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Condition critical? Britain’s beloved but battered National Health Service turns 75

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

LONDON (AP) — It’s unusual to throw a birthday party for a health care system, but that’s exactly what the U.K. is doing for the National Health Service, a beloved but increasingly creaky institution that turns 75 on Wednesday.The date is being marked with charity tea parties, royal visits and a service of thanksgiving at London’s Westminster Abbey. The events are a fitting tribute for an institution that is often likened to Britain’s secular religion – though one in which some people are losing faith.Backlogs, treatment delays, funding gaps and an unhappy workforce have created an increasingly threadbare and overstretched system. Three respected health think tanks warned Wednesday that the NHS is “in critical condition” and won’t make it to 100 without more money and better long-term planning.“Pressures on services are extreme, and public satisfaction is at its lowest since it first began to be tracked 40 years ago,” the King’s Fund, Health Foundation and Nuffield Trust said in an ...

Clothing retailer Kit and Ace bought by company co-owned by Joe Mimran

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

VANCOUVER — Kit and Ace Technical Apparel Inc. has been bought by a company co-owned by Canadian fashion designer and entrepreneur Joe Mimran.The price paid for the clothing retailer by Unity Brands Inc., which is owned by Mimran and veteran retail executives David Lui and Frank Rocchetti, was not disclosed.Under the deal, Lui will become CEO based at the company’s head office in Vancouver.Meanwhile, Kit and Ace’s product design and development will relocate to Toronto where it will be managed by Mimran’s creative design centre. Kit and Ace was founded in 2014 by Shannon and J.J. Wilson — the wife and son of Lululemon Athletica Inc. founder Chip Wilson.George Tsogas acquired the retailer from Wilson’s family in 2018. He will remain with the company and assume the role of chief operating officer.This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2023.The Canadian Press

Toronto area transit systems need to improve services, reliability: report cards

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

Toronto had the least reliable transit service in 2022 compared to other municipalities in the region, according to newly released transit report cards from the Toronto Region Board of Trade.The average score was based on frequent and basic services, reliability, transit priority, 24-hour service, integration with neighbouring transit systems and service improvement.While Toronto and Mississauga both received a composite score of about 69 per cent — or a B letter grade — Toronto had the lowest score for transit reliability with only 58 per cent of trips being on time. Other municipalities scored over 70 per cent on reliability.Toronto’s lower score was attributed to congestion issues and frequent diversions due to construction. The report notes most recent Toronto transit service cuts are not accounted for and “would negatively affect grading.”The report cards said more funding and integration is needed to keep up with population growth and operating costs of...

More travelers get cozy with glamping, even amid high costs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

Camping can be one of the cheapest ways to travel. Yet a relatively new style of camping is proliferating — by some metrics — and it’s glamping.Glamping is a fusion of luxury and nature, where tents are filled with plush pillows, and some even have private bathrooms with heated, running water. Campgrounds typically are outfitted with fast Wi-Fi, and such camping activities as pitching a tent and starting a fire are already done for you. But the blend of outdoor glamor with hotel comfort commands prices more expensive than those of high-end hotels. It’s also a sharp contrast to what traditional campers spend.U.S. national park visitors in 2021 spent, on average, $351 daily per group on traditional lodging outside the parks, such as hotels or bed-and-breakfast establishments. Parties who camped spent just $149, according to a Department of the Interior 2021 visitor spending report. That’s a 58% discount for visitors willing to exchange concrete for canvas. But canvas doesn’t always co...

Suicide bomber attacks security post in Pakistan, killing 2 soldiers and a 10-year-old boy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber targeted a security checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing at least two soldiers and a 10-year-old boy and wounding 14 other civilians, officials said.The bombing occurred in Miran Shah, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan and is a former stronghold of the militant Pakistani Taliban group, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.At least 14 civilians and some soldiers were wounded in the attack, according to Rashid Khan, a police official. He said security forces were searching the area for the bomber’s handlers. “At least two soldiers and a 10-year-old boy, Mohammad Qasim, have been martyred” in the attack, he said.There was no immediate comment from the military. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion is likely to fall on the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Though a separate group, it remains a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, which took over Afgha...

4 shot in Englewood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

CHICAGO — Four people were shot early Wednesday in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood.According to Chicago fire officials, the four people were shot near 56th Street and Ada Street at what appears to be a gathering.Two were taken to the hospital in critical condition. The condition of the other two people are not yet known.Ada Street is currently closed from 57th Street to Garfield. Westbound 56th Street is closed between Throop and Loomis.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesPolice are investigating.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Father charged in murder of wife, daughter in Little Village fatal shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

CHICAGO — A man has been charged in the fatal shooting his wife and teen daughter.67-year-old Jose Alvarez faces multiple charges including two counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder.The shooting happened around 12:15 a.m. Monday in the 2600 block of South Millard in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood. Police said officers responded to shots fired at a residence and found three people struck by gunfire. Previous Coverage: Man fatally shoots wife, teen daughter in Little Village; charges pending According to police, 15-year-old girl Daniela Alvarez was shot in the face and transported to Mount Sinai Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Police said 48-year-old Karina Gonzalez was shot multiple times in the torso and pronounced on the scene. TAlvarez's 18-year-old son was shot in the ankle and transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair condition.Alvarez is due in court Wednesday.

Chicago police search for multiple suspects after armed robbery at Red Line station

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department is asking for the public's help in identifying the suspects reportedly responsible for a strong arm robbery at the CTA Red Line Grand Street Station on Tuesday.According to the Chicago Police Department, the suspects approached a victim at the Red Line Grand Street Station on Tuesday, grabbing the victim from behind while they were walking on the train station platform. Man hospitalized after Winnetka water rescue The suspects pulled the victim into a stairwell and battered the victim before taking his wallet and fleeing the scene.Chicago police have described the individuals as African American men between 20 and 40-years-old.Anyone with information regarding this incident or the suspect's identity are asked to contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-745-4706.

World roasts on unofficial hottest day recorded

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

The entire planet sweltered to the unofficial hottest day in human recordkeeping July 3, according to University of Maine scientists at the Climate Reanalyzer project.High-temperature records were surpassed July 3 and 4 in Quebec and northwestern Canada and Peru. Cities across the U.S. from Medford, Oregon to Tampa, Florida have been hovering at all-time highs, said Zack Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Beijing reported nine straight days last week when the temperature exceeded 35 C (95 F).This global record is preliminary, pending approval from gold-standard climate measurement entities like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. But it is an indication that climate change is reaching into uncharted territory. It legitimately captures global-scale heating and NOAA will take these figures into consideration when it does its official record calculations, said Deke Arndt, director of the National Center for Environmental Information, a division of ...

Round Rock roofer wins national contest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

ROUND ROCK (KXAN) — A Round Rock woman has been named the Female Roofing Professional of the Year.Michelle Ly took the top honor in this annual campaign put on by Beacon, highlighting women in the roofing industry across the U.S. and Canada.More than 3,000 women were nominated for the competition.Ly, who serves as operations manager at Hall Roofing and Construction in Round Rock, was also the first woman from Texas to win this award.Working within an industry historically dominated by men, Ly has been climbing up the roofing business for many years.“This has always been a tough industry for women,” she said. “I’ve found the biggest challenge is getting people's trust by showing my knowledge in this field.”With the win, Ly will receive a $10,000 grand prize and a trip to the International Roofing Expo in Las Vegas. H-E-B celebrates grand opening of Nutty Brown store “I never thought I'd make it to the top five,” she said. “So actually, winning the whole thing was very humbling.”Fro...