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Wildfires in western Quebec prompt thousands more evacuees to relocate

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 03:55:24 GMT

MONTREAL — Wildfires in western Quebec have prompted thousands to evacuate the area over the weekend, while the threat of encroaching flames eased slightly on the North Shore as Canadian Armed Forces geared up to fight the threat.Public Security Minister François Bonnardel says some 5,500 residents of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, which borders Ontario, have been relocated.He says another 4,500 people in the North Shore community of Sept-Îles and its outskirts were also forced from their homes, but no further evacuations are planned at the moment.He adds rain is expected in the area in the coming days, and the wind direction there and in Abitibi are favourable.But the state of emergency in Sept-Îles, which sits about 890 kilometres northeast of Montreal, has been extended for five days, with evacuation orders in place at least through Monday morning.Some 100 soldiers are set to arrive later today to lend a hand.“We are facing a situation that has never been seen,” Na...

‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ swings to massive $120.5 million opening

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 03:55:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” opened in U.S. and Canadian theaters with a massive $120.5 million, more than tripling the debut of the 2018 animated original and showing the kind of movie-to-movie box-office growth that would be the envy of even the mightiest of Hollywood franchises.Sony Pictures’ “Across the Spider-Verse,” the multi-verse spinning animated Spider-Man spinoff, sailed way past expectations, according to studio estimates Sunday, riding terrific reviews (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and strong buzz for the hotly anticipated follow-up to the Oscar-winning “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” In the sometimes formulaic realm of superhero movies, 2018’s “Into the Spider-Verse” offered a blast of originality, introducing a teenage webslinger from Brooklyn, Miles Morales ( Shameik Moore ), a punk-rock Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) and a host of other Spider-People. It launched with $35.4 million on its way to $384.3 million worldwide. “Ac...

Senegal’s government suspends mobile internet access amid days of deadly clashes

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 03:55:24 GMT

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal’s government temporarily suspended mobile phone data on Sunday as the country reels from days of deadly clashes between police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. The ministry of communication, telecommunications and digital economy said that because of the diffusion of “subversive messages in a context of public disorder in certain localities,” cellphone internet data would be suspended during certain time periods. The statement comes after days of deadly clashes throughout the West African nation between Sonko’s supporters and police. The official death toll is unclear. The government says that 15 people, including two members of the security forces, have been killed, while the opposition says 19 people have died. The clashes first broke out on Thursday, after Sonko was convicted of corrupting youth but acquitted on charges of raping a woman who worked at a massage parlor and making death threats against her. Sonko, who didn...

Federal Court to hear challenge over Prince Harry's US visa following drug use admission

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 03:55:24 GMT

(KTLA) – Could Prince Harry have his U.S. visa revoked? A federal court hearing is coming up to decide that.The Heritage Foundation has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to see if rules were followed in granting the Duke of Sussex his visa. The Heritage Foundation is a D.C.-based conservative think tank. The move comes after Harry revealed in his memoir “Spare” that he had used drugs at one time.“Widespread and continuous media coverage has surfaced the question of whether DHS properly admitted the Duke of Sussex in light of the fact that he has publicly admitted to the essential elements of a number of drug offenses in both the United States and abroad,” court documents obtained by CBS News read. “United States law generally renders such a person inadmissible for entry to the United States. Intense media coverage has also surfaced the question of whether DHS may have improperly granted the Duke of Sussex a waiver to enter the Country on a non-immigran...

College student accused of setting fire to Wyoming's only abortion clinic pleads not guilty

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 03:55:24 GMT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A college student who authorities say admitted setting fire to a building slated to become Wyoming's only full-service abortion clinic pleaded not guilty to an arson charge in federal court on Friday.Standing next to her lawyer, Lorna Roxanne Green, 22, entered her plea after calmly answering questions from the judge about whether she understood the proceedings and for what charge she was indicted. She answered “no” to whether she had any mental or physical conditions that would make it difficult to understand what was happening as her father watched from the front row of court.Green told investigators that she opposes abortion and was experiencing anxiety and having nightmares over the Wellspring Health Access clinic that was to open in Casper, Wyoming, last year, so she decided to burn it, according to court documents.After the court hearing, Green's lawyer, Ryan Semerad, declined to comment on the confession outlined by investigators. He said he ne...

Christopher Nolan explains best ways to watch a movie, which theater seats to pick

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 03:55:24 GMT

It’s no secret that Christopher Nolan made “Oppenheimer” to be seen on the big screen. But not all big screens are created equal.That’s part of the reason why Universal Pictures has made “Oppenheimer” tickets available early for over a thousand “premium large format” (or PLF) screens, with options including IMAX 70mm, 70mm, IMAX digital, 35mm, Dolby Cinema and more.Knowing that even those words can get overwhelming and technical, Nolan went a step further: In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, he offered a guide to his favorite formats, explaining why it matters and even where he likes to sit so that audiences don’t feel like they need a film school degree (or one in theoretical physics) before settling on a theater.“You rarely get the chance to really talk to moviegoers directly about why you love a particular format and why if they can find an IMAX screen to see the film on that’s great,” Nolan said. “We put a lot of effort into shooting the film in a...

Lower rain chances for this afternoon

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 03:55:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A few LCRA rain gauges in Blanco, Gillespie, and Mason Counties measured between one and two inches since midnight. The highest 24-hour rain total is 2.23" at Smithville, with 2.15" of that falling before midnight.There were six reports of hail between 5:30 and 6:15 in the Hill Country. Hail the size of a hen egg was reported at Pontotoc (NE Mason Co.). Ping pong ball-sized hail was reported on Highway 29 north of Castell. The other hail reports came from Williamson and Travis Cos.Saturday night hailThunderstorms caused wind damage in Castell (Llano Co.) with a few tree limbs and trees down. There will be more showers and thunderstorms this afternoon but with a lower probability. The guidance here is that most rain totals today will hold under .50". Keep your umbrella nearby todayThe Storm Prediction Center updated its severe storm risk today to put areas from Austin southward under a marginal risk for severe storms.Low chance of hail and gusty winds this afternoon/...

Missouri among top 25 states Americans visit the most

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 03:55:24 GMT

Canva25 states Americans visit the mostU.S. travelers are expected to visit U.S. destinations more in 2023 than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council. Thanks in part to rising inflation rates, which make international travel far more difficult to budget for a family, along with the general public's desire to freely move about now that COVID-19 restrictions are fully lifted. Combining that with the plethora of places to choose from when it comes to making your way across America, domestic travel rates went up 30.1% in 2022, and it seems to be on trend to continue its ascent.With so much to do, however, who could blame someone for wanting to get in the car and leave their cares behind during an epic road trip? For booking that last-minute flight on a whim because the mood seems to strike. The U.S. is home to 424 National Parks, 620 amusement parks, over 35,000 museums, and don't even get us started on how many restaurants th...

China tightens access to Tiananmen Square, 32 detained in Hong Kong on anniversary of 1989 protests

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 03:55:24 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China tightened access to Tiananmen Square in central Beijing on Sunday, the anniversary of the military suppression of 1989 pro-democracy protests that left a still unknown number of people dead and discussions and commemorations forbidden within the country. In Hong Kong, which had been the last Chinese-controlled territory to hold commemorations, eight people, including activists and artists, were detained on the eve of the anniversary of the crackdown, a move that underscored the city’s shrinking room for freedom of expression. Police on late Sunday said they arrested a woman for allegedly obstructing police officers in performing their duties and took 23 others away on suspicion of breaching public peace for further investigation. Many of them were detained by officers around Victoria Park. The large public space with its lawns and sports grounds used to be the scene of an annual candlelight gathering to remember the hundreds or thousands killed when ...

Homeless woman attacks child, slashes man who jumps in to help (video)

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 03:55:24 GMT

Dramatic video captures the moment a homeless woman with a knife attacks a young girl in South Los Angeles before a bystander steps in.The good Samaritan who intervened was slashed in the face by the attacker while saving the girl.Surveillance video captured the May 26 attack, which happened on South Main Street near West 87th Street. just before 8 a.m.The young girl was walking to school when video shows the homeless woman suddenly striking the girl and grabbing her before wrestling her to the ground.The good Samaritan, John Irias, is seen running over to intervene. He pushes the attacker off the girl and holds the woman down until authorities arrive.Video captures a homeless woman armed with a knife attacking a young girl in South Los Angeles before John Arias intervenes on May 26, 2023. (John Irias)Video captures a homeless woman armed with a knife attacking a young girl in South Los Angeles before John Arias intervenes on May 26, 2023. (John Irias)Video captures a homeless woman...