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Macron slams EU Commission for hiring American economist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:43 GMT

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday questioned the European Commission’s decision to appoint U.S. professor Fiona Scott Morton as chief economist of its competition department. Macron told reporters that he was “skeptical” of Scott Morton’s appointment and said the move was not “coherent” with Brussels’ strategic autonomy goals. “Strategic autonomy [also means] you need to have autonomy of thought,” he said as he left the EU-CELAC summit in Brussels, noting that “this is not necessarily the most coherent decision in this respect.”Over the past days France has been the fiercest opponent of Scott Morton’s appointment, calling on the Commission to retract the job offer. Macron said he was waiting for more clarification from the Commission and regretted that Brussels derogated on the requirement that Commission officials should be EU citizens. The French President stressed that neither the U.S. nor China wo...

Belgian and French railways mull new Brussels-Paris train link

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:43 GMT

Belgian and French railway operators SNCB and SNCF are planning a slower — but presumably cheaper — train connection between Brussels and Paris to “complement” the existing high-speed train link.The rail companies announced on Tuesday that they’re considering a regular train service between the two capitals from late 2024, which would connect Brussels’ Midi station with Paris’ Gare du Nord, potentially making stops along the way.The trip would take about three hours, and while it’s too soon to indicate a price range for tickets, they’d in any case be offered at a “competitive” rate, said SNCB spokesperson Bart Crols.A trip between Brussels and Paris takes less than an hour and a half on the existing high-speed Thalys connection, but while some tickets are offered at €29, a last-minute ticket costs over €100.The companies are pitching the plans as a “new alternative to road transport,” with a journey time that would fall between a drive — which takes about fou...

Panga found abandoned near Mission Beach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:43 GMT

SAN DIEGO — An abandoned vessel was found Tuesday morning in Mission Beach, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said.Around 5:15 a.m., lifeguards responded to a report of a panga at Ventura Place in Mission Beach, SDFD said.In addition to the boat, lifeguards also located 13 personal flotation devices in the nearby area. There was nobody in the area when the vessel was discovered, according to officials. California bill would require e-bikers to have license, mandate training Footprints were spotted in the sand headed towards the Mission Beach boardwalk.Federal agencies were alerted of the vessel and a private company is expected to tow the boat away, SDFD said.

Dangerous trend of cannabis poisoning amongst toddlers mounts in San Diego

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:43 GMT

SAN DIEGO - San Diego County's only children's hospital is reporting that marijuana products are getting in the hands of kids. According to health experts, more children under the age of five are going to the hospital with cannabis poisoning. “One or two of these gummies that a normal size adult may take, can actually cause a child to stop breathing," explained Dr. Natalie Laub, a pediatrician at Rady Children's Hospital and cannabis researcher. "We’re seeing three-year-old's, four-year-old's, five-year-old's, exploring their home environments like all toddlers do, and they’re finding cannabis products that look like food that they would normally eat.” Kids are now easily getting their hands on edible gummies, cookies and chips laced with THC and decorated in colorful packaging, which could be deceptive to the eyes of a child, Dr. Laub said. The majority of exposure cases do occur at home and are purchased by a parent or adult in close contact. 1-year-old ‘accidentally shot’ by 3...

B.C. Wildfire Service dealing with nearly 400 fires, Cranbrook airport briefly closed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:43 GMT

VANCOUVER — Dozens of properties are on evacuation order or alert in British Columbia’s Kootenay region after new wildfires near Cranbrook temporarily shut the city’s airport.The B.C. Wildfire Service says the St. Mary’s River wildfire is thought to have been sparked by downed power lines and has grown to three square kilometres. A statement from the St. Mary’s Indian Band Monday evening says fire crews worked to protect structures as helicopters and air tankers tackled the blaze from above in strong winds and tough flying conditions. The City of Cranbrook says the airport was reopened by 8 p.m. Monday but evacuation alerts remain in place. The B.C. Wildfire Service says it’s dealing with nearly 400 fires, including notable blazes near Burns Lake in the Bulkley-Nechako area.The service says the Tintagel wildfire, the Parrot Lookout wildfire and the Peacock Creek wildfire are all “wildfires of note,” and is reminding people not to interfere w...

Blockade dismantled at Winnipeg landfill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:43 GMT

WINNIPEG — A blockade is down at a Winnipeg landfill where demonstrators have been demanding the search of a different landfill for the remains of two Indigenous women.Workers with front-end loaders and other machinery, along with police, arrived at the landfill this morning to begin taking apart the blockade. A Manitoba judge granted a temporary injunction Friday to end the blockade at the Brady Road landfill after the City of Winnipeg argued in court it was causing environmental and safety risks.Dozens of protesters have blocked the landfill’s main road for nearly two weeks, after Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said the province would not search the privately-owned Prairie Green Landfill, north of the city, for the remains of the two slain Indigenous women.The judge had said demonstrators could continue to protest at the Brady Road landfill, but they could not block the road. The Manitoba and federal governments have been sparring over the issue with Crown-Indigenous Rel...

Ottawa gives $212M funding boost for housing asylum seekers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:43 GMT

MONCTON, N.B. — The federal government is announcing $212 million more in funding for interim housing for people claiming asylum in Canada, including about $97 million for Toronto.The city has been seeing asylum seekers and refugee claimants sleeping on the sidewalks, unable to get a space in Toronto’s overwhelmed shelter system.A church in Toronto is now reportedly housing them temporarily.Officials have said that the number of asylum seekers in Toronto’s shelter system grew by 500 per cent in 20 months and the city has had to turn them away from at-capacity shelters toward federal programs.Mayor Olivia Chow has asked for Ottawa to cover the $157 million Toronto is spending for existing refugee shelter spaces, and support with additional housing, shelter space and personnel.Sean Fraser, the minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship announced the new funding today, saying it will ensure Toronto and other cities can keep a roof over the heads of people fleeing vio...

GTA Metro grocery workers could strike as soon as tonight: Unifor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:43 GMT

Metro grocery store workers in the Greater Toronto Area are gearing up to strike as early as tonight as bargaining continues between the retailer and some 3,700 employees.Employees at 27 Metro stores in the GTA could strike as early as 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday.Unifor, the national union representing the Metro workers, called a strike vote before bargaining began, garnering 100 per cent support for the job action if a deal cannot be reached.The union says progress has been made since negotiations began on June 26, but major wage, benefit and other monetary issues remain outstanding.RELATED: Metro grocery store workers in GTA unanimously vote to give strike mandate, union saysUnifor national president Lana Payne says the bargaining committee is prepared to negotiate day and night to get a fair deal for workers.She says Metro employees deserve an agreement that addresses affordability challenges and helps workers benefit from the company’s profits.Last week, a Metro spokesperson told City...

No injuries or hazardous spills in 10-car train derailment in northern Minnesota, officials say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:43 GMT

COOK, Minn. (AP) — No one was injured and no hazardous material spilled when 10 Canadian National Railway cars derailed in northern Minnesota, officials there said.The derailment happened just before 8:30 p.m. Monday in a rural, unpopulated area about 6 miles (10 kilometers) north of Cook, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters who responded found five of the derailed cars had tipped over, while the others remained upright.Two of the cars contained liquefied propane and butane, but none appeared to have spilled, both the sheriff’s office and Canadian Railway said.The sheriff’s office originally reported that nine cars had derailed, but Canadian Railway spokesman Jonathan Abecassis said Tuesday that 10 cars had derailed. The cause of the derailment in being investigated, Abecassis said, and cleanup was continuing Tuesday. Abecassis said he could not give an estimate of when the rail line would reopen to traffic.“We woul...

A look at some Americans who crossed into North Korea over the past years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:43 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The U.S.-led United Nations Command is trying to secure the release of an unidentified American soldier who entered North Korea from the South Korean side of a border village. It’s not immediately clear what motivated the soldier to cross into North Korea during a time of high tensions as the pace of both the North’s weapons demonstrations and U.S.-South Korean joint military training have intensified in a cycle of tit-for-tat.There have been cases of Americans crossing into North Korea over the past years, including a small number of U.S. soldiers. Some of the Americans who crossed were driven by evangelical zeal or simply attracted by the mystery of a severely cloistered police state fueled by anti-U.S. hatred. Other Americans were detained after entering North Korea as tourists. In one tragic case, it ended in death.Here’s a look at Americans who entered North Korea in the past years:___CHARLES JENKINSBorn in Rich Square, N.C., Charles Jenkins was one of...