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ph365 0rg ‘Wicked’ Fans Can’t Stop Filming Scenes on Their Phones – a Form of Piracy That Hollywood Doesn’t Seem to MindHow Trump’s bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woesThe broadcaster’s former technology correspondent, 66, was formally made an OBE by the Princess Royal for his services to journalism on Wednesday. Cellan-Jones announced in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and he has since contributed to a podcast, Movers And Shakers, discussing life with the disease. Discussing the success of the podcast, which also features Jeremy Paxman, Cellan-Jones told the PA news agency: “It’s been an absolute scream. “We’ve had the most extraordinary reaction from the Parkinson’s community. “There is a community which felt absolutely left out in the cold and this award was for services to journalism, but I can’t help but think that maybe that played some part too.” Cellan-Jones said he talked to Anne about fundraising for Parkinson’s and how technology could possibly be used to monitor the disease. The journalist added: “She showed real interest in it. “Mike Tindall, whose father’s got it, is very active in fundraising – so we talked about that.” Cellan-Jones said the OBE was “very unexpected when it came”, adding that he felt “very privileged”. He said his rescue dog from Romania, named Sophie, was “making slow progress” after becoming a social media sensation with thousands of people following her recovery online. Speaking at Buckingham Palace, Cellan-Jones said several courtiers had asked after Sophie, adding: “She’s still incredibly nervous. She’s waiting at home, she wouldn’t have liked it here – a bit too busy. “She’s making slow progress, but she’s wonderful, and she’s been very important to us.” Earlier on Wednesday, broadcaster Alan Yentob, 77, was formally made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the King for services to the arts and media. The retired television executive, who was born in Stepney, London, joined the BBC as a trainee in 1968. He devised the flagship arts programme Imagine..., which he presented on, and was creative director of the broadcaster from 2004 until 2015. Yentob stepped down from the role in the wake of the collapse of the charity Kids Company, where he was chairman. The broadcaster said Charles had been “incredibly supportive” of him. Discussing Charles, Yentob told the PA news agency: “He’s been incredibly supportive, as I said to him, on many fronts, including the fact that I was the chairman of Kids Company, and he was incredibly supportive of that in the most difficult times. “And I think the way he’s come out about his illness, and the way the Princess of Wales has too, has been admirable.” Yentob said it would be “reckless” to not support the BBC, adding “it’s a place which embraces everyone”. The broadcaster added: “If you look at the figures, it’s still doing well, even though a very substantial part of its income has been removed.” Roxy Music lead guitarist Phil Manzanera, 73, was formally made an OBE by the Princess Royal for his services to music. His most well-known band, featuring singer Bryan Ferry, is famed for hits such as Love Is The Drug and More Than This – topping the singles charts once with a cover of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy. Discussing the honour, Manzanera told the PA news agency: “It’s very moving and humbling to be amongst all these people who do absolutely incredible things. “But, obviously, I am very happy to get it for services to music and music production, because I think music helps us all in our lives in terms of improving the fabric of our lives, and it’s a great support for so many people.” The musician said he discussed his upbringing in South America and central America with Anne, having grown up in Colombia, Venezuela and Cuba. Manzanera said Anne told him that her father, Prince Philip, “once flew a Viscount plane to Caracas airport”. He said his upbringing was central to his musicianship, adding: “It’s in my DNA, the rhythms of South America. “And the musicians that we’ve all come to know through the Buena Vista Social Club were the kind of music that I started playing guitar with. “It wasn’t Bert Weedon’s Play in a Day for me, it was the music of Cuba.” Actress Shobna Gulati, 58, was formally made an MBE for services to the cultural industries, Scottish professional golfer Stephen Gallacher, 50, was made an MBE and former Arup deputy chairwoman Dervilla Mitchell, 66, received a damehood for services to engineering.

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto appears on a timetable to decide on where to sign either before or during baseball's winter meetings in Dallas, which run from Dec. 8-12. Soto met with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, a person familiar with the negotiations said last week, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details were not announced. Soto's agent, Scott Boras, asked teams to submit initial offers by Thanksgiving, a second person familiar with the talks said, also on condition of anonymity because it was not announced. Soto is the top player available among this year's free agents . A four-time All-Star, Soto finished third in AL MVP voting after hitting .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks. He has a .285 career average with 201 homers, 592 RBIs and 769 walks over seven major league seasons. Soto turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer from Washington in 2022, prompting the Nationals to trade him to San Diego, which then dealt him to the Yankees last December. Soto then combined with Aaron Judge to lead New York to the World Series, where the Yankees lost to the Dodgers . In his pitch to teams, Boras highlighted that Soto joined Mickey Mantle as the only players with seven RBIs in a World Series at age 21 or younger when he was with Washington, and at 20 became the youngest player with five postseason homers. Soto's .906 postseason OPS through age 25 topped Mantle (.900) and Derek Jeter (.852). Soto is likely to seek a record contract, topping Shohei Ohtani's $700 million, 10-year agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. That might not mean Soto gets more than $700 million, though. Because Ohtani's deal included $680 million in deferred money payable through 2043, it can be valued by different methods. For instance, Ohtani's contract is valued at $46.1 million per season ($461 million total) under MLB's luxury tax system, which used a 4.43% discount rate. The players' association uses a 5% rate, which puts Ohtani's contract at $43.8 million per year. For MLB's regular payroll calculations, a 10% discount rates values Ohtani's deal at just $28.2 million. Which means if Soto gets even $462 million without deferred payments, there's an argument that his deal is the most valuable in MLB history. By average annual value, pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are tied for second in baseball history at $43.33 million as part of contracts they signed with the New York Mets, deals that expired at the end of the 2024 season. In terms of total value, Ohtani surpassed outfielder Mike Trout’s $426.5 million, 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels through 2030. MLB’s longest contract is outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 14-year deal with the San Diego Padres through 2034. The Mets, Yankees, Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies all are likely to enter 2025 having paid luxury tax for three straight years, putting them at the highest rate: a 50% surcharge on payroll between $241 million and $261 million, 62% from $261 million to $281 million, 95% from $281 million to $301 million and 110% for each dollar above $301 million. Toronto may have dropped below the initial tax threshold this year, pending final figures next month. If the Blue Jays did fall under, their rates next year would reset to 20%, 32%, 62.5% and 80% for the four thresholds. If Soto reaches or announces an agreement at the winter meetings in Dallas' Hilton Anatole, it would be a familiar location for a big Boras deal. Alex Rodriguez's record $252 million, 10-year contract with the Texas Rangers was announced in December 2000 at what then was called the Wyndham Anatole Hotel. A-Rod's deal more than doubled MLB's previous high, a $121 million, eight-year contract between pitcher Mike Hampton and Colorado that was announced just two days earlier. “In two days, we’ve doubled a new highest salary,′′ said Sandy Alderson, then an executive vice president in the commissioner’s office. ”I don’t like the exponentiality of that." Rodriguez was 25 at the time of the agreement with Texas, a free agent before entering his likely prime, like Soto. Third baseman Alex Bregman, first basemen Pete Alonso and Christian Walker, and outfielders Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernández are among the significant bats available to pursue and likely would interest some of the teams who fail to sign Soto. Bregman and Alonso, like Soto, are represented by Boras. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBMessi's son debuts at Argentina youth tournament as grandparents watch

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The broadcaster’s former technology correspondent, 66, was formally made an OBE by the Princess Royal for his services to journalism on Wednesday. Cellan-Jones announced in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and he has since contributed to a podcast, Movers And Shakers, discussing life with the disease. Discussing the success of the podcast, which also features Jeremy Paxman, Cellan-Jones told the PA news agency: “It’s been an absolute scream. “We’ve had the most extraordinary reaction from the Parkinson’s community. “There is a community which felt absolutely left out in the cold and this award was for services to journalism, but I can’t help but think that maybe that played some part too.” Cellan-Jones said he talked to Anne about fundraising for Parkinson’s and how technology could possibly be used to monitor the disease. The journalist added: “She showed real interest in it. “Mike Tindall, whose father’s got it, is very active in fundraising – so we talked about that.” Cellan-Jones said the OBE was “very unexpected when it came”, adding that he felt “very privileged”. He said his rescue dog from Romania, named Sophie, was “making slow progress” after becoming a social media sensation with thousands of people following her recovery online. Speaking at Buckingham Palace, Cellan-Jones said several courtiers had asked after Sophie, adding: “She’s still incredibly nervous. She’s waiting at home, she wouldn’t have liked it here – a bit too busy. “She’s making slow progress, but she’s wonderful, and she’s been very important to us.” Earlier on Wednesday, broadcaster Alan Yentob, 77, was formally made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the King for services to the arts and media. The retired television executive, who was born in Stepney, London, joined the BBC as a trainee in 1968. He devised the flagship arts programme Imagine..., which he presented on, and was creative director of the broadcaster from 2004 until 2015. Yentob stepped down from the role in the wake of the collapse of the charity Kids Company, where he was chairman. The broadcaster said Charles had been “incredibly supportive” of him. Discussing Charles, Yentob told the PA news agency: “He’s been incredibly supportive, as I said to him, on many fronts, including the fact that I was the chairman of Kids Company, and he was incredibly supportive of that in the most difficult times. “And I think the way he’s come out about his illness, and the way the Princess of Wales has too, has been admirable.” Yentob said it would be “reckless” to not support the BBC, adding “it’s a place which embraces everyone”. The broadcaster added: “If you look at the figures, it’s still doing well, even though a very substantial part of its income has been removed.” Roxy Music lead guitarist Phil Manzanera, 73, was formally made an OBE by the Princess Royal for his services to music. His most well-known band, featuring singer Bryan Ferry, is famed for hits such as Love Is The Drug and More Than This – topping the singles charts once with a cover of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy. Discussing the honour, Manzanera told the PA news agency: “It’s very moving and humbling to be amongst all these people who do absolutely incredible things. “But, obviously, I am very happy to get it for services to music and music production, because I think music helps us all in our lives in terms of improving the fabric of our lives, and it’s a great support for so many people.” The musician said he discussed his upbringing in South America and central America with Anne, having grown up in Colombia, Venezuela and Cuba. Manzanera said Anne told him that her father, Prince Philip, “once flew a Viscount plane to Caracas airport”. He said his upbringing was central to his musicianship, adding: “It’s in my DNA, the rhythms of South America. “And the musicians that we’ve all come to know through the Buena Vista Social Club were the kind of music that I started playing guitar with. “It wasn’t Bert Weedon’s Play in a Day for me, it was the music of Cuba.” Actress Shobna Gulati, 58, was formally made an MBE for services to the cultural industries, Scottish professional golfer Stephen Gallacher, 50, was made an MBE and former Arup deputy chairwoman Dervilla Mitchell, 66, received a damehood for services to engineering.Hundreds of millions of customers can't be wrong: Fast food is undeniably delicious while it's also convenient, served up fast, and an usually an inexpensive alternative to sit-down restaurant dining or cooking at home. But the main goal of fast food isn't necessarily to nourish its customers or provide an amazing culinary experience: It's to make as much money as possible. Major, internationally dominant fast food chains drive the $860 billion worldwide quick-serve economy. They'll do whatever they can and whatever it takes to outpace the intense competition or carve out a niche. Attracting customers is tough, and fast food restaurants can't rely on just good food, good service, and good prices to get people through the door or in the drive-through. Creative copywriting, inventive marketing, false advertising, serving phony food, psychological trickery, and underhanded pricing techniques are just of some the tools at their disposal. , such as tricking, cheating, and scamming their customers as a matter of course. Here are some of the most egregious, anti-customer sins ever committed by fast food restaurants. Long John Silver's lobster wasn't the lobster customers thought it was , but not if it's going to obscure the identity of its seafood. In 2005, the seafood-focused chain added what seemed like a luxury item to its menu of fried whitefish, clams, and shrimp: lobster. Synonymous with high-priced formal dining, it was suddenly for sale at Long John Silver's in the form of its Buttered Langostino Lobster Bites, purportedly made from "real langostino lobster." This was all a daring and not fully legal marketing move on the part of Long John Silver's. The Buttered Lobster Bites weren't made with any of the lobster with which consumers are familiar, and there's no such thing as a langostino lobster. is another name for an inches-long shellfish more closely related to the hermit crab than lobster, also known by its unappetizing English name: squat lobster. When Olympia Snowe, a U.S. senator from the lobster-producing state of Maine, found out about the langostino lobster gambit, she asked the Food and Drug Administration to halt sales, calling the product "an insult to Maine and to the lobster industry," per . The Federal Trade Commission stepped in, and Long John Silver's was forced to rebrand Lobster Bites as Buttered Langostino Lobster Bites in order to let customers know that they weren't quite eating lobster. Long John Silver's discontinued the item in 2010. Taco Bell's light taco was heavy on deception in the 2020s, but one item not likely to reappear at the Mexican-inspired fast food chain anytime soon: the Taco Light. An increasingly health conscious population and customer base was a legitimate threat to the bottom line of fast food companies. Various healthy eating trends in the 1970s and 1980s left the peddlers of fat-laden, cheese-covered meals to come up with ideas for how to lure in new, nutritionally-minded diners or keep the customers they had amidst the new trends. In 1983, Taco Bell went the opposite direction, creating a taco longer than its standard crunchy one, adding more calorically dense seasoned ground beef, and utilizing a slightly thinner shell. Taco Bell then marketed the menu item, named Taco Light, to customers seeking lighter fare. emphasized the technology and taste, as Taco Light was made with "a flaky flour tortilla that lets all the delicious flavors inside come bursting through." Very briefly, over a shot of lettuce and tomato, a disclaimer appears in tiny letters on the screen: "Not lower in calories." Its impact on Taco Bell sales was light; the product didn't last very long. A McDonald's miracle low-fat burger was partially made from seaweed In 1991, when the desire to eat "lite," low-calorie, and low-fat was all the rage, McDonald's, the biggest name in greasy fast food, debuted what purported to be an actually healthy hamburger. If it seemed too good to be true, it's because it was, as McDonald's literally filled in some holes with questionable materials in order to make its promise technically true. McDonald's promised that the McLean Deluxe would be just as tasty as its other, full-fat burgers, even the Quarter Pounder that it visually resembled. Along with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and ketchup on a bun, the sandwich featured a beef patty that was 91% fat-free. With 10 grams of fat, the McLean Deluxe contained only about a third of what could be found in a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. So how did McDonald's concoct such a low-fat item? Its suppliers removed a significant portion of fat and then bolstered the weakened protein with water and a seaweed derivative that worked as a binder. The McLean Deluxe didn't exactly taste like seaweed, but it didn't exactly taste like a normal McDonald's burger, either. It faded off the menu by 1996. Subway sold chicken and tuna subs that weren't totally made with chicken and tuna Among an array of freshly sliced meats, Subway shops in the United States offer multiple kinds of chicken — heavily sauced and chopped stuff used for the Sweet Onion Teriyaki, and an Oven Roasted Chicken patty. Subway was somewhat misleading with those names, because according to an investigation, those sandwich fillers were only about half poultry. Reporters from "Marketplace," a Canadian news show from the CBC, submitted samples of both chicken products for multiple rounds of DNA testing, and researchers determined that the Sweet Onion Teriyaki chicken strips were just 42.8% chicken, and Oven Roasted Chicken patty was 53.6% chicken. Not counting trace amounts of seasonings, preservatives, and fillers, the rest of the poultry was really soy, along with more than 10 times as much salt as one would find in chicken purchased at a supermarket. Another Subway luncheon meat alternative also wasn't what the chain said it was. In 2021, two California residents filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court alleging that Subway committed fraud and intentional misrepresentation by selling a surreptitiously tuna-free concoction as tuna. The plaintiffs ordered laboratory testing of tuna filling obtained from several Subway outlets, and the results indicated that the product was made from various proteins and other foods, none of which were tuna. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2023, while Subway added a "Tuna Facts" page to its website, attesting to the authenticity of its seafood. McDonald's left the value out of its Extra Value Meals The modern fast food combo meal — generally consisting of a sandwich, fries, and a soft drink — was introduced by McDonald's in the early 1990s. Instituted partially at the behest of Coca-Cola, which wanted to sell more of its products at McDonald's, a manager named Alan Dimayuga suggested bundling otherwise individually ordered burgers, french fries, and soda, giving each a number that could become shorthand for regular customers. McDonald's made it a national program, and initially kept the price of each "Extra Value Meal" about 15 cents less than what it would cost if the three meal parts were ordered separately. However, that stipulation faded with time. In 2016, Illinois resident James Gertie sued a local multi-unit McDonald's franchisee for false advertising. Customers who purchased the two-cheeseburger Extra Value Meal at Karis Management Company-run McDonald's paid 41 cents more for the combo than if they'd individually purchased the two sandwiches, fries, and soda. Two years later, more McDonald's customers filed an Extra Value Meal lawsuit — a two sausage burritos, hash browns, and coffee meal sold on the breakfast menu was over-priced by 11 cents more than its constituent items at Chicago-area McDonald's. That case was dismissed. Dunkin' used cheap ingredients instead of the nice ones as advertised As terms, "butter" and "margarine" are often used somewhat interchangeably; in the real world, they're quite different. Butter is made from churned cream, a natural product more expensive than margarine, a factory-made imitation butter created from processed vegetable oil. Butter is viewed in a more favorable light, and that's partly why Dunkin', formerly known as Dunkin' Donuts, experienced legal fallout when it presented itself as a restaurant chain that used real butter when it really served margarine. Two lawsuits filed in Massachusetts accused about 20 franchised Dunkin' Donuts of buttering its bagels with margarine, even when it said it used butter and when customers requested real butter be used. The switch-outs all took place between June 2012 and June 2016. Around the time its lawyers were busy with the faux-butter case, Dunkin' Donuts was sued again, this time in a New York City federal court by a local who alleged "false, deceptive, and misleading" practices, per , in how the chain advertised Angus Steak-based breakfast sandwiches but served cheaper, lower quality ground beef on the items instead. And later in 2017, a Chicago Dunkin' customer filed another lawsuit, a class action matter that took issue without how the company's purportedly blueberry doughnuts and some pastries were completely devoid of any true berries. At the time, Dunkin' products were flecked with imitation blueberries, or "flavored crystals" made from blue dye and two kinds of sugar. At Subway, a foot didn't mean 12 inches In 2013, Matt Corby of Perth, Australia bought a foot-long sandwich from Subway. Sensing that it didn't quite measure up to its stated, implied length of a foot, or 12 inches, the customer measured the sandwich and discovered it was an 11-inch-long sub. He griped about it on Facebook, and a photo of the sandwich next to measuring tape confirming its undersized length went viral. Responding to the negative attention, and the notion that it was lying to its many customers and had been for years, Subway explained that its foot-long subs didn't necessarily have to be a foot long. "The length of the bread baked in the restaurant cannot be assured each and every time as the proofing process may vary slightly each time in the restaurant," a representative of the company wrote on the Subway Australia Facebook page, (via ). And furthermore, Subway claimed, "Footlong" was a registered trademark used to describe its general large sandwiches and to not make any promises about its specific size. In the U.S., a team of lawyers put together a class action lawsuit accusing Subway of deception. A judge tossed the case out of court in 2017. Chipotle lied by omission about its nutrition facts Made mostly from heavily spiced pork fat, the traditionally Spanish called chorizo is categorically not a food that is low in calories. And yet when to the list of protein choices customers could order in their burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads in 2016, the Mexican-inspired chain's menu board noted that it contained just 300 calories. This presentation made it seem like any Chipotle entrée with chorizo as its foundation would provide a mere 300 calories — patently false, and the focal point of a lawsuit. Three men filed a case in Los Angeles County Superior Court after eating chorizo burritos at three separate Chipotle outlets in California. All felt way too full after consuming what they were led to believe was just 300 calories — they'd really eaten much more. Deep in Chipotle's nutrition information on its website, the company noted that those 300 calories were just for the chorizo; a nutrition calculator showed that a burrito made with the sausage, rice, black beans, salsa, and cheese in a tortilla came in at 1,055 calories. "Consumers are lulled into a false belief that the items are healthier than they really are, and thereby encouraging repeat patronage by consumers who are concerned about the nutritional values of the food they eat," the lawsuit alleged, (via the ). Burger King's ads for a chicken sandwich were blatantly false In 2010, Burger King added a chicken sandwich to its U.K. menu, the Tendercrisp. Television commercials indicated that the chicken burger (as they're known in England) was a very large product, with a male actor barely able to wrap his hands around the giant sandwich. The advertisement did what it was supposed to — drive traffic to Burger King and increase orders for the Tendercrisp. But when some customers actually got the Tendercrisp into their own hands, they were disappointed by the relatively small stature of the product. Two Burger King patrons reported the commercial to the Advertising Standards Authority, a U.K. fair trade commission and commercial watchdog. Agents investigated by purchasing three Tendercrisp sandwiches and agreed that the real-life product didn't resemble the one depicted on T.V. at all. Ruling that their Tendercrisps's height and width didn't compare favorably than the ones seen on TV, the Advertising Standards Authority ordered Burger King to stop airing the ad. "We concluded that the visuals in the advert were likely to mislead viewers as to the size and composition of the product," the ASA said in a statement, (via ). A roundup on how Chipotle kept rounding up , like the time it essentially instituted a price hike without telling customers. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the United States briefly weathered a coin shortage — to limit the spread of germs via physical contact, countless merchants stopped accepting (and customers limited their use of) hard metal money. Responding to the lack of coinage in its own way, Mexican-inspired chain Chipotle attempted to make change less of an issue. It simply rounded up its prices and totaled tabs to the next dollar; that way, customers wouldn't have to look in their pockets or purses for coins, and Chipotle wouldn't have to touch as many nickels, dimes, quarters, and pennies. Evidence of this plan led to a customer-filed lawsuit against Chipotle. "It has become very clear that this is a top-down directive form the corporation, this is how they should handle this situation," representing attorney Frank Salpietro told , adding that the practice unfairly targeted and overcharged customers who used cash rather than a debit or credit card. This wasn't the first time that Chipotle tried out the scheme. In 2012, Chipotle restaurants in New York and New Jersey were caught rounding up prices to the next 25-cent mark. How McDonald's skimps on the fries , and it may attempt to provide paying customers with as few of them as possible. It's a relatable, near-universal experience: You open your bag from McDonald's and pull out the small packet or larger box of french fries, and they inevitably seem under-filled or just scant in some way. It turns out, our eyes do not deceive us, as McDonald's may train its employees to purposely under-load french fry containers. A post from a 2017 Reddit thread called "What did your job want to hide from customers" from a former McDonald's employee went viral for seemingly confirming the theory. "I worked at McDonald's and they taught me how to punch the fry carton just right while putting the fries into them so that it looked full, but actually wasn't," the . "I only had one customer call me out on it." Other former McDonald's workers weighed in with their experience, corroborating the first account. When asked to comment on the exposé, McDonald's spokesperson Terri Hickey denied that the fast food giant ever did anything wrong. "The notion of a secret trick is absolutely false. There are strict procedures in place to ensure that fry boxes and bags are appropriately filled," Hickey told . RecommendedThe search and rescue organization for Metro Vancouver's North Shore mountains is warning people to do their research after two international visitors became stranded while relying on hiking apps to plan their routes. Allan McMordie with North Shore Rescue managed the Sunday night rescue of a man from Goat Ridge, a backcountry area behind Grouse Mountain. He said the man told rescuers he had not been expecting snow, despite two of the local ski hills opening with fresh powder last month. "All you had to do was look at the top of the mountains from Vancouver and know there's snow up there," he said in an interview. "To be in running shoes and not even expecting any snow was pretty naive." The man from France had set out on a marked route, then decided to make his way through very rough, steep terrain to a separate trail at significantly higher elevation. "This is rugged backcountry," McMordie said. "It's almost impassable." McMordie could not confirm which apps the hikers in both recent rescues were using, but said a lack of any marked route or trail reports is a good indication not to use the application. In any case, he said trip planning should involve multiple sources for information. If the man from France had done any research, McMordie said he would have discovered the backcountry area where he was rescued is closed for the winter. In both recent cases, he said there are signs at each trailhead with maps showing trails and topography, along with reminders about key steps in trip planning, he said. Both men were lucky to have been able to make 911 calls, McMordie added, as service is patchy in the area and their phone batteries had nearly run out. Above all, he said hikers should tell someone else where they're going and when they expect to return, so that person can alert local authorities if necessary. "Absolutely nobody knew where this person was and what he was doing that day," McMordie said of the man from France. "If he had not been able to get that (911) call out, he would still be there." Sunday's rescue on Goat Ridge came three days after a similar call, when another man "seriously underestimated the difficulty" of a route marked in an online hiking app, North Shore Rescue said in a statement posted to social media. The group said there is "barely a trail" in the summer and "nothing whatsoever" in the winter, making for "full mountaineering conditions" at this time of year. The man called for help after hiking for eight hours that left him "tired, soaked (and) hypothermic" as the sun was setting," it said. It's doubtful the man would have survived the night in the Mount Seymour backcountry if he hadn't been able to make the call, the rescue group added. The man had been staying in a short-term accommodation and had taken an Uber to the trailhead. Only his girlfriend in Norway knew where he was, and he was not wearing or carrying adequate gear for the conditions, McMordie said. Vancouver-based Stephen Hui, the author of several B.C. hiking guidebooks, said the rough, mountainous terrain steps away from urban Metro Vancouver and the extent of the snowpack in winter is a surprise for many visiting hikers. Hui said online apps can be helpful and often provide commentary about trail conditions from other hikers, but it's crucial to look at additional sources of information, including complete maps and provincial and national park websites. He said local authorities and outdoor groups have some responsibility for people heading into the backcountry, and there is room for more signage and education. Ultimately, though, he said people must be responsible for themselves. "We can't handhold everybody," he said. "There's always going to be dangers in hiking." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press

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