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A search is underway for missing submarine that takes people to see Titanic

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:50 GMT

The Associated PressA rescue operation was underway deep in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean on Monday in search of a submarine that carries people to view the wreckage of the Titanic.The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia said the vessel was reported overdue around 9:13 p.m. Sunday, about 435 miles (700 kilometres) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Lt. Cmdr. Len Hickey said a Canadian Coast Guard vessel and military aircraft were assisting the search effort, which was being led by the U.S. Coast Guard in Boston.OceanGate Expeditions confirmed the search for its five-person submersible and said its focus was on those aboard the vessel and their families.“We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with the submersible,” the company said in a statement. “We are working toward the safe return of the crewmembers.”Chr...

Dick Hall, an Orioles Hall of Fame reliever who helped Baltimore win two World Series, dies at 92

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:50 GMT

Dick Hall, a former star relief pitcher for the Orioles whose unconventional yet effective delivery helped Baltimore win two World Series, died Sunday. The Timonium resident was 92.Hall, a 6-foot-6 right-hander, was known for his jerky, near-sidearm delivery and pinpoint control. The unusual style earned him the nickname “Turkey.” Hall played nine seasons with Baltimore, during which he won 65 games, saved 58 more and had an ERA of 2.89.Hall helped the Orioles win World Series titles in 1966 — though he did not appear in any games that Series — and 1970 and American League pennants in 1969 and 1971. He also won the first League Championship Series game ever played, a 4-3 Orioles victory over the Minnesota Twins in 1969. He was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1989.Hall, who played 16 seasons in the major leagues and unintentionally walked just 80 batters, once retired 28 consecutive batters over five appearances. He’d throw strike after strike,...

Eversource power surge in Waltham leads to fires, outages, traffic signals impacted

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:50 GMT

An Eversource power surge sparked fires and outages across Waltham on Monday, causing issues on the road with traffic signals being impacted.It was the second power surge in the city within a year, following October’s similar incident when there were dozens of emergency calls.On Monday, the city reported that Eversource had experienced a power surge that was affecting various areas of Waltham. Officials told residents to use caution while traveling throughout the city.“This morning, Waltham Firefighters responded to reports of multiple fires in Waltham due to a power surge,” the city wrote in an alert. “Street lights and Traffic signals have been effected and may be out for some time.“If you have experienced a power outage, it is recommended that you do not reuse power strips/surge protectors,” the city added. “It will take an undetermined amount of time to restore proper function of those utilities.”Related ArticlesLocal News | ...

Mom of minors killed in SR-78 crash arrested for suspected DUI

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:50 GMT

VISTA, Calif. -- The mother of the two adolescents killed after being struck by a vehicle on eastbound SR-78 Sunday night was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in connection to the crash, the California Highway Patrol said.Sandra Ortiz, 33, was identified as the mother of the two minors, a 10-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl.Around 6:12 p.m., authorities received a call that the two had been hit on the highway just east of the Mar Vista Drive exit. According to CHP, the minors got out of the vehicle after Ortiz, who was driving, pulled her GMC SUV onto the right shoulder of the road.CHP said the adolescents walked into oncoming traffic, where they were struck by a Nissan sedan in the #3 lane. The two were later pronounced dead on the scene by authorities. Search continues for missing hiker at Three Sisters Falls The driver of the Nissan, a 41-year-old woman, did not report any injuries in the collision and remained on scene.Details about what led up to the co...

Parti Québécois refuses invite to Fête nationale concert to protest choice of host

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:50 GMT

QUEBEC — The Parti Québécois has turned down an invitation to address the crowd at a major concert marking the province’s national holiday in protest over the choice of host.In a letter published online Monday, party spokeswoman Méganne Perry Mélançon accused the organizers of lacking judgment when they named singer-songwriter Émile Bilodeau as host of the Quebec City concert on the Plains of Abraham the evening before the June 24 holiday.“When you want to bring people together, the first thing to do is to show respect for others,” she wrote. “In recent years and particularly in recent months, Émile Bilodeau has, on many occasions, showed disrespect toward the Parti Québécois, its staff, its leader, its members, its supporters. He has also shown very little respect for anyone who advocates for state secularism,” she wrote.The 26-year-old Bilodeau, an award-winning artist whose fifth album is due out in September, has been a vocal critic of the province’...

Temple leader who supported separate Sikh state is shot dead in Surrey, B.C.

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:50 GMT

SURREY, B.C. — The president of a Sikh gurdwara who was accused of murder and terrorism in India has been shot dead outside his temple in Surrey, British Columbia. The general secretary of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Society said Hardeep Singh Nijjar was alone in his pickup truck when he was attacked Sunday night as he was leaving the gurdwara’s parking lot.Bhupinder Singh Hothi said Nijjar had received death threats because of his support for a separate Sikh state of Khalistan, in India, but the shooting will not deter those who share his beliefs.Surrey RCMP said in a news release that the shooting happened at about 8:30 p.m. and the victim died at the scene.They said they are searching for suspects and trying to confirm a motive for the homicide.The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team called a news conference for Monday afternoon in Surrey to provide further information about the case.A video posted on Twitter about 90 minutes after the shooting showed a large crowd gath...

Giorgio Armani, Zegna present fluid elegance for the next hot season as Milan Fashion Week wraps up

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:50 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Milan Fashion Week opened and closed under a beating early summer sun.Zegna wrapped up four days of shows Monday with an outdoor event set among bales of raw linen behind Milan’s City Hall, allowing city workers a view out of their windows. For the sweltering fashion crowd, Zegna fashion offered iced coffee and linen baseball caps to keep things cool.With temperatures rising, Milan designers focused on fluidity in dressing, allowing the body to move without constrictions. With one notable dissenter, runways offered thigh-revealing Bermuda shorts as an alternative to trousers even for city dressing. Gone are the long shorts of streetwear brands.Some highlights from the final day of Milan Fashion Week of mostly menswear previews for next spring and summer:ARMANI PRESENTS SIGNATURE ELEGANCEGiorgio Armani’s signature collection was meant to show the fashion public how the urban man ought to dress, even in the heat of summer.“I didn’t do any Bermudas,’’ Armani noted after th...

Intel to build $33-billion chip plant in Germany after government pledges to cover 1/3rd of cost

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:50 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Intel and the German government signed a deal Monday that will see the U.S. company spend more than 30 billion euros ($32.8 billion) to build a chip manufacturing site in the eastern city of Magdeburg, after Germany pledged to cover a third of the investment required.Word of the agreement came as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger in Berlin. Intel acquired the land for two semiconductor facilities in Magdeburg in November. It says the first one is expected to start production in four or five years.“The investment in Germany means a significant expansion of Intel’s production capacity in Europe and is the biggest investment ever made by a foreign company in Germany,” Economy Minister Robert Habeck, who is also the country’s vice chancellor, said in a statement. Before the revised letter of intent was signed Monday plans had foreseen a total investment of at least 17 billion euros. The German government confirmed that it will now ...

Most residents of northern Quebec town return after wildfire threat, but risks remain

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:50 GMT

LEBEL-SUR-QUÉVILLON, Que. — The mayor of a northern Quebec town said Monday that firefighters were making progress combating a nearby forest fire, but he warned residents to be prepared should a new evacuation order be issued.About two-thirds of residents of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Que., began returning home over the weekend after officials lifted a 17-day evacuation order due to encroaching wildfires, Mayor Guy Lafrenière said. The return home, he added, had so far gone smoothly. Low winds have helped firefighters’ efforts, but the flammability index in the region remained high and could increase in the coming days, he said, adding that residents must respect bans on open-air fires and fireworks or risk a $1,000 fine.“We have to do everything we can to be very, very safe,” he said.Meanwhile, Quebec Premier François Legault on Monday told reporters in the municipality of Ste-Sophie, north of Montreal, that officials were still concerned about wildfires in the province...

UN members adopt first-ever treaty to protect marine life in the high seas

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:50 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Members of the United Nations adopted the first-ever treaty to protect marine life in the high seas on Monday, with the U.N.’s chief hailing the historic agreement as giving the ocean “a fighting chance.”Delegates from the 193 member nations burst into applause and then stood up in a sustained standing ovation when Singapore’s ambassador on ocean issues, Rena Lee, who presided over the negotiations, banged her gavel after hearing no objections to the treaty’s approval.The treaty to protect biodiversity in waters outside national boundaries, known as the high seas, covering nearly half of earth’s surface, had been under discussion for more than 20 years as efforts to reach an agreement had repeatedly stalled. But in March delegates to an intergovernmental conference established by the U.N. General Assembly in December 2017 agreed on a treaty.The new treaty is under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which came into force in 1994, before marine biod...