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A storm in Europe disrupts German trains. A woman was killed by a falling Christmas tree in Belgium

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:35:02 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Pre-Christmas rail travelers in parts of Germany faced disruption on Friday as a storm swept across northern Europe, bringing down trees and prompting warnings of flooding on the North Sea coast. In neighboring Belgium, a woman was killed by a falling Christmas tree.National railway operator Deutsche Bahn said there were cancellations on routes from Hamburg and Hannover to Frankfurt and Munich, while long-distance services from Hamburg northward to Kiel and Flensburg weren’t running, among other disruptions.The company said that falling trees damaged overhead electric wires or blocked tracks largely in northern Germany, but also in the central state of Hesse.There were some delays late Thursday evening at Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s busiest, though there were no cancellations as a result of the storm, and the airport operator said that it was business as usual on Friday morning, German news agency dpa reported.In Hamburg, the Elbe River flooded streets aro...

In the news today: Temporary visas offered to people in Gaza with Canadian relatives

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:35:02 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…People in Gaza with Canadian relatives offered visas, but no guarantee of escapeCanadians desperate to bring extended family members in the Gaza Strip to safety will soon be able to apply for temporary visas for their loved ones, but the government can’t guarantee they’ll be able to escape.Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced the new temporary immigration program Thursday for people in the Gaza Strip who have Canadian relatives, but he underscored the challenges of getting out of the besieged Palestinian territory.The Rafah border crossing is tightly controlled by Israel and Egypt as part of negotiations mediated by Qatar, and Canada has no say about who crosses the border on a given day. Instead, Canada has provided a list of names for the consideration of foreign authorities.Canada at growing odds with Global South: expertsForeign Affairs Mi...

High expectations, tight budget pose a challenge for Manitoba’s new premier

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:35:02 GMT

WINNIPEG — By all accounts, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is still in a honeymoon phase, almost three months after leading his New Democrats to an election win that ousted the former Progressive Conservative government.Recent opinion polls suggest he is riding high, including an Angus-Reid survey earlier this month that suggested his approval rating is tops among Canada’s premiers.But political analysts say the real test lies ahead, as Kinew tries to fulfil promises to boost health care, improve education and give raises to public-sector workers while dealing with the province’s chronic deficits.“I think (the New Democrats) have done a number of things to allow them to say they’re off to a good fast start, but many of those things have been of a symbolic nature,” said Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba.“I think the real test of the new government will come in the new year when the budget is delivered.&#...

Canada’s aid cut, geopolitical stances challenge ‘pragmatic’ pivot to Global South

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:35:02 GMT

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said this fall that Canada needs to better reflect the needs of developing countries and have closer ties with states where the majority of the world’s population lives.But analysts say it will be hard for Canada to rise to that challenge as the Liberals cut back on aid and its foreign service, combined with stances on geopolitics that grate people in what is often called the Global South.“Canada still has not left that rather comfortable framework that we had in the Cold War,” said Pablo Heidrich, a Carleton University professor whose research focuses on the Global South.“Canada is seen as problematic partner, a country that you don’t know what it is going to come up with next.”In a major speech last October, Joly said an increasingly connected, volatile world requires Canada to work with more than just democracies.“The current world order is also being questioned by people and nations, especia...

The high costs of wildfires in 2023: For homeowners the struggles carry on for months

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:35:02 GMT

HALIFAX — Seven months after a wildfire left a charred, 1,000-hectare scar on the western suburbs of Halifax, less visible damage persists in the lives of those who lost their homes to the flames.Lindsay Law said the financial and emotional costs continue in ways she and her husband, Jacob Haybecker, never imagined before their home was destroyed on the evening of May 28, as thousands of people were evacuated from the area. The 34-year-old nurse said insurance is paying for the cost of building a new home, but there are gaps in coverage the average Canadian homeowner might not be aware they could face.“It felt like things were going fine and then we got to the point when we realized there was oil damage in the soil,” she recalled in a recent interview.“We had to pay $10,000 out of our pocket, and we were only given one day to pay this. We were told the amount could triple if we waited a few days because there was a rainstorm coming,” she said about the concer...

Is Canada’s fleet of water bombers fit for climate-change fuelled wildfires?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:35:02 GMT

TORONTO — They’re an easily recognizable part of Canada’s fight against wildfires, playing a key supporting role in the annual battle against the flames.  Water bombers can look as though they might land in a burning forest, their wings almost skimming the smoky canopy before dumping down thousands of litres of water and pulling back into the sky. The firefighting aircraft are important in a country where wildfires can often be spread out over massive, remote stretches of land, offering a way to hold off fires until ground crews arrive. But as Canada’s water bombers age – and wildfire seasons are expected to intensify – some wildland firefighters and emergency preparedness experts say the country needs to prop up its fleet of firefighting aircraft, even though several provinces are playing down concerns about capacity. “We’re really starting to see the effects of the aging fleet,” said Eric Davidson, president of the Ontario Professional Associati...

Japan’s Cabinet OKs record $56 billion defense budget for 2024 to accelerate strike capability

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:35:02 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s defense spending will surge more than 16% next year under a record military budget approved Friday by the Cabinet that will accelerate deployment of long-range cruise missiles that can hit targets in China or North Korea.It also will further fortify the military with F-35 stealth combat jets and other American weapons as Japanese troops increasingly work with allies and take on more offensive roles.The 7.95 trillion-yen ($56 billion) budget plan for the 2024 fiscal year beginning March marks the second year of a five-year military buildup program under a new security strategy Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government adopted a year ago. The reinforcement of strike capability under the strategy is a major break from Japan’s postwar principle of limiting use of force to self-defense. Japan plans to spend 43 trillion yen ($300 billion) through 2027 to bolster military power and nearly double its annual spending to around 10 trillion yen ($68 billion), making Japan ...

3 foreign nationals are among the wounded in a Prague university shooting that saw 14 killed

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:35:02 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — Three foreign nationals were among 25 wounded after a student opened fire at a university in the Czech capital, Prague, killing 14 people, authorities said Friday. The mass shooting was one of the Czech Republic’s worst attacks in recent years.Minister Vit Rakusan said police in Prague worked overnight and 13 of those killed have been identified. He also said three of those wounded were foreigners — two from Saudi Arabia and one from the Netherlands.The bloodshed took place on Thursday at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University, where the 24-year-old shooter was a student, Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek said. The gunman also died, authorities said. His name has not been released.Authorities warned that the death toll could rise.Early Friday, with the scene of the shooting still sealed off by the police, people could be seen lighting candles to mourn the victims at an impromptu vigil by the university headquarters.Police said Friday they have boosted security at...

Stock market today: World shares are mostly lower after a rebound on Wall Street

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:35:02 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares are mostly lower in Europe and Asia after several strong profit reports helped Wall Street claw back most of its sharp losses from day before. Germany’s DAX shed 0.2% to 16,658.43 and the CAC 40 in Paris edged 0.1% lower to 7,562.91. Britain’s FTSE 100 also was down 0.1%, at 7,691.25. The future for the S&P 500 was 0.2% lower while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.4%. Hong Kong-traded shares of Netease and Tencent plunged after China released new regulations for online gaming, helping pull the benchmark Hang Seng index down 1.7% to 16,340.41. Shares in Tencent, China’s largest gaming company, dived about 16% before recovering some ground to close 12% lower. Rival NetEase’s stock price lost about 25%.Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1% higher to 33,169.05. The government reported that Japan’s core inflation rate fell to 2.5% in November from 2.9% a month earlier as energy costs eased. That could augur further weakening o...

Daily horoscope for December 22, 2023

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:35:02 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Taurus.Happy Birthday for Friday, Dec. 22, 2023:You value family and tradition. When it comes to your goals, you work carefully and steadily to achieve what you want. This year has been one of fluctuation and change. In 2024, it’s important to take care of yourself so you can be of help and support to others.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★This is an excellent day for business and commerce. Financial discussions will go well. Talk to bosses and VIPs about old business or revive old suggestions that might give you a financial boost. Be ready to rehash ideas and run something up the flagpole one more time. Tonight: Study history.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★★This is a wonderful day for you, because the Moon is in your sign lined up with lucky Jupiter while dancing with Saturn and Mercury. This means you will make practical decisions; however, you will be optimistic and quite fortunate in w...