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The high costs of wildfires in 2023: For homeowners the struggles carry on for months

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:16 GMT

HALIFAX — Seven months after a wildfire left a charred, 1,000-hectare scar on the western suburbs of Halifax, less visible damage persists in the lives of those who lost their homes to the flames.Lindsay Law said the financial and emotional costs continue in ways she and her husband, Jacob Haybecker, never imagined before their home was destroyed on the evening of May 28, as thousands of people were evacuated from the area. The 34-year-old nurse said insurance is paying for the cost of building a new home, but there are gaps in coverage the average Canadian homeowner might not be aware they could face.“It felt like things were going fine and then we got to the point when we realized there was oil damage in the soil,” she recalled in a recent interview.“We had to pay $10,000 out of our pocket, and we were only given one day to pay this. We were told the amount could triple if we waited a few days because there was a rainstorm coming,” she said about the concer...

Is Canada’s fleet of water bombers fit for climate-change fuelled wildfires?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:16 GMT

TORONTO — They’re an easily recognizable part of Canada’s fight against wildfires, playing a key supporting role in the annual battle against the flames.  Water bombers can look as though they might land in a burning forest, their wings almost skimming the smoky canopy before dumping down thousands of litres of water and pulling back into the sky. The firefighting aircraft are important in a country where wildfires can often be spread out over massive, remote stretches of land, offering a way to hold off fires until ground crews arrive. But as Canada’s water bombers age – and wildfire seasons are expected to intensify – some wildland firefighters and emergency preparedness experts say the country needs to prop up its fleet of firefighting aircraft, even though several provinces are playing down concerns about capacity. “We’re really starting to see the effects of the aging fleet,” said Eric Davidson, president of the Ontario Professional Associati...

Japan’s Cabinet OKs record $56 billion defense budget for 2024 to accelerate strike capability

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:16 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s defense spending will surge more than 16% next year under a record military budget approved Friday by the Cabinet that will accelerate deployment of long-range cruise missiles that can hit targets in China or North Korea.It also will further fortify the military with F-35 stealth combat jets and other American weapons as Japanese troops increasingly work with allies and take on more offensive roles.The 7.95 trillion-yen ($56 billion) budget plan for the 2024 fiscal year beginning March marks the second year of a five-year military buildup program under a new security strategy Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government adopted a year ago. The reinforcement of strike capability under the strategy is a major break from Japan’s postwar principle of limiting use of force to self-defense. Japan plans to spend 43 trillion yen ($300 billion) through 2027 to bolster military power and nearly double its annual spending to around 10 trillion yen ($68 billion), making Japan ...

3 foreign nationals are among the wounded in a Prague university shooting that saw 14 killed

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:16 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — Three foreign nationals were among 25 wounded after a student opened fire at a university in the Czech capital, Prague, killing 14 people, authorities said Friday. The mass shooting was one of the Czech Republic’s worst attacks in recent years.Minister Vit Rakusan said police in Prague worked overnight and 13 of those killed have been identified. He also said three of those wounded were foreigners — two from Saudi Arabia and one from the Netherlands.The bloodshed took place on Thursday at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University, where the 24-year-old shooter was a student, Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek said. The gunman also died, authorities said. His name has not been released.Authorities warned that the death toll could rise.Early Friday, with the scene of the shooting still sealed off by the police, people could be seen lighting candles to mourn the victims at an impromptu vigil by the university headquarters.Police said Friday they have boosted security at...

Stock market today: World shares are mostly lower after a rebound on Wall Street

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:16 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares are mostly lower in Europe and Asia after several strong profit reports helped Wall Street claw back most of its sharp losses from day before. Germany’s DAX shed 0.2% to 16,658.43 and the CAC 40 in Paris edged 0.1% lower to 7,562.91. Britain’s FTSE 100 also was down 0.1%, at 7,691.25. The future for the S&P 500 was 0.2% lower while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.4%. Hong Kong-traded shares of Netease and Tencent plunged after China released new regulations for online gaming, helping pull the benchmark Hang Seng index down 1.7% to 16,340.41. Shares in Tencent, China’s largest gaming company, dived about 16% before recovering some ground to close 12% lower. Rival NetEase’s stock price lost about 25%.Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1% higher to 33,169.05. The government reported that Japan’s core inflation rate fell to 2.5% in November from 2.9% a month earlier as energy costs eased. That could augur further weakening o...

Daily horoscope for December 22, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:16 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Taurus.Happy Birthday for Friday, Dec. 22, 2023:You value family and tradition. When it comes to your goals, you work carefully and steadily to achieve what you want. This year has been one of fluctuation and change. In 2024, it’s important to take care of yourself so you can be of help and support to others.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★This is an excellent day for business and commerce. Financial discussions will go well. Talk to bosses and VIPs about old business or revive old suggestions that might give you a financial boost. Be ready to rehash ideas and run something up the flagpole one more time. Tonight: Study history.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★★This is a wonderful day for you, because the Moon is in your sign lined up with lucky Jupiter while dancing with Saturn and Mercury. This means you will make practical decisions; however, you will be optimistic and quite fortunate in w...

Commission launches three new initiatives to support Ukrainian researchers and innovators

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:16 GMT

The Commission has launched three new initiatives boosting the EU research and innovation cooperation with Ukraine: a new Horizon Europe Office in Kyiv; a new European Innovation Council (EIC) action to support the Ukrainian deep tech community; and a new European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Community Hub.Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Commissioner Iliana Ivanova (pictured) launched the initiatives in a remote event together with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, and Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyj.Ivanova said: “The Horizon Europe Office in Kyiv will be the beating heart of our collaboration. It will support Ukrainian researchers and innovators, inform them about EU funding opportunities and connect them to their EU colleagues. In addition, we are also building a bridge between local and European innovators with the new Community Hub of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, and investing up to €20 m...

Harriette Cole: The problem started when my daughter switched to public school

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:16 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m reaching out to you as a concerned parent grappling with a situation involving my teenage daughter.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: The 3 lists and one calendar you need for your 2024 life strategy Advice | Harriette Cole: There’s only so much I can do for this Plain Jane Advice | Harriette Cole: I don’t want to offend my friend but I can’t stay in this house Advice | Harriette Cole: An audience makes my roommate more irritating Advice | Harriette Cole: He’s finally single, but his ex brainwashed him. How can I get through? We recently switched our daughter from a private high school in town to the public school. Unfortunately, it seems she’s having difficulty making friends. I’ve observed her struggling to connect with her peers, and it’s disheartening to see her feeling isolated.As a parent, I want to support her during this t...

Miss Manners: What should I have said when the groom insulted my wedding cake?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:16 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am an amateur cook and baker. A number of years ago, I completed a hobbyist-level course at a renowned cooking school.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: I had an awkward exchange with the friends I discarded Advice | Miss Manners: I try to make draft dodgers feel bad. Is this wrong of me? Advice | Miss Manners: People are noticing my watch and it’s making me uncomfortable Advice | Miss Manners: Snow shoveling has created an awkward situation with my neighbors Advice | Miss Manners: Our houseguests canceled abruptly and implied we were running a frat party Earlier this year, my wonderful daughter-in-law was charged with arranging a simple, intimate wedding for her father and his fiance. I’m not well-acquainted with the wedding couple, but to help my DIL, I baked and delivered a simple, two-tiered cake to the wedding venue.After the wedding, I didn’t hear from the...

Tesla moves forward with plan to build an energy-storage battery factory in China

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:16 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — American electric automaker Tesla’s plans to produce energy-storage batteries in China moved forward on Friday with a signing ceremony for the land acquisition in Shanghai, China’s state media said.Construction of the factory is scheduled to start early next year with production to come on line by the end of the year, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The factory won’t build batteries for cars but for electric utilities and other companies to store power. Such storage units have become increasingly important with the growth in solar and wind energy, which only generate electricity when weather conditions are favorable and need to store it for when residential and commercial users need it.The new factory will initially produce 10,000 of Tesla’s Megapack units annually for sale worldwide, Xinhua said. The Tesla project is a rare piece of good news for the Chinese economy, which has seen a sharp drop in foreign investment this year. The Commer...