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Aid agencies back UN’s $7 billion appeal for Horn of Africa crisis

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:29 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Humanitarian agencies are calling for full funding of the U.N.’s $7 billion appeal for the Horn of Africa during a pledging conference this week, citing a growing crisis and the need for urgent lifesaving intervention.The U.N. says the region is facing the worst drought in 40 years, with more than 43.3 million people in need of assistance in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, and more than half of those lacking access to sufficient food, according to the U.N.The International Rescue Committee said that until now the appeals have received less than a quarter of the donations they need.“Efforts to combat food insecurity need to be urgently scaled up across a wider group of governments, international financial institutions and climate actors,” said the IRC’s chief executive, David Miliband.The U.N on Wednesday is convening a high-level pledging event at its headquarters in New York, where member states and partners will be encouraged to commit financial supp...

The U.S. Surgeon General has some tips for parents and teens on social media use

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:29 GMT

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, is calling for “immediate action” by tech companies and lawmakers to protect kids’ and adolescents’ mental health on social media. But after years of middling and insufficient action by both social media platforms and policymakers, parents and young people still bear most of the burden in navigating the fast-changing, often harmful world of secretive algorithms, addictive apps and extreme and inappropriate content found on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.So what can parents and young people do now? The Surgeon General has some tips. “Our children and adolescents don’t have the luxury of waiting years until we know the full extent of social media’s impact,” Murthy said in an advisory released on Tuesday. “Their childhoods and development are happening now:” TIPS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE— Reach out for help: If you or someone you know is being negatively affected by social media, reach out to a trusted friend or adult fo...

Car seats and baby formula are regulated. Is social media next?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:29 GMT

The U.S. Surgeon General is warning there is not enough evidence to show that social media is safe for children and teens — and is calling on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take “immediate action to protect kids now.” With young people’s social media use “near universal” but its true impact on mental health not fully understood, Dr. Vivek Murthy is asking tech companies to share data and increase transparency with researchers and the public and prioritize users’ health and safety when designing their products.“I recognize technology companies have taken steps to try to make their platforms healthier and safer, but it’s simply not enough,” Murthy told The Associated Press in an interview. “You can just look at the age requirements, where platforms have said 13 is the age at which people can start using their platforms. Yet 40% of kids eight through 12 are on social media. How does that happen if you’re actually enforcing your policies?”To comply with fede...

Russia fights alleged incursion from Ukraine for 2nd day, reports more drone attacks

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:29 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian troops and security forces fought for a second day Tuesday against an alleged cross-border raid that Moscow blamed on Ukrainian military saboteurs but which Kyiv portrayed as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans.Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region on the Ukraine border, said forces continued to sweep the rural area around the town of Graivoron, where the alleged attack on Monday took place. Ten civilians were wounded in the attack, he said, and one died during evacuation.Gladkov urged residents of the area who evacuated on Monday to stay put and not come back to their homes just yet. “We will let you know immediately … when it is safe,” Gladkov said. “Security agencies are carrying out all the necessary actions. We’re waiting for the counterterrorism operation to be over.”It was impossible to independently verify who was behind the attack or what its aims were, and disinformation has been one of the weapons of ...

Police in Chilliwack cancel shelter-in-place alert for residents near Skowkale

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:29 GMT

Police in Chilliwack, B.C., have issued an update, saying the call to shelter in place has been cancelled and the “active, ongoing, high-risk police incident” has been resolved.However, few other details are being shared at this time, pending a further news release later this morning.According to the initial statement from Chilliwack RCMP, which was issued just after 8 p.m. local time, the incident occurred in the 46-thousand block of Knight Road, near Melville, Queens and Downes.A short time later, the Upper Fraser Valley RCMP detachment noted on Twitter that the situation involved shots fired and that people sheltering should stay away from external walls.Police say residents in the area can once again leave their homes.They are also thanking all residents for their patience & cooperation.This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2023.The Canadian Press

Global stocks, Wall St futures fall after more US debt talks fail to break impasse

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:29 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets and Wall Street futures fell Tuesday after more talks in Washington on government debt ended with no deal to avoid a potentially jarring default.London and Frankfurt opened lower. Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong sank. Oil prices retreated.Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index edged up less than 0.1% on Monday as Congress and the White House negotiated over Republican demands to cut social programs in exchange for agreeing to raise the amount the government can borrow.“The resumption of debt ceiling negotiations spurred some hopes despite distinct risks of brinksmanship and blame-shifting,” Tan Boon Heng of Mizuho Bank said in a report.In early trading, the FTSE 100 in London was off less than 0.1% at 7,764.59. The CAC 40 in Paris fell 0.6% to 7,435.70 and Frankfurt’s DAX lost less than 0.1% to 16,209.77.On Wall Street, the S&P 500 future was off less than 0.1%. That for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.1%.On Monday, th...

Senior Spotlight: Hudson Falls' Peyton Smith

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:29 GMT

HUDSON FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Peyton Smith excels on the basketball court, but his success reaches far beyond the gym. The senior participated in five sports during his time in high school, while also going above and beyond in the classroom. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! “It’s very important to leave almost, like, a stamp on your school,” said Smith. “It is a small community, everybody knows each other. It’s very important to have an impact.”Senior Peyton Smith certainly has made his impact on Hudson Falls. Outside of his primary sport of basketball, Smith kicked for the football team, played baseball and golf, and spent a season on the swim team. "Every sport is a different exercise, a different thing to do," said Smith. "It's not just about the physical things. You make new friends. I try to be balanced and do every sport I can because I feel like you're missing out if you don't try and do every sport and you just lim...

Shen and Saratoga baseball to renew rivalry with Class AA crown at stake

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:29 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Shenendehowa and Saratoga Springs baseball teams will renew the Battle of I-87 for the Sec. II, Class AA championship. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Joseph L. Bruno Stadium played host Monday night to a pair of semi-final matchups in the AA playoff tournament. No. 2 Saratoga outlasted No. 3 Niskayuna 3-1, while top-seeded Shen's matchup with the five-seed Bethlehem contained a bit more drama. The Plainsmen had to overcome a three-run deficit to top the Eagles 6-3, setting up a three-game championship series between the class' top two teams.Runs were at a premium in the first game until the Blue Streaks' bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth inning. Left fielder Drew Adams broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single. Second baseman Orion Lansing followed up two batters later by dunking a single into center field that scored Adams, and 'Toga maintained a two-run edge with four innings in the bo...

Cadets and Blue Devils to meet in Class A final

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:29 GMT

GUILDERLAND, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Geneo Savoca swung the Cadets into the Class A finals after hitting a home run in the eighth inning of their semifinal game against No. 5 Burnt Hills for a walk-off win. Columbia exploded with an offensive furry against Queensbury to advance to the Class A finals. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The game was scoreless until the sixth inning. Burnt Hills struck first, scoring off a wild pitch from Scott Hanson. Logan McNeil showed solid base running awareness, cashing in on the opportunity to put the Spartans on the board first.However, the Cadets came up with some timely offense in the bottom of the inning, thanks to Nico DeSanto. He popped a grounder up the gut to center field, which allowed Gianni DiCerbo to score from third base, tying the game at one.Neither team scored after seven innings, so the game went to extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth, Geneo Savoca smashed a solo home run ...

Mount Etna eruption halts flights to Sicily's Catania airport

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:29 GMT

Flights to the eastern Sicilian town of Catania were halted Sunday (21 May), after volcanic ash from Mount Etna blew onto the airport's runways. Airport authorities confirmed this.The volcano, which is 3,330 metres (10,925 feet) tall, can erupt several times per year and shoot ash and lava high above the Mediterranean island. The last major explosion was in 1992.The airport announced on Twitter that flights to and from Catania - a popular tourist destination - would be suspended until normal conditions of safety could be ensured.Images in Italian media showed cars in the city covered with a thick layer of gritty dark dust.