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Syrian refugees fearful as Lebanon steps up deportations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:54 GMT

QAB ELIAS, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanese officials are cracking down on Syrian refugees against the backdrop of a worsening economic crisis and political stalemate, an escalation that has caused a panic among Syrians in the country.In recent weeks, the army has raided refugee camps and set up checkpoints to review the documentation of non-Lebanese citizens, arresting and in many cases deporting Syrians found not to have legal residency, according to refugees and humanitarian organizations.“People aren’t sleeping in their houses … and are afraid even to go to work,” said a woman originally from the Syrian province of Idlib who is living in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley. Her husband was deported on April 10, along with 28 other men, after a raid on an apartment building in the Beirut suburb of Jounieh, she said, and she hasn’t heard from him since.Like other Syrians interviewed for this story, the woman spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals.Her 4-year-old son asks where ...

German police clamp down on Italian mob with raids, arrests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:54 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Police arrested suspects and raided homes early Wednesday across Germany in a massive effort to clamp down on member of the Italian ’ndrangheta organized crime syndicate.More than 1,000 officers searched dozens of homes, offices, stores in the states of Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, prosecutors said in a joint statement.Over 30 suspects who had outstanding warrants were arrested.“Among other things, the accused are accused of money laundering, gang tax evasion, commercial gang fraud, and narcotics smuggling,” said a statement from the state office of criminal investigation in North Rhine-Westphalia. The raids are part of a wider joint investigation involving Europol and also included simultaneous measures against the group in Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain, the statement said.The Associated Press

IMF says inflation to slow growth across Mideast this year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:54 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Economies across the Middle East and Central Asia will likely slow this year as persistently high inflation and rising interest rates bite into their post-pandemic gains, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday. The IMF’s Regional Economic Outlook blamed in part rising energy costs, as well as elevated food prices, for the estimated slower growth. The report said that while oil-dependent economies of the Gulf Arab states and others in the region have reaped the benefits of elevated crude prices, other countries — such as Pakistan — have seen growth collapse after an unprecedented flooding last summer or as economic woes worsened.The regional slowdown also comes as an explosion of fighting in Sudan between two top rival generals — who only a year ago as allies orchestrated a military coup that upended the African country’s transition to democracy — threatens a nation where IMF and World Bank debt relief remains on hold. Rising int...

No winning ticket sold for Tuesday’s $18 million Lotto Max jackpot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:54 GMT

There was no winning ticket sold in Tuesday’s Lotto Max $18 million draw.The jackpot for the next draw on May 5 will be an estimated $23 million.The Canadian Press

Warmer Days Ahead: Temps in the 60s Wednesday, and 70s by the Week's end—flirting to 80° by Tuesday next week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:54 GMT

Warmer days ahead for Chicago—we'll break into the 60s away from Lake Michigan Wednesday afternoon and make it to the 70s by week's end—though lake breezes will be cooling the shoreline—the weekend is to see organized east winds which will cool shoreline locations even as inland areas warm—but it appears we'll be flirting to 80 by TUES/WED next week!MAMMOTH SPRING STORM Below normal temps moved into an 11th consecutive day Tuesday—featuring a sub-normal high of 54° and 31 mph wind gusts at O'Hare (Midway made it to 55° Monday). It marked the 5th day in which Chicago's weather was controlled by the mammoth spring storm which has wreaked havoc over a wide swath of the Midwest and East coast—producing up to 29" of snow the past two days followed by 1 to 3.70" rainfalls in parts and 50+ mph wind gusts across a swath of Michigan's Upper Peninsula; generating Monday's deadly downstate I-55 downstate dust storm and forcing Chicagoans to keep a close watch on the sky for what little sun we'...

US believes Russians in Ukraine have suffered 100,000 casualties

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:54 GMT

The White House on Monday (1 May) estimated that Russia's military has suffered 100,000 casualties in the last five months in fighting in the Bakhmut region and other areas of Ukraine.White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters the figure, based on US intelligence estimates, included more than 20,000 dead, half of them from the Wagner mercenary group, which includes convicts released from prison to join the fighting."Russia's attempt at a winter offensive in the Donbas largely through Bakhmut has failed," Kirby said."Last December, Russia initiated a broad offensive across multiple lines of advance, including toward Vuhledar, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, and Kreminna. Most of these efforts stalled and failed. Russia has been unable to seize any strategically significant territory."He said the Russians have made some incremental gains in Bakhmut but that this has come at a "terrible, terrible cost" and that Ukraine's defenses in the region remain strong."Russia has exh...

Explosion derails freight train in Russian border region

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:54 GMT

An explosion in a Russian bordering Ukraine region on Monday (1 May) derailed a freight train, according to a post made by the local governor. The governor added that there were no injuries.Social media pictures showed several tank wagons lying on their sides and dark gray smoke billowing in the air near the derailment site in the Bryansk area.Russian Railways, Russia's railway operator, confirmed that the incident took place at 10:17 Moscow Time (0717 GMT). The report said that the locomotive and seven wagons derailed, and the locomotive caught on fire.In a Telegram post, Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz stated that "an unidentified explosive went off at 136 kilometres on the Bryansk - Unecha railway line derailing a freight train."Russian authorities claim that the region, which borders Ukraine and Belarus, has been the scene of multiple pro-Ukrainian attacks in the 14-month period since Russia invaded. The governor reported that four civilians were killed after Kyiv shelled an ...

Crews battling Cobble Fire in Riverside County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:54 GMT

Firefighters in Riverside County were battling a vegetation fire that broke out in the Santa Ana River bottom Tuesday night in Eastvale.  Crews with the Riverside County Fire Department responded to reports of the Cobble Fire, located 7700 block of Cobble Creek Drive, just before 9 p.m., authorities said.  Aerial footage from Sky5 showed heavy flames and smoke as the blaze burned through heavy thick brush.  Aerial footage from Sky5 shows flames burning through heavy vegetation in the Santa Ana River bed in Eastvale May 2, Aerial footage from Sky5 shows flames burning through heavy vegetation in the Santa Ana River bed in Eastvale May 2, 2023. (KTLA)Aerial footage from Sky5 shows flames burning through heavy vegetation in the Santa Ana River bed in Eastvale May 2, Riverside County Fire crews on the scene of the Cobble Fire in Eastvale May 2, 2023. (KTLA)Just after 10 p.m., authorities estimated that the fire had burned around five to seven acres. It is unclear if crews...

Single-use plastics now banned in parts of Los Angeles County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:54 GMT

Single-use plastics are now banned in restaurants throughout parts of Los Angeles County.The ordinance went into effect on May 1 and requires full-service restaurants in unincorporated L.A. County to provide only recyclable or compostable foodware. This applies to containers, cups, dishes, cutlery and more.The ordinance was passed by The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in April 2022 with aims to reduce waste and littering in communities and waterways, while increasing sustainability efforts.Main points of the ordinance include:-Requires full-service restaurants to use multiservice utensils (i.e., reusable foodware) for dine-in customers.-Prohibits food facilities such as restaurants, cafeterias, food trucks, etc. located in the unincorporated areas from providing single-use foodware accessories (e.g. straws, forks, condiment packets, napkins, etc.) to customers unless the customer requests them.-Requires online food-ordering businesses to include on their platforms a way for...

Presale Codes for Wizkid More Love, Less Ego Tour

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:54 GMT

“You don’t need no other body, only you fi hold my body” … ahem, hello, didn’t see you there. Well, Wizkid has announced the makeup dates to his much anticipated tour, and I can’t help myself. Dubbed the “More Love, Less Ego” tour in support of his 2022 album, the Nigerian superstar is hitting cities across Europe and North America. The North American leg will launch November 2 in Philadelphia, PA and wrap November 30 in Washington, D.C, with a stop here in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum on November 21 — see below for all dates. Passwords and presale codes for the Wizkid More Love, Less Ego Tour tickets are as follows:Presale codes for Wizkid More Love, Less Ego TourPresale tickets for the Wizkid More Love, Less Ego Tour go on sale today, May 3 and we’ve been told the following presale codes and passwords may work. Details are subject to change, and vary by event date:Live Nation website presale code or password: ICONICLive Nation mobile...