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German police say they are holding a man in connection with a threat to Cologne Cathedral

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:01:11 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities say they have detained a man in connection with a reported threat to Cologne Cathedral over the holiday period.Police searched the cathedral with sniffer dogs just before Christmas, and Christmas Eve worshippers faced security checks to get into midnight Mass there. They didn’t specify the threat, but German news agency dpa said authorities were responding to indications of a possible attack by Islamic extremists, without citing a specific source.Cologne police said they took precautions over Christmas even though the information they had pointed to a threat on New Year’s Eve. On Tuesday, police said that an apartment in Wesel, near the Dutch border, was searched on Christmas Eve and five men were detained. Four were then freed, but a police statement said that a 30-year-old Tajik man on whom authorities have unspecified security information was still being held in the interests of preventing danger.A court in Oberhausen approved a Cologne poli...

US online retailer Zulily says it will go into liquidation, surprising customers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:01:11 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. online retailer Zulily is closing down, surprising customers and laying off hundreds of workers after efforts to salvage the business failed. The Seattle-based company said in a notice on its website that it had tried to fill all pending orders and expected to manage that within the coming two weeks. Zulily said it was trying to ensure that orders that could not be filled were cancelled and refunded and offered a contact for customers who did not get their orders or refunds. “This decision was not easy nor was it entered into lightly. However, given the challenging business environment in which Zulily operated, and the corresponding financial instability, Zulily decided to take immediate and swift action,” said the notice, signed by Ryan C. Baker, vice president at management consultant Douglas Wilson Companies, which is handling the receivership for the company.Founded in 2010 by Darrell Cavens and Mark Vadon, Zulily made a splash with products caterin...

Stock market today: Global shares climb, tracking advance on Wall Street

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:01:11 GMT

World shares advanced on Wednesday, tracking Wall Street gains as markets there reopened for what’s expected to be a quiet, holiday-shortened week of trading.The future contract for the S&P 500 added less than 0.1% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% lower.European shares opened steady in the first trading day after the holiday. Germany’s DAX added 0.3% to 16,754.87. In Paris, the CAC 40 gained 0.4% to 7,597.52. Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.7% to 7,749.36.Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index added 1.2% to 33,681.24 as details of a policy meeting by the Bank of Japan showed officials divided about the timing and need to shift away from the central bank’s longstanding lax monetary policy. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 1.8% to 16,627.00 and the Shanghai Composite gained 0.5% to 2,914.61 with Chinese video gaming companies, including Tencent and NetEase, recouping losses in the first Hong Kong trading session after the government attempted to alleviate market fears abou...

In the news today: Nuke waste in Ontario; No carbon levy remittance for Saskatchewan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:01:11 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…Key milestone upcoming for Canada’s nuclear wasteA critical milestone is on the horizon for Canada’s 175-year-long plan to bury its nuclear waste underground, with two pairs of Ontario communities set to decide if they would be willing hosts.Late next year, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization plans to select the site for Canada’s deep geological repository, where millions of bundles of used nuclear fuel will be placed in a network of rooms connected by cavernous tunnels, as deep below the Earth’s surface as the CN Tower is tall — if the process goes according to plan.The sites are down to the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation-Ignace area in northwestern Ontario and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation-South Bruce area in southern Ontario. The municipalities and First Nations are planning votes for next year, the culmination of a years-long inform...

China sanctions a US research firm and 2 individuals over reports on human rights abuses in Xinjiang

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:01:11 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China says it is banning a United States research company and two analysts who have reported extensively on claims of human rights abuses committed against Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups native to the country’s far northwestern region of Xinjiang. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning was quoted as announcing late Tuesday night that Los Angeles-based research and data analytics firm Kharon, its director of investigations, Edmund Xu, and Nicole Morgret, a human rights analyst affiliated with the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, would be barred from traveling to China. Also, any assets or property they have in China will be frozen and organizations and individuals in China are prohibited from making transactions or otherwise cooperating with them.In a statement on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, Mao said the sanctions against the company, Xu and Morgret were retaliation for a yearly U.S. government report on human rights in Xinjiang. Uyghurs and ...

The flight attendants who fought sexism in the skies — and won

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:01:11 GMT

MONTREAL — Even before her job offer was finalized in 1973, Senka Dukovich realized her career as a flight attendant had an expiry date.“I had to sign a contract as a new hire that I would quit after 10 years, or that I would quit at 32 years old, whichever came first. Can you believe that?” the Toronto resident recalled.Her initial interview with Air Canada contained another demeaning surprise.“I was told to wear a skirt and I was told to turn around. That was my first experience with what you might call sexism.”Before the 1970s, female cabin crew, then known as stewardesses, faced discriminatory hiring and work policies marked by strict weight limits, age ceilings, appearance guidelines and marriage bans. But, amid a swelling tide of second-wave feminism — from Chatelaine to the Royal Commission on the Status of Women — a new generation of flight attendants fought to overturn sexist expectations and bring fair labour standards to the skies.Susan Barnes was in her early 20s when sh...

Site for Canada’s underground nuclear waste repository to be selected next year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:01:11 GMT

A critical milestone is on the horizon for Canada’s 175-year-long plan to bury its nuclear waste underground, with two pairs of Ontario communities set to decide if they would be willing hosts.Late next year, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization plans to select the site for Canada’s deep geological repository, where millions of bundles of used nuclear fuel will be placed in a network of rooms connected by cavernous tunnels, as deep below the Earth’s surface as the CN Tower is tall — if the process goes according to plan.The sites are down to the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation-Ignace area in northwestern Ontario and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation-South Bruce area in southern Ontario. The municipalities and First Nations are planning votes for next year, the culmination of a years-long information gathering process that some say has left deep divisions within their communities.The process to move ahead with a deep geological repository is already more than 20 years al...

A long-overlooked climate solution, geothermal could be in for its hottest decade yet

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:01:11 GMT

CALGARY — It’s clean, renewable, and right there below our feet, but geothermal energy has largely remained undeveloped in Canada.However, the climate crisis and the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels is suddenly driving renewed interest in the high temperatures that occur naturally deep within the earth. And with technology continuing to advance, proponents hope that — after years of false starts — this could finally be the geothermal industry’s decade.John Redfern, CEO of Calgary-based geothermal company Eavor Technologies Inc., said it has been known for a very long time that Canada is sitting on vast geothermal energy resources.But unlike Iceland, where geothermal resources account for 30 per cent of electricity production, or California — which has 650 active geothermal wells, accounting for nearly six per cent of the state’s electricity production — Canada has lagged behind.“The principles have been known forever. We know the heat source is down th...

Daily horoscope for December 27, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:01:11 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Cancer.Happy Birthday for Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023:You are a sturdy, strong hero, always willing to help others, to the point of self-sacrifice. You are kind, thoughtful and compassionate. This year has been one of exciting beginnings. In 2024, life will be slower paced. Take time to seek out relationships that are supportive to you.ARIES(March 21-April 19)★★★★You look marvelous in the eyes of others today! People see you as successful, affluent, friendly and a bit bigger than life. Because of this blessing, you will easily get your way in things. You will also be convincing in matters related to politics and religion. Travel will appeal to you! Tonight: Stock the fridge.TAURUS(April 20-May 20)★★★★★This is the perfect day to travel or do anything to expand your horizons. You’ll enjoy studying and learning something new. This is also a great day to explain your beliefs and ideas to ot...

Harriette Cole: I feel like I ruin the vibe at parties

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:01:11 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: Despite announcing my decision to stop drinking to many friends and family, I still encounter peer pressure when I go out with them.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: My husband comes home late, and I think I know why Advice | Harriette Cole: A guide to making the most of the season, Christian or not Advice | Harriette Cole: My girlfriend cries easily, and I’m wondering if it’s a tactic to shut me down Advice | Harriette Cole: The problem started when my daughter switched to public school Advice | Harriette Cole: The 3 lists and one calendar you need for your 2024 life strategy It’s challenging to stick to my choice without feeling like I’m ruining the vibe or being seen as a buzzkill.I value my decision, yet I don’t want to dampen the fun or create discomfort when declining drinks. How can I navigate these situations gracefully and stand by my choice w...