Century-old church, Group of 7 artwork destroyed in downtown Toronto fire
A historic piece of artwork has been lost in a fire that destroyed much of church in Toronto’s Little Portugal area on Sunday.
A storm brought heavy rain and strong winds across northern Europe overnight and into Friday, bringing down trees and prompting warnings of flooding on the North Sea coast. A woman in Belgium was fatally injured by a falling Christmas tree, while another tree killed a person in the Netherlands.
The 20-meter (65-foot) Christmas tree collapsed onto three people at a busy market in Oudenaarde in western Belgium late Thursday, killing a 63-year-old woman and injuring two other people. The Christmas market was immediately cancelled.
A woman who was struck by a falling tree on Thursday in the eastern Dutch town of Wilp later died of her injuries, her employer said.
Pre-Christmas rail travellers in parts of Germany faced cancellations, delays and diversions. Routes affected included those from Hamburg and Hannover to Frankfurt and Munich.
National railway operator Deutsche Bahn said that falling trees damaged overhead electric wires or blocked tracks largely in northern Germany, but also in the central state of Hesse. The situation was improving on Friday afternoon.
In Hamburg, the Elbe River flooded streets around the city's fish market, with water waist-high in places. Authorities said a storm surge in the port city peaked on Friday morning, reaching 3.3 meters (10.8 feet) above mean high tide.
Streets around harbours flooded overnight in some Dutch North Sea towns including Scheveningen, the seaside suburb of The Hague.
The huge Maeslantkering storm barrier that protects Rotterdam from high sea levels automatically closed for the first time because of high water levels — meaning that all six major storm barriers that protect the low-lying Netherlands were closed at the same time. The nation’s water and infrastructure authority said that was also a first. By Friday morning, all six barriers were open again as winds eased.
In the North Sea, the Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud temporarily lost power on Thursday after encountering a rogue wave. Its operator, Hurtigruten Expedition, said in a statement that the 266 guests and 131 crew were uninjured and that the vessel, initially headed for the English port of Tilbury, would be diverted to Bremerhaven, Germany, for disembarkation.
Danish Search and Rescue said the vessel can “maneuver via emergency systems, and it has two civilian support vessels close by.”
On Thursday, high winds grounded flights in parts of the UK, suspended train services and stopped Scottish ferries. British Airways said air traffic restrictions put in place because of the storm continued to affect flights between Britain and the rest of Europe on Friday.
A historic piece of artwork has been lost in a fire that destroyed much of church in Toronto’s Little Portugal area on Sunday.
Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s three-man war Cabinet, announced his resignation on Sunday.
A 27-year-old woman has been charged with mischief after she allegedly entered a Chatham home, looking for a child.
The Oilers got a Texas-sized pep talk Friday, when Dallas mayor Eric L. Johnson fulfilled his end of a losing bet with Edmonton mayor Amarjeet Sohj.
A new phenomenon – "The Great Exhaustion" -- is circulating among some young professionals in Canada, according to a report.
At least 274 Palestinians, including dozens of children, were killed, and hundreds more were wounded, in the Israeli raid that rescued four hostages held by Hamas, Gaza's Health Ministry said Sunday. The Israeli military said its forces came under heavy fire during the complex daytime operation deep in central Gaza.
Suspected militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir's Jammu province fired at a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims on Sunday and at least nine were killed after the vehicle fell into a deep gorge, officials said.
The Liberal government plans to take the first legislative step Monday toward increasing the inclusion rate on capital gains.
The body of missing British TV presenter Michael Mosley was found on a Greek island Sunday morning after a days-long search, his family said.
Showing off the latest purchase in his Eaton's collection, Corey Quintaine joked he is rebuilding the former flagship store that used to sit at 320 Portage Avenue one Facebook Marketplace purchase at a time.
After learning about food security at school, 11-year-old Violette Ferguson wants fresh eggs and to change the rules around chickens in the city.
An Ontario powerlifter caught a mild cold last year. Six days later, he was fighting for his life in the ICU.
Marking a milestone, Lakeshore resident Olga White celebrated her 107th birthday in style Wednesday.
The municipality of Tantramar, N.B., is holding a sale to get rid of surplus items it acquired after the Town of Sackville amalgamated with smaller communities last year.
For several weeks, a mysterious social media user has apparently been leaving $50 bills hidden across Metro Vancouver.
A statue dedicated to the Royal Regina Rifles Regiment has been officially unveiled in France just ahead of the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
A Cape Breton is this year's recipient of the McEuen Scholarship, which gives him basically a full ride to the medical school at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Mounties in Kelowna nabbed a would-be burglar with an apparent sweet tooth over the weekend.