Protests erupt in Havana as Cuba struggles to restore electricity

-
By Dave Sherwood and Ayose Naranjo Reuters Scattered protests broke out across Havana on Tuesday evening, with residents banging pots, honking horns and shouting “turn on the lights” as millions ‌of Cubans remained without power amid a six-month-long U.S. fuel blockade. Cuba experienced a nationwide outage on ‌Monday — its third this year — but while authorities said most of the country had been reconnected to the island’s grid by late ​Tuesday, many remained in the dark and without electricity as the island doesn’t have enough fuel. The country’s grid operator UNE said it had reconnected the grid from Pinar del Rio, in far western Cuba, to Holguin in the east. Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city, remained disconnected and without power, authorities said. The U.S. in January ‌cut off Cuba’s fuel supply, then ⁠imposed fresh sanctions that have prompted an exodus of foreign businesses and a near-complete collapse o...
Post a Comment

Free CTA, Metra rides on New Year’s Eve

-
A fire was started on a CTA train early Saturday in the Loop.

CTA and Metra will be offering free bus and train rides Dec. 31, 2023.

Sun-Times file

Anyone celebrating the start of 2024 in Chicago won’t have to worry about bus or train fares.

CTA will offer free bus and train rides from 10 p.m. New Year’s Eve until 4 a.m. the next morning, the agency announced.

Metra will offer free rides on trains arriving or departing downtown stations after 6 p.m. New Year’s Eve, according to the train service.

“We are always happy to provide free rides for our customers as they celebrate New Year’s Eve with relatives and friends,” CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. said in a news release.

During the free-ride period, customers don’t need to tap their Ventra cards at rail station turnstiles or while boarding buses, the agency said. No refunds will be given to customers who pay during the free-ride period.

Miller Lite pays the cost of all rides taken and helps offset the operating costs to run CTA service during the six-hour period.

On some Metra lines, the train service will hold the last departing train to accommodate those participating in downtown New Year’s celebrations. The last trains are scheduled to leave between 1:15 a.m. and 1:25 a.m., depending on the line, Metra said in a news release.

Alcohol will be prohibited on all Metra trains after 7 p.m.



from Chicago Sun-Times - All https://ift.tt/IFzsZv8

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Myanmar earthquake death toll rises as fresh tremors further complicate rescue efforts

-
Image
A5.1-magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, on Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor was part of a series of aftershocks following Friday’s devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which resulted in the collapse of numerous buildings and significant infrastructure damage. The death toll has risen to over 1,600, with more than 3,400 individuals reported missing; these numbers are expected to increase as rescue operations continue. Foreign rescue teams and supplies arrived in Myanmar on Sunday to help the impoverished country cope with an earthquake that killed over 1,600 and left many near the epicentre scrambling for help without proper equipment. The 7.7-magnitude quake, one of Myanmar’s strongest in a century, jolted the Southeast Asian nation on Friday, leaving 1,644 people dead, 3,408 injured and 139 missing, the military government said. India, China and Thailand are among Myanmar’s neighbours that have sent relief ...
Read more

Israel says situation on Lebanon border ‘not sustainable’

-
By James Mackenzie Reuters  Israeli officials and media reacted with satisfaction on Monday after a  long-expected missile attack  by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement appeared to have been largely thwarted by pre-emptive Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and Israel seemed content to let Sunday’s attack, in retaliation for the  killing of a senior Hezbollah commander  in Beirut last month, count as settled for the moment. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said Hezbollah had suffered a “crushing blow” from the Israeli strikes but that a longer lasting solution was still needed. “The current situation is not sustainable,” he told a briefing, referring to the tens of thousands evacuated from their homes in northern Israel, a situation mirrored on the other side of the border in southern Lebanon. “Israel will do its duty and return its population to our sovereign territory.” Hopes that children might return for the start of the ...
Read more