Spain's government says face masks will be mandatory in hospitals and healthcare centers starting Wednesday due to a surge in respiratory illnesses. Health Minister Monica Garcia said late Monday that it was a simple and necessary measure. Spain's hospitals have come under immense pressure in recent weeks following a spike in cases of flu, COVID-19 and other bronchial problems. Garcia's ministry decided to impose the measure after failing to reach an agreement with regional health authorities, many of whom argued that mask use should be recommended but not obligatory. Six regions have alre

Earth shattered global annual heat records last year and it's flirting with the warming threshold that nations wanted to stay within to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. That's according to Copernicus, the European climate agency, which reported Tuesday that 2023 was 1.48 degrees Celsius (2.66 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times. That's just a whisker below the 1.5-degree threshold nations agreed to try to stay within at the Paris climate talks in 2015. And Copernicus said this January is on track to be so warm that the world will go past that 1.5-degree threshold f

Gabriel Attal was named Tuesday as France’s youngest-ever prime minister, as President Emmanuel Macron seeks a fresh start for the rest of his term amid growing political pressure from the far right. Macron’s office announced the appointment in a statement. Attal, 34, rose to prominence as the government spokesman and education minister. He is France’s first openly gay prime minister. His predecessor Elisabeth Borne resigned Monday following recent political turmoil over animmigrationlaw that strengthens the government’s ability to deport foreigners. Macron, a 46-year-old centrist whos

Pakistan's Supreme Court has scrapped a lifetime ban on politicians with convictions from contesting elections, paving the way for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to run for the fourth time. The lifetime ban on convicted politicians was imposed in 2018.Under a new court order passed on Monday, convicted politicians would be barred from running only for five years. Sharif's party said he will seek a fourth term after returning in October from a four-year self-exile in London to avoid serving prison sentences on corruption charges. They were overturned on appeal after his return. Sh

The RCMP says one person has died in a helicopter crash near Revelstoke, B.C.They say the helicopter, which was first reported missing Friday, was found in Glacier National Park. Police have now confirmed the person, who was the only one aboard the helicopter, died in the crash. The RCMP says it is now working alongside the Transportation Safety Board and the BC Coroners Service to determine the cause of the crash. Pedram Mohyeddin, a spokesperson for Maritime Forces Pacific, said in an interview Saturday that the helicopter was on its way from Calgary to Sicamous, B.C., on Friday when it wen

The president of the Maldives has suspended three of his deputy ministers for posting derogatory comments against India and its Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Mohamed Muizzu suspended the three until further notice for their posts on X, formerly Twitter, which were in response to Modi's posts promoting the pristine beaches of India's Lakshadweep archipelago for Indian travelers. Last year, Indians made up the largest number of tourists visiting the Maldives, which is famous for its luxury island resorts and white sandy beaches. India is also a strategic ally, with military personne

Police in Edmonton say they have charged three people after a toddler ingested street drugs and died in September. They say a friend of the boy's mother was taking care of him and took him for a walk near their home when she noticed he was in medical distress. Police say the mother and her friend took the 23-month-old boy to a nearby clinic, where a staff member saw he was not responsive and immediately called 911.They say he was then transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police say the medical examiner's office determined the boy accidentally ingested fentanyl and other syn

Deloitte Canada's latest forecast predicts stagnant growth in the first half of this year will give way to a return to growth in theSummer and fall. Chief economist Dawn Desjardins says the Canadian economy could enter into a technical recession -- that is --two quarters or more of negative G-D-P growth. But she doesn't believe the economy will see the deep decline or labour market rout that typically accompanies a true recession. She adds Deloitte has a pretty substantive recovery in its forecast. Deloitte Canada says momentum in the economy and the job market are poised to improve in the se

It will no longer be easy for repeat offenders to get bail in Canada, with changes to the bail system made by the government under pressure from the opposition coming into force on Thursday. Bail system Amendments to the Criminal Code have made it more difficult for repeat offenders involved in serious violent crimes to obtain bail. These amendments focus on reverse onus provisions, which mean that the accused will be held in custody before trial until he proves that his release will not endanger the public and that he will not escape. There is no risk. Courts will also need to consider the cr