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Disneyland’s $60 billion expansion means parks in Hong Kong and Shanghai are only getting bigger

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:36:45 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong Disneyland opened its first Frozen-themed attraction on Monday, with thousands of eager visitors turning up to experience the new rides, some lining up for hours to get an early start.Based on Disney’s wildly popular “Frozen” animation film, the new section of the park features landscapes and characters from the movie and two new rides, a roller coaster and a boat ride that takes visitors through different scenes featured in the film.“Over the past decade, the film has grown into one of the most successful franchises in Disney history,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences. “World of Frozen represents Hong Kong Disneyland’s largest and boldest expansion since the park opened in 2005.”The opening comes after Disney announced in September a $60 billion expansion of its parks and cruises over about a decade. Now that Chinese tourists are venturing abroad again after the pandemic, the new attraction is meant to be a game changer for a theme park t...

US deal to free hostages, pause fighting between Israel and Hamas nears announcement

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:36:45 GMT

The U.S. has brokered a deal between Israel and Hamas to free dozens of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a four or five day pause in fighting, according to two current U.S. officials and a former U.S. official with knowledge of the talks.All officials stressed that a deal isn’t final until it’s officially announced and that arrangements can always fall apart at the last moment. They said an announcement could come from the relevant parties as soon as Tuesday.Elements of the deal, including the release of 50 hostages by Hamas could begin within hours, they said. The two U.S. officials added that about 150 Palestinian prisoners will also be released from Israel as part of the arrangement.

Milan Lucic arrives at court ahead of arraignment on assault charge

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:36:45 GMT

A police report is shedding new light on the arrest of Bruins veteran winger Milan Lucic, who is expected to be arraigned on a charge of assault and battery in Boston Municipal Court this week.Lucic was previously arrested on Saturday morning at his North End apartment in Boston following what was reported to be a domestic incident, leading to the Bruins placing him on indefinite leave.A police report obtained by 7NEWS described how officers responded to Lucic’s apartment in the North End by his wife, who had called police stating her husband attempted to choke her.According to the report, officers met with her in the apartment’s lobby and learned that the incident occurred after, sometime during the night, Lucic had come home and could not find his cell phone.She said Lucic accused her of hiding the phone and demanded it back, and that when she told him she did not have it or know where it was, he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her backwards as she tried to walk awa...

MBTA Lifts Some Speed Restrictions Along Red Line Stretch

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:36:45 GMT

The MBTA lifted speed restrictions along nine Red Line stretches between its Park Street and JFK/UMass stations following service disruptions that enabled crews to expedite track work over the past week.The T announced Tuesday morning that more than nine miles of the Red Line, or nearly 20 percent of the branch, remains under speed restrictions, which the transit authority said is the lowest amount since March 8 when the MBTA initiated slow zones systemwide.The slow zones — which in this case limited train speeds to 10 mph or 25 mph – are in place because the T determined it would be unsafe to run trains at normal speeds until fixes are made. The latest work involved replacing more than 2,000 feet of rail and 115 rail ties.Once considered rare, the MBTA is now routinely taking portions of its core subway service offline to make repairs in less time than it would take to make them during overnight shifts.  The T believes it can use this approach to address all slow z...

What truck attack against a Muslim family can teach us about hate in Canada

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:36:45 GMT

In today’s Big Story Podcast, in June 2021, Nathaniel Veltman intentionally ran his truck into the Afzaal family, who were simply out for a walk. All but one member of the family was killed, and Veltman later said he did it because he was looking for Muslims to run over. Last week, Veltman was quickly found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Related: Nathaniel Veltman guilty on all counts in London, Ont., attack His trial, the first in Canada to officially associate terrorism with white supremacy, offered a glimpse into where he found his hatred, how it twisted him, and how similar attacks might be prevented. His sentencing may also indicate just how the courts will treat terrorism charges in cases like these going forward.Wendy Gillis is the crime and police reporter for The Toronto Star. “Traditionally, we have not seen white nationalism be designated to the level of terrorism,” said Gillis. “We haven’t seen...

Deliveroo riders aren’t entitled to collective bargaining protections, UK court says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:36:45 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s top court ruled Tuesday that riders for one of the U.K.’s biggest meal delivery companies aren’t entitled to collective bargaining protections because they aren’t employees, in what is seen as a landmark decision in the gig economy.The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain sought to represent Deliveroo riders to improve working conditions for the people who scurry around the nation’s streets delivering takeout meals to customers. When Deliveroo refused to negotiate with the union, the workers appealed, arguing that the company was violating rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.The court rejected the appeal, ruling that the right to collective bargaining is only guaranteed when there is an “employment relationship” between the workers and the company. Deliveroo riders aren’t employees because their contract with the company gives them the “virtually unfettered right to appoint a substitute to take on their jobs,” the court said.Del...

Police arrest 3 in connection with shooting of far-right Spanish politician

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:36:45 GMT

Three people were arrested Tuesday in connection with the shooting of a Spanish right-wing politician earlier this month.Alejandro Vidal-Quadras, 78, was shot in the face in broad daylight on a Madrid street on Nov. 9. He remains hospitalized.The National Police force’s press department said two suspects were detained in southern Spain’s city of Lanjaron and the third in the city of Fuengirola. The department declined to provide more details. Spanish state news agency EFE and other media outlets said none of the three was suspected of having fired the shot that hit Vidal-Quadras, who helped Spain’s far-right Vox party.The National Court is investigating the shooting as a possible terrorist attack.Police told The Associated Press earlier this month that Vidal-Quadras had raised the possibility he was targeted because of his ties with Iran’s political opposition. Investigators were exploring a potential Iranian link but so far have no found evidence of one, police told the...

Capital Power spending US$1.1 billion in pair of deals for U.S. power plants

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:36:45 GMT

EDMONTON — Capital Power Corp. says it has signed a pair of deals with CSG Investments, Inc., a subsidiary of Beal Financial Corp., to buy two natural gas power plants in the United States for a total of US$1.1 billion.Under the first deal, the Edmonton-based company will acquire CXA La Paloma, which owns the La Paloma natural gas-fired generation facility in Kern County, Calif.The second agreement will see Capital Power form a 50-50 partnership with an affiliate of a fund managed by BlackRock’s Diversified Infrastructure business to buy New Harquahala Generation Co. LLC, which owns the Harquahala natural gas-fired generation facility in Maricopa County, Ariz.Capital Power and BlackRock will each be responsible for half of the cash consideration for the Harquahala deal, while Capital Power will be responsible for the operations and maintenance and receive an annual management fee.The acquisitions are both expected to close in the first quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory ap...

Rain-snow possible for parts of GTA, freezing rain warning northwest of Toronto

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:36:45 GMT

The drive home could be a slippery one for commuters northwest of Toronto with a freezing rain warning in effect for some areas.Environment Canada issued the warning for Caledon, Orangeville, and Shelburne, saying freezing rain is expected Tuesday afternoon and will end by the evening.The national weather agency says around 2-4 millimetres of ice could build up over higher terrain.“Although freezing rain is expected to be brief and limited during the afternoon, an earlier onset could lead to greater ice build-up,” the warning says.“Surface temperatures are expected to rise above the freezing mark through the afternoon into the evening limiting freezing rain throughout the day.”Slushy conditions possible for parts of GTAToronto will see mostly rain, as the temperatures rises to a high of 6 C on Tuesday, but some areas of the GTA could get a rain-snow mix.CityNews meteorologist Jill Taylor says light rain will start later in the morning and continue for the res...

How a massive all-granite, hand-carved Hindu temple ended up on Hawaii’s lush Kauai Island

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:36:45 GMT

KAPAA, Hawaii (AP) — It is the only all-granite, hand-carved Hindu temple in the West built without power tools or electricity, and it’s nestled on one of the smaller islands in Hawaii surrounded by lush gardens and forests.On the island of Kauai, the presence of the Iraivan Temple — a white granite edifice with gold-leafed domes, modeled after millennia-old temples in South India — is unexpected and stunning. Less than 1% of Hawaii’s 1.4 million residents are Hindus and on Kauai, the number of Hindus may not even exceed 50, according to some estimates.But that hasn’t deterred the two dozen monks living at the Kauai Aadheenam campus from being good neighbors and stewards of their faith tradition, drawing pilgrims and seekers from around the globe. In this all-male temple-monastery complex, the monks study and practice Shaivism, a major tradition within Hinduism, which holds Lord Shiva as the supreme being.One of the order’s monks, who has spent decades supervising the te...