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COVID-19 on the rise in Europe as bloc flies blind into fall and winter 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:57 GMT

COVID-19 transmission in Europe appears to have risen in recent weeks but with the majority of countries not providing full data on the virus, experts are in the dark about the true extent of the situation, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said Thursday.Data published by the ECDC shows an uptick of cases in the most recent 14-day period observed, which ended on August 27. While the agency said the magnitude of the increase is lower than previous peaks, it added that there has also been a large reduction in the number of tests performed. The data gaps in the ECDC’s latest briefing are even more dire when it comes to hospitalizations and deaths. “Only one-third of the countries reported data on admissions to hospital or ICU, and around half reported data on COVID-19 deaths,” said the ECDC.The latest figures follow a warning on Wednesday from World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that ICU admissions are increasing...

Gatorade’s newest drink: Water

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:57 GMT

New York (CNN) — Gatorade’s newest beverage doesn’t look or taste like its other neon-bright drinks. In fact, it’s just water.The PepsiCo-owned brand, best known for its fruit-flavored sports drinks like Fierce Grape or Frost Glacier Cherry, is adding Gatorade Water. It’s a major bet that the brand can tap into the growing “functional water” category (i.e. water that is perceived to have additional health benefits) that’s projected to reach $18 billion in sales in the next two years.Hitting shelves early next year, Gatorade Water is an electrolyte-infused, unflavored water that’s filtered with a 7-step filtration process, according to the company, and contains alkaline as well an enhanced pH levels. Water is the latest addition to Gatorade’s growing portfolio that extends beyond its flagship recovery drink and into energy beverages, protein powders and capsules. Although the brand is the category leader, Gatorade sales haven’t grown as quickly compared to Bo...

AI that alters voice and images in political ads will require disclosure on Google and YouTube

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:57 GMT

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN (AP Business Writer)Google will soon require that political ads using artificial intelligence be accompanied by a prominent disclosure if imagery or sounds have been synthetically altered.Starting in November, just under a year before the U.S. presidential election, Google said in an update to its political content policy affecting YouTube and other services that disclosure of AI to alter images must be clear and conspicuous and be located somewhere that users are likely to notice it.Though fake images, videos or audio clips are not new to political advertising, generative AI tools are making it easier to do, and more realistic. Some presidential campaigns in the 2024 race — including that of Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis — already are using the technology.The Republican National Committee in April released an entirely AI-generated ad meant to show the future of the United States if President Joe Biden is reelected. It employed fake but realistic phot...

The Forum Carlsbad adds three new stores

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:57 GMT

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- A popular outdoor shopping center in North County is welcoming three new shops to the block.The Forum Carlsbad, located on the corner of Calle Barcelona and Leucadia Boulevard, is expanding it's tenant profile three-folds to give shoppers more options.Do you enjoy athletics, yoga, or ice cream? If so, this announcement might cater to you.New to the shopping center is Nike by La Costa, Alo Yoga and McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams. Las Jefas Market coming to Otay Ranch Town Center Located at the corner near Urban Outfitters and across from Sur La Table, the brand new Nike store is now opening with its shelves filled with sport performance apparel, footwear, and accessories.Nike at The Forum Carlsbad shopping center. (Credit: Nike)Located between Johnny Was and Madewell, Alo Yoga is described by the shopping center as "a premium lifestyle brand in activewear promoting a studio-to-street mentality that transcends fashion and goes beyond the mat." The yoga supply shop ...

Foreign Relations chair seeks answers from US oil firms on Russia business after Ukraine invasion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:57 GMT

The head of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has asked the country’s top three oilfield services companies to explain why they continued doing business in Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, and demanded that they commit to “cease all investments” in Russia’s fossil fuel infrastructure.Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, cited an Associated Press report that the companies — SLB, Baker Hughes and Halliburton — helped keep Russian oil flowing even as sanctions targeted the Russian war effort. Russia imported more than $200 million in technology from the three companies in the year following the invasion in February 2022, customs data obtained by B4Ukraine and vetted by The AP showed. Market leader SLB, formerly Schlumberger, even slightly grew its Russian business. Much of Russia’s oil is hard to reach, and analysts say that had U.S. oilfield services companies all pulled out, its production would have taken an immediate hit.Menendez, in letters to ...

Poland bank governor says interest rate cut justified by falling inflation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:57 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The governor of Poland’s central bank said Thursday that its large interest rate cut was justified despite high inflation because prices are stabilizing and the era of high inflation is ending. Adam Glapinski spoke a day after the bank’s monetary council announced that it was cutting interest rates by 75 basis points, a much larger reduction than had been expected by economists.Critics of Poland’s populist authorities accused Glapinski and members of the bank’s monetary policy council of acting to help the governing party ahead of parliamentary elections next month with a large cut seen by economists as premature. Glapinski is an ally of the party, which is fighting for an unprecedented third term.The bank cut its reference rate from 6.75% to 6%, and other interest rates by the same amount.Poles have been suffering from sharply rising prices of food, rents and other goods. Inflation reached over 18% earlier this year and registered 10.1% in August.G...

Former Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin, who was one of Europe’s youngest leaders, quits politics

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:57 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Former Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin, who was one of Europe’s youngest leaders and a strong voice in supporting Ukraine, said Thursday she’s quitting Finnish politics and will join a London-based non-profit organization.Marin, who was 37 years old when she took office in 2019, led a five-party center-left governing coalition until April of this year. She received praise for her Cabinet’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and her vocal support of Ukraine in the last year had increased her international visibility. She also also saw her country become the 31st member of NATO. “Time to move on,” Finnish public broadcaster YLE quoted her as saying. “I am eager to step into a new role. I also believe that it can benefit the whole of Finland.”In April, Finland joined the NATO military alliance, dealing a major blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a historic realignment of Europe’s post-Cold War security landscape triggered by Moscow’s invasio...

Funeral held for victims of Russian market attack amid more strikes, as Blinken visits Ukraine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:57 GMT

KOSTIANTYNIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — Victims of a deadly Russian missile attack that struck a busy market in eastern Ukraine were buried Thursday, as Moscow kept up its assault on Ukraine’s grain export infrastructure, hitting a Ukrainian port for the fourth time in five days.At least 17 people were killed and 32 wounded in Wednesday’s attack on the market in Kostiantynivka, in Ukraine’s Donestsk region — another grim reminder of the war’s civilian toll. Among the victims were Mykola and Natalia Shyrai, whose bodies were laid to rest in a village outside Kostiantynivka on Thursday. The married couple, in their 50s, had been selling flowers in the market when they were killed in the blast. Dozens of people from the small settlement arrived to say their final farewells as caskets covered white cloth were shut and lowered. The attack the previous day had turned an outdoor market into a fiery, blackened ruin, and overshadowed a two-day visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken aimed at ...

Police officer killed, another injured in Hartford after cruiser struck by speeding car

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:57 GMT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A police officer was killed and another was injured Wednesday night when their cruiser was struck by a car speeding through a red light in Connecticut’s capital city, authorities said, adding one person was in custody.Officer Bobby Garten, an eight-year veteran of Hartford police, died from his injuries, police said. The other officer was in stable but guarded condition at a hospital.“We are devastated at the loss of Bobby,” Police Chief Jason Thody said in a statement. “He was an amazing person that exemplified what it means to be a Hartford Police Officer. His commitment to serve was above reproach. Our HPD family has come together to support Bobby’s family, honor his memory, and do what he would want us to do, protect and serve the Hartford community.”Police have not released details about the person in custody.The crash happened just west of downtown Hartford. The police cruiser had extensive damage to the passenger side.Early Thursday mo...

Indigo Books & Music CEO Peter Ruis resigns as leadership changes continue

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:02:57 GMT

TORONTO — Almost a year since he took on the top job, Indigo Books & Music Inc.’s chief executive is moving on.The Toronto-based books and home goods retailer announced Thursday that Peter Ruis has resigned, adding the board “thanks him for his contributions to the company and wishes him well as he moves on to new challenges in his career.”His departure — for which the company offered no explanation — is the latest surprise shakeup at Indigo, which has faced a slew of leadership changes over the last year.The biggest was the departure of Heather Reisman, the company’s famed founder known for building Indigo into a Canadian retail stalwart with 171 stores and for adding lucrative “Heather’s Pick” stickers on top reads. She served as chief executive until last year, when Ruis took over, and retired from the board on Aug. 22.Before her retirement, four of Indigo’s 10 directors left the board, with Chika Stacy Oriuwa attributing her r...