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Hurricane Lee charges through open Atlantic waters as it approaches northeast Caribbean

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:51 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Lee whirled through open waters on Thursday as forecasters warned it could become the first Category 5 storm of the Atlantic season.Lee was not expected to make landfall while on a projected path that will take it near the northeast Caribbean, although forecasters said tropical storm conditions are possible on some islands. Meteorologists said it was too early to provide details on potential rainfall and wind gusts.The storm was located some 965 miles (1,555 kilometers) from the northern Leeward Islands. It had winds of up to 80 miles per hour (130 kilometers per hour) and was moving west-northwest at 13 mph (20 kph).Lee was forecast to develop into an “extremely dangerous” major hurricane by early Friday, the .“The environment around the cyclone looks ideal for rapid intensification,” the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.Life-threatening surf was expected to hit the Lesser Antilles on Friday and reach the British and U.S. Virgin Is...

Animal Rescue League seeking hospice adoption for dog battling cancer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:51 GMT

The Animal Rescue League of Boston is currently caring for an 8-year-old Shih Tzu who was left tied to a fence outside of the organization’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center, and ARL would like to not only find the dog, who’s facing an uncertain future, a home, but to also remind the public that if anyone is faced with the decision to surrender of animal, ARL is a resource and is here to help.In mid-August, Raggedy Ann was spotted by a trash collector around 5 a.m., tied to a fence outside of ARL’s shelter on the Tremont Street side, and notified staff a little while later when the Good Samaritan realized that the dog had likely been left by its owner. The animal had a collar but not tags, and was also left with a bowl of water. ARL surmises that the owner did not know what else to do, and left the dog in a moment of panic.Raggedy Ann was given a thorough veterinary exam which revealed a mammary mass, which was removed and biopsied – unfortunately the mass was malignant. And w...

Column: Chicago Cubs observations, from a mic’d up Cody Bellinger to Carlos Zambrano’s tears

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:51 GMT

Riding a wave that has yet to crest, the Chicago Cubs swept the San Francisco Giants to solidify their spot in the wild-card chase while moving up on the Milwaukee Brewers.Every game matters, and every moment is magnified from here on out.Here are four observations from the Cubs scene.Talk-show debate“This is good,” Cody Bellinger said. “This is a lot going on. A lot going on.”Bellinger was mic’d up by Marquee Sports Network in the top of the third inning of Tuesday’s 11-8 Cubs win over the Giants. The wind was blowing out and Bellinger was playing center field and talking to Boog Sciambi and Joe Girardi on the broadcast.Then came a technology malfunction during a question from Taylor McGregor on his friendship with Joc Pederson. Bellinger said he couldn’t hear anything, just as Pederson launched a line shot toward him in center.“Right at ya,” Sciambi told Bellinger, who fielded the ball after it bounced near the base of the wall...

The death toll from flooding in Greece rises to four and more than 800 rescued from rising water

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:51 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek firefighters recovered the body of a man from a stream in central Greece on Thursday, bringing the country’s death toll from floods to four after severe rainstorms turned streets into raging torrents, hurled cars into the sea and washing away roads and bridges. Another six people were missing.Authorities deployed divers and swift water rescue specialists as residents in some of the worst-hit areas took refuge on the roofs of their homes to escape floodwaters that rose to more than 2 meters (6 feet). Vassilis Kikilias, Greece’s minister for climate crisis and civil protection, said more than 885 people had been rescued so far and six were reported missing. Flooding triggered by severe rainstorms also hit neighboring Bulgaria and Turkey, leaving a total of 15 people dead in the three countries.“Our country finds itself, for the third day, dealing with a phenomenon the likes of which we have not seen in the past,” Greek government spokesman Pavlo...

Foreign interference public inquiry to be led by Quebec judge: sources

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:51 GMT

The federal government has chosen a Quebec judge to head a public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canada’s affairs.Two government sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters not yet made public, confirmed that Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Marie-Josee Hogue will lead the probe.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who is also the minister for democratic institutions, is set to announce the public inquiry on Thursday.Opposition parties have been demanding a public inquiry for months over allegations the Liberals failed to properly monitor and respond to attempts by foreign states, especially China, to meddle in Canada’s affairs.The Liberals initially named former governor general David Johnston as a special rapporteur to examine the issue and promised to follow his recommendations, including if he called for a public inquiry.Johnston recommended against an inquiry, saying the fact that so ma...

The president of a Japanese boy band company resigns and apologizes for founder’s sex abuse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:51 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — The head of a powerful Japanese talent agency resigned Thursday and made an apology punctuated by repeated, lengthy bows, nine days after an internal investigation concluded that its founder had sexually abused hundreds of young performers over decades.Julie Keiko Fujishima announced she was stepping down as president of Johnny & Associates, the agency founded by her late uncle Johnny Kitagawa, and promised to contribute to a compensation fund from her own fortune. “This is what my uncle committed, and as a niece, I want to take responsibility,” Fujishima said solemnly.Fujishima said the alleged sex abuse had really happened and that she would stay on the company’s board to see through a victim compensation program.A group of men who accused Kitagawa of raping them as children said they were pleased the company apologized, but some had reservations.“The wounds in my heart will not heal,” Yukihiro Oshima told reporters. “But I feel a little better.”Fujishima remains ...

Lebanese premier warns Syrian refugees pose a danger to the small nation’s balance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:51 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Over a thousand Syrian refugees each week fleeing to Lebanon from their country’s worsening economic and financial conditions “could create harsh imbalances” in the small Mediterranean nation, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned Thursday.Over the past months, thousands of Syrian citizens made it to Lebanon through illegal crossing points seeking a better life. But Lebanon is going through its own four-year meltdown, with a drowning economy pinning its hopes on tourism and crumbling infrastructure where electricity and water cuts are widespread.In the early years after conflict broke out in Syria in March 2011, Lebanon received hundreds of thousands of refugees. That changed in later years, especially after Lebanon’s economic crisis broke out in October 2019. The Syrian conflict has killed half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million, including more than 5 million Syrians who fled the country, mostly to neighbori...

Polish director demands apology from justice minister for comparing her film to Nazi propaganda

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:51 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Film director Agnieszka Holland demanded an apology from Poland’s justice minister after he compared her latest film, which explores the migration crisis at the Poland-Belarus border, to Nazi propaganda.Holland said Wednesday that she planned to bring defamation charges against Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro unless she receives an apology within seven days. She also demanded that he make a charitable donation of 50,000 Polish zlotys ($11,600) to an association that helps Holocaust survivors.Holland’s feature film, “Green Border,” explores a migration crisis that has played out along Poland’s border with Belarus over the past two years. It takes a sympathetic approach toward the migrants from the Middle East and Africa who got caught up as pawns in a geopolitical standoff.It also looks critically at the way Poland’s security services pushed back migrants who were lured to the border by Belarus, an ally of Russia.Ziobro slammed the film earlier this...

Pets are our faithful companions, but the costs to care for them can add up

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:51 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Pets provide joy and companionship, but costs can add up quickly, especially if you’re a first-time owner and don’t know what to expect.Many prospective dog or cat owners only focus on the positive aspects of bringing a furry friend into their lives. And there are countless reasons why pets are great. But it’s also important to have realistic expectations so you don’t face sudden expenses that could hurt your financial stability. “It’s important to be able to choose a pet that is going to fit your budget and your lifestyle the best,” said Dr. Wendy Hauser, a veterinarian who founded her own consulting company.When Melissa Chavez decided to get a toy poodle named Milo in the summer of 2020, she had an idea of the costs but was surprised by how fast they added up. Like many others during the pandemic, she saw her stay-at-home schedule as a perfect opportunity to get a puppy.“I’ve never had any dogs before, so I think everything was a learn...

Rescue efforts are underway for an American caver who fell ill while exploring deep cave in Turkey

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:51 GMT

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish and international cave rescue experts are working to save a 40-year-old American speleologist who became ill and is trapped more than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) into a cave in southern Turkey.Mark Dickey became sick during an international expedition in Morca cave in southern Turkey’s Taurus Mountains, according to the European Cave Rescue Association. He has gastrointestinal bleeding and has been unable to leave the cave on his own, the association said on its website.It described Dickey as “a highly trained caver and a cave rescuer himself” who has participated in many international expeditions. He is secretary of the association’s medical committee.Turkish disaster relief agency AFAD and rescue team UMKE are working with Turkish and international cavers on a plan to hoist Dickey out of the cave system, the rescue association said.Marton Kovacs of the Hungarian Cave Rescue Service said the cave is being prepared for his safe extraction. Narrow passages...