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Asia lags behind pre-pandemic levels of food security, UN food agency says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:02 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Hunger remains a chronic problem in Asia, with 55 million more people undernourished in 2022 than before the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says in its latest assessment of food security in the region.Most of those living without enough to eat are in South Asia, and women tend to be less food secure than men, the report says.The FAO’s study focuses on food supply, consumption and dietary energy needs and is designed to capture a state of chronic energy deprivation that stunts growth and saps productivity and quality of life. The share of people in the region suffering from such undernourishment fell to 8.4% in 2022 from 8.8% the year before. But that’s higher than the 7.3% of people who were undernourished before the pandemic began, sending some economies into a tailspin and depriving millions of people of their livelihoods.Natural disasters and disruptions to food supplies, often linked to climate change, have added to those pressures. ...

UK sends 2 minehunters to Ukraine as Britain and Norway seek to bolster Kyiv’s navy in the Black Sea

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:02 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain is transferring two minehunting ships to Ukraine as part of a package of long-term support to bolster security in the Black Sea, the Ministry of Defense said Monday.Transfer of the two Sandown class vessels, which are designed to help clear mines from coastal waters, comes as Britain and Norway announce plans for a new maritime coalition to increase support for Ukraine in the war with Russia. The coalition will work with the Ukrainian navy to expand its forces in the Black Sea, develop a Ukrainian Marine Corps and enhance the use of river patrol craft to defend inland and coastal waterways, British authorities said.“These minehunters will deliver vital capability to Ukraine, which will help save lives at sea and open up vital export routes, which have been severely limited since (Russian President Vladimir) Putin launched his illegal full-scale invasion,’’ Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement. Britain first announced a deal to sell the two mine-hu...

Nurses, health workers set to join other Quebec public sector workers on picket lines

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:02 GMT

MONTREAL — About 80,000 unionized Quebec nurses and other health-care workers will be joining fellow public sector workers already on strike since last week.The health workers are members of the FIQ, who will begin a four-day strike today, joining workers from four unions representing 420,000 Quebec public sector workers who began a weeklong strike on Friday.Those workers include teachers, education support staff and lab technicians and are members of a group of four unions that calls itself the “common front.”The unions rejected the government’s most recent contract offer, which includes a salary increase of 12.7 per cent over five years, saying it doesn’t keep pace with inflation.On Sunday, representatives from the common front unions said they are expected to update members beginning in a week. If an agreement isn’t in place by then, they could also launch an unlimited strike after the holidays.The latest strikes are the third such walkout since earl...

Advocates, victims’ families oppose destroying Robert Pickton evidence

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:02 GMT

VANCOUVER — Advocates and families of victims who were murdered by serial killer Robert Pickton say they are opposed to recent applications filed by the B.C. RCMP to destroy or return thousands of pieces of evidence seized during the police investigation.Pickton, who was a pig farmer, was found guilty in 2007 on six counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of women who disappeared from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.In 2010, after the Supreme Court upheld his sentence, 20 other first-degree murder charges were stayed because Pickton was already serving the maximum sentence.The group opposing the move to destroy evidence — which includes lawyers, victims’ families and missing and murdered women’s advocates — are hosting a news conference this morning.The group says a letter — which has been endorsed by more than 40 organizations and advocates across Canada — has been sent to the federal public sa...

Federal government to announce details of dental insurance plan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:02 GMT

OTTAWA — Several government ministers are expected to launch today a new federal dental insurance plan that will provide benefits directly to eligible Canadian residents, though the first claims won’t be processed until May. Government officials say the new program will be phased in slowly over 2024.The officials provided a briefing to The Canadian Press ahead of today’s announcement on the condition they not be named. The insurance plan is a key pillar of the Liberals’ supply-and-confidence deal with the New Democrats to secure the opposition party’s support on key votes.The deal calls for a plan that would offer dental benefits directly to Canadian residents with a household income under $90,000 and no private insurance.Applications are expected to open as early as next week, starting with qualifying seniors over the age of 87, but it will take months before they can start to claim the benefits. The Liberals promised the NDP the government would launch the ...

Toy stores struggle as bargain-hunting is the name of the game this holiday season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:02 GMT

TORONTO — There’s trouble in Toyland — andMastermind isn’t the only one feeling the pressure.Canada’s toy retailers say they’ve long been grappling with the same challenges that nearly killed the ailing company and some fear this holiday season will be difficult as shoppers adopt more budget-conscious behaviours.“People stand in your store and they scroll to see where they can get it cheaper,” said Erin Salisbury, shopkeeper at The Swag Sisters’ Toy Store in Toronto.“It can even be a matter of $3. That doesn’t make a difference.” Shoppers’ dedication to seeking the lowest price is not new, but it is being exacerbated by high interest rates and inflation, which have shoppers thinking twice about some purchases and only making others if the price is right.Though such patterns are being felt across most sectors, they’re an extra layer on top of the lengthily list of woes the toy industry faces: increasing competiti...

Preserving grasslands is good for the planet, ranchers say — and they want to be paid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:02 GMT

CALGARY — Fed up with taking heat for their industry’s carbon footprint, Canadian ranchers say it’s time for government to step up and fund a solution that will reduce emissions while also preserving one of earth’s most threatened ecosystems.The beef industry is casting itself as one of the last lines ofdefence in protecting Canada’s native grasslands — the rippling expanse of natural prairie that once covered a significant swath of the western provinces but which has been largely lost over the past century to crop farming and urban development.Ecologists say only 18 to 25 per cent of Canada’s natural grasslands remain. Much of that land is owned or managed by livestock producers, who use it to graze cattle. Now, the Canadian Cattle Association industry group is calling on the federal government to fund a program that would pay ranchers for maintaining those grasslands rather than plowing them under or selling the land to a developer.“The whole id...

Climate change battering municipal finances across Canada

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:02 GMT

MONTREAL — The hamlet of Gore, Que., had the foresight to start preparing for more intense annual flooding due to climate change a decade ago.That’s when the rural township 60 kilometres northwest of Montreal began quadrupling the size of its culverts to accommodate greater water flow under its roads.But that still wasn’t enough to withstand the 2023 flood season. “We ended up losing three roads at a cost of close to $1 million,” Gore Mayor Scott Pearce said in a recent interview. The town’s annual budget is around $6 million.Gore is one of scores of Canadian municipalities whose budgets are being squeezed by climate change. As high inflation eats away government revenues, cities and towns are increasingly being battered by historic fires, flooding, heat and ice storms, and having to dispense additional sums to guard against severe weather and clean up in its aftermath. Municipal officials are warning that they’ll be unable to absorb growing weather-related c...

Cambodia’s leader holds talks in neighboring Vietnam on first visit since becoming prime minister

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:02 GMT

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet met with his Vietnamese counterpart on Monday on an official visit to boost relations between the neighboring Southeast Asian countries that are close but historically complicated.Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Hun Manet attended a welcome ceremony in the capital, Hanoi, where they reviewed an honor guard before holding talks that Cambodian officials had said would cover cooperation in the fields of education, trade, security, defense and border affairs, among others.The two leaders also witnessed the signing of several agreements on cooperation in trade and science.Two-way trade between Vietnam and Cambodia totaled $10.57 billion in 2022 and $7.1 billion in the first 10 months of 2023, with a projection to reach $9 billion by the end of the year, according to the state Vietnam News Agency. Vietnam is Cambodia’s third-largest trading partner.Hun Manet was also scheduled to meet with Nguyen Phu Trong, who as gene...

Daily horoscope for December 11, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:02 GMT

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 3:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. EST today (12:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. PST). After that, the Moon moves from Scorpio into Sagittarius.Happy Birthday for Monday, Dec. 11, 2023:You are serious about accomplishing something and are dedicated to your goals. You are committed, driven and hardworking. Fortunately, this is a fun-loving year for you! Relax as much as possible until the end of the year. In 2024, keep things simple and take charge of your health.ARIES(March 21-April 19)★★★★Because you have an urge for a change of scenery, travel plans sound exciting. You also might make exciting plans about further education, schooling or something to do with medicine and the law. Meanwhile, this is an excellent day to settle matters about shared property and inheritances. Tonight: Explore!TAURUS(April 20-May 20)★★★★You’ll find it easy to study today or tackle demanding information related to the law or medicine. It’s an excellent d...