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Finland, Sweden set this winter’s cold records as temperature plummets to over minus 40 Celsius

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:18:48 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland and Sweden recorded the coldest temperatures of the winter Tuesday as thermometers plummeted to minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) as a result of a cold spell prevailing in the Nordic region.In Nikkaluokta, a small village inhabited by the indigenous Sami people in northern Sweden, thermometer showed minus 41.6 degrees (minus 42.8 Fahrenheit) early Tuesday, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported.“It’s the coldest temperature we have had so far this winter, and it will continue to be quite cold weather in the north,” said SVT meteorologist Nils Holmqvist.Train operators in Sweden said the cold snap has caused substantial problems for rail traffic in the north, among other issues. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute has reported temperatures of minus 30 degrees (minus 22 Fahrenheit) in several locations in northern Sweden.It also issued a warning for snow and wind for central and southern Sweden, saying snowfall on Wednesday in co...

Wayne Rooney fired as manager after 15 games at second-tier Birmingham

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:18:48 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — England great Wayne Rooney was fired as the manager of second-tier club Birmingham on Tuesday after 15 games.Rooney earned only two wins since his controversial appointment in October. Birmingham was sixth in the Championship when he started, and has fallen to 20th.The club was taken over last summer by a company owned by American businessman Tom Wagner, and it got rid of popular coach John Eustace, who had been in charge for 15 months and steered the club away from relegation.“Birmingham City has today parted company with manager Wayne Rooney and first-team coach Carl Robinson,” the club said in a statement. “Despite their best efforts, results have not met the expectations that were made clear at the outset. Therefore, the board feels that a change in management is in the best interests of the football club.”Birmingham lost at Leeds 3-0 on Monday, and supporters called for the removal of Rooney, the former Manchester United and England striker.___AP socc...

Avión se incendia en pista del aeropuerto Haneda en Japón

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:18:48 GMT

Un avión se incendió en la pista del aeropuerto Haneda de Tokio, y según autoridades locales, chocó con otra aeronave después de aterrizar.En tomas de video de la televisión local fue posible ver cómo le salía fuego y humo de un costado al avión de Japan Airlines mientras se desplazaba por una pista. Luego se incendió el área alrededor del ala, una hora después las tomas mostraban el fuselaje totalmente devorado por las llamas.Indicó que el avión era un Airbus A-350, el vuelo 516 de JAL, que partió desde el aeropuerto Shin Chitose en Japón a Haneda. Arrestan a hombre por apuntar a un avión comercial con un láser; “fue sin querer”, alega Tren se descarrila e incendia dejando varios heridos en San Francisco En tomas posteriores se veía a los bomberos trabajando para apagar el fuego, las llamas se habían extendido a gran parte del avión.NHK citó a JAL, que dijo que el avión fue golpeado por otra aeronave, probablemente una del servic...

Boulder plans to raise downtown parking prices

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:18:48 GMT

BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) -- If you're parking in high-demand areas of downtown Boulder, prepare to fork over more cash for the service.Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 2, all on-street parking "close to high-demand areas" will cost 50 cents more per hour. New Mexico man found guilty of murdering woman found at Boulder trailhead According to the city, the increase reflects performance-based pricing based on an annual analysis of Boulder parking through occupancy thresholds approved by Boulder City Council in 2021.Performance-based pricing sets different parking rates for on-street blocks depending on demand for that block. Performance-based pricing does not apply to accessible parking spaces, and the rate for those spots is still $1.50 per hour. Paid, downtown street parking, in addition to University Hill and Boulder Junction, is in effect Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.Parking in one of the city’s BoulderPark garages "remains the most economical and efficient option for longer...

How Colorado's marijuana industry has changed since legalization a decade ago

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:18:48 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Ten years ago Monday, Colorado began selling recreational adult-use marijuana. The sales started after voters approved Amendment 64 on the statewide ballot in 2012.Since then, the industry has seen a lot of changes.For the most part, the decade of legal recreational adult-use cannabis in Colorado has been lucrative years for the industry.The past two years, however, have industry insiders wondering how to get business booming again. Colorado marijuana sales continue to decline "We really started working in 2005 to build up support and educate voters leading up to the 2012 election, at which time, Colorado became one of the first states to legalize marijuana for adult use," said Mason Tvert of VS Strategies. Tvert was among the group of people working hard to make recreational adult-use cannabis a thing in Colorado. "This is something that had not previously existed. There is no basis for comparison to say whether it's doing good or bad. It really was grow...

FHP trooper vehicle involved in hit-and-run on I-75 in Weston

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:18:48 GMT

The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and Broward County Sheriff’s Fire Rescue responded to reports of a hit-and-run accident involving an FHP trooper vehicle.The incident unfolded around 7 a.m. Tuesday, on the northbound lanes of Interstate 75 approaching Indian Trace in Weston. Live video footage from 7SkyForce revealed that a black car was involved in the crash as it was stopped on the left-most lane of the highway while authorities surrounded it. According to 7News’ Steven J. Gray, after the black vehicle struck the FHP cruiser, the driver exited their car and fled on foot. Law enforcement are now looking for the person who fled the scene as they have police helicopters overhead searching for the driver. As a result of this incident, only one lane is blocked on I-75 North.FHP officials have been contacted for more information. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Israel-Hamas war poses long-term security threat, Belgian minister warns

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:18:48 GMT

The Israel-Hamas war has created a long-term threat to European security that is likely to last beyond any ceasefire, Belgium’s Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden has warned. Several countries, including Belgium, have raised their security threat level after terror attacks carried out by lone actors in the wake of the renewed conflict in the Middle East. Belgian analysts have picked up intelligence on activities stemming from the Gaza war, prompting the government to send additional police to certain areas, such as the Jewish neighborhood in Antwerp, the country’s second-biggest city. In an interview with POLITICO, Verlinden said it was hard to predict when the country would be able to lower the threat level again, which has been at the second-highest rating since the October 16 terror attack, when a Tunisian gunman shot and killed two Swedish football fans in Brussels. She said she expected the increased police presence “will go on for a while”. “Even if t...

Rohingya refugees in Sri Lanka protest planned closure of U.N. office, fearing abandonment

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:18:48 GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A group of Rohingya refugees living in Sri Lanka staged a protest outside the office of the U.N. refugee agency Tuesday, saying they fear losing their living allowance once the agency’s office in the island nation closes at the end of this year.The protesters also want to be resettled in another country because Sri Lanka does not allow them to live there permanently.About 100 Rohingya refugees live in Sri Lanka, most of them rescued at sea by the navy while they were trying to reach Indonesia after fleeing Myanmar for Bangladesh.About 740,000 Rohingya were resettled in Bangladesh after fleeing their homes in Myanmar to escape a brutal counterinsurgency campaign by security forces. But the camps in Bangladesh are squalid, with surging gang violence and rampant hunger, leading many to flee again. Ruki Fernando, a rights activist in Sri Lanka, said the refugees receive basic allowance from the U.N. agency and are provided with limited health care by the ...

Spaniard imprisoned in Iran after visiting grave of Mahsa Amini arrives home after release

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:18:48 GMT

MADRID (AP) — A Spaniard who spent 15 months in an Iranian prison after visiting the tomb of Mahsa Amini returned home to Madrid on Tuesday after being released.“I can’t believe it. This has been very hard, but I am here. We have no idea how fortunate we are to have been born in his country,” Santiago Sánchez Cogedor told a group of reporters at the airport after he was embraced by family and friends upon arrival.Sánchez Cogedor was on a solo walking trek to the men’s soccer World Cup in Qatar when he was arrested in Iran in October 2022. His arrest followed his visit to the tomb of Amini, a woman whose death while being held by Iran’s morality police for violating Iran’s Islamic dress code sparked protests in the country.He remained behind bars until Iran’s embassy to Spain announced his release on Sunday.The 41-year-old was walking all the way from Spain with the goal of reaching Qatar to support Spain’s national team at soccer’s biggest global event.Sánchez Cogedor sa...

What does a total abortion ban look like in Dominican Republic?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:18:48 GMT

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — The Dominican Republic is one of four Latin American nations that criminalizes abortion without exceptions. Women face up to 2 years in prison for having an abortion, while the penalties for doctors or midwives range from 5 to 20 years. Abortion rights activists argue that the country’s total abortion ban not only restricts women’s reproductive choices but also puts their lives in danger.Here’s a look at the country’s ban.What role does religion play?No other nation bears a Bible on its flag.The country’s motto is “God, Country, Freedom,” and the government holds a concordat, or agreement, with the Vatican, which implies that the official religion is Catholicism, although the constitution allows freedom of worship.The Catholic Church influences sex education. The “Learning to Love” program, recently implemented by the Ministry of Education, aims to reinforce Catholic values for students.Catholics and evangelicals are united against decriminal...