Live updates tracking the coronavirus pandemic from Yahoo News reporters in the United States and around the world.
LONDON/MILAN (Reuters) -Italy on Sunday ended talks with UniCredit over the sale of Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) in a major setback to years-long efforts by the Rome government to return the ailing Tuscan bank to private hands. Failure to bridge a multi-billion euro valuation gap between the parties leaves Italy unable to complete the restructuring of its banking system which it started six years ago. Rome will now seek an extension of deadlines agreed with European Union authorities to re-privatise MPS and a Treasury official said it did not expect discussions to be difficult.
Safety standards developed by film studios and labor unions are the primary protection for actors and film crews when a scene calls for using prop guns. The industry-wide guidance is clear: “Blanks can kill. Treat all firearms as if they are loaded.” Shootings nevertheless have killed and injured people while cameras rolled, including the cinematographer who died and the director who was wounded this week when no one realized a prop gun fired by actor Alec Baldwin during the filming of “Rust” ca
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died Thursday after Alec Baldwin fired a loaded weapon that was handed to him by an assistant director who mistakenly believed it was safe to use on the New Mexico set of “Rust.” Director Joel Souza was also hit and injured but has since been released from the hospital. While many things still aren't known — police are investigating — the AP looks at the use of firearms on film and television productions and the safety protocols in place. WHAT IS A “PROP FIREARM”?
As COVID-19 case numbers rise and more Saskatchewan children contract the illness, schools are scrambling to keep their students safe. At a recent physicians' town hall, doctors from the Saskatchewan Health Authority confirmed there were 17 children in the province hospitalized with COVID-19 — the highest number at any point in the pandemic so far — with the vast majority too young to be vaccinated. Many were under the age of five. Saskatchewan NDP education critic Carla Beck called the statisti
The legalization of cannabis in Canada just had its third anniversary, which means it's time for the federal government to review and possibly tweak the policy. In some areas, the reviews are positive. Legalization has resulted in the emergence of a multibillion-dollar industry, new jobs and tax revenue. There have also been fewer cannabis-related drug convictions among young people. But despite some positive signs, some health experts are concerned that the rapid growth of the industry combined
LANGFORD, B.C. — The Victoria-area city of Langford is offering a helping hand to those who have a dream of owning their own home by providing a five per cent down payment on their purchase. Langford is facing a housing affordability crisis like almost every other community in Canada, says Mayor Stew Young, but the city is tapping into the fees it charges developers to build there and using the money to help first-time buyers with a down payment. The program was announced Oct. 19, seeking expres
Victoria, BRITISH COLUMBIA (Reuters) -A tug boat spent the night fighting a container fire that broke out on Saturday on a cargo ship carrying mining chemicals off British Columbia, the Canadian Coast Guard said on Sunday, adding that it would continue to monitor the situation. Sixteen crew members were evacuated from the MV Zim Kingston on Saturday, while five remained onboard to fight the fire. "Overnight the tug Seaspan Raven has cooled the hull of the M/V #ZimKingston by spraying the hull with cold water," the coast guard said on Twitter.
A container fire aboard a freight ship off Victoria continued to burn Sunday, after response vessels spent the night cooling the boat's hull itself with water. But responders could not douse the flames directly because of the chemicals in the MV Zim Kingston's burning cargo, the Canadian Coast Guard said on Sunday morning. "Due to the nature of chemicals onboard the container ship, applying water directly to the fire is not an option," the federal agency said in a tweet just after 9 a.m. PT on S
A man has died from injuries he sustained earlier this week after being hit by a vehicle in the southeastern edge of the city, Edmonton police say. Shortly before 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, a man was picking up items that had fallen from his truck onto the roadway when he was struck by a vehicle, police say. The vehicle, driven by a 60-year-old man, was travelling north on 34th Street SW, near 28th Avenue SW, when it struck the man. The 41-year-old victim was treated and sent to hospital with serious
MONTREAL — Quebec is unveiling details of a new course intended to replace a polarizing class on ethics and religious culture that's been taught in the province's schools for more than a decade. Education Minister Jean-Francois Roberge released highlights of the new program, dubbed Culture and Citizenship in Quebec, at a news conference this afternoon. Roberge says the new course will teach Quebec students how to be proud members of Quebec society and will include sections on the province's judi
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — The two women seeking the lieutenant governor's office in Virginia next month are fond of touting their unconventional political backgrounds. One thing is certain: Whichever one wins will be making history. Either candidate would be the first woman as well as the first woman of color to serve in a post that frequently serves as a launching pad to the governor’s mansion. Half of the past 10 lieutenant governors went on to become governor. The two will compete for votes on
Texas-based ecologist Merlin Tuttle has been studying bats longer than video games have been around, and now, he's hoping that by sharing his decades of knowledge with a B.C. game creator, the duo can dispel some misconceptions he says people have about these nocturnal fliers by getting to know them better virtually. Tuttle, who has studied bats for over 60 years, has teamed up with AJ Dhalla, executive director of the non-profit society Thought Generation to create Find the Bats, an upcoming mo
What do you get when you combine the grim smile of Pennywise — the evil sewer-dwelling clown from It — with the madness of Beetlejuice, the mischievous, green-haired ghost in a black-and-white striped suit? One terrifying makeup mash-up — and exactly the kind of spooky look Winnipeg makeup artist Maddy Harms has set out to create every day this month. "My makeup just kind of started off as me doing eyeshadow and stuff in my bedroom," the 21-year-old told host Marcy Markusa in a Friday interview
Ottawa reported 26 more cases of COVID-19 Sunday. Today's Ottawa update Ottawa Public Health (OPH) reported 26 more COVID-19 cases Sunday and no new deaths. Numbers to watch 10: Residents who are unvaccinated or who received their first dose less than two weeks ago are 10 times more likely to contract COVID-19 than those who are fully vaccinated, according to data up to Oct. 15. 20: The average number of hours it takes to receive a COVID-19 test result, down from 22 hours this time last week. 1.
Starting on Monday at 12:01 a.m., the Ontario government will lift capacity limits in a majority of settings where patrons are now required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. These settings include: Restaurants. Bars and other food and drink establishments. Indoor areas of sports and recreational facilities such as gyms and where personal physical fitness trainers provide instruction. Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments. Indoor meeting and event spaces. The government said i
THREE RIVERS, Calif. (AP) — In the wake of California wildfires, upwards of 10,000 trees weakened by fires, drought, disease or age must be removed, work that will keep a nearby highway closed to visitors who seek the world’s two largest sequoia trees. The hazard trees could potentially fall onto people and cars on the section of State Route 180 known as Generals Highway, or they could create barriers for emergency and fire response, the Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks said Friday. The h
Vaccines for kids between the ages of 5 and 11 will likely be available in the first half of November, top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on Sunday, predicting a timetable that could see many kids getting fully vaccinated before the end of the year. "If all goes well, and we get the regulatory approval and the recommendation from the CDC, it's entirely possible if not very likely that vaccines will be available for children from 5 to 11 within the first week or two of November," Fauci said in an interview with ABC's This Week. U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials are reviewing the Pfizer/BioNTech application seeking authorization of its 2-dose vaccine for younger children, with its panel of outside advisers scheduled to weigh in on Oct. 26.
