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Australia and the Philippines strengthen their ties as South China Sea disputes heat up

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:49 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Australia and the Philippines elevated their seven-decade ties to a strategic level Friday to broaden an alliance underpinned by their rejection of China’s increasingly provocative actions in the disputed South China Sea.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Philippine Ferdinand Marcos signed the pact upgrading their ties in Manila. They also agreed to hold an annual meeting of their defense chiefs.Aside from an aim to further boost trade and economic engagement, Albanese said their countries “have common views about the need to uphold international law, and Australia’s position on that will continue to be consistent, as we have always been, including recently over issues relating to the South China Sea.”China and the Philippines, along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei, have been locked in a decadeslong territorial standoff in the disputed waterway. It’s a key passageway for global trade and is regarded as an Asian flashpoint.ItR...

Police takedown shuts down eastbound Hwy. 401 in Durham Region

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:49 GMT

A police operation has shut down a stretch of Highway 401 in Durham Region on Friday morning.The eastbound lanes of the highway are closed near the Whitby-Oshawa border with all traffic being forced off at Thickson Road. Eastbound traffic can get back onto the highway at the next on-ramp at Stevenson Road.The morning highway closure is resulting in a heavy backup of traffic heading eastbound through Whitby.#listen-box {box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);animation: pulse 2s infinite;margin:20px;padding:15px;}@keyframes pulse { 0% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(0, 157, 79, 0.7); } 70% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 10px rgba(0, 157, 79, 0); } 100% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(0, 157, 79, 0); }}Listen to CityNews 680 for traffic updates LIVE now!Police tell CityNews the lanes are blocked due to a Durham Regional Police operation and takedown. No other details have been made available.The investigation is ongoing.This is a developing story. More to come.

Finland’s center-right government survives no-confidence vote over 2 right-wing ministers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:49 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland’s center-right government that includes nationalist and anti-immigration lawmakers survived a no-confidence motion from three opposition parties on Friday over two ministers from the right-wing populist Finns Party at the center of a racism scandal that has rocked the Nordic country.Lawmakers voted 106-65 in favor of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.Debate ahead of the vote focused on writings from 2008 and 2016 by Finance Minister Riikka Purra, leader of the Finns Party, and Economic Affairs Minister Wille Rydman, a member of the same party, which were deemed racist. The opposition, particularly the Social Democratic Party, criticized Orpo’s government for not distancing itself enough from Purra’s and Rydman’s writings and not doing enough to tackle discrimination and racism in Finland, a country of 5.5 million that became NATO’s 31st member in April.The issue has crippled the government, which took office less than three months ago after Orp...

South Korea’s Yoon meets Indonesian leader to deepen economic, defense ties

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:49 GMT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo, on Friday seeking to deepen economic ties and defense cooperation at a time of heightened global geopolitical tensions.Yoon has been in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, since Tuesday attending the the three-day summit by leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations along with Asian and Western counterparts. That meeting spotlighted major conflicts in Asia, with calls for peaceful resolutions and restraint.Widodo and his wife, Iriana, hosted Yoon and South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee at a ceremony in the colonial-style Merdeka palace in Jakarta.During their meeting, the two leaders agreed to deepen their strategic partnership in the security and defense industries and to expand cooperation in future-looking industries such as electric vehicles, batteries and smart cities.Indonesia’s foreign affairs minister, Retno Marsudi, told reporters after the meeting that Wid...

Russian missile attack kills policeman, injures 52 others in Zelenskyy’s hometown in central Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:49 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian missile attack Friday on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown in central Ukraine killed one policeman and injured at least 52 others, emergency officials said, while another attack in the southern Kherson region killed three people.The strikes were among multiple Russian attacks across the country overnight, officials said. Meanwhile, Moscow is trying to strengthen its position politically with local elections in areas it has illegally annexed, including some it still does not control. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it does not recognize the “fake elections.”The strikes came days after 16 people were killed in a Russian attack on a market in eastern Ukraine and drone debris was found in Romania . That sparked fears among local residents that the war could spread into the NATO-member country bordering Ukraine. Ten buildings were damaged in the attack on Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih Friday. Three people pulled from th...

Blackhawks will retire No. 7 for Chris Chelios — and Pearl Jam helped deliver the news

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:49 GMT

CHICAGO — It's a rare honor for any member of the Blackhawks, but the way that Chris Chelios got the news on Thursday night was even more unique. The Chicago native and Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman was told during a Pearl Jam concert at the United Center that his No. 7 will be retired by the team in his honor during the 2023-2024 season. (Courtesy: Chicago Blackhawks)Lead singer Eddie Vedder brought Chelios on stage and let him know that his number would be raised to the rafters, saying that it was one of the last wishes of late Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz before his death in July.After the concert, the Blackhawks announced that the jersey retirement will take place on Sunday, February 25 at the United Center when they host the Red Wings. “We are entering a new era of Blackhawks hockey on the ice, but the importance of honoring past members of this organization is, and always will be, a priority," said Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz in a statement Thursday night. "Chris ...

Friday Forecast: Temps in upper 60s with light rain

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:49 GMT

CHICAGO — Cloudy conditions Friday with light rain/mist. Winds: N 5-10 G15. High: 69. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Mostly cloudy tonight with decreasing clouds. Winds: NNE 5-10. Low: 58.Saturday Forecast: Mostly sunny, cooler lakeside, NE 5-10 G20. High: 74/70.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

How big will Facebook settlement checks be? Lawyers reveal estimated payment per person

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:49 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Hoping the the massive Facebook privacy settlement is about to change your life? Don't hold your breath. Facebook parent company Meta recently agreed to pay $725 million to settle claims it violated users' privacy by sharing their data with third parties. But that pot of money needs to be divvied up among a huge group of people. ‘Largest number of claims ever filed’: 17M people validated to receive Facebook settlement payment In a court hearing on the lawsuit Thursday, class counsel revealed more than 28 million claims were filed before the deadline passed in August. Of those claims, about 17 million have been preliminarily validated so far. After attorneys' fees and administrative costs, the settlement amount is still huge – but it won't feel that way to the average person. Because there are so many eligible recipients, lawyers for the plaintiffs told Judge Vince Chhabria they expect the median payment to be around $30.An important thing to note is not ever...

Dean's Reviews: 'My Big, Fat Greek Wedding 3'

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:49 GMT

Check out Dean's review on 'My Big, Fat Greek Wedding 3' that is in theaters Friday.Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

Dean's Weekender: Johnny Gill, iKon and more

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:49 GMT

Check out Dean's Weekender for the latest events coming to the Chicagoland area this weekend.Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!