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Israel’s top court to hear petitions against first part of contentious judicial overhaul

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:18 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s highest court said Wednesday that it would hear petitions in September against a divisive law weakening its power that the country’s parliament passed earlier this week. Israeli civil society groups and others have filed petitions asking the Supreme Court to strike down the law enacted Monday — the first major piece of legislation in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s broader program to overhaul Israel’s judiciary. The far-right government’s plans to limit judicial power has unleashed the country’s biggest protests in history and exposed its deep social fissures. The case — which pits the Supreme Court against the government — could push Israel toward a full-blown political crisis, with the country’s justices set to rule on a law about the scope of their own authority. Critics of the overhaul describe it as a blow to democracy, arguing that Israel’s judiciary represents the primary check on the powers of the parlia...

The Americans dominated their Women’s World Cup opener. They face a tougher task against the Dutch

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:18 GMT

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The United States and the Netherlands meet again on the Women’s World Cup stage — with smaller stakes than the 2019 title game won by the Americans — and the Dutch team collecting injuries at a terrible time of the tournament.The Netherlands will most likely be without forward Lineth Beerensteyn, who was hurt early in her team’s 1-0 victory over Portugal to open the tournament, when they play the Americans on Thursday in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington.The Americans are the two-time reigning World Cup champions and Netherlands coach Andries Jonker said on the eve of the match “we would need a miracle” for Beerensteyn to be ready to play.”And if that doesn’t happen, then she won’t participate,” he said.The Netherlands came to the tournament in Australia and New Zealand already missing leading scorer Vivianne Miedema, who ruptured her ACL while playing for Arsenal in December. The forward is the Netherlands’ leading s...

Samsung unveils two new foldable smartphones in a bet on devices with bending screens

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:18 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Samsung Electronics on Wednesday unveiled two foldable smartphones as it continues to bet on devices with bending screens, a budding market that has yet to fully take off because of high prices.The clamshell-designed Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, a larger device that opens and folds like a book, will be available for pre-orders starting July 26 in certain markets including the United States and South Korea.Built with 6.7-inch and 7.6-inch main screens, the phones have bigger displays than Samsung’s previous folding devices and are equipped with more advanced cameras, providing crisper visuals and more features for work, text and video chats, movies and games, the company said. Designed to be compact and easy to carry, the Flip 5 is also built with a 3.4-inch cover screen that allows it to be used folded in half.The phones, which run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor chips, are slightly sleeker and lighter than their predecessors but designed...

A freighter carrying nearly 3,000 cars catches fire in the North Sea and a crew member is killed

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:18 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A fire on a freight ship carrying nearly 3,000 cars was burning out of control Wednesday in the North Sea, and the Dutch coast guard said one crew member had died, others were hurt and it was working to save the vessel from sinking close to an important habitat for migratory birds.Boats and helicopters were used to get the 23 crew members off the ship after they tried unsuccessfully to put out the blaze, the coast guard said in a statement. The cause of the blaze wasn’t immediately known, and it wasn’t clear how the crew member died.The Fremantle Highway was sailing from the German port of Bremerhaven to Singapore when it caught fire about 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of the Dutch island of Ameland.As the blaze continued throughout the day, a salvage company sent an expert to assess the possibility of fastening a cable to the ship that could be used to tow it, the coast guard said.Some of the crew members jumped off the ship’s deck into the sea ...

Deadly wildfires in Greece and other European countries destroy homes, threaten nature reserves

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:18 GMT

RHODES, Greece (AP) — Major fires raging in Greece and other European countries advanced on Wednesday, causing additional deaths, destroying homes and threatening nature reserves during a third successive wave of extreme temperatures.The summer wildfires have struck countries across the region, prompting the European Union to expand its support, sending two Spanish firefighting planes to Tunisia after wildfires in neighboring Algeria left at least 34 people dead in recent days.Here’s a look at some of the major wildfires across Europe.___GREECENew evacuations were ordered overnight on the islands of Corfu, Evia and Rhodes, where thousands of tourists were moved to safety over the weekend. Authorities said the charred remains of a missing farmer were found in southern Evia — a discovery made following the death of two Greek firefighting pilots, who were killed in a crash during a low-altitude water drop. French President Emmanuel Macron posted a message of condolence in Greek, while ...

Sean Fraser takes over federal housing file as Canadians face affordability crunch

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:18 GMT

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is handing over the federal housing file to Sean Fraser, who was previously Immigration minister.Trudeau is shuffling his cabinet today in a bid to present a fresh team to lead the Liberals into the next election. Ahmed Hussen, who was Housing minister since 2021, has faced criticism for his handling of the file as the housing crisis worsened across the country. Hussen is staying in cabinet as minister of International Development. The federal government is facing considerable pressure to address the lack of affordable housing, which experts say is the result of a housing shortage. The Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation has warned the country needs to build 3.5 million additional homes — on top of the current pace of building — to restore affordability by 2030.This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2023. The Canadian Press<!– Photo: 20230726100748-64c1322e78d2b96e53f5ae83jpeg.jpg, Caption: Prime Minister Justin...

UN panel says it’s concerned about human rights violations in Uganda in recent years

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:18 GMT

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Human rights violations including extrajudicial killings in Uganda in recent years have raised the concern of a panel of United Nations experts.The U.N. Human Rights Committee in findings released Wednesday also urged authorities in the East African country to repeal a recently enacted law that prescribes the death penalty for some homosexual acts.The committee pointed to reports of arbitrary arrests and detention by police and security forces targeting political opponents, journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, sex workers, and LGBTQ+ people. The panel’s report was its first review of Uganda since 2004.A government spokesman was not immediately available for comment on the committee’s findings.Uganda’s security forces face growing allegations of brutality in their encounters with perceived opponents of the government of President Yoweri Museveni, a U.S. ally who has held power since 1986.Cases of extrajudicial killings “should be look...

South Florida waters hit hot tub level and may have set world record for warmest seawater

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:18 GMT

The water temperature around the tip of Florida has hit triple digits — hot tub levels — two days in a row. Meteorologists say it could be the hottest seawater ever measured, although some questions about the reading remain.Scientists are already seeing devastating effects from prolonged hot water surrounding Florida — coral bleaching and even the death of some corals in what had been one of the Florida Keys’ most resilient reefs. Climate change has set temperature records across the globe this month.The warmer water is also fuel for hurricanes.Scientists were careful to say there is some uncertainty with the reading. But the buoy at Manatee Bay hit 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit (38.4 degrees Celsius) Monday evening, according to National Weather Service meteorologist George Rizzuto. The night before, that buoy showed an online reading of 100.2 F (37.9 C).“That is a potential record,” Rizzuto said. “This is a hot tub. I like my hot tub around 100, 101, (37.8, 38.3 C). That...

Nature, history and imagination infuse new wallpapers that help a room tell a story

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:18 GMT

In the Emmy-nominated opening credits of HBO’s “White Lotus,” wallpaper-like images told a story: The tropical prints started off innocuously enough, but then turned ominous. Fruit started rotting, fish got tangled in seaweed, and a sense of foreboding set the whole premise of an exotic paradise on its edge.The artist, Lezio Lopes, has said he was trying to evoke the design and themes of the shows resort suites.It’s a surreal example of a current trend in decor — wallpapers that combine art and narrative qualities to set the mood of a room. Some take us to wild places in nature, others to wild worlds born in artists’ imaginations. They go way beyond your nice stripe or simple floral. They tell a story.Wallpaper in general is back in a big way, decor experts say, and often makes a statement through images or texture (many papers incorporate fabric or fibers). Chicago-based design writer Elaine Markoutsas, who attended two of the year’s biggest design expositions, Maison e...

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Chicago area

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:18 GMT

CHICAGO — Hot and humid Wednesday with highs in the lower 90s and heat index values that could top out over 100 degrees.  Scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon are possible with potentially severe storms. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here A list of warnings, watches and advisories below:A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for DuPage and Cook County until 9:45 a.m.A Severe Thunderstorm Warning extended into Lake (IL), northern Kane, northern Cook until 9:45 a.m. Storm is moving fast, east at 60 mph. Has a history of producing 60-70mph wind gusts.A Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Waukegan, Arlington Heights and Evanston until 9:45 a.m.A Heat Advisory is in effect starting at 12 p.m. Wednesday through 9 p.m. in the orange counties. (map below) Peak heat indices of 100-105 degrees are expected. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in air conditioning when possible and limit time in sun. Check on relatives and neighbors. Take precautions working and ...