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First responders conduct realistic drill for potential train emergency

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:46:21 GMT

Multiple fire rescue agencies participated in a training exercise on Thursday morning at the Tri-Rail train tracks. The simulation, designed to prepare crews for a worst-case scenario.During the exercise, responders faced a challenging scenario: a train versus vehicle collision, leading to a trapped patient and a simulated fire on the train. “This was a train versus vehicle, and what we simulated was there was a trapped patient in the vehicle and also we had the train simulated that it caught fire, creating smoke and hazardous situation for the passengers on board,” explained Fire Rescue Training Chief Don Desmond. “Therefore, we had to extinguish the fire, extricate the victim from the vehicle, and also set crews for interior passengers that had smoke inside the rail cars.”The drill included extinguishing the fire, extricating the victim, and dealing with smoke-filled rail cars where actors played the roles of passengers. The realistic simulation aimed to en...

Australian surfer Laura Enever officially breaks world record after taming giant wave

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:46:21 GMT

(CNN) — Australian surfer Laura Enever can finally celebrate officially breaking a world record for the largest wave ever paddled into by a woman.Guinness World Records and the World Surf League (WSL) have now verified the size of the 13.3-meter (about 43.6-foot) wave that she successfully surfed in Hawaii on January 22.“I knew it was big when I paddled into it and then when I took off I looked down and I knew it was definitely the biggest wave I’ve ever caught,” Enever said, per the WSL.“I knew it was the wave of my life, the whole way it all came together and the way I committed, backed myself, told myself to go and trusted I could do it. The ride was such a breakthrough for me and a moment that will be really special and monumental in my surf career.“To get awarded this months later is really cool, I can’t believe it.”Paddling-in requires surfers to enter waves unassisted, compared to being towed-in by a jet-ski in order to access the biggest breaks.The previous record was set ei...

In Wisconsin, old fashioneds come with brandy. Lawmakers make it somewhat official

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:46:21 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — In Wisconsin, the old fashioned cocktail comes with brandy, not bourbon.Now, state lawmakers are making it somewhat official.A bipartisan resolution declaring the brandy old fashioned as the official Wisconsin state cocktail won approval Thursday in the state Assembly.It’s a resolution, not a bill, so even if passed by the Senate the brandy old fashioned won’t make it onto the list of other official state symbols that include milk as the official beverage, kringle as the official pastry and corn as the official grain. Getting that level of recognition, enshrined in the state’s “Blue Book,” requires introduction of a bill, a public hearing and then the signature of the governor.Only two states have gone that far: both Alabama and Virginia have whiskey as their official state spirit.Some efforts to declare official state symbols in Wisconsin, like Colby as the official cheese, have run into opposition. The Colby proposal, around since 2019, has b...

EU-China summit penciled in for December 7-8

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:46:21 GMT

BRUSSELS — The first EU-China summit in four years has been tentatively scheduled for December 7-8, an EU official said on Friday, as Thierry Breton became the latest senior commissioner to visit China to lay the ground for the meeting.Those are the dates that both sides are working toward but they still need to be formally announced, the official said. A senior EU diplomat said that the dates of the get-together hosted by China were not yet fully final. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to go on the record.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a speech to EU ambassadors earlier this week, called for a “clear-eyed” approach to Beijing’s hardening global posture as she looked ahead to the summit. Her European Council counterpart, Charles Michel, will also attend, while Chinese Premier Li Qiang is expected to chair. Chinese President Xi Jinping will also meet the pair, according to an EU official with knowledge of the plan...

CDC reports salmonella outbreak linked to dry dog food

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:46:21 GMT

(CNN) — US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday of a salmonella outbreak in humans that’s linked to dry dog food.The agency issued a food safety alert, recording seven cases of salmonella across seven states that have resulted in one hospitalization. Most of those infected were infants.The US Food and Drug Administration announced a recall of the Victor brand Hi-Pro Plus dry dog food linked to the outbreak. Several other brands of dry dog and cat food sold by Hi-Pro Plus’s manufacturer, Mid America Pet Food, are also under FDA recall.According to the CDC, disease from salmonella bacteria infects 1.35 million people in US each year, mostly through ingesting contaminated food or water. Common symptoms include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.Though symptoms tend to go away on their own, some cases require hospitalization — which occurs over 26,000 times each year nationwide.Infants are more likely to develop a severe salmonella infectio...

Miss Universe owner files for bankruptcy days before pageant

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:46:21 GMT

(CNN) — The owner of Miss Universe, JKN Global Group, has confirmed that next week’s pageant will go ahead, despite the Thai firm filing for bankruptcy.The media distribution company, which bought the Miss Universe Organization for $20 million in 2022, announced on Thursday that it had submitted a petition for “business rehabilitation” that was accepted by Thailand’s bankruptcy court.In a statement published on its website, JKN said providing a “top notch experience” to Miss Universe fans “will remain a top priority” ahead of next Saturday’s finale. The firm expressed confidence that its new financial arrangements will “support all of the company’s business operations, including Miss Universe.”Run by Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, a transgender rights advocate and the star of Thai versions of reality shows such as “Project Runway,” JKN said last year that it planned to grow the Miss Universe Organization by expanding in Asia and releasing branded merchandise.Declaring ...

Héroux-Devtek reports $4.6M Q2 profit, sales up nearly seven per cent from year ago

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:46:21 GMT

MONTREAL — Aircraft parts maker Héroux-Devtek Inc. says it earned $4.6 million in its latest quarter, down from $4.8 million in the same quarter last year, as its revenue rose nearly seven per cent.The Quebec-based company says the profit amounted to 14 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with 14 cents per share a year earlier.Sales for what was the Héroux-Devtek’s second quarter totalled $141.5 million, up from $132.7 million in the same quarter last year.The company says civilian sales rose 29.8 per cent to $53.6 million in the quarter, boosted by increased deliveries for the Boeing 777 and Embraer Praetor programs, while defence sales fell 3.8 per cent to $87.9 million due to delayed deliveries for the Boeing F-18 program.On an adjusted basis, it says it earned 14 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 10 cents per share a year earlier.Héroux-Devtek specializes in the design, development, manufacture, repair and overha...

Blinken says ‘far too many’ Palestinians have died as Israel wages relentless war on Hamas

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:46:21 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that “far too many” Palestinians have died and suffered as Israel wages a relentless war against the militant Hamas group in the Gaza Strip. He urged Israel to minimize harm to civilians and maximize humanitarian assistance that reaches them.Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Blinken said recent Israeli moves to improve dire conditions in Gaza as its military pushes deeper into the strip — including pauses in military operations to allow Palestinians to move from northern to southern Gaza and the creation of a second safe corridor — are positive but they are not nearly enough.“Much more needs to be done to protect civilians and to make sure that humanitarian assistance reaches them,” he said. “Far too many Palestinians have been killed, far too many have suffered these past weeks, and we want to do everything possible to prevent harm to them and to maximize the assistance that gets to them.”Blinken spok...

NATO member Romania pushes to buy 54 Abrams battle tanks from US

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:46:21 GMT

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania is pushing to buy 54 Abrams main battle tanks and related equipment from the United States in a deal worth at least a billion dollars, the defense ministry said Friday.The ministry said the latest-model tanks would help its military meet regional security challenges. Romania, a NATO member since 2004, shares a long border with war-torn Ukraine.The sale would include ammunition and training simulators, the ministry said. It said Romania has estimated the contract as worth about $1 billion, but that Congress was notified of a higher value of $2.5 billion after it was approved by the U.S. State Department on Thursday. No timeframe for the purchase was specified. Romanian Minister of Defense Angel Tilvar said the strategic partnership between his country and the U.S. “represents one of the pillars of national security and an essential contribution to strengthening the defense of the allied eastern flank in the Black Sea region.”On Friday, Romania’s defe...

‘Security issue’ causes delays at Pearson’s Terminal 1 for second day in a row

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:46:21 GMT

It appears to be a second straight day of travel chaos for people flying out of Toronto Pearson International Airport on Friday morning.Airport officials confirmed a security problem caused delays at Terminal 1 and several travellers are reported that the issue is impacting flights headed to the U.S.“There is a non-urgent security issue causing longer than usual wait times at T1 security,” said Toronto Pearson on X at 7:18 a.m. “We will update as more information becomes available.”A short time later, Pearson said the issue had been resolved and normal operations were resuming. Passengers are being advised to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport. The airport’s departure list shows several delayed flights to the U.S.The security issue has been resolved, and normal operations will resume shortly. As always, please check the status of your flight before coming to the airport: https://t.co/b2onT4RS3b https://t.co/QywDxAd1Ke— ...