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Springtime for Europe’s fascists

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:12:19 GMT

BERLIN — These are heady times for Europe’s far right.  Illegal immigration is spiking, the economy is anemic and the war in Ukraine has kept the conspiracy mill churning at capacity. Those developments have vaulted the parties to new heights — and in some countries into government — fueling fears in some quarters of a tectonic rightward shift in Europe’s political landscape. Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy are already in power, while France’s National Rally is only 1 percentage point from being the country’s top party in the polls. It’s tempting to dismiss this as a seen-this-movie-before moment. Europe’s most successful far-right parties, whether in the Netherlands, Austria or Scandinavia have a long history of electoral success followed by internal division and spectacular implosion.Yet there’s a fundamental difference this time around that should give anyone who cares about Europe’s political stability pause: Germany’s at the center of the storm.It’s on...

Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft crashes into moon

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:12:19 GMT

Russia said its robotic spacecraft crashed while attempting to land near the moon’s south pole, failing in a race with India to become the first country to reach the region.Luna-25 was meant to mark Moscow’s return to the moon nearly half a century after the last Soviet mission. The spacecraft spun into an uncontrolled orbit and “ceased to exist” when it collided with the moon’s surface, Russian space agency Roscosmos said Sunday in a statement, citing preliminary results of investigation.Communication with the craft was lost on Saturday, Roscosmos said.Meanwhile, India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is orbiting the moon and will likely attempt a landing near the pole this week.For Roscosmos, the Luna-25 failure is the latest in a series of setbacks, after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 cut off launch-service revenue from many foreign satellite operators. Luna-25 was due to land n the moon’s south pole as early as Monday, but Roscosmos said on Saturday that it wasn’t able to enter...

Tropical Storm Hilary carries deluge to California after making landfall along Mexico's Baja coast

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:12:19 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Deadly floodwaters inundated streets across Mexico’s arid Baja California on Sunday as Tropical Storm Hilary moved ashore carrying torrential rain into Southern California, and concerns mounted that flash floods could damage places as far north as Idaho that rarely get such heavy rain.Forecasters said Hilary was the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing the potential for flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages.Hilary made landfall along the Mexican coast in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles (250 kilometers) south of Ensenada, on a path to hit mudslide-prone Tijuana Sunday evening, threatening the improvised homes that cling to hillsides just south of the U.S. border. At least nine million people were under flash-flood warnings as heavy rain fell across normally sunny Southern California ahead of the brunt of the storm. Desert areas were especially susceptible to flooding, along with hillsides ...

San Diego Unified delays first day of school due to Hilary

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:12:19 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego Unified is delaying the first day of school "out of an abundance of caution" due to Tropical Storm Hilary.Superintendent of Public Education, Dr. Lamont Jackson announced the decision in a letter to parents and faculty Sunday. He says the decision is based on the latest storm-related information from local officials. MORE: Tracking Hilary The center of the storm is expected to hit the region between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., bringing with it strong winds and heavy rain that could cause major flooding in some areas. Dr. Jackson noted, potential power outages and road closures are also probable. He says the impacts of the tropical storm could also damage the facility. Due to these risks, the first day of school will be postponed until Tuesday, Aug. 22."As we continued to monitor the weather and the impact on our community, I remain hopeful that the storm will continue to decrease in its intensity as it move though our region," stated Dr. Jackson. "However, given th...

Spain’s World Cup winner Olga Carmona learns of father’s death after final

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:12:19 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Olga Carmona, whose goal won the Women’s World Cup for Spain on Sunday, learned of her father’s death after the final, the Spanish soccer federation said.The federation did not say when Carmona’s father died or give a cause of death.“We love you, Olga,” the federation said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “You are part of the history of Spanish soccer.”Carmona scored with a left-footed strike in the 29th minute to give Spain a 1-0 victory over England in Sydney, Australia. She had also scored a late winner in La Roja’s 2-1 win over Sweden in the semifinals.The 23-year-old Carmona had celebrated her goal on Sunday with a tribute to a friend who recently lost her mother.“I think all of us, we felt that this team had something special,” the Real Madrid defender said after Spain won the title.__AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cupThe Associated Press

Two men die during swimming portion of Ironman event in Ireland

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:12:19 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Two men died during the swimming portion of an Ironman event in Ireland on Sunday, local authorities said. Cork County Council said it was “deeply saddened over the tragic loss of two race participants” during the event in Youghal in southwest Ireland. Irish broadcaster RTE said the two men, one in his mid-60s and one in his mid-40s, died in separate incidents during the 1.9 kilometer (1.2 mile) swimming portion of the competition. The event had originally been scheduled for Saturday but was pushed back one day because of severe weather conditions. “During the swim portion of Sunday’s race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognizing the athletes were in need of assistance,” organizer Ironman Ireland said in a statement on Facebook. “We share our greatest sympathies with the families and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. We thank the safety personnel and first resp...

Brampton man charged after touching, exposing himself to 11-year-old

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:12:19 GMT

A 33-year-old man is in custody in the alleged sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl last month in Brampton. Peel police say the girl was walking in the area of Dufay Road and Sandalwood Parkway around 3 p.m. on July 25 when she was approached by an unknown man. He attempted to sell the girl some sunglasses before making physical contact with her and exposing himself. Police have charged Sunil Tak with sexual assault, sexual interference and indecent exposure to someone under the age of 16.

Global aid official appeals for funds to help Sudanese trapped in war between generals

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:12:19 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — A global aid official urged the international community Sunday to provide more funds to help Sudanese citizens trapped by a monthslong military conflict between rival generals in the African nation.Jagan Chapagain, the secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said his organizations have received only 7% of the $45 million they appealed for to help those inside Sudan. The war pits the military against the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.“The needs are real,” he told The Associated Press in an interview in Cairo. “Sudanese people need urgent support, urgent solidarity and urgent interest.”Sudan was plunged into chaos in April when simmering tensions between the military, led by Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere.The conflict has turned Khartoum and other urban areas into battlefields. Many residents live witho...

Man wanted for throwing rocks off bridge onto traffic in Scarborough

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:12:19 GMT

Toronto police are searching for a man wanted for dropping large-sized rocks off a bridge onto moving traffic below in Scarborough.Police say on August 9 and August 16, a man was seen standing on a pedestrian bridge in the area of Massey Square and Crescent Town Road. On both occasions he waited for a vehicle to approach on the roadway below before throwing a softball-sized rock, causing damage to the vehicle’s windshield. Police did not say if anyone was seriously injured as a result of rocks hitting their windshield.The man is described as being between 50 and 60 years of age with a thin build and short dark hair. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

Will Tropical Storm Hilary raise Lake Mead water levels?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:12:19 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — As Tropical Storm Hilary moves into the U.S., the Las Vegas Valley is expecting rainfall, thunderstorms, and possible flooding Sunday into the workweek. Residents, while preparing for the storm, are also asking how the record-setting storm could affect Lake Mead water levels as the highest rain totals and flash flooding are possible in mountainous regions of southern Nevada.When wet winter storms struck the Las Vegas Valley in January, National Weather Service officials tempered expectations. Tracking Hilary as tropical storm makes landfall “Rain in the Las Vegas Valley does help with Lake Mead’s water levels," said National Weather Service officials from the Las Vegas office. "However, it is more like a drop in the bucket compared to the contribution from the snowpack in the Upper Colorado River Basin.” The record snowpack this year eased drought restrictions for Nevada and other Southwest states.In January, Lake Mead saw a 2-foot rise in water levels movi...