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A scorched southwestern France braces itself for fires to come

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:45:22 GMT

France is worried about a prolonged drought and the prospect of more wildfires this summer. But one blaze that erupted eight years ago in the southwest part of the country remains underground.From the Gironde region south of Bordeaux, columns of white smoke rise from the forest floor. Brown coal, which is found in the peaty soil of the region, is what is causing the smell of burning tires.Guillaume Carnir (France's National Forest Agency) said that the fire has been burning since mid July. "We don't know how to stop it at this point."Hostens' blaze is a remnant from massive wildfires that devastated southern Europe last year. This was after the worst drought in history was exacerbated by successive heatwaves, which scientists believe are consistent with climate change.Gironde was especially hard hit, with over 20,000 hectares of forest lost. There is also the danger of new fires.Carnir stated that "all the greenery will return in the spring, and which will be flammable," he said.Pas...

Crews knock down 3-alarm structure fire in Orange County

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:45:22 GMT

Fire crews in Orange County knocked down a three-alarm blaze at a commercial structure Sunday, authorities announced.  It’s unclear when exactly the fire, located in the 2200 block of South Susan Street, in Santa Ana started, but when crews with the Orange County Fire Authority arrived at the scene flames could be seen coming from the roof.  Crews also had to deal with downed wires until teams with Southern California Edison arrived at the scene.  An OFCA Hazardous Materials Response Team, along with Huntington Beach Fire Department also responded to the fire to evaluate any potential hazardous materials that might have been present in the industrial building, authorities said.  Crews with the Orange County Fire Authority battled a 3-alarm fire in a commercial structure in Santa Ana Mar. 26, 2023. (OnScene TV)Crews with the Orange County Fire Authority battled a 3-alarm fire in a commercial structure in Santa Ana Mar. 26, 2023. (OnScene TV)In all, it took firefighters...

FDIC says First Citizens will acquire much of Silicon Valley Bank, whose collapse has rattled the banking industry

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:45:22 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — FDIC says First Citizens will acquire much of Silicon Valley Bank, whose collapse has rattled the banking industry.Source

CNBC: First Citizens Bank comprará gran parte del fallido Silicon Valley

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:45:22 GMT

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. comprará los depósitos y préstamos de Silicon Valley Bank, dijo el lunes la Corporación Federal de Seguros de Depósitos de Estados Unidos, lo que podría calmar a los mercados después del mayor colapso bancario de EEUU desde Lehman Brothers.El acuerdo incluye la compra de aproximadamente $ 72 mil millones en activos de SVB con un descuento de $ 16.5 mil millones, mientras que alrededor de $ 90 mil millones en valores y otros activos permanecerán “en suspensión de pagos para su disposición por parte de la FDIC”.“Además, la FDIC recibió derechos de apreciación de capital en acciones ordinarias de First Citizens BancShares, Inc., Raleigh, Carolina del Norte, con un valor potencial de hasta $ 500 millones”, dijo la FDIC en el comunicado. Empresa matriz de Silicon Valley Bank se declara en bancarrota para intentar una reestructuración de capital Colapso del Silicon Valley Bank: todo lo que...

Deslizamiento de tierra en Alausí, Chimborazo deja varias personas atrapadas.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:45:22 GMT

(CNN) — La Policía de Ecuador informó la madrugada de este lunes que junto al Cuerpo de Bomberos y a la comunidad de Alausí, en la provincia de Chimborazo, trabaja en el rescate de personas atrapadas por un deslizamiento de tierra que afectó a varias viviendas.Según la Policía de Ecuador hasta el momento fueron rescatadas 6 personas.LA UNIÓN HACE LA FUERZA @PoliciaEcuador junto al Cuerpo de Bomberos y la comunidad de Alausí #Chimborazo, continuamos en las labores de rescate de las personas que fueron afectadas por el desastre natural.Hasta el momento 6 personas fueron rescatadas#AlausíEstamosContigo pic.twitter.com/URkKtR9zKi— Policía Ecuador (@PoliciaEcuador) March 27, 2023El presidente Guillermo Lazo, por su parte, informó en su cuenta de Twitter que debido a los deslizamientos de tierra en Alausí ha dispuesto la activación inmediata de Riesgos Ecuador y de todas las carteras del Estado. Y agregó que también se están movilizando equipos de bomberos de Guamote, Chunchi, Riob...

Estallan protestas masivas en Israel tras despedir Netanyahu a un ministro que se oponía a la reforma judicial

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:45:22 GMT

(CNN) — Masivas multitudes llenaron las calles de la ciudad israelí de Tel Aviv a última hora de la noche de este domingo, después de que el primer ministro Benjamin Netanyahu despidiera a su ministro de Defensa por su oposición a una reforma judicial prevista.Ondeando banderas israelíes y coreando “democratia”, se pudo ver a manifestantes bloqueando calles y puentes, incluida la autopista Ayalon.Los manifestantes encendieron varios fuegos en la autopista principal de Tel Aviv, cuyo humo negro y acre se elevó hacia el cielo, ocultando parcialmente algunos de los rascacielos más emblemáticos de la ciudad. Los manifestantes también se congregaron junto a la autopista, quemando chatarra y madera sin apenas presencia policial.¿Podría Israel perder sus relaciones con Estados Unidos? Las posibles consecuencias geopolíticas de la reforma judicialLa crisis política de Israel se agravó este domingo cuando la oficina de Netanyahu anunció la destitución de Yoav Gallant en un ...

Israel’s ceremonial president urges Netanyahu to halt contentious legal overhaul after mass protests rock the country

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:45:22 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s ceremonial president urges Netanyahu to halt contentious legal overhaul after mass protests rock the country.Source

Taiwan’s former leader Ma begins China visit

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:45:22 GMT

TAOYUAN, Taiwan (AP) — Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou departed for a 12-day tour of China Monday, a day after Taiwan lost another of its 14 diplomatic partners to China. The ex-president is visiting in a private capacity, bringing a delegation of academics and college students for exchanges, as well as members of his family, but the trip is loaded with political meaning.Ma’s policies brought Taiwan and Beijing to their closest relationship ever, but his exit from office was overshadowed by massive protests against a trade deal with the mainland and his successor has focused on bolstering ties with the U.S. and defending the autonomy of the democratically-governed island that China claims as part of its own territory.Current President Tsai Ing-wen is expected to launch a 10-day diplomatic tour of her own Wednesday, ostensibly to visit the islands remaining allies in Latin America. She will stop in the U.S., Taiwan’s biggest unofficial partner and supplier of arms.Ma’s vis...

Asian shares mixed after Wall Street logs more gains

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:45:22 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Monday after stocks on Wall Street shook off a weak start to end higher on Wall Street last week despite persisting worries over banks on both sides of the Atlantic.U.S. futures and oil prices were higher after the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said it agreed to the sale of troubled Silicon Valley Bank to North Carolina-based First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co. The FDIC took over Silicon Valley Bank after it collapsed on March 10, promising to protect all depositors. The acquisition could raise confidence in the troubled banking industry after failures at SVB and two other banks rattled investors, driving lenders’ share prices sharply lower. But concerns persist that higher interest rates that are squeezing lenders could increase the likelihood of a recession. The troubles in the banking industry also have added to uncertainty about policies of the Federal Reserve and other central banks. “This is keeping financial stocks pressured w...

Opposition to Netanyahu plan mounts as unions launch strike

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:45:22 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s largest trade union group launched a strike across a broad swath of sectors Monday, joining a surging protest movement against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the judiciary — a plan that is facing unprecedented opposition. The strike by the Histadrut umbrella group, which represents more than 700,000 workers in health, transit and banking, among many other fields, could paralyze large parts of Israel’s economy, which is already on shaky ground, ratcheting up the pressure on Netanyahu to suspend the overhaul.The growing resistance to the plan came hours after tens of thousands of people burst into the streets around the country in a spontaneous show of anger at Netanyahu’s decision to fire his defense minister after he called for a pause to the overhaul. Chanting “the country is on fire,” they lit bonfires on Tel Aviv’s main highway, closing the throughway and many others throughout the country for hours.Th...