Author: Press Room

Hurricane Ian may have caused as much as $47 billion in insured losses, according to the latest estimate, which could make it the most expensive storm in the state’s history. CoreLogic, a research firm that estimates losses from natural disasters, released the estimate for damages as of Thursday night. The estimates combines insured losses through private insurance, which typically covers wind damage, and FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program that covers water damage. The estimates from CoreLogic range from $22 billion to $32 billion for wind damage and an additional $6 billion to $15 billion in flood damage. So in total,…

I detected a tone of relief when I rang round some old hands in the City of London this week to ask about the financial turmoil unleashed by Kwasi Kwarteng and Liz Truss. For once, the reckless gambler causing chaos was not one of them.The chancellor addressed them in September to explain that he backed the City, believed it was crucial to increasing UK growth and wanted to unleash a second “Big Bang”. He was referring to financial deregulation, but it turned out to be the government’s approach to markets.The investment banks that gained a reputation as casinos in the…

Sterling on Friday hit its highest level against the US dollar since chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng delivered the UK’s “mini” Budget a week ago. The pound rose as much as 1.1 per cent to $1.1234 in morning dealings, almost erasing its losses from a steep sell-off this week sparked by concerns over the £45bn debt-financed tax-cutting package in the UK. Sterling later pared its gains to $1.116. The moves on Friday came as Kwarteng and Prime Minister Liz Truss met officials at the Office for Budget Responsibility, the independent forecaster. Securing costings for the new fiscal plans is seen in financial…

The U.S. saw increased rates of emergency department visits in children and adolescents due to acute respiratory illness in the summer of 2022. The increase since the beginning of the pandemic has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ask health care providers to be on alert for cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a polio-like condition that can lead to paralysis in kids and is believed to be caused by respiratory and other viruses.In a report issued earlier this week, the CDC warned about increased circulation of enterovirus D68, a common virus that usually results in no…

The European Commission on Friday issued new guidelines to further tighten visa access for Russian citizens. Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said the new rules were in response to the security threat letting in a higher number of Russian citizens fleeing military conscription could pose and to the “serious situation” prompted by the illegal annexation by Russia of four Ukrainian regions and the reported attacks on two underwater pipelines.She called on member states to conduct a “more thorough” security assessment of each short-term visa application and said that if there is any doubt the person intends to stay longer than the…

European Union plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent before 2030 could discourage tourists from visiting Spain, according to new estimates.The report from consultancy firm Deloitte looked at the potential impact of the European Commission’s ‘Fit for 55’ plan on the tourism industry.It predicts that environmental measures like ticket taxes and sustainable aviation fuel could mean the loss of 11 million international tourists to Spain. The country could also lose billions of euros in tourism revenue and 430,000 jobs that rely on the industry.What green measures is the EU planning to introduce?The EU is looking…

Mark Allen held on to beat Mark Selby 5-3 in a marathon quarter-final match at the British Open.Four-time world champion Selby was the biggest name left in the draw after a series of high-profile exits; Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, John Higgins and Mark Williams were among those to bow out early. But 2018 Masters champion Allen came into the last eight on the back of a tense 4-3 win over Trump and knowing that his head-to-head record with Selby was dead level at seven wins apiece. British OpenBritish Open LIVE – Allen ends Selby hopes in tense quarter-final battle6 HOURS…

Doha, Qatar – Ghana’s national football team captain Andre Ayew is confident that the Black Stars will be a tough team to beat at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in Qatar on November 20. The Ghana squad has to be fit in order to put on the performance he’s hoping for, Ayew, who plays for Al Sadd football club in Qatar’s capital Doha, emphasised. After missing the 2018 tournament, the Black Stars qualified for this year’s event, where they are in the same group as South Korea, Portugal and Uruguay, the team that knocked them out of…

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Higor Ramalho, an ardent football fan, plans to resume his regular trips to football stadiums as worries over the spread of the coronavirus ease, restrictions are lifted and the nation gets into the World Cup spirit. However, the famous yellow jersey associated with the Brazilian national team has been hanging in his closet since June 2018. The last time he wore it was on his birthday. He does not know when, and if, he will ever wear it again. “Wearing the yellow jersey was a moment of pride for me,” the 33-year-old told Al Jazeera.…

The Saskatoon Fire Department said it rescued a man trapped in the bin of a garbage truck Friday at 5:45 a.m. The driver of the garbage truck heard the man yelling and the truck stopped around the 200 block of 1st Avenue South. The man was then found on the truck’s camera.Firefighters said the man wasn’t injured, but needed assistance out of the bin. No automatic tools were needed, and the fire department said it wasn’t sure if the person was unhoused or searching the bin for recyclables.The man was turned over to the ambulance service for assessment. Read the…