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‘Freedom Convoy’ got more volatile as protest went on, court hears

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

OTTAWA — The longer the “Freedom Convoy” protesters blockaded Ottawa streets in protest against COVID-19 public health restrictions last year, the more volatile the relationship between police and protesters became, an Ottawa police officer testified Wednesday. Insp. Russell Lucas was called as a Crown witness in the criminal trial of key protest organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber to testify about his role in co-ordinating the police response to the convoy.Lich and Barber are co-accused of mischief, counselling others to commit mischief, obstructing police and intimidation for their role in the three-week demonstration.Thousands of people and big-rig trucks gridlocked Ottawa for three weeks to protest COVID-19 public health measures and the federal Liberal government, which eventually invoked the Emergencies Act.Lucas told the court that protesters were initially co-operative as police attempted to direct traffic as the vehicles began arriving.But as more days passe...

Statistics Canada says country posted $987M merchandise trade deficit in July

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

OTTAWA — Lower shipments of gold and the B.C. port strike weighed on imports as Canada’s merchandise trade deficit for July narrowed compared with June, Statistics Canada said Wednesday. The agency said the country posted a trade deficit of $987 million for the month compared with a revised deficit of $4.9 billion in June.“The B.C. port strike weighed on trade activity in July, and is expected to continue to have an impact in the coming months as the backlog clears,” BMO economist Shelly Kaushik wrote in a report.The result for July came as total imports fell 5.4 per cent with imports of metal and non-metallic mineral products down 25.3 per cent.Statistics Canada said imports of the subcategory including unwrought gold, silver, and platinum group metals, and their alloys fell 60.5 per cent in large part because of lower gold asset transfers between financial institutions. The agency also said imports of goods that typically come from Pacific Rim countries and rely ...

Russian missile turns Ukrainian market into fiery, blackened ruin strewn with bodies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

KOSTIANTYNIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — The Russian missile that struck Wednesday in eastern Ukraine turned an outdoor market into a fiery, blackened ruin where weeping civilians looked for loved ones among the mangled, burned bodies scattered across the ground.The blast in the town of Kostiantynivka killed 17 people and wounded at least 32 in one of Russia’s deadliest strikes in months, Ukrainian officials said.“There was no military target here. This is a peaceful neighborhood in the city center,” Stefan Slovak, who lives in Kostiantynivka, said in a trembling voice.Behind him were the remnants of the market, where charred bodies could be seen in the street, their clothes still burning, near cars engulfed in flames. Behind a market stall holding fresh parsley, rescuers found a women in civilian clothes with her head covered in blood.Images taken by Associated Press reporters showed emergency workers extinguishing fires and tending to the wounded amid the wreckage that included ...

UAW chief: Union to strike any Detroit automaker that hasn’t reached deal as contracts end next week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — The head of the United Auto Workers warned Wednesday that the union plans to go on strike against any Detroit automaker that hasn’t reached a new agreement by the time contracts expire next week.“That’s the plan,” President Shawn Fain responded when asked if the union would strike any of the companies that haven’t reached a tentative deal by the time their national contracts end.A strike against all three major automakers — General Motors, Stellantis and Ford — could cause damage not only to the industry as a whole but also to the Midwest economy, and could lead eventually to higher vehicle prices.In an interview with The Associated Press, Fain left open the possibility of avoiding a strike. He acknowledged that the union will have to give up some of its demands to reach agreements. Contracts with the three companies will all expire at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14.In the interview, Fain did report some progress in the negotiations, saying the union will meet Thursday wit...

Nia DaCosta makes her mark on Marvel history with ‘The Marvels’: Fall Movie Preview

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Nia DaCosta, director of the upcoming “The Marvels,” has a diagnosis for the recent struggles of superhero movies. It basically comes down to, she says, “Mo’ money, mo’ problems.”Success inevitably breeds bigger budgets. Box-office expectations get inflated. Even superhero spandex can’t sustain endless cycles of wash, rinse and repeat. “Growth has to stop at some point,” says DaCosta. “As you make more and more films, you want those films to be more interesting, more dynamic and to appeal to different audiences. But that requires risk. And there’s a conundrum where you’re so big that you can’t take risks. I think that’s what the audience is feeling. They’re like: ‘I’ve seen it before, and I liked it the first time.’”When “The Marvels” opens in theaters Nov. 10, it will be debuting in uncommonly uncertain times for superhero films. There’s talk of over-saturation. DC and Warner Bros. are in makeover mode. Box office-dominance this year has been ceded to Barbie a...

Zellers pop-ups to land in all remaining Hudson’s Bay locations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

TORONTO — Hudson’s Bay says it is expanding its Zellers brand to even more of its department stores.The Toronto-based retailer says Zellers pop-ups will open within all Hudson’s Bay stores that have not yet featured the discount chain.The expansion will cover 13 Ontario locations, seven in B.C., six in Alberta, four in Quebec and one in Manitoba.They will be open in time for the holiday season and bring the number of Hudson’s Bay stores with a Zellers presence to 78.The locations typically have a footprint ranging from 1,000 to 2,800 square feet and stock an array of affordable household goods.Hudson’s Bay says it is using the pop-ups to determine which markets would be ideal for future Zellers stores.“Pop-ups are a key ingredient in our expansion strategy, allowing us to explore and test in new markets and fine-tune our offering before establishing larger format store locations,” Sophia Hwang-Judiesch, Hudson’s Bay’s president, said i...

Missouri inmate convicted of killing cop says judges shouldn’t get to hand down death sentences

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

A man awaiting sentencing for killing a Missouri police officer is challenging the constitutionality of a state law that allows judges to hand down the death sentence.A jury in June convicted 45-year-old Ian McCarthy of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Clinton Police Officer Gary Lee Michael Jr. during a 2017 traffic stop. After days of deliberation, the jury informed the judge that it couldn’t decide between the state’s only two sentences for first-degree murder: life in prison without parole, or death.Missouri and Indiana are the only states that allow judges to sentence people to die.McCarthy’s attorneys filed a motion last week asking a Jackson County judge to declare the state law unconstitutional and to sentence McCarthy to life in prison. Judge Marco Roldan will consider the motion at the sentencing hearing on Friday.The motion calls Missouri “a clear outlier” and states that the law violates the Eighth Amendment guarantee against cruel and unusu...

US slips to fifth in 'best country' list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

(The Hill) -- U.S. News and World Report on Wednesday released its new annual Best Countries rankings, which this year saw Switzerland winning the top ranking and the United States slipping from fourth to fifth place.Switzerland, which also topped the rankings last year, ranked No. 1 for being "open for business," and also ranked high for its entrepreneurship, its cultural influence and its overall quality of life. It was followed in second place by Canada, which moved up a spot; Sweden, which jumped two spots to third place, and Australia, which jumped three spots to fourth place. The fall of the U.S. in the rankings is the first time the country has slipped since 2018. The U.S. was ranked No. 1 for entrepreneurship, power and "agility," a measurement that considers a country's ability to adapt to change. It ranked third in cultural influence. The U.S. was ranked just 33rd for adventure, which measures a country's ability to let someone "fill their wanderlust." That's just below Pe...

Pet food company recalls dog food over salmonella concerns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

(WGN) - A Texas-based company is recalling a brand of its premium dog food over possible salmonella contamination.Mid America Pet Food, of Mount Pleasant, is voluntarily recalling one lot of Victor Super Premium Dog Food, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  The recalled dog food, which was distributed throughout the U.S., includes 644 cases of 5-pound bags with lot code 1000016385 and a best-by date of April 30, 2024. (FDA)The recall was issued after a random sample of the dog food was tested by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and came back positive for salmonella.No illnesses - human or pet - have been reported so far, the FDA said. More information on latest recalls here Salmonella infections in pets can cause lethargy, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, decreased appetite and abdominal pain. Infected pets can infect other animals and even humans, who could experience symptoms that include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and f...

Target shoppers flee 'suspicious' fire in kid's section of California store

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

(KTLA) – A Target store in California was evacuated and closed after a suspicious fire broke out in the children's section on Tuesday.Authorities received a call reporting the fire at a Target in Buena Park at about 7:15 p.m. The store was open at the time, prompting dozens of employees and shoppers to evacuate the building. “We thought it was a Halloween prop,” said witness Guillermo Santander. “All of a sudden the flame got bigger, so I started recording … It got pretty big real quick." 6-foot long boa constrictor found in Target shopping cart The video, published at Nexstar's KTLA, showed flames bursting toward the ceiling from a children's clothing rack. The sprinkler systems also appear to activate, while a Target employee with a fire extinguisher attempts to snuff out the flames.Fire crews soon arrived to find a hazy, smoky scene, but discovered the fire had already been extinguished, Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Erik Miranda said.No injuries were report...