area. No injuries were reported. However, OPD said the incident affected two apartments, displacing a total of six individuals and two dogs"This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of practicing candle safety and regularly checking your smoke detectors," OPD stated in a news release. "We are grateful that the installed smoke alarm detected the fire in its early stages, preventing a potentially disastrous outcome." Two SuperLotto Plus ti...

Leader of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group speaks out for the first time since Israel-Hamas war

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:01 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Celebratory gunshots rang out over Beirut as thousands packed into a square in the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs on Friday to watch a televised speech by Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the militant Lebanese Hezbollah group. It was Nasrallah’s first public remarks since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, sparked by the Palestinian militants deadly Oct. 7 incursion into southern Israel.The speech came a day after the most significant escalation in clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces on the border since the war started and on the same day as a visit to Israel by the top U.S. diplomat. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge protections for civilians in the fighting with Hamas, as Israeli troops tightened their encirclement of Gaza City.In his lengthy remarks, Nasrallah praised the Hamas attack four weeks ago in which the militants attacked farming villages and military posts in southern Is...

AP Election Brief | What to expect in Colorado’s ballot measure election

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:01 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Colorado voters will decide two statewide ballot measures Tuesday that would affect their pocketbooks as well as state coffers.Proposition HH asks voters to allow the state to keep some amount of surplus tax revenue that the state constitution currently requires be refunded back to taxpayers. In exchange, the measure would lower property tax rates for 10 years. A portion of the funds the state retains would be spent on education and rental assistance. The proposal was introduced by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic lawmakers.Proposition II would allow the state keep and spend $23.7 million in tax revenue that has already been collected from the sale of tobacco and nicotine products. It would maintain current tax rates on tobacco and nicotine products and direct the revenue to be spent on preschool programs.Both proposals involve Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which is an amendment added to the state constitution in 1992. The amendment requires the sta...

Car crashes through gate at South Carolina nuclear plant before pop-up barrier stops it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:01 GMT

SENECA, S.C. (AP) — A driver tried to crash through the exit gates of a South Carolina nuclear plant Thursday night about an hour after security asked the same car to leave when it tried to enter, authorities said.A pop-up security barrier stopped the car with an Arkansas license plate at the Oconee Nuclear Station near Seneca around 8 p.m., Oconee County Sheriff’s spokesman Jimmy Watt said in a statement.The driver backed up and tried to drive down a dirt road as Duke Energy security tried to block him in. The driver tried to hit the guards, then drove through a fence and off the nuclear plant property, Watt said.He drove a short distance from the plant and shots were fired, although deputies haven’t determined who fired them, Watt said.The same car showed up an hour before trying to crash through the gate and the driver was asked to leave, deputies said.A bulletin was issued to police across the U.S. to look for a silver 2002 Toyota Camry with an Arkansas tag 380-VDR, ...

AP Election Brief | What to expect in Virginia’s election for control of the state legislature

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:01 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Although his name won’t appear on the ballot, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin looms large over Tuesday’s general election in Virginia. Republicans hope to gain full control of the state legislature and clear a path for the governor to enact his proposals on abortion, education, taxes and other key policy priorities. Democrats seek to maintain control of at least one chamber and possibly flip the other to continue to serve as a check against Youngkin’s agenda.In 2021, Republicans won a narrow 52-48 majority in the House of Delegates and swept every statewide constitutional office. Meanwhile, Democrats hold a slim 22-17 majority in the state Senate. An additional state Senate seat most recently held by a Republican is vacant.The governor has been active on the Virginia campaign trail. Since his election in 2021, his political action committee has spent $19 million on contributions to legislative candidates, local party committees and other campaign e...

AP Election Brief | What to expect in New York’s general election

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:01 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — New York voters will decide of a variety of races and ballot questions in general elections held across the state Tuesday.At stake are a range of offices including the New York City Council, state Supreme Court, as well as mayors and county executives from throughout the state. Elections for federal and statewide offices will be held next year.One notable race has already been decided.In the New York City Council race for District 9, criminal justice reform activist Yusef Salaam is running unopposed. Salaam was one of five men convicted and later exonerated in the “Central Park Jogger” rape case. He defeated two other candidates in the June 27 primary. He will replace Kristin Richardson Jordan, who declined to run for reelection. Terms are normally for four years, but because of a quirk in the city charter, the City Council races in 2021 and 2023 year are for two-year terms only. The election to four-year terms will resume in 2025.Also on the ballot is the district...

Here’s a quick glance at unemployment rates for October, by Canadian city

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:01 GMT

OTTAWA — The national unemployment rate was 5.7 per cent in October. Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for major cities. It cautions, however, that the figures may fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples. Here are the jobless rates last month by city (numbers from the previous month in brackets):_ St. John’s, N.L. 6.6 per cent (6.6)_ Halifax 6.2 per cent (7.1)_ Moncton, N.B. 6.3 per cent (5.7)_ Saint John, N.B. 5.8 per cent (6.6)_ Saguenay, Que. 3.3 per cent (3.9)_ Quebec City 2.8 per cent (2.9)_ Sherbrooke, Que. 4.2 per cent (3.5)_ Trois-Rivières, Que. 4.4 per cent (4.0)_ Montreal 5.4 per cent (5.2)_ Gatineau, Que. 4.0 per cent (4.2)_ Ottawa 5.1 per cent (5.1)_ Kingston, Ont. 4.8 per cent (4.2)_ Belleville, Ont. 6.5 per cent (9.8)_ Peterborough, Ont. 1.9 per cent (2.4)_ Oshawa, Ont. 6.9 per cent (5.8)_ Toronto 6.7 per cent (6.5)_ Hamilton, Ont. 5.2 per cent (5.5)_ St. Catharines-Niag...

Here’s a quick glance at unemployment rates for October, by province

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:01 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s national unemployment rate was 5.7 per cent in October. Here are the jobless rates last month by province (numbers from the previous month in brackets):_ Newfoundland and Labrador 10 per cent (9.7)_ Prince Edward Island 6.2 per cent (6.3)_ Nova Scotia 6.6 per cent (6.9)_ New Brunswick 6.6 per cent (7.2)_ Quebec 4.9 per cent (4.4)_ Ontario 6.2 per cent (6.0)_ Manitoba 5.2 per cent (5.0)_ Saskatchewan 4.4 per cent (4.9)_ Alberta 5.8 per cent (5.7)_ British Columbia 5.4 per cent (5.4)This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2023.The Canadian Press

National employment numbers for October from Statistics Canada, at a glance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:01 GMT

OTTAWA — A quick look at Canada’s October employment (numbers from the previous month in brackets):Unemployment rate: 5.7 per cent (5.5)Employment rate: 61.9 per cent (62.0)Participation rate: 65.6 per cent (65.6)Number unemployed: 1,229,400 (1,189,100)Number working: 20,287,600 (20,270,100)Youth (15-24 years) unemployment rate: 11.4 per cent (10.5)Men (25 plus) unemployment rate: 5.0 per cent (4.9)Women (25 plus) unemployment rate: 4.5 per cent (4.5)This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2023.The Canadian Press