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Banks from 4 Arab countries are in talks to invest in struggling Lebanese banks, official says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Banks from four Arab countries are interested in investing in Lebanon’s struggling banking sector, which was hard-hit by the small nation’s three-year economic meltdown, a top Arab banker said Thursday.Lebanon is in the throes of its worst economic crisis in its short and troubled history that has skyrocketed poverty and inflation, and crippled its bloated public sector and infrastructure. Wissam Fattouh, the Secretary General of the Union of Arab Banks, spoke to The Associated Press on the sidelines of the biggest regional banking conference held in Beirut since the historic economic crisis began in October 2019. Caretaker Economy Minister Amin Salam and Lebanese and regional banking officials called on their Arab counterparts to invest in the crisis-hit country and help revitalize its battered economy.Fattouh told Saudi-owned TV station Al-Hadath in July that Jordanian and Iraqi banks have expressed an interest to buy small Lebanese banks.“During our numerous visits ...

Stock market today: Global stocks decline after the US government’s credit rating was cut

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets and Wall Street futures declined Thursday after Fitch Ratings cut the U.S. government’s credit rating.London and Paris opened lower. Tokyo lost 1.7% and Hong Kong also declined. Shanghai advanced. Oil prices retreated.Wall Street turned in its biggest one-day decline in months Wednesday after Fitch Ratings lowered the U.S. government credit rating by one level. The agency cited rising debt and a “steady deterioration in standards of governance” after Congress pushed Washington close to defaulting before agreeing to raise the amount it can borrow.“This is largely irrelevant despite some initial shock,” Kristina Hooper, chief global market strategist at investment management company Invesco, said in a report, noting that this makes the U.S. rating more consistent with other major economies. “The timing was odd, given that it occurred well after the debt ceiling issue was resolved.”In early trading, the FTSE 100 in London lost 1.3% to 7,466.49....

What’s open/closed in Toronto on the August Civic Holiday?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

Another summer long weekend is here and there are plenty of activities and events going on around the city to keep people busy.There won’t be as many closures on Monday as a typical holiday long weekend, but keep in mind, many businesses will operate on reduced hours.Here’s a full list of what’s open and closed on the August Civic Holiday.Attractions open on Monday:Art Gallery of Ontario: 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.Canada’s Wonderland: Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.Casa Loma: Open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.CN Tower: Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.Hockey Hall of Fame: Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.Ontario Place/Trillium Park: Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.Ontario Science Centre: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Ripley’s Aquarium: Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.Royal Ontario Museum: Open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.Toronto Zoo: Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.Beer/LCBOSelect Beer Store locations will be open on Monday, click here to locate one in your areaCertain LCBO stores will be closed on Monday, click here to locate one in your area.TransitThe TTC will run on...

Russia adds Norway to its list of unfriendly countries for allegedly targeting its diplomats

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

Russia has added Norway to its list of “unfriendly countries” for allegedly targeting Russian diplomats abroad, further worsening its relations with the West.The Russian government published the order Thursday, which restricts the number of local staff the Norwegian diplomatic mission can hire in Russia to 27 people.In April, Norway expelled 15 Russian diplomats after accusing them of carrying out intelligence activities under diplomatic cover. Russia retaliated by expelling 10 Norwegian diplomats in what Norway said was an “act of revenge.”Norway’s Foreign Ministry said it hasn’t yet received official information from Russian authorities but that there is no basis for saying Norway is unfriendly toward Russia.“Today’s situation is due to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Russia can itself choose to end the war,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt told local media.Huitfeldt added that the two nations, which share a border in the Arctic, have an interest in “functioning diploma...

US military identifies a soldier killed in a crash on a German highway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The U.S. military on Thursday identified a soldier killed when a truck hit her Stryker armored vehicle on a highway in southern Germany.U.S. Army Europe said that 1st Lt. Hailey Hodsden, a platoon leader with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment’s 4th Squadron, died in the crash near Tirschenreuth in Bavaria on Tuesday. It said in a statement that the 24-year-old native of Dripping Springs, Texas, was a West Point graduate and had been in her unit for a little over a year. The 4th Squadron commander, Lt. Col. Joseph M. Byerly, described her as “an exceptional leader.”A civilian semi-truck hit the Stryker as it merged onto the A93 highway. Hodsden was treated and taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. No other soldiers in the military vehicle were injured, and the crash is under investigation.The Associated Press

The heaviest animal ever discovered may be this ancient whale found in the Peruvian desert

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — There could be a new contender for heaviest animal to ever live. While today's blue whale has long held the title, scientists have dug up fossils from an ancient giant that could tip the scales.Researchers described the species — named Perucetus colossus, or “the colossal whale from Peru” — in the journal Nature on Wednesday. Each vertebra weighs over 220 pounds (100 kilograms) and its ribs measure nearly 5 feet (1.4 meters) long.“It’s just exciting to see such a giant animal that’s so different from anything we know," said Hans Thewissen, a paleontologist at Northeast Ohio Medical University who had no role in the research.Paleontologist Mario Urbina poses for a photo next to the vertebrae of a newly found species named Perucetus colossus, or “the colossal whale from Peru”, during a presentation in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. The bones were first discovered more than a decade ago by Urbina from the University of San Marcos’ Natural History Museum....

Should Trump go to jail? Election could become a referendum on that question

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The 2024 election will determine whether Donald Trump returns to the White House. It could also decide if he’ll face time behind bars.For Trump, who's now facing his third criminal indictment — this time for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and block the transfer of presidential power — winning is about more than ego, redemption, score-settling or the future of the country.“This election may very well be about Donald Trump’s personal freedom,” said Ari Fleischer, a longtime Republican strategist. “It’s not an exaggeration to say, if convicted, he could be sentenced to prison unless he wins and he uses the levers of justice to reverse it or stop it or drop it."The deeply personal stakes for Trump add to what is already an election unlike any other in modern history. It's now not only a debate over the country’s challenges, but a partisan fight over whether the 77-year-old former president and GOP frontrunner should spend time in prison. Pu...

Lighthouse from 'Forrest Gump' goes dark after lightning strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

PORT CLYDE, Maine (AP) — Lightning has knocked out a lighthouse on the Maine coast that was featured in the movie “Forrest Gump.”The Marshall Point lighthouse, established in 1832, has been dark since Thursday when a lightning strike took out the light and foghorn, and damaged the associated circuitry, said Nat Lyon, director of the Marshall Point Lighthouse and Museum.The Marshall Point lighthouse sits on the water's edge with its damaged light removed after a July 27 lightning strike Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023, in the village of Port Clyde, Maine. (Nat Lyon/Marshall Point Lighthouse and Museum via AP)“It fried everything. It fried the light, the circuit breakers, the foghorn,” Lyon said Wednesday. “At this point we have a lightless lighthouse until the Coast Guard can effect the repairs."A tenant living in the keeper's house reported a "tremendous crash" and noticed the light was out after the lightning strike, Lyon said. Coast Guard Station Southwest Harbor, which is responsible for...

City of Austin studying roofs to help lower urban heat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin is sharing data with Google on the solar reflectivity of roofs across the community to better understand which parts of town would benefit most from cool roofs, a type of roofing that reduces heat in homes and neighborhoods. Laura Patiño, the chief resilience officer at the city of Austin, described solar reflectivity as the measure of how much sunlight a roof can reflect. A higher reflectivity means your home is absorbing less heat. Once the city is done studying the roofs across multiple neighborhoods, it will then be able to use that data to find which areas of town would benefit the most from cool roofs, and could shape some future policy. The data will be a part of Austin's heat resilience playbook, a tool to reduce urban heat in the city. "From creating awareness and communicating and educating to residents what they can do to their homes, all the way to creating policies and new standards for how we build in our city that will make our city...

Letters: Evaluate first, spend later, St. Paul

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:54 GMT

Evaluate, don’t panderSt. Paul is a beautiful city. Born here and a current homeowner, I like to keep abreast of the “progress” our mayor and city council are making by reading this paper, watching and listening to newscasts, even attending council meetings downtown when able. I encourage all property owners/taxpayers to attend at some point.Don’t expect to see Mayor Carter, his attendance is rare, and his office is dark and empty these days. At the July 19 meeting in council chambers, various council members appeared uninterested, even yawning and stretching as they waded through various agenda items. Not much energy. The lack of advance preparation to discuss important topics was alarming, and the ease at which they simply “lay over” items to future meetings is of concern.I was particularly disappointed in Council President Brendmoen, who used a “circling finger” gesture in an attempt to “speed up” a local tax-paying busi...