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UK, Italy consider joining forces on irregular migration: Report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:12:45 GMT

The U.K. is considering teaming up with Italy to address illegal migrant flows across the Mediterranean, the Telegraph reported late Friday.The newspaper reported that Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service Simon Case was sent to Italy in mid-June to meet senior members of the Italian government with the aim of preparing the deal.The agreement, which officials quoted by the paper said would focus on small boats, follows up on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in April by the two countries in an effort to tackle illegal migration under the “Strategic Migration Partnership.”Nearly 45,000 people arrived in the U.K last year after crossing the English Channel by small boats — a record high for Britain which led a few members of the Conservative Party, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s own political family, to demand tougher policies on irregular migration.Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, meanwhile, has been increasingly focusing on cracking down on migration flo...

Red Sox back Paxton with 3 home runs and snap their 5-game skid with a 5-0 win over the Blue Jays

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:12:45 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Jarren Duran hit a two-run homer, James Paxton and two relievers combined on a three-hitter and the Boston Red Sox snapped a season-worst five-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0 on Friday night.Justin Turner and Masataka Yoshida each hit a solo home run and Turner added a sacrifice fly for Boston, which totaled four runs in its previous four games.“It was a good night,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We did some good things. We needed this one.”Paxton (4-1) pitched a season-high 7 2/3 innings for his third straight win as the Red Sox recorded their first shutout of the year and improved to 5-0 against the Blue Jays. Toronto won 16 of 19 meetings last season.In his previous start at the Chicago White Sox last weekend, Paxton left after four innings because of a sore right knee. Against Toronto, the Canadian-born lefty set down the first eight batters in order and didn’t allow a runner to reach second base until the eighth inning. He walked two an...

Missed opportunities for Chicago White Sox, who lose 7-4 to Oakland A’s — the team with the worst record in baseball

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:12:45 GMT

The Chicago White Sox were mounting a rally in the eighth inning Friday against the Oakland Athletics.Two runs were in thanks to a double by Andrew Benintendi.There were two on and two outs with the No. 2 batter in the Sox lineup, Tim Anderson, at the plate. But Reliever Trevor May entered and struck out Anderson, who slammed his bat after fanning for the fourth time.It was a night of missed opportunities for the Sox in a 7-4 loss to the A’s in front of 14,181 at Oakland Coliseum.The Sox went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position, dropping the opener of a three-game series against the team with the worst record in baseball.“The game was probably decided in the first couple of innings,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said.The Sox scored just once in those innings despite loading the bases in both the first and second.Benintendi began the game with a double. Eloy Jiménez brought him home with a two-out single. Andrew Vaughn singled — his first of three hits ...

Toronto going ahead with Canada Day fireworks despite air quality warnings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:12:45 GMT

The City of Toronto is planning to go ahead with Canada Day celebrations despite poor air quality warnings.A special air quality statement remains in effect for the city due to smoke from forest fires and while conditions are expected to improve from west to east, Environment Canada warns air quality and visibility can vary considerably from hour to hour.As of 7 a.m., the Air Quality Health Index for the city was between a 5 and a 6, which is a moderate risk and those levels were expected to remain consistent throughout the day.“People with lung disease (such as asthma) or heart disease, older adults, children, pregnant people, and people who work outdoors are at higher risk of experiencing health effects caused by wildfire smoke,” the national weather service said on Saturday. “If you must spend time outdoors, a well-fitted respirator type mask that does not allow air to pass through small openings between the mask and face, can help reduce your exposure to the fi...

Nokia renews patent license agreement with Apple, covering 5G and other technologies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:12:45 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — Network infrastructure and 5G technology provider Nokia has signed a new long-term patent license agreement with Apple to replace the current deal between the two companies that is set to expire at the end of 2023.The deal, which enables Apple to use the Finnish company’s technology in its products, covers Nokia’s inventions in 5G and other technologies. The terms of the agreement announced late Friday remain confidential. Nokia expects to recognize revenue related to the agreement starting January 2024, and the company said the deal is consistent with its long-term outlook disclosed in the first quarter.“The agreement reflects the strength of Nokia’s patent portfolio, decades-long investments in R&D, and contributions to cellular standards and other technologies,” Nokia Technologies President Jenni Lukander said in a statement.The previous license agreement between Apple and Nokia was announced in May 2017.Nokia said its patent portfolio is built on more than €1...

3 killed, 17 wounded in Ukraine from Russian attacks, as Spain highlights European support for Kyiv

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:12:45 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials on Saturday morning reported more civilian casualties from Russian shelling in the country’s east and south, as a visit by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez began in Kyiv as a show of continuing support from Madrid and the European Union for Ukraine’s fight to dislodge invading Russian forces from its territory.In an address to Ukraine’s parliament that received several standing ovations, Sánchez said, “We’ll be with you as long as it takes.”“I am here to express the firm determination of the European (Union) and Europe against the illegal and unjustified Russian aggression to Ukraine,” he said on the day that Spain took over the six-month rotating presidency of the 27-nation EU.Sánchez will meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with the two set to give a joint news conference on Saturday afternoon. Elsewhere in Ukraine, regional officials reported that at least three civilians were killed and at least 17 more wounded by Russian s...

ATCEMS: 1 dead in auto-pedestrian crash on I-35 flyover ramp

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:12:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — One person died after an auto-pedestrian crash on a flyover ramp late Friday, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.It happened just before midnight on a flyover ramp from northbound I-35 to East Ben White Boulevard.ATCEMS said an adult was pronounced dead at the scene. Traffic delays were expected at the time, according to ATCEMS.

New affordable housing is on its way to Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:12:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — At a meeting Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court approved $6.5 million in loan documents for Foundation Communities' affordable housing project, Juniper Creek. It's expected to open in late 2023 at 11630 North Lamar Boulevard.The project is meant to mainly benefit families making below 60% of the area's median income, with 20% of units set aside for those experiencing homelessness.The construction of the 110 units is expected to be completed by February 2025.Previously, the court had approved a contract from Mobile Loaves and Fishes for their Community First! village for $35 million, and a $3 million contract with The Other Ones Foundation for their Esperanza community.It also unanimously approved a Caritas Affordable housing contract that gives $6.4 million to the Cairn Point at Cameron development to help those experiencing homelessness.Earlier this year, Foundation Communities opened a different affordable housing project called Zilker Studios.KXAN Inve...

Hmong ‘J4’ Freedom Festival returns this weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:12:45 GMT

For more than four decades, the Hmong International Freedom Festival has brought Hmong athletes from around the world to the McMurray Fields at St. Paul’s Como Park, where teams compete in soccer, volleyball, flag football and traditional southeast sports such as Kato and Top Spin. There’s even competitive cornhole.When the 41st annual “Hmong J4” tournament returns Saturday, researchers from the University of Minnesota Extension Service will be there to survey the crowds about how much fun they’re having and why.For Xinyi “Lisa” Qian, director of extension’s tourism center, the questions are far from frivolous. Some 57,000 visitors have been known to attend “J4” across two days, some from as far away as France and Thailand, making the festival the largest Hmong gathering in the world.Qian is one of the principal organizers of the U’s economic study of the Freedom Festival, which contracted with the U’s tourism c...

Storms cause significant damage in Columbia, Illinois

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:12:45 GMT

COLUMBIA, Ill. -- Severe storms tore through the Columbia Lakes subdivision, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Lakeshore Drive, one of the areas directly impacted, witnessed the power of the storm as trees were uprooted and fencing sustained damage.This area experienced a direct hit from the storms that were in the area before 7 p.m. Friday night. The aftermath reveals a fallen tree and fencing damage. The force of the storm was so intense that power poles were snapped, posing risks to residents. Authorities are urging caution regarding any downed power lines this morning. Severe storms may impact the St. Louis area Saturday Despite the ongoing power issues in the subdivision, the silver lining is that no injuries have been reported in this area or elsewhere. We spoke with residents who experienced the storm firsthand, and they described a sudden shift from a calm atmosphere to a rapidly changing and intense weather event.Stay informed about local updates and heed official wa...