Snow!

Jan. 19th, 2026 09:58 am
oracne: turtle (Default)
[personal profile] oracne
No dayjob today because we're off for MLK Day.

It snowed all day yesterday, starting before dawn, but nothing stuck to the sidewalk until after dark, by which time it was still snowing and I was just not up for shoveling. Which meant, of course, that first thing this morning, after the overnight freeze, there was a layer of ice on the sidewalk. With a great deal of effort and about an hour in two segments (pre- and post-breakfast), I managed to break up and remove enough to make it reasonably safe. I hope. My hands were a little shaky at the end, which indicates I exerted myself more than I should have. Our house is not that wide, thankfully.

The temperature is supposed to go above freezing this afternoon, so hopefully that softens the remainder enough that I can scrape it up. Putting salt on top of ice doesn't help, it just melts the top so it can refreeze in a new and more slick state. Nope!

I have a free ticket for the Orchestra's MLK Day concert this afternoon; I was originally planning to attend with my friend who is now out of town because of a death in the family. We shall see if I recover from my exertions enough to attend. I am not worried about wasting a spot, they generally hand out more tickets than there are seats for these events, and tell you a seat is not guaranteed.

It's possible more snow will arrive in the coming week. Whee. If it does, I hope it doesn't affect our choir kickoff on Saturday, January 24th. Also, I hope the scores get sent out soon, as I need to make a trip to the library to print mine.

I'm back to the office tomorrow and Wednesday.
[syndicated profile] guardianworldnews_feed

Posted by Lauren Almeida

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

European luxury stocks are also suffering this morning. The French conglomerate LVMH has dropped 4.45%, wiping billions off its market value. The group owns fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Loewe.

Hermès International is also falling, down 2.9% this morning.

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[syndicated profile] guardianworldnews_feed

Posted by Yohannes Lowe (now); Vivian Ho and Vicky Graham (earlier)

Reuters obtains letter from union last year raising worries over potholes and power lines amid investigations into cause of devastating crash

King Felipe of Spain has expressed his “concern about the terrible accident” in which at least 39 people have been killed.

Speaking from Greece, the monarch was quoted as having told the media:

We have been in contact with Sánchez and Juanma Moreno to learn the details. As soon as we finish, we will return as soon as possible. I understand the anguish of the families of the victims and the injured.

We know that many residents of Adamuz assisted the victims immediately, and we express our gratitude to them for that.

Continue reading...
[syndicated profile] guardianworldnews_feed

Posted by Amy Hawkins, Frances Rankin and Maheen Sadiq

A decision on China’s controversial mega-embassy in London is imminent, with Chinese officials and British diplomats in Beijing anxiously awaiting the outcome of a planning application that could soon be approved. MPs from across the political spectrum have condemned the proposal, but UK security services say they can contain the espionage risks posed by the expanded site, which sits close to sensitive data cables linking to the City of London

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Posted by Emma Graham-Harrison

Tribunal ruling follows Airwars investigation into Britain’s conduct in bombing campaign against IS in Syria and Iraq

The British government’s secrecy around how it tracks civilian deaths in UK military campaigns risks undermining public confidence in the process, a tribunal has found.

The UK has no published guidelines for how it reviews and assesses allegations that civilians have been killed or injured in an attack, unlike its closest ally, the US.

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[syndicated profile] ianvisits_feed

Posted by ianVisits

There’s going to be a month of weekend train cancellations through north London due to engineering work on the East Coast Mainline affecting Thameslink and Great Northern services between London, Peterborough and Royston.

The works being carried out include platform upgrades at Alexandra Palace station, track renewals along the line, several switch replacements and upgrades to overhead equipment.

They are also carrying out work on the £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), which will replace traditional lineside signals with real‑time, continuous information delivered directly to the driver’s cab.

However, it also means a lot of weekend closures through February.

31st January and 1st February & 7th and 8th February

No train services between London and Peterborough/Royston, and no trains to Stevenage via Hertford North.

Passengers travelling between the north and London are being strongly advised to use LNER services and rail replacement services to and from Peterborough and London, and avoid travelling via Sheffield, Derby or Chesterfield due to extremely high passenger numbers on the Midland Main Line.

Hull Trains will run a reduced timetable between Hull and London St Pancras.

Lumo will have no trains between London and Newcastle

There will be no Grand Central services.

Great Northern and Thameslink services will not run between London King’s Cross/London St Pancras/Moorgate and Royston/Peterborough. A shuttle train service will run between Royston and Cambridge/Ely/King’s Lynn, alongside bus replacement services elsewhere.

Sunday 15th February

No train services between Peterborough and London, or between Potters Bar and St Neots/Letchworth Garden City. Also, no trains between Moorgate and Finsbury Park or between Stevenage and Hertford North.

Rail replacement services will operate between Peterborough and Bedford. Thameslink and Great Northern will have various rail replacement bus services in place.

21st and 22nd February

No train services between London and Peterborough/Royston, and no trains to Stevenage via Hertford North, with rail replacement bus services in place between Peterborough and Bedford. Thameslink and Great Northern will have various rail replacement bus services in place.

Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s head of access integration, ECDP, said: “A significant amount of vital work is taking place over these four weekends, including further steps to introduce digital signalling to the East Coast Main Line. This investment will mean a more reliable, greener and even safer railway for the millions of people who travel on this route each year.

“As well as the progress we’re making on digital signalling, we’re also taking the opportunity to complete a wide range of essential maintenance and renewal work. We appreciate that these upgrades will affect journeys, and we’re grateful to passengers for their patience while our teams carry out this essential work.”

[syndicated profile] guardianworldnews_feed

Posted by Yohannes Lowe (now); Vivian Ho and Vicky Graham (earlier)

Reuters obtains letter from union last year raising worries over potholes and power lines as rescue work continues following deaths of 39 people

King Felipe of Spain has expressed his “concern about the terrible accident” in which at least 39 people have been killed.

Speaking from Greece, the monarch was quoted as having told the media:

We have been in contact with Sánchez and Juanma Moreno to learn the details. As soon as we finish, we will return as soon as possible. I understand the anguish of the families of the victims and the injured.

We know that many residents of Adamuz assisted the victims immediately, and we express our gratitude to them for that.

Continue reading...
[syndicated profile] guardianworldnews_feed

Posted by Julian Borger Senior international correspondent

Putin shows no signs of ending Ukraine war and claim adds weight to accusation Trump favours Russian president

The Kremlin has announced that Vladimir Putin has been invited to join Donald Trump’s “board of peace”, set up last week with the intention that it would oversee a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told journalists on Monday that Russia was seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the offer with Washington, before giving its response.

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[syndicated profile] guardianworldnews_feed

Posted by Alexander Abnos in New York

The champion will be decided on 19 July in New Jersey. Here’s a rundown of the issues that will shape the tournament as it comes to North America

We’re only six months from the biggest single sporting occasion in the world. On 19 July in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the men’s World Cup final will kick off and a champion will be crowned (although it will be hard to top the last one).

The final will be more than a coronation (or confirmation, if Argentina repeat as champions). It will also be a culmination of six weeks of near non-stop soccer played across three countries, four time zones, and 16 cities. It’s likely that conclusions will already be drawn at that point on how the whole tournament fared. But for now, at this semi-convenient milestone, it’s worth taking stock of where we are six months out.

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[syndicated profile] guardianworldnews_feed

Posted by Rajeev Syal Home affairs editor

Howard League charity fails in battle to halt government’s decision to make Pava available to prison staff

An attempt to halt the use of pepper spray on children held in young offender institutions (YOIs) has failed after the high court ruled on Monday that the weapon’s rollout was lawful.

The Howard League for Penal Reform challenged the Labour government’s decision to authorise the use of Pava, a synthetic form of pepper spray, in three prisons in England holding boys as young as 15.

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