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As Switzerland’s glaciers melt, Alpine nation backs climate bill with net zero target for 2050

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:51:17 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A majority of Swiss citizens on Sunday voted in favor of a bill aimed at introducing new climate measures to sharply curb the rich Alpine nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.Final results released by public broadcaster SRF showed that 59.1% of voters were in favor of the bill, while 40.9% voted against.The referendum was sparked by a campaign by scientists and environmentalists to save Switzerland’s iconic glaciers, which are melting away at an alarming rate. Campaigners initially proposed even more ambitious measures but later backed a government plan that requires Switzerland to achieve “net zero” emissions by 2050. It also sets aside more than 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.357 billion) to help wean companies and homeowners off fossil fuels.The nationalist Swiss People’s Party, which demanded the popular vote, had claimed that the proposed measures would cause electricity prices to rise.Backers of the plan argued that Switzerland will be hard-hit by glob...

‘Begin to heal’: Manitoba community prays for loved ones who died in bus crash

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:51:17 GMT

DAUPHIN, Man. — Residents of Dauphin, Man., sought solace at church services Sunday as they mourned 15 community members who died in a bus crash that also left 10 gravely injured. Father Brent Kuzyk of St. George’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church said part of his liturgy would be dedicated to victims of the crash. He said he planned to offer prayers for those who died and speak to the overall suffering of the community of 8,600 people northwest of Winnipeg.The Ukrainian church was among many places of worship in Dauphin that were set to address the tragedy during their regular Sunday services.Deacon Frances Stewart of St. Paul’s Anglican Church said she would offer a moment of silence for those who died. Now is a time to offer comfort and be compassionate as people grieve, she said.“As Christians, we have this wonderful hope, this wonderful promise of the life to come. But at this stage, the important thing is to just get through the first few days and then to be there f...

Quebec wildfire: Lebel-sur-Quévillon citizens return, but remain on evacuation alert

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:51:17 GMT

MONTREAL — Authorities have reopened the road into Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Que., and residents will come home as planned today, but the mayor is warning locals the return could be short-lived due to the massive wildfire burning nearby.The roughly 2,000 residents of the northern Quebec community are still expected to return today as planned despite the fact the fire that forced them from their homes has flared up again. Mayor Guy Lafrenière says in a video message that a fire south of the community has fused with five others and there are record high temperatures expected this week with no rain forecast until June 25.Lafrenière says officials decided that residents could come home, but urged those who do to be ready to leave quickly if needed and advised other evacuees who can stay away to do so.The community was the last one in Quebec under a full evacuation order due to an exceptional wildfire situation this year, and a civil security official says today that while the town isn’...

‘The Flash’ races to $55 million on a busy box office weekend

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:51:17 GMT

DC and Warner Bros.’ long-in-the-works superhero movie “The Flash” opened to $55 million in its first three days in North American theaters, according to studio estimates on Sunday. Though a fair amount of money by normal standards, a sizable jump from DC’s last release, the “Shazam!” sequel, and enough for a first place start, it’s also muted by superhero standards where $100 million debut weekends are almost commonplace.It was a crowded weekend at the multiplex overall. In addition to “The Flash” there was the new Pixar family film “Elemental” and the horror-comedy “The Blackening.” The only big win was Wes Anderson’s starry “Asteroid City” which earned $720,000 from just six theaters and the distinction of having the highest per-theater average ($132,211) since the start of the pandemic. “The Flash” faced more complications than marketplace conditions. It has been in the headlines often over the past year, not because of the movie itself but because of its star Ezra Miller’...

Israeli government gives settler minister control over West Bank settlement planning

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:51:17 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s government on Sunday granted a pro-settlement firebrand authority over planning in the occupied West Bank and lifted red tape on the settlement housing approval process, Israeli media reported. The changes make it easier for Israel to expand its settlements on land the Palestinians seek as the heartland of their future state, at a time when hopes for peace are more distant than ever.The measure was approved by the government on Sunday as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf, who is in charge of Middle East affairs, was set to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders during a weeklong visit to the region.The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli government’s decision and called upon the international community to pressure Israel “to take the necessary practical steps to force the Israeli government to stop its illegal unilateral measures.” The government gave Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich control over planning in West Bank s...

Hovercraft suffers gash, beaches itself in New Hampshire

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:51:17 GMT

HAMPTON BEACH, N.H. (AP) — A hovercraft traveling from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia became a beachside attraction when it was deliberately run aground after suffering a 3-foot tear in its rubber skirt.The private owner of the retired Canadian Coast Guard vessel told officials that it was not safe to operate the damaged craft, so the decision was made to land on Hampton Beach on Saturday. No one was hurt.The massive craft, an air-cushioned vessel powered by twin fan-like propellers, was a curiosity for passers-by as it rested on the beach on a rainy afternoon. Because of the bad weather, few people were on the beach, which is usually swarmed by sunbathers during better weather, when the vessel came aground, said Hampton Police Chief Alex Reno. The craft landed near some piping plover nests, but the endangered seabirds were not disturbed by the activity, he said.By Sunday morning, the vessel had been repaired, and the vessel departed for Portland, Maine. From there, it was to continue to N...

Finland’s conservative party picks ministers for right-wing coalition government

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:51:17 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland’s conservative National Coalition Party, the winner of April’s general election, on Sunday unveiled its picks for key Cabinet posts in the upcoming government that observers say is set to be the most right-wing in the Nordic country’s recent history.Following lengthy talks over seven weeks, NCP announced Friday a deal with three other parties for a governing coalition that includes the far-right, eurosceptic Finns Party, which runs largely on a nationalist and anti-immigration agenda. There will be a total of 19 ministerial posts in the new Cabinet, including prime minister-designate and NCP leader Petteri Orpo. The 53-year veteran politician is a former finance and interior minister among other posts and has been heading NCP, Finland’s main conservative party, since 2016. NCP is set to get eight ministerial portfolios in total.The party’s vice chair Elina Valtonen, who is the also the vice chair of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee, is s...

Bus driver arrested on DUI charge while driving Pirates from Chicago to Milwaukee

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:51:17 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A bus driver was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence while transporting the Pittsburgh Pirates from Chicago to Milwaukee for their weekend series with the Brewers.Illinois State Police said the driver was traveling away from officers seeking to escort the bus on its trip to Milwaukee late Thursday night. Troopers said they observed more erratic driving and eventually stopped the bus on the right shoulder of Interstate 94 in Chicago.Police said the driver was arrested after they observed “multiple signs of impairment.” The driver isn’t a Pirates employee but was contracted to drive the team to Milwaukee after the completion of their series with the Chicago Cubs.Pirates senior vice president of communications Brian Warecki said in a statement that “we are deeply concerned” about what took place.“The important thing is that all of our personnel arrived in Milwaukee safely,” Warecki said. “Buses are contracted out to a local provider, which was consisten...

Milan Fashion: Prada animates male form with 1940s tailoring that aims to liberate, not constrict

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:51:17 GMT

MILAN (AP) — The architecture at Prada’s showroom shifts with every season, but never so fluidly as for Spring-Summer 2024 menswear. The collection was viewed through a wall of clear falling slime — a form of fluid architecture — that gathered on the metallic grate runway in piles of green foam. The moving architecture was a metaphor for a collection that was meant to express the fluidity of menswear. Some highlights from the third day of Milan Fashion Week of mostly menswear runway shows for next spring and summer: PRADA EXPLORES FLUIDITYPrada explores the fluidity of menswear, through a 1940s workwear tailored silhouette that is at the same time liberating.Co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons said they were experimenting with the idea of a fluid architecture that animates the male form, never constricting.The collection’s building blocks are the white shirt, mid-thigh shorts, black socks and thick-soled shiny loafers. Clothes for real men, the collection also i...

Bus driver arrested on DUI charge while driving MLB team to Milwaukee

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:51:17 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A bus driver was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence while transporting the Pittsburgh Pirates from Chicago to Milwaukee for their weekend series with the Brewers.Illinois State Police said the driver was traveling away from officers seeking to escort the bus on its trip to Milwaukee late Thursday night. Troopers said they observed more erratic driving and eventually stopped the bus on the right shoulder of Interstate 94 in Chicago.Police said the driver was arrested after they observed “multiple signs of impairment.” The driver isn’t a Pirates employee but was contracted to drive the team to Milwaukee after the completion of their series with the Chicago Cubs.Pirates senior vice president of communications Brian Warecki said in a statement that “we are deeply concerned” about what took place.“The important thing is that all of our personnel arrived in Milwaukee safely,” Warecki said. “Buses are contracted out to a local provider, which was consisten...