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China will allow visa-free entry for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:49 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China announced Friday that it will allow visa-free entry for citizens of five European countries and Malaysia as it tries to encourage more people to visit for business and tourism.Starting Dec. 1, citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia will be allowed to enter China for up to 15 days without a visa. The trial program will be in effect for one year.The aim is “to facilitate the high-quality development of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and high-level opening up to the outside world,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily briefing.China’s strict pandemic measures, which included required quarantines for all arrivals, discouraged many people from visiting for nearly three years. The restrictions were lifted early this year, but international travel has yet to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels.China previously allowed citizens of Brunei, Japan and Singapore to enter without a visa but suspended that after...

Rescuers in India hope to resume drilling to evacuate 41 trapped workers after mechanical problem

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:49 GMT

UTTARKASHI, India (AP) — Rescuers racing to evacuate 41 construction workers who have been trapped in a collapsed tunnel in northern India for nearly two weeks are hoping to resume drilling on Friday after a mechanical problem a day ealier forced them to halt, officials said. The platform of the drilling machine, which became unstable while boring through rock debris, has been fixed, Bhaskar Khulbe, a former adviser to the Prime Minister’s Office, said at the accident site. But before they can resume drilling, rescuers are manually digging through the debris to remove pieces of metal to avoid damaging the machine, said Kirti Panwar, a government spokesperson. Drilling was also paused on Wednesday after the boring machine hit a metal girder, causing some damage to its blades and a six-hour delay as rescuers worked to clear the obstacle. The workers have been trapped since Nov. 12, when a landslide in mountainous Uttarakhand state caused a portion of the 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile)...

Irish police arrest 34 people in Dublin rioting following stabbings outside a school

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:49 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Irish police arrested 34 people after suspected far-right protesters in central Dublin attacked police, damaged shops and set fire to vehicles Thursday night following the stabbing of three children by an unidentified man earlier in the day.The head of the Irish police, Commissioner Drew Harris, said one officer was seriously injured in the violence that began after news spread that a 5-year-old girl was receiving emergency medical treatment at a Dublin hospital following the attack outside a school. At least 100 people took to the streets, some armed with metal bars and covering their faces.Harris described the protesters as a “complete lunatic hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology.”Police said over 400 officers, including many in riot gear, were deployed throughout the city center to contain the unrest, which they said was “caused by a small group of thugs.” A cordon was set up around the Irish Parliament building, Leinster House, and mounted officers were di...

In the news today: Israel-Hamas four-day truce begins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:49 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…Israel-Hamas truce begins with ceasefire ahead of hostage and prisoner releasesA four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war took effect early Friday, setting the stage for the exchange of dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza in return for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.The halt in fighting promised some relief for Gaza’s 2.3 million people, who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment, as well as families in Israel fearful for the fate of loved ones taken captive during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.The ceasefire kicked off at 7 a.m. local time and is to last at least four days. During this period, Gaza’s ruling Hamas group pledged to free at least 50 of the about 240 hostages it and other militants took on Oct. 7. Hamas said Israel would free 150 Palestinian prisoners.Both sides will release women and children first. Isr...

Formal talks to begin today at EU-Canada Summit in Newfoundland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:49 GMT

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Formal talks are expected to begin today between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and two top heads of the European Union.European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are in St. John’s, N.L., for the 19th EU-Canada Summit.Climate change, hydrogen energy and the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine are all expected to be prominent topics on the leaders’ agenda.Jeremy Kinsman, a former Canadian ambassador to the EU in Brussels, says both parties are likely thinking their strategic partnership will become much more vital if Donald Trump manages to win the United States presidency again.Achim Hurrelmann, a Carleton University professor who co-directs the school’s Centre for European Studies, agreed, noting that the EU and Canada pulled closer during Trump’s presidency, which ended in 2020.Hurrelmann says the summit is fairly routine, though he says he expects a fair bit of discussion a...

Canadian film, TV workers eye return to ‘changed world’ after Hollywood strike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:49 GMT

TORONTO — After more than four months without work due to a historic Hollywood actors’ strike, Canadian performer Kristian Bruun says it was a “euphoric relief” to learn he’ll return to the Vancouver set of his Netflix series in the new year.The Toronto-born actor says the cast and crew of “The Recruit,” starring Noah Centineo, are slated to begin shooting the spy thriller’s second season on Jan. 4. It was originally set to go to camera in late June but was halted by the strike. Whilea timeline to return to work offers some solace to the Los Angeles-based Bruun, it could take months before his paycheques start rolling in, and even longer before he gets health insurance again. “I’ll still be living off my savings,” says Bruun. “It’s not as simple as, we just turn everything back on and we’re back to normal. It’s going to be a months-long process.”Like many U.S.-based television series and movies...

Inflation, longer sales season to weigh on shopping habits this Black Friday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:49 GMT

TORONTO — As scores of shoppers pack local malls to hunt for Black Friday deals, Dianne Debarros will be on the lookout for discounted toys and laptops her kids will soon need for school.The Sarnia, Ont., woman has already started her Christmas shopping but wants to supplement her purchases on a trip to Real Canadian Superstore, where the chain is doling out loyalty program points in exchange for $100 in purchases in some of its departments.“I feel like the last couple of years, the sales and the prices weren’t very good, but this year the prices seem to be reasonable and the incentives are there,” Debarros said. She and her partner, Tom, run a deal-hunting social media account on Instagram and TikTok.The annual wave of discounts, door crashers and sales timed to the holiday season will be especially welcomed by Canadians who are feeling stressed about money this year. Inflation remains above the Bank of Canada’s two per cent target, keeping prices high for h...

Marrakech hosts film festival in the shadow of war in the Middle East

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:49 GMT

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — International movie stars arrive in Morocco on Friday to kick off one of the Arab world’s largest film festivals amid a shadow cast by Israel’s latest war with Hamas and protests that have swept the region for almost two months.Directors Martin Scorsese and Richard Linklater and actors Jessica Chastain and Mads Mikkelsen are expected in Marrakech for a festival that Moroccan Prince Moulay Rachid called a “bastion of peace that brings people closer together.”The prince, who leads the foundation responsible for the festival, said in a statement that the festival was an “invitation for discovery, empathy and sharing,” noting Morocco’s September earthquake and the catalog of Moroccan films and filmmakers scheduled to be showcased.The Marrakech International Film Festival, along with Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival that is scheduled to open next week, are taking place despite war in Gaza. That’s in contrast to the Cairo International Film Festival and...

Daily horoscope for November 24, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:49 GMT

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 12:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST today (9:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. PST). After that, the Moon moves from Aries into Taurus.Happy Birthday for Friday, Nov. 24, 2023:Because you are spirited and energetic, you influence others. This gives you an opportunity to be a force for good. This is a year of service for you, especially service to family. Therefore, it’s important to take care of yourself so you can benefit others. Is it time for a makeover?ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★Your desire to travel and explore new avenues in life will grow stronger because Mars changes signs today. This will boost your desire to explore more of your world for the next six weeks. You will want to go places by jetting off somewhere or jumping in your car. Do what you can. Bon voyage! Tonight: Save money.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★Recently, you’ve been thinking about shared property, inheritances and insurance issues — red-tape stuff. Starti...

EU fleets caught 3.4 million tonnes of fish in 2022

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:49 GMT

The total EU fish catch in 2022 was about 3.4 million tonnes of live weight from the seven marine areas covered by EU statistics. Spain’s fishing fleet exceeded one-fifth of all EU catches (22%; 752,000 tonnes), followed by France (15%; 517,000 tonnes) and Denmark (13%; 459,000 tonnes).Source dataset:  fish_ca_main About 70% of the total EU catch was taken in the Atlantic, Northeast area. The key species caught in the Atlantic, Northeast area were small fish such as herring (19% of the live weight caught in this region), sprat (14%), blue whiting (11%) and mackerel (10%). About one fifth of the EU’s total live weight catch in this area was made by the fishing fleet of Denmark (19%) followed by France (about 17%), the Netherlands (11%) and Spain (11%).Approximately one tenth of the total EU catch was taken in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, where the main species caught were sardines (22% of the EU catch in the area) and anchovies (18%). Italian fleet made 36% of the EU catch, with ...