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More than 5,300 are feared dead, thousands more are missing as eastern Libya is devastated by floods

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

By SAMY MAGDY (Associated Press)CAIRO (AP) — Emergency workers uncovered more than 1,500 bodies in the wreckage of Libya’s eastern city of Derna on Tuesday, and it was feared the toll could spiral with 10,000 people reported still missing after floodwaters smashed through dams and washed away entire neighborhoods of the city.The death toll in Derna alone has exceeded 5,300, the state-run news agency quoted Mohammed Abu-Lamousha, a spokesman for the east Libya interior ministry, as saying Tuesday. Derna’s ambulance authority earlier put the toll at 2,300. The startling death and devastation wreaked by Mediterranean storm Daniel pointed to the storm’s intensity, but also the vulnerability of a nation torn apart by chaos for more than a decade. The country is divided by rival governments, one in the east, the other in the west, and the result has been neglect of infrastructure in many areas.Outside help was only just starting to reach Derna on Tuesday, more than...

Board of Supervisors unanimously pass county child-care pilot program

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a new pilot program on Tuesday that aims to address the county's child care crisis.The program, which was introduced Monday ahead of the board meeting, focuses on increasing access to the service by supporting providers through funding for licensing and training. It would also help develop new centers in "service deserts," according to the proposal.For county workers, the pilot program will also introduce a new emergency "flex" system, allowing them up to three paid days off in case they cannot get child care on any given day. Housing costs are nearly half of new San Diego teachers’ salaries: report These initiatives would be funded by half of the the $2 million the county received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act for child-care purposes.County Supervisors Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Chairwoman Nora Vargas proposed the pilot program to help combat what they describe as a dire crisis facing the San Diego regi...

VIDEO: Dolphins swim through bioluminescent waters in Orange County

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

(KSWB) -- Bioluminescent waves continue to stun along the Southern California coastline, drawing dozens out to the beach at night in an attempt to spot the electric blue spectacle.However, passengers on a Newport Beach boat got a special treat Monday night, as they caught a rare glimpse of dolphins swimming through the glowing waters. A video of the dolphins can be found in the player above.The iridescent waves are connected with a phenomenon called a "red tide," according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. What’s causing California’s ocean waves to glow? A red tide describes a build-up or bloom of microscopic organisms that are similar to plankton. These organisms are called Lingulodinium polyedra.By day, these organisms display a reddish-brown color, creating an intensified red color in the water, hence the name "red tide." By night, waves -- or other things moving in the water like a dolphin -- agitate the plankton, prompting a chemical reaction that causes them to e...

How San Diego's 'kissing statue' became a fixture on the downtown waterfront

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO – Whether you’re from here or just visiting, San Diego’s eye-catching statue replicating the iconic World War II-era photograph of a lip-locked sailor and a nurse is something everyone knows.The 25-foot installation – known as “Embracing Peace” – is one of the most recognizable ornaments of the San Diego bayfront, placed right next to the USS Midway. Hundreds of people visit the spot every day -- many stopping by just to snap a picture recreating in the pose.“There is (likely) no more photographed spot,” said Allan Tait, program manager for the Parks and Recreation Department. “It’s iconic, because it’s (this) colossal sculpture … It’s become recognizable with San Diego.”With its nearly two decade-long presence at the Embarcadero, many locals at one point or another might have wondered how the sculpture depicting a famous moment that took place in New York City become an enduring emblem of America's Finest City. How artists transformed the Spanish Village in Balboa Park...

Nordstrom Rack opening new location in San Diego

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Get ready shoppers! A new Nordstrom Rack location is coming to San Diego next year.The Seattle-based fashion retailer Nordstrom, Inc. announced the plans for the new 26,000 square-foot location on Tuesday. The new store will be opening in Clairemont Town Square, joining other stores like Burlington, TJ Maxx, Ulta Beauty, Reading Cinemas and Vons. It is anticipated to open in fall 2024."Clairemont Town Square is a community favorite for shopping, dining and socializing. The exciting addition of Nordstrom Rack to our already diverse collection of retailers will offer visitors an even more vibrant and complete experience," said Taylor Pham, vice president of the Merlone Geier Partners, owners of the shopping center. How San Diego’s ‘kissing statue’ became a fixture on the downtown waterfront Nordstrom Rack is the off-price retail division of Nordstrom, Inc., offering customers discounts of up to 70% on apparel, accessories, beauty, home and shoes from many...

King of Morocco visits earthquake patients at Marrakech, kissing one on head and donating blood

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — Morocco’s king showed solidarity with his suffering nation Tuesday as it counts the dead from a powerful earthquake, visiting some of the injured at a hospital not far from the epicenter and rolling up a sleeve to donate his royal blood. King Mohammed VI inspected the hospital bearing his name in the city of Marrakech, where he inquired about the recovery services and care being provided for those injured in the Friday night temblor and the conditions of survivors, the official MAP news agency said.A video shows the king — whose public appearances are normally limited to special occasions — at the bedside of several patients, bending over a young boy to bestow a kiss on his head and at the side of an older man. In a surprising gesture, the bespectacled monarch was seen seated in a chair, coat off, suspenders showing, and shirt-sleeve rolled up, with his arm at the ready to donate blood. Blood donations have become a national gesture of solidarity, with Moro...

Ukrainian pilots could be flying F-16s in three months, Air National Guard head says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (AP) — The U.S. could have the first Ukrainian pilots trained on F-16 fighter jets before the end of the year, though it will be longer than that before they are flying combat missions, the director of the U.S. Air National Guard said Tuesday.The Ukrainian pilots are expected to arrive at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona, by October. Those aviators are being evaluated for English language skills right now, and depending on their proficiency and previous fighter jet experience, they could complete the U.S. training within three months, Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, director of the U.S. Air National Guard, said at the annual Air Force Association convention in National Harbor, Maryland.“As soon as they’re given a go-ahead, they’ll be coming over and they’ll start their training immediately,” Loh said.To meet the quick training timeframe, Tucson will likely shift some of its other international pilot training commitments to move Ukraine to the front of the...

Energy stocks boost TSX amid oil’s rise, while tech weighs on U.S. markets

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

TORONTO — Strength in energy stocks as the price of oil moved higher helped Canada’s main stock index post a small gain Tuesday, while U.S. stock markets moved lower, led by the Nasdaq which lost more than one per cent. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 40.32 points at 20,223.08.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 17.73 points at 34,645.99. The S&P 500 index was down 25.56 points at 4,461.90, while the Nasdaq composite was down 144.28 points at 13,773.61.The tech sector dragged on U.S. markets Tuesday, led by Oracle, which reported “disappointing” revenue and forecasts, said Anish Chopra, managing director with Portfolio Management Corp.“Investors are just extrapolating that that’s going to apply to some other companies … or to the tech sector. So you’ve got weakness in technology as a result of the guidance coming out of Oracle,” he said. Meanwhile, energy stocks rose as the price of oil continued its steady march towards US$90 per barrel....

Food banks even more critical to address food insecurity as students head back to school

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Food banks have been struggling to keep up since the COVID-19 pandemic and high inflation has led to exponential growth in visits across the GTA.As children head back to school, it’s becoming an even more critical service.Foot traffic inside some of the busiest food banks in the greater Toronto area is quickly picking up, including at the North York Harvest Food Bank in Lawrence Heights. They say there has been a 40 per cent increase over last year as more residents struggle to keep up with the cost of living.“With the trend on the rise, this is certainly very concerning,” said Henry Chiu, Director of Development and Marketing at North York Harvest Foodbank.More than 25,000 clients visit this network of food banks with one-third of those clients under the age of 19. Of those children, two-thirds of them are 11 years old or younger.“Among the new clients right now, we’re seeing families more than single-parent households. so that means a lot more childre...

New Mexico governor’s suspension of right to public carry ignites protests, lawsuits and debates

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Some demonstrators defiantly wore holstered handguns on their hips or carried assault rifles in a Tuesday rally by gun-rights advocates, protesting New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s surprise order to suspend the right to carry firearms after two children were recently killed in separate shootings. The rally unfolded on Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza shortly before New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced he cannot defend the governor’s public health order on firearms, exposing a divide between the state’s top-ranked elected Democrats. In his letter to Lujan Grisham, Torrez said that although he agrees a debate is needed on the impact of gun violence, it cannot be rebranded a public health emergency to justify a blanket 30-day prohibition against carrying firearms in and around Albuquerque. He urged the governor to consider whether her time would be better spent on developing comprehensive legislation. “While I understand that fru...