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John Kerry: COP28 chief’s contested fossil fuel stance may need ‘clarification’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:38 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber’s controversial remarks that “no science” shows a fossil fuel phaseout is needed to hit climate goals may require “clarification,” U.S. climate envoy John Kerry told POLITICO. Kerry’s remarks — his first reaction since the Guardian published al-Jaber’s comments on Sunday — show the U.S. diplomat is not withdrawing his long-standing support for the COP28 chief, despite ongoing concerns about al-Jaber’s other role as CEO of ADNOC, the UAE’s state-owned mega oil firm.“Look, he’s gotta decide how he wants to phrase it, but the bottom line is this COP needs to be committed to phasing out all unabated fossil fuel,” Kerry told POLITICO’s Power Play podcast with Anne McElvoy. Speaking during an online event in November, al-Jaber said there was no scientific basis to conclude that a fossil fuel phaseout is needed to restrict global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius — the most ambitious target of the Paris Agreeme...

Barn on RI “The Conjuring” property suffers fire damage overnight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:38 GMT

Fire crews in Burrilville, Rhode Island battled a fire overnight in the barn of a famous spooky property.The barn is on the same property as the house made famous by the movie “The Conjuring” about paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.Officials said the house from the movie was not damaged and the cause of the fire remains unclear.

Drying Out… Flakes Ahead?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:38 GMT

After a soaking Sunday with chilly air, we start drying it out this morning, and generally have a mainly dry day ahead. Sure, once and a while a few spotty sprinkles, or a brief shower is possible, but the overall theme of the day is to have improved weather vs. what we had yesterday. High temps today run close to 50, under a mainly cloudy sky. More of a chill is in the air tomorrow with highs in the mid 30s to lower 40s, coolest in the Worcester Hills. The best chance for breaks of sunshine will be in the morning, as mainly cloudy skies win out in the afternoon. A few spotty showers across the lower Cape/Nantucket are possible too. Wednesday will offer not only a deep chill, but also some flakes flying. Scattered flurries and snow showers are likely Wednesday morning to midday. The combo between a disturbance aloft and relatively cold air passing over the warm ocean waters, will help manufacture the flakes. The best chance for a coating to an inch of snow near and southeast of I-9...

Police raid gay venues in Russia after top court bans ‘international LGBTQ movement’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:38 GMT

(CNN) — Police carried out raids on gay venues in Russia late Friday, two online Russian news outlets reported, one day after the country’s top court ruled to ban the “international LGBTQ movement” and labelled it an extremist organization.Thursday’s landmark ruling by the Supreme Court sent a fresh shiver of fear through Russia’s LGBTQ community, who have already faced an intensifying crackdown in recent years, as President Vladimir Putin seeks to shore up his image as defender of traditional moral values against the liberal West.The raids took place in at least three entertainment venues in the capital Moscow, according to the two independent Russian Telegram news outlets, Ostorozhno Novosti and Sota.Police said they were conducting routine drug raids, the outlets added.Ostorozhno Moskva also reported that police photographed the passports of partygoers.“Eyewitnesses said that security forces entered the premises under the pretext of an anti-drug check and photograp...

Turmoil at pro-DeSantis super PAC overshadows Florida governor’s White House bid at critical moment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:38 GMT

Newton, Iowa (CNN) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had only moments earlier departed a Saturday celebration marking his completion of a 99-county tour of Iowa – a feat he has hyped for months – when word began to spread that another wave of turmoil had hit the machine trying to elect him president.Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting the Republican’s White House bid, abruptly let go three key senior staffers that evening, including an interim CEO who had just been installed nine days earlier. The sudden departures sent shockwaves throughout DeSantis’ political operation, from Tallahassee to Des Moines. Some people intimately involved in the effort to elect DeSantis learned of the dismissals the night they happened. A source inside the super PAC told CNN the changes as a whole were distracting and said they came as a surprise to people at Never Back Down.One of the dismissed operatives had appeared that day at a super PAC event in Sioux City, Iowa,...

Russel Metals buying seven service centres from Samuel, Son & Co. Ltd. for $225M

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:38 GMT

TORONTO — `Russel Metals Inc. has signed a deal to buy seven service centre locations from Samuel, Son & Co. Ltd. for about $225 million.The agreement covers five locations in Western Canada and two in the United States.Russel Metals chief executive John Reid says the acquisition is complementary from both geographic and product mix perspectives.The metals distribution company will acquire Samuel’s metals service centres in Winnipeg, Calgary, Nisku, Alta., Langley, B.C., Surrey, B.C., Buffalo, N.Y., and Pittsburgh.The company says Samuel will keep its location in Delta, B.C., and conduct an orderly shutdown of that facility.  The deal is subject to regulatory clearance as well as other customary closing conditions. It is expected to close in the first or second quarter of 2024.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:RUS)The Canadian Press

Analysis: Emirati oil CEO leading UN COP28 climate summit lashes out as talks enter toughest stage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:38 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Emirati leading the United Nations’ COP28 climate talks walked out on stage Monday to a room full of journalists to offer a 17-minute list of what he described as the stunning successes made so far in the summit. Then he spent the rest of the time criticizing the media covering his contradictory remarks about phasing out fossil fuels that again raised the concerns of activists about him heading a state-run energy company that plans to increase its production of crude oil and natural gas.Sultan al-Jaber’s comments highlight the dualities of the United Arab Emirates, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms. It’s filled with modern skyscrapers but has no freedom of speech. It punches above its weight on the world stage but isn’t used to publicly answering probing questions.And now it wants the popular support of a climate conference filled with some who want the lifeblood of the country’s economy shut off.The latest firestorm, thi...

Search continues for escaped kangaroo last seen in Oshawa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:38 GMT

The search continues for an escaped female kangaroo that was last spotted in Durham Region on Friday.The Oshawa Zoo provided an update to CityNews on Sunday, saying they have been working daily alongside, police, a lost animal group, and the kangaroo owner, in an effort to try to find the animal.“Sadly, there have been no sightings,” says a zoo spokesperson. Durham Regional Police said the kangaroo was in transit to Quebec when its delivery driver made a stop at the Oshawa Zoo on Thursday to let two of the animals “stretch their legs,” when one managed to escape.A video taken from a passing vehicle, and posted to social media, shows the marsupial hopping along a roadway on Friday morning . Team Chelsea, a lost pet search group, says the footage was taken around 7:45 a.m. near Winchester and Harmony roads in Oshawa.Police said they attended the area but were not able to find the missing kangaroo.According to the Toronto Star, the animal was located and nearly ...

Authorities say heavy rains and landslides in Tanzania kill at least 47 and hurt or strand many more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:38 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — At least 47 people are dead and 85 others injured following heavy flooding and landslides in northern Tanzania, authorities said Monday.The government has deployed the military to help rescue hundreds of people trapped by the flooding which has been described as the worst in years in the East African nation.The flooding occurred near Mount Hanang in the north. Houses, roads and bridges have been destroyed, complicating ongoing rescue efforts.President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is attending the U.N. climate summit in Dubai, said she was cutting short her trip to return to Tanzania due to the tragedy.“I send my sincere condolences to the affected families and have directed all our security forces to deploy to the area and help those affected,” she said in a video message.Other East African countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan have been hit by raging floods made worse by the El Niño phenomenon.Hundreds have died across the region and million...

Heavy snowfall hits Moscow as Russian media report disruption on roads and at airports

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:38 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Heavy snowfall has hit the Russian capital, disrupting traffic on roads and flights in and out of three Moscow airports, officials and media reported on Monday. The snowfall that began Sunday and continued overnight has brought an additional 23 centimeters (nine inches) to already high levels of snow in Moscow, according to deputy mayor Pyotr Biryukov. About 135,000 people and 18,000 pieces of equipment were involved in the snow-clearing effort. Nearly 200 trucks got stuck in the snow over the past 24 hours, and required assistance from road traffic workers, the Moscow transport department reported. A total of 53 flights were delayed and five more were canceled on Monday morning in three out of four Moscow airports, Russian business daily Vedomosti reported. Most of the delays occurred at the Sheremetyevo airport north of the capital. The two airports to the south, Domodedovo and Vnukovo, also experienced delays, the report said. At the Zhukovsky airport southeast of t...