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EU excess deaths back to pre-pandemic levels  

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:40:13 GMT

For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no excess deaths in the EU, according to data from February. While the figure is an average across all EU countries and there is no guarantee that it won’t rise again, the return to pre-pandemic level marks a significant moment as countries debate whether COVID-19 should still be considered an ongoing pandemic. Excess mortality figures have been an essential tool to understand how many additional people were dying above the levels that would have been seen under ‘normal’ situations. The statistic takes the number of people who died from any cause during a particular period and compares it with figures from previous years when there wasn’t a COVID-19 pandemic.In February, two-thirds of EU countries recorded no excess deaths, according to data from Eurostat, compared with the average over the same period in 2016-2019. However, several countries did see excess mortality, including Greece, Cyprus, Portugal...

New England Aquarium releases dozens of rehabilitated sea turtles into ocean waters off North Carolina

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:40:13 GMT

The New England Aquarium released two dozen sea turtles into the ocean waters off North Carolina on Monday after the animals underwent months of rehabilitative care at the aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy. Biologists from the aquarium drove the 24 turtles down to Fort Fisher, N.C., and released them Monday as a crowd of bystanders looked on. Courtesy of New England AquariumThe release comes after the turtles were treated for conditions including pneumonia, dehydration, and bone fractures, a result of being unable to regulate their body temperature in the cold waters of Cape Cod Bay. After veterinarians cleared the group of turtles to return to the ocean, the aquarium organized a ground transport to North Carolina, where the waters are warm enough in the springtime for the turtles to reacclimate.“This is the best time of the year for us. Getting the turtles back to their ocean home is why we do this, in hopes that each one of these turtles helps their population bounce ...

A 20-year-old woman was shot and killed after accidentally turning into the wrong driveway in upstate New York, officials say

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:40:13 GMT

(CNN) — A 20-year-old woman was shot and killed Saturday after she and three others accidentally turned into the wrong driveway while looking for a friend’s house in rural upstate New York, authorities said.The young woman, identified as Kaylin Gillis, was struck by gunfire as a man fired two shots from his front porch, one of which hit the vehicle she was in, Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy said in a news conference Monday.The man, 65-year-old Kevin Monahan, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with her death, Murphy said Monday. It is unclear whether Monahan has retained an attorney yet.“It’s a very rural area with dirt roads. It’s easy to get lost. They drove up this driveway for a very short time, realized their mistake and were leaving, when Mr. Monahan came out and fired two shots,” Murphy said, adding that the area has poor cell phone service.The shooting happened just days after a Black teenager in Kansas City ...

Police identify driver who crashed into tree, light pole in Franklin High School parking lot

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:40:13 GMT

Police have identified a driver who crashed into a tree and then a light pole in the Franklin High School parking lot. Officers say “internet sleuths” helped them identify the driver after they posted footage of incidents on social media. The driver is a student and their parents will be notified, police say.

Sixers adjustments stifle Nets in 96-84 Game 2 loss

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:40:13 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — Royce O’Neale slapped the stanchion when reality set in. Jacque Vaughn replayed wide-open missed shots in his head at the podium while attempting to answer questions postgame. Dorian Finney-Smith sat at his locker, solemn.“F—k, man,” he said.The Nets had an opportunity to even their first-round playoff series at one apiece after building momentum in an impressive first half in front of a raucous, sold-out Wells Fargo Center crowd on Monday.The wheels fell off in the second, where the offense sputtered — once again. The Sixers went on to win, 96-84. NBA teams that take a 2-0 lead in the playoffs go on to win 93% of the time.And it was a zone defense the Nets were ill-equipped to handle that unraveled Brooklyn’s early offense. While star wing Mikal Bridges successfully handled the Sixers’ attempts to blitz him on the catch, it was Cam Johnson who took advantage of the opportunity — in the first half — scoring 2...

Nets Notebook: Cam Johnson’s poster dunk over Joel Embiid in vain, Spencer Dinwiddie must step up

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:40:13 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — Cam Johnson’s poster dunk over Joel Embiid went viral within seconds, but the Nets’ Game 2 loss Monday erased any joy the forward had from the moment.Johnson scored 23 first-half points, none more punctuating than a one-handed, cock-back tomahawks over the league’s presumptive MVP before staring him down on his way back up the court on defense in the final minute of the first half.“I just thought Embiid was kind of a step behind, and I had a lane,” said a disgruntled Johnson postgame. “I thought there were times last game where I should’ve dunked, and I said that. So I just thought I’d take advantage of an opportunity at that point.”Johnson said the moment wasn’t the best dunk of his career.“It don’t really mean that much. It’s just two points,” he said. “Like I said, I just thought I saw an opportunity and took it. There’s not really much more to it. I’m more c...

For Heat’s Kevin Love this Milwaukee moment has been years in the making

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:40:13 GMT

After four years in the playoff wilderness and faced with the reality of a postseason return purely as a spectator, Kevin Love, at 34, decided he wanted another moment when the NBA’s lights shine brightest.Now he has that moment, as he looks for even more.Following his fourth successive trip to the NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018, this time of year no longer stood as Love’s time of the year, his Cavaliers out of the postseason in 2019, ‘20, ‘21 and then last year also out, after failing to advance past the play-in round.And then came Sunday’s playoff opener for the former All-Star forward acquired on Feb. 20 after his buyout from the Cavaliers.And then came 18 points and eight rebounds from Love in that Sunday night 130-117 victory over the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.Left with the possibility of not getting off the bench in the postseason had he remained in Cleveland, the playoffs again had meaning for the 34-year-old, as the Heat turn t...

NY woman, 20, fatally shot after turning down wrong driveway +video

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:40:13 GMT

A young woman looking for a friend’s house was shot and killed in upstate New York after she and her friends turned down the wrong driveway, police said Monday.Kaylin Gillis, 20, was riding in a car in Washington County on Saturday night with three other people, Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy said.The group turned down a driveway on Patterson Hill Road in Hebron, but quickly realized their error and attempted to leave, according to Murphy.“It’s a very rural area, it’s dirt roads, there’s not a lot of cellular service or any type of internet,” the sheriff said.But as they were leaving, the homeowner stepped outside onto his porch and fired two bullets at the vehicle, police said. One of those bullets struck Gillis.The group attempted to call 911 but had to drive 5 miles to Cemetery Road in Salem before the call would go through, Murphy said. Responding medical personnel could not save Gillis.Officers went to the Hebron home and encountered its owner, Kevin Monahan.Monahan, ...

GTA gas prices will jump to highest price in 5 months at midnight

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:40:13 GMT

Drivers in the GTA should fill up if they can on Tuesday ahead of a big jump in the price at the pumps.Gas prices are heading for an eight cent increasing at midnight which will bring the average price at most GTA stations on Wednesday to 164.9 cents/litre. It marks the highest price in the region since last November.The latest gas prices for Toronto and the GTA can be found here.More to come.

Saudi foreign minister visits Syria as relations thaw

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:40:13 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat arrived in the Syrian capital on Tuesday, the first official visit by an official from the kingdom in more than a decade, the Syrian government said. The visit by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to Damascus follows that of his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mikdad, to Riyadh last week. Syrian state news agency SANA reported that after his arrival, the Saudi top diplomat was received by Syrian President Bashar Assad.A statement published by Saudi state media said that bin Farhan’s visit came “within the framework of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s keenness and interest to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that would end all its repercussions and preserve Syria’s unity, security, stability, and Arab identity and restore it to its Arab surroundings.”The kingdom cut off diplomatic relations with Damascus in 2012, after the outbreak of Syria’s civil war. Syria and Saudi Arabia said last week they were moving to...