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Just a few years ago, Paris was known for its thick layer of smog. Diesel exhaust and fine dust made it one of the most polluted capital cities in Europe. But today, the French capital tells a different story. Strict emission rules, speed limits, diesel bans, and fewer parking spaces have cleaned up the air—and prevented thousands of premature deaths. Less Asphalt, More Life: Paris Shifts to People Since her election in 2014, Mayor Anne Hidalgo has pursued a clear goal: to give Paris back to its people—not to cars: The city is replacing parking spots with green spaces, turning grey plazas into parks, and transforming streets into pedestrian-friendly zones. A key symbol of this shift: in 2016, Paris banned cars from the right bank of the Seine and created a riverside promenade that is now seen as a landmark of urban renewal. Paris has cut toxic air pollution by up to 40% by reducing car traffic 🚗💨 Just like London’s ULEZ, it’s proof that smart, bold policies deliver cleaner air and better health. Now it’s time for more cities to step up and put health first. Learn more👇https://t.co/cXF7iobvoS — Possible (@_wearepossible) May 6, 2025 From Car Capital to Bike City The most visible change? Bikes. Paris has removed traffic lanes and turned them into bike paths. The city’s cycling network has grown by 40% since 2015 and now stretches over 1,000 kilometers. Between 2015 and 2026, Paris is investing more than €400 million in bike infrastructure. And it’s paying off: in many neighborhoods, bikes now outnumber cars. Today, less than 5% of trips in Paris are made by car. Parisians Say Yes to Green Streets: 500 Roads to Go Car-Free On March 24, 2025, residents of Paris backed a new plan to pedestrianize 500 additional streets across the city. Though only 4% of registered voters took part in the referendum, nearly two-thirds voted in favor of the so-called “garden roads.” As a result, the city will remove around 10,000 parking spots and replace them with trees, benches, and green public spaces. The goal: around 25 new car-free streets per arrondissement, prioritizing neighborhoods near schools. For Mayor Anne Hidalgo and her team, it’s a clear mandate to keep transforming Paris into a cleaner, greener, and more livable city. The 15-Minute City: Everything Within Reach Paris is also pushing the idea of the “15-minute city”: a place where everything—doctors, schools, markets, and culture—is just a short walk or bike ride away. Known in French as “la Ville du Quart d’Heure,” this concept aims to cut traffic, support local businesses, and create vibrant, walkable neighborhoods. Half the Emissions, One-Third Fewer Deaths The results speak for themselves: since 2014, air quality in Paris has improved dramatically. According to environmental agency Airparif, fine dust pollution has dropped by about 40%, and nitrogen dioxide levels have fallen by 50%. Most impressive: between 2010 and 2019, deaths caused by air pollution fell by one third. Or, as Mayor Anne Hidalgo puts it: “Paris is spearheading a number of initiatives to improve people’s health and well-being, and advancing climate action and clean air zone policies to put humans, rather than vehicles, at the heart of our city.” This work is licensed under the Creative Common License. It can be republished for free, either translated or in the original language. In both cases, please cite / Sophie Wenkel as the original source/author and set a link to this article on TheBetter.news. https://thebetter.news/paris-clean-air/ The rights to the content remain with the original publisher. Read More

A Vietnamese man who survived the capsizing of a tour boat in Ha Long Bay described his escape from the overturned vessel. At least 35 people were killed in the accident and a search is continuing for four who are still missing, according to Vietnamese state media. Authorities said that an earlier report of 38 dead and five missing was incorrect. A tourist boat carrying 53 people capsized in Vietnam Saturday. VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock The Wonder Sea embarked early Saturday afternoon for a three-hour excursion in Ha Long Bay, a popular tourist destination, carrying 46 passengers and three crew. But a storm quickly covered the sky, bringing high winds and pouring rain, survivor Dang Anh Tuan told The Associated Press. Tuan said the passengers asked for the boat to turn back to shore, but the crew reassured them they were almost at their destination and kept the boat moving forward. “It rained for about 15 minutes, and then the boat started to shake vigorously, tables and chairs were jostled around and seconds later the boat overturned,” the 36-year-old fire extinguisher salesman said. “Water gushed in and I lost all orientation.” “I tried to breathe. But more water came in. I took a deep breath, got rid of my life vest and dove down. I saw a streak of light and followed it to swim out, escaping the boat, and then I climbed on the overturned boat to look for help,” he said. A violent storm caused the boat to tilt and overturn. VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock Tuan and several other people survived by clinging to the capsized boat and its propellers, waiting another two hours before the rain stopped and rescuers arrived. The Wonder Sea boat was later seen being towed to a shipyard for investigation, with most of its windows shattered, and damage to its roof and handrails. Police and other officials are seen on the boat working. Rescue workers recovered 11 survivors, but one later died in hospital due to injuries, VNExpress newspaper said. The boat turned upside down because of strong winds, the newspaper said. A 14-year-old boy was rescued after four hours trapped in the overturned hull. The newspaper said that most of the passengers were tourists from Hanoi, including about 20 children. Tuan was a holiday with 11 university friends, only three of whom survived. Tuan has only minor cuts, but one of his friends suffered multiple injuries in his head and the other’s tendons were cut by broken glass as he escaped the boat through a window. At least 35 people were killed in the accident. VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock The other nine members of the group were killed, including one who was traveling with his wife and 3-year-old son. The wife and child were also drowned. A tropical storm is also moving toward the area. A national weather forecast said that Storm Wipha is expected to hit Vietnam’s northern region next week, including Ha Long Bay’s coast. Read More

A top advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has left the Pentagon after six months of service, the Department of Defense (DoD) confirmed to Fox News Digital on Saturday. Justin Fulcher told Fox News Digital he formally resigned on Thursday evening, describing the decision as entirely his own. Fulcher said he had originally planned to serve six months in government and, having reached that point, chose to move on “amicably.” He also emphasized what he described as the “great work” being done by Hegseth “for our troops and country.” “The Department of Defense is grateful to Justin Fulcher for his work on behalf of President [Donald] Trump and Secretary Hegseth. We wish him well in his future endeavors,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. In addition to advising Hegseth on personnel and policy, Fulcher played a role in several defense initiatives during his tenure, he told Fox News Digital. Justin Fulcher was a top advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. @JustinFulcher / X Fulcher said he contributed to reviews of major acquisition programs aimed at strengthening lethality and the US industrial base, and helped streamline software procurement timelines “from years to months,” modernizing key IT systems across the department. He also said he supported Hegseth in high-level meetings across the Indo-Pacific, including the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, and participated in efforts that redirected nearly $50 billion from non-lethal line items into readiness and more impactful defense programs. Fulcher praised the “dedicated men and women of the Department of Defense,” cited progress in “revitalizing the warrior ethos” and “rebuilding the military,” and thanked both Hegseth and Trump for their leadership. “Still, this is just the beginning,” Fulcher added. Fulcher was part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s inner circle. REUTERS Fulcher, who had served as a senior advisor to Hegseth since April, announced his departure Saturday afternoon in a message posted to X.  “As planned, I’ve completed 6 months of service in government to my country,” he wrote, calling the experience “incredibly inspiring.” “None of this could have happened without Secretary Hegseth’s decisive leadership or President Trump’s continued confidence in our team,” he wrote. “I will continue to champion American warfighters in all future endeavors.” Fulcher joined the DoD earlier this year as part of Hegseth’s inner circle, a cohort of loyal advisers appointed after Hegseth took the helm at the Pentagon in Trump’s second term. Fulcher claimed he only planned to serve six months. Jen Golbeck/SOPA Images/Shutterstock His departure comes amid a broader reshuffling of senior personnel inside Hegseth’s office. At least six aides have left since January, though defense officials have downplayed the moves as standard transitions. It’s unclear what Fulcher’s next step will be, though his statement suggests he intends to remain active in national security circles. The Pentagon has not yet named a replacement. Read More

Dear Abby advises a woman on her daughter’s divorce. NanSan – stock.adobe.com DEAR ABBY: When my daughter, “Trish,” and her husband separated, I reached out to each of them for occasional check-ins. Trish left him after confessing to infidelity via email. He messaged me with a copy of what she’d written, which included some damning things about me — that she was “like” me and that I am “not a good person.” She never forgave me for crossing the line with a longtime friend decades ago. My husband owned his part in the situation, and we’ve moved past it. Apparently, she has not.  Although Trish and her husband reconciled briefly, she’s moved out again and plans to divorce him. I’ve offered to go to counseling with her if that would help, but I don’t know if she knows I know what she said about me. My son-in-law apologized when he realized what that revelation must’ve felt like. He shouldn’t have shared her email without permission, but it can’t be undone now.  My daughter is cordial but guarded when we occasionally speak. She lives far away. Should I tell her I know what she said about me, and hope she sees it as an opportunity to get to the bottom of issues between us? Do I continue to reach out in love and compassion, not knowing if she’s still holding this grudge, showing her that I love and forgive her, regardless of our mistakes in the past? — IMPERFECT MOM IN FLORIDA DEAR MOM: Amid the turmoil in her marriage, your daughter attempted to blame her infidelity on the example you set for her during her impressionable years. Her husband may have shared what she had written in an attempt to damage her relationship with you, which would be not only unkind, but also manipulative. I don’t know what other issues you have with your daughter, but I see nothing to be gained at this point by telling her you know what she said. Bide your time. DEAR ABBY: My 15-year-old grandson races BMX bicycles. Last year, he had a traumatic brain injury and had to be medevaced to a pediatric hospital. Once he recovered, he went right back to racing. Last week, he crashed and damaged both of his kidneys. He’s in intensive care as I write this. We don’t know how long he’ll be there or if he will need dialysis afterward.  His parents plan to drive him right back to the BMX track the minute he recovers! I think they are extremely irresponsible. I’ve read that 15-year-olds aren’t able to assess risk properly. What can I do to stop this? — CONCERNED GRANDMA IN THE SOUTH DEAR CONCERNED: There is an adage that suggests if someone falls off a horse, they should get right back on. However, when it comes to life-threatening accidents, common sense tells me the circumstances should not be repeated. That your grandson is now contemplating returning to racing is shocking. That his parents would encourage it seems irresponsible. That said, there is nothing you can do to prevent the boy from risking his life, so start praying. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at http://www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. Read More

A fiendish New Mexico sheriff’s deputy has been placed on leave after video emerged of him fatally hurling an adorable baby bunny against the side of his car while smiling. Grant County Sheriff’s Deputy Alejandro Gomez, 27 was seen in cell phone video recorded by other cops pleading with a fellow deputy to hand over the sweet baby rabbit the group had found in the dirt outside of Hachita, New Mexico last August, the Albuquerque Journal reported. In the video, posted to Facebook Monday, a group of officers are pulled over to the side of a dusty road where they find a baby bunny about the size of a grapefruit. Deputy Alejandro Gomez of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office promised the helpless animal would be safe. Renee Pena Truitt / Facebook An unidentified deputy carefully caresses the rabbit and resists handing it over to the increasingly agitated Gomez. “Promise you’re not going to kill it,” the deputy said, shielding the bunny in his hands, “Swear to God.” “I swear to God,” the 27-year-old replied. “Give it to me right now.” After resisting, the animal-loving deputy finally relented when Gomez threatened him with a stun gun. Video showed the light of the gun, indicating a target, illuminating the side of the law enforcement officer. Gomez then takes the rabbit in his right hand, looks directly at the camera, and hurls the helpless creature into the side of the car. Gomez grinned as he readied himself to throw the animal. Renee Pena Truitt / Facebook The videographer of the animal snuff film, an unidentified corporal in the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, laughed hysterically at the brutality.  The 27-year-old is charged with four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon upon a peace officer and one count of extreme cruelty to animals, which is a fourth-degree felony, the Albuquerque Journal reported. Both the sergeant and the corporal who witnessed the rabbit killing and Gomez threatening his fellow deputy are still employed, with neither being placed on leave despite their failure to intervene, the State Police said, according to the report. Read More