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An abducted German priest is said to be freed in Mali one year after being seized in the capital

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:56 GMT

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — A German priest who was abducted by rebels in Mali’s capital in November 2022 has been released by his captors, a church member and a former colleague told The Associated Press on Monday.Church members in the capital of Bamako learned of the release of Rev. Hans-Joachim Lohre late Sunday, according to Dia Monique Pare, a former colleague who had confirmed his kidnapping. There were few details about his release.“Yesterday, while we were at Mass, a member of priest Hans-Joachim Lohre’s family told us that they had good news about the priest,” Pare said.Abbé Jean-Marie Djibo, a member of the church, said Lohre was released on Sunday and has returned to Germany. “He is doing well,” Djibo said.Authorities in Mali and Germany could not be reached for comment.It was not immediately known if a ransom was paid.Lohre was abducted by al-Qaida-linked rebels in Bamako. It was the first time that militants had seized a foreigner in the capital since their insurgen...

Qatar is the go-to mediator in the Mideast war. Its unprecedented Tel Aviv trip saved a shaky truce

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:56 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The deal seemed on the verge of unraveling. Hamas had accused Israel of failing to keep its side of the bargain and Israel was threatening to resume its lethal onslaught on the Gaza Strip.That was the point at which a Qatari jet landed at Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport on Saturday. Negotiators aboard set to work, seeking to save the cease-fire deal between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers before it fell apart and scuttled weeks of high-stakes diplomatic wrangling. The first public visit by Qatari officials to Israel marked an extraordinary moment for the two countries, which have no official diplomatic relations. It also underscored the major role of the tiny emirate in bridging differences between the enemies.“This is something we’ve never seen before,” Yoel Guzansky, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, said of the Qataris’ stay in Israel. “It’s the only external actor in the world with that much leverage on Ha...

EU border agency helping search for missing crew after cargo ship sinks off Greece

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:56 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The European Union’s border protection agency Frontex has joined the search for 12 crew members missing after a cargo ship sank in rough weather the previous day near the Greek island of Lesbos, authorities said Monday. A 40-year-old Egyptian crew member was rescued on Sunday while the body of another Egyptian member of the crew was recovered by a commercial vessel that was assisting in the search. The Comoros-flagged Raptor was transporting salt from Alexandria, Egypt, to Istanbul and issued a distress signal before the vessel sank. It had a crew of 14, including eight Egyptians, four Indians and two Syrians, the coast guard said.The ship reported a mechanical problem at 7 a.m. Sunday, sent a distress signal at 8:20 a.m. and shortly after disappeared about 4 1/2 nautical miles (8 kilometers) southwest of Lesbos, authorities said.Frontex, which patrols the Lesbos area monitoring for illegal migration, sent a surveillance aircraft and a patrol boat to join...

Air Transat flight attendants OK strike mandate if new contract cannot be reached

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:56 GMT

The union representing 2,100 flight attendants at Air Transat says workers have voted to approve a strike if they cannot reach a new contract with the airline.The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the flight attendants voted 99.8 per cent in favour of backing the mandate.Dominic Levasseur, president of the Air Transat component of CUPE, says the next few weeks of negotiations will be critical. Levasseur says it’s still possible to reach a new contract without resorting to a strike, but the union’s members have high expectations and are extremely motivated.The collective agreement for the flight attendants based at airports in Montreal and Toronto expired on Oct. 31, 2022.Air Transat is owned by travel company Transat AT Inc. 

Liz Weston: Companies’ deceptive ‘dark patterns’ online cost you money – here’s how to fight back

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:56 GMT

See if any of this sounds familiar:● You can’t find an easy way to cancel an unwanted subscription, so you let it continue for another month — telling yourself you’ll try again later.● You feel rushed into an online purchase you regret, but there’s no option to undo the transaction or demand a refund.● You want to read an article or shop at a store online, but you’re bombarded with pop-up requests for your data. There’s no easy option for saying no, so you click “allow” just to get the annoying pop-up out of the way.These are just a few examples of “dark patterns” — intentionally deceptive designs that companies use to steer people into making choices that aren’t in the consumers’ best interest.Dark patterns may sound like a feature of sketchy websites, but these manipulative practices are a common way mainstream companies dupe people into sacrificing their privacy or paying for stuff they don’t really want.Buttons that allow sites to scoop up and sell your data may be prominent, wh...

Israel and Hamas prepare for fourth swap as mediators seek to extend cease-fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:56 GMT

Israel and Hamas are preparing for a fourth exchange of militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, as mediators seek to extend a cease-fire in Gaza that is set to expire after Monday.On Sunday, Hamas freed 17 more hostages — 14 Israelis and three Thais — in a third exchange under the four-day truce. In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners.Of the roughly 240 hostages captured by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that ignited the war, 62 have been released, one was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza. Israel has said it would extend the cease-fire by one day for every 10 additional hostages released. Hamas has also said it hopes to extend the truce, which was mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.With the truce deal has come increased shipments of fuel and supplies into Gaza — though aid groups say it's still barely enough to dent the needs of the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza who have endured weeks of Israel...

Construction to begin on winterized tent camp in Brighton Park despite resident pushback

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:56 GMT

CHICAGO — Migrants are coping with the frigid temperatures and snow that swept across Chicagoland on Sunday as the city prepares to begin work on a winterized tent camp in Brighton Park on Monday and neighbors in the area continue to push back on the plans.For several weeks, dozens of residents have shown up every day to voice their concerns and opposition to the city's proposal to house migrants at the vacant property located near West 38th Street and South California Avenue. Police warn residents on West, Northwest sides after string of armed robberies While Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has not confirmed that the construction will begin on Monday, 12th Ward Alderwoman Julia Ramirez has and said residents in the area are disappointed. "This is outrageous what they're doing here," Yuan Mo, a resident in the area, said. For weeks, crews have been busy coming in and out of the property with bulldozers and other construction equipment while in the background, res...

Monday Forecast: Cold conditions with temps in upper 20s

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:56 GMT

CHICAGO — Cold conditions Monday and mostly cloudy. Winds: W 10-15 G25. High: 27. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Mostly clear tonight. Winds: WNW 10-15 G20. Low: 15.Tuesday Forecast: Mostly sunny conditions. Winds: WNW 5-10 G15. High: 25.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Where to chop down your own Christmas tree in Central Texas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:56 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Sure, the quaint tradition of chopping down a Christmas tree and lugging it home may be a little more commonplace in the North than in Texas, but still, there is an opportunity for many living in the state to give it a whack – just likely with less snow.The Texas Christmas Tree Growers Association keeps tabs on all the state farms allowing Texans to choose a tree and cut it down themselves. There are dozens of Christmas tree farms across the state and nine in Central Texas.Is it legal to cut down Christmas trees in national forests?The U.S. Forest Service allows people to trek into national forests to chop down their own trees as long as they purchase a Christmas tree permit before.And cutting down Christmas trees from a National Forest is mutually beneficial – you get your own tree, and removing it improves the forest's health. The U.S. Forest Service Christmas tree permit system directs people to remove trees from densely populated areas so that other trees ca...

Gas prices continue to fall post-Thanksgiving, AAA says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:56 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Traveling back to work from the holiday weekend won't be as much of a pain on your wallet as gas prices continue to fall, according to AAA. Texas drivers pay the lowest average price per gallon of any state, AAA said. California drivers pay the highest price. The company said Monday the U.S. average price of a gallon of regular of $3.25 is 31 cents cheaper than it was at this point in 2022. The national average is 27 cents lower than last month.Current$3.25Week Ago$3.31Month Ago$3.52Year Ago$3.56U.S. Average Price of Gallon of Regular (Source: AAA)The statewide average is $2.71 a gallon. That is down 18 cents from last year and 30 cents from last month. California drivers pay $4.90 a gallon, AAA said. Current$2.71Week Ago$2.80Month Ago$3.01Year Ago$2.89Texas Average Price of Gallon of Regular (Source: AAA)Drivers in the Austin-San Marcos area are paying an average price of $2.68, AAA said. That is 35 cents lower than last month and 23 cents lower than last year. Cu...