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Fewer apply for home loans as borrowing costs, rising prices shut out prospective homebuyers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:20:44 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. home loan applications are the lowest in decades as evidence mount that rising mortgage rates and home prices are shutting out many aspiring homeowners.An index that tracks mortgage application volume shows applications for loans to buy a home fell last week to the lowest level in 28 years, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The MBA’s home loan application index shows that home purchase loans fell 2.1% last week from the prior week to a seasonally adjusted reading of 141.9. That’s down about 28% from a year earlier and represents the lowest level for the index since April 1995. “Both purchase and refinance applications fell, with the purchase index hitting a 28-year low, as prospective buyers remain on the sidelines due to low housing inventory and elevated mortgage rates,” said Joel Kan, the MBA’s deputy chief economist.Mortgage rates have been climbing in recent weeks, echoing a steady rise in the 10-year Treasury yield, which ...

Procession underway in Broward County for fallen BSFR Battalion Chief Terryson Jackson

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:20:44 GMT

As the procession for Battalion Chief Terryson Jackson unravels in Broward County, the community stands united as it prepares to bid farewell to the fallen officer who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. The fallen officer’s procession began following an early morning service on Friday at the LC Pointer Funeral Home. Chief Jackson, who tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash on August 28, was posthumously promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief, honoring his dedication and unwavering commitment to serving the community. His journey in public service began on March 22, 2004, with the Deerfield Beach Fire Rescue, and he continued his career when he joined the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) as a Fire Rescue lieutenant during the merger on October 1, 2011. In 2013, Chief Jackson became a flight medic for the Air Rescue 85 team and was promoted to captain on February 24, 2016. His dedication extended beyond his duties, as he obtained an Associate of Scienc...

Roberta Metsola draws ire from Greens over apparent shift on climate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:20:44 GMT

BRUSSELS — Green EU lawmakers are criticizing European Parliament President Roberta Metsola after it was reported she said climate policies are pushing voters toward populist parties in the lead-up to next year’s European election. “Why have we stopped talking to our businesses? Have we not placed being climate ambitious as not being mutually exclusive with economic growth?” Metsola was quoted as saying Thursday in the Financial Times. The article also said that Metsola, who is the institution’s figurehead, considered this to be the consensus in Parliament.The remarks were a surprising shift in tone for Metsola, who has until now largely kept away from the rightward shift of her own center-right European People’s Party (EPP) group. She’s tended in public statements to instead be led by majority policy positions of the Parliament as a whole. After years of the EU passing new climate and environment legislation under the flagship European Green Deal, the...

Rescue operation to save American caver could start Saturday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:20:44 GMT

(CNN) — The operation to rescue American caver Mark Dickey, stranded about 3,600 feet underground in southern Turkey, could start Saturday – a week after he first became ill – a director at Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) told CNN Friday.Dickey fell ill at the weekend with suspected gastrointestinal bleeding during a exploration mission of the 1,276 meters-deep (4,186 feet) Morca Sinkhole in Morca Valley, near Anamur, southern Turkey, according to the Turkish Caving Federation.The European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA) received a call on September 2 saying that Dickey was suffering from severe gastric pain, and the next day it was reported that help from outside was needed because of his “rising destabilization.” His condition has since stabilized, according to the Turkish Caving Federation.Some 182 rescuers are on site working to get Dickey out, said Recep Salci of AFAD, including 32 people who are working inside the cave.Rescuers will de...

Cloned endangered horse 'thriving' at San Diego Safari Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:20:44 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A critically endangered species of wild horse has been successfully cloned for the second time ever and is now thriving at San Diego Safari Park.A Przewalski’s horse, sometimes called “the Last Wild Horse,” was born at ViaGen Pets & Equine’s cloning facility in Texas on Feb. 17. The foal and his mother, a domestic quarter horse, are now settling in at San Diego Safari Park, according to the organization. ‘The Last Wild Horse’ born in San Diego The cloned horse has been given the name name “Ollie” in honor of Oliver Ryder, Ph.D., who works as the Kleberg Endowed Director of Conservation Genetics for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.Dr. Ryder oversees research activities in the areas of molecular genetics, genomic studies and genetic rescue efforts. The Wildlife Alliance says his efforts have been focused on "reducing extinction risk and contributing to species recovery."“It is an honor to have studied and worked with so many others on the conservation ...

Enbridge raises $4.6B in share offering to help pay for U.S. gas utilities deal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:20:44 GMT

CALGARY — Enbridge Inc. has closed a $4.6-billion offering of shares the company announced as part of its deal to buy three U.S. gas utilities earlier this week.The company says it issued 102,913,500 shares under the plan that saw the underwriters exercise the full over-allotment option.The offering price under the bought-deal financing was $44.70 per share.Enbridge says the exercise of the over-allotment option reduces and further derisks its financing requirements to fund the acquisitions.The Calgary-based company signed a deal to buy the East Ohio Gas Company, Questar Gas Company and its related Wexpro companies, and the Public Service Company of North Carolina — all of which are owned by Virginia-based Dominion Energy Inc. It has agreed to pay US$9.4 billion in cash and assume US$4.6 billion in debt.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:ENB)The Canadian Press

Cuba arrests 17 for allegedly helping recruit some of its citizens to fight for Russia in Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:20:44 GMT

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban authorities arrested 17 people in connection with what they described as a network to recruit Cuban nationals to fight for Russia in Ukraine.The head of criminal investigations for Cuba’s Interior Ministry, César Rodríguez, said late Thursday on state media that at least three of the 17 people arrested are part of recruitment efforts inside the island country.The official didn’t identify the alleged members of the network, and he only said that they had previous criminal records.Cuba’s Foreign Ministry said Monday the government had detected a network operating from Russia to recruit some of its citizens living both in Russia and in Cuba fight in Ukraine, and it said the authorities were already working “to neutralize and dismantle” it, but it gave no details.“Cuba is not part of the war in Ukraine,” said the Foreign Ministry in the press release.Cuba and Russia are political allies and Cubans do not require a visa to travel to Russia. Many go t...

Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition defeats a no-confidence motion against the health minister

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:20:44 GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition on Friday defeated a no-confidence motion against the country’s health minister who has been accused of allegedly failing to secure enough essential drugs and laboratory equipment that some say resulted in preventable deaths in hospitals. The motion was initiated by opposition lawmakers who claimed Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s actions had ruined the health sector. The parliament debated for three days before defeating the motion in a 113-73 vote on Friday in the 225-member house.Sri Lanka provides free health service through state-run hospitals but they have suffered from a shortage of medicines and health workers, especially doctors, as a result of an economic crisis after the government suspended repayment of foreign loans. Rambukwella has rejected the opposition’s allegations against him.Several patients have died or suffered impairments, including blindness, during treatment at state-run hospitals...

Water hookups come to Alaska Yup’ik village, and residents are thrilled to ditch their honey buckets

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:20:44 GMT

AKIACHAK, Alaska (AP) — Sanitation workers Thomas Noatak and Joseph Moses start every workday riding a four-wheeler along the muddy roads of this small Yup’ik village on southwestern Alaska’s vast Kuskokwim River, looking for human waste.They’re checking honey bucket bins — large steel containers where residents dump their waste at neighborhood collection points. When they find a bin full enough to warrant a trip to the dump site just outside town, they load it up and haul it nearly a mile over deeply potholed and rutted streets, hoping to do it without splashing.Many Alaska villages don’t have running water and flushing toilets. Instead of using a bathroom, people retire to a room in a house, pull a curtain and use a honey bucket — typically a 5-gallon bucket with a toilet seat on top and a plastic bag inside. Instead of showers, they rely on steam baths or sponge baths. Water for drinking and washing has to be hauled in.All that’s changing in Akiachak, where most of th...

Indonesia says China has pledged $21B in new investment to strengthen ties

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:20:44 GMT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday pledged $21.7 billion in new Chinese investment in Indonesia to strengthen the countries’ economic and political ties, an official said.Li arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday to attend the three-day summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and meet with Indonesian leaders.President Joko Widodo hosted Li at the colonial-style Merdeka palace in Jakarta on Friday and discussed ways to expand trade and investment. He sought China’s help in plans to move Indonesia’s capital from congested and polluted Jakarta on the main island of Java to Nusantara on Borneo island.After the meeting, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi announced the new Chinese investment pledge, which follows a previous $44.89 billion investment commitment made when Widodo met Chinese President Xi Jinping in July. Details of the new investment weren’t announced.Marsudi said Widodo asked China, Indonesia’s largest trade a...