Iran fires air defence batteries in provinces as sound of explosions heard near Isfahan
Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
A red and white banning sign on top of a black burning cigarette -- the universal non-smoking symbol -- will be the new addition welcoming ski enthusiasts from around the world in the small village of Les Gets in the French Alps this month.
On December 17, as the ski grounds of Les Gets opened its doors for the snowy season, it also became the first ski resort in Europe to ban smoking in its entire communal area, or to quote its new campaign slogan: "Les Gets, territory without cigarette butts."
"It has been years since we started handing out free pocket ashtrays and it didn't change a thing [about] how many cigarette butts we would find at the end of the skiing season," said Benjamin Mugnier, marketing director at the Les Gets ski resort.
"We had a cleaning day last spring with 100 volunteers and after we went through the mountain, we found 3,000 cigarette butts."
Mugnier added that he is sure there are more they haven't found yet.
That was when he decided to suggest a smoking ban.
Municipal police will conduct patrols alongside the pistes, and those caught lighting up could be fined.
Nonsmoking ski resorts are already operating in other parts of the world, like Japan, New Zealand and Canada. But Les Gets is entering new territory.
About 32% of French adults between the age of 18 and 75 identify as smokers, according to the latest data published by the French Health Ministry, compared to only 12.5% in the US.
Mugnier said the decision to go cigarette-free was hard but necessary.
And the rule doesn't just apply to skiers and snowboarders. Les Gets, located in eastern France near the Swiss border, has an active year-round season, with hiking, rock climbing and camping all on offer.
It also hosted the 2022 Mountain Bike World Championship.
While snow could hide the piles of cigarette butts for part of the year, it caused unattractive surprises when the snowmelt began in the spring.
Les Gets is not, however, implementing a total smoke ban. The resort has set up five designated smoking zones at the top of their lifts for those who crave the taste of tobacco during their ski breaks.
All the cigarette butts collected at these areas will be recycled for energy usage, the resort said in a press release.
But by being the first to try this smokeless approach, Les Gets hopes it can start a new trend in hospitality while also caring for the Earth.
Although there were concerns that some visitors might cancel their reservations or not return next year because of the smoking ban, Mugnier said it hasn't been an issue.
When the resort informed their first round of incoming guests about this new ban, the overwhelming majority expressed support -- even the smokers were in favour of the ban.
"There are some who said, 'we won't come and ski with you,' but they were not the ones who made a reservation with us," Mugnier said.
Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.