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German woman voices remorse over enslaved Yazidi girl’s death at new court hearing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:55 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A German woman convicted on charges that she and her husband allowed the death by thirst of a 5-year-old Yazidi girl she and her husband kept as a slave when they were members of the Islamic State group in Iraq expressed remorse as a new sentencing hearing opened on Wednesday.A federal court in March ordered judges in Munich to reconsider the sentence of the 32-year-old, who has been identified only as Jennifer W. in line with German privacy rules. She risks a more severe sentence than the 10 years she was given at her original trial.The defendant was convicted in October 2021 of, among other things, two counts of crimes against humanity through enslavement, in one case resulting in death, being an accessory to attempted murder and membership in a terrorist organization abroad. Prosecutors have accused her of standing by as her then husband chained the young Yazidi girl in a courtyard and left her to die of thirst. At her original trial, the court found that she did no...

Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan says port workers strike illegal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:55 GMT

VANCOUVER — Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan says a strike by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada is illegal after a ruling by the Canada Industrial Relations Board.In a tweet, O’Regan says the board ordered that the union cease and desist any strike activity because it did not provide 72 hours notice.The strike that has shut down British Columbia’s ports resumed Tuesday after the longshore workers union rejected a tentative mediated deal.The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada says “employers have not addressed the cost of living issues” faced by workers in the last few years.The tentative four-year deal that was rejected had been proposed by a federal mediator at the instruction of O’Regan.  O’Regan and Transport Minister Omar Alghabra have said workers and employers across Canada cannot face further disruption and that they are looking at all options.This report by The Canadian Press was first publi...

Grassroots groups say Canada won’t meet UN Sustainable Development Goals, lacks data

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:55 GMT

OTTAWA — A coalition of grassroots groups says Canada won’t meet goals it set for 2030 as part of a United Nations initiative to bridge inequities around the world.The Sustainable Development Goals are a series of benchmarks around issues such as poverty and gender equality that states have agreed to pursue at home while funding programs to help developing countries.Social Development Minister Karina Gould says Ottawa is making good progress on these goals in Canada, telling a review body in New York City this morning about policies including daycare reform. Yet a coalition of civil-society groups that also sent a delegation to the UN body says Canada lacks adequate data and consultation procedures to get a sense of how different groups are faring, particularly Indigenous Peoples and those with disabilities.The organizations, which also advocate for women and older Canadians, note that Canada is not on track to meet multiple targets by the deadline seven years from now.Gould r...

Northwestern hazing scandal includes former quarterback Lloyd Yates

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:55 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Former Northwestern quarterback Lloyd Yates is among more than 15 men and women who have retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the Chicago-based Levin & Perconti law to seek damages against the school due to its hazing scandal.“This is a civil rights issue for me,” Crump said at a news conference Wednesday. “Because I think these players have the right to be respected and valued and not hazed, intimidated and retaliated.”Northwestern has been added to a long list of American universities to face a scandal in athletics and may eventually join the trend of making large payouts following allegations of sexual abuse.A former Wildcats football player filed the first lawsuit against Pat Fitzgerald and members of the school’s leadership Tuesday, seeking damages stemming from a hazing scandal that cost the former football coach his job.More lawsuits, filed by multiple law firms, are expected to follow from former football and baseball players as well as from studen...

Masks are out at In-N-Out after burger chain bans employees from wearing them in five states

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:55 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The In-N-Out burger chain will bar employees in five states from wearing masks unless they have a doctor’s note, according to internal company emails leaked on social media.In the memo announcing new guidelines for Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas and Utah workers, the fast food chain pointed to “the importance of customer service and the ability to show our Associates’ smiles and other facial features while considering the health and well-being of all individuals.”The policy, which goes into effect August 14, applies to all In-N-Out employees in those states, except for those who need to wear masks or other protective gear for job duties that require it, like painting. Employees could face disciplinary action, including being fired, if they do not comply, the the memo says.California and Oregon both have laws in place preventing employers from banning masks.It is not the first time that the chain, based in California, has clashed with health experts over...

Stock market today: Wall Street ticks higher and adds to its big rally following profit reports

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:55 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are ticking higher Wednesday, adding to the strong run that has pulled Wall Street to its highest levels in more than 15 months.The S&P 500 was 0.3% higher in midday trading, coming off its highest closing level since early April 2022. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 129 points, or 0.4%, at 35,081, as of 11:25 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.4% higher.Elevance Health was helping to lead the market after it climbed 5% The insurance provider reported stronger profit and revenue for the spring than analysts expected, while raising its forecast for earnings over the full year. Stocks also broadly got a boost from easing pressure from the bond market. Yields there were holding steady or falling after a report showed U.K. inflation cooled by more than expected. It eased to 7.9% in June, a 15-month low. The U.K. data follows encouraging U.S. reports that have raised hope inflation is moderating enough to convince the Federal Reserve to h...

Five European countries will extend ban on Ukraine’s grain but let it head to other places

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:55 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Five European Union countries will extend their ban on Ukrainian grain imports to protect their farmers’ interests, their agriculture ministers said Wednesday, but food can still move through their land to parts of the world in need after Russia pulled out of a deal safeguarding Black Sea shipments.The ministers of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria signed a joint declaration ahead of EU discussions on the matter planned next week in Brussels. The declaration said they support continuing to allow Ukraine’s grain to move through their borders by road, rail and river to destinations where it is needed but will keep the import ban to their countries through 2023.“This coalition is not against anyone, not against Ukraine or the EU, it is in the interest of our farmers,” Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said after meeting with his counterparts in Warsaw, where they decided to push the ban beyond a Sept. 15 deadline.Except for Bulgaria, all...

Cleveland Browns release defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey following spate of off-field problems

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:55 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey was cut by the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday after police opened an investigation into him being involved in a robbery.The team made the move just days before training camp is scheduled to begin, ending Winfrey’s troubled tenure with the Browns, who selected him in the fourth round last year from Oklahoma.Cleveland police spokesperson Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said its law department is processing a report on Winfrey, who is listed as a “suspect in an aggravated robbery incident.” There were no other details at the time.Winfrey, 22, was previously arrested in April after he allegedly caused “bodily injury” during an argument with a woman he was dating in Texas. The charge was dropped after Winfrey completed a pretrial diversion program.Winfrey’s agent wasn’t immediately able to be reached.Winfrey had a rough rookie season with Cleveland. He played in 13 games and recorded 22 tackles while also dealing with some immaturi...

B.C. port strike ruled ‘illegal’, labour minister says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:55 GMT

Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan says the resumption of a strike at B.C.’s ports is “illegal.”In a tweet Wednesday morning, O’Regan said the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ruled that International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada “cease and desist” from taking part in strike action “because the union did not provide 72 hours notice.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​#listen-box {box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);animation: pulse 2s infinite;​​​​​​​margin:20px;​​​​​​​padding:15px;​​​​​​​}@keyframes pulse { 0% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(0, 157, 79, 0.7); } 70% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 10px rgba(0, 157, 79, 0); } 100% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(0, 157, 79, 0); }}Listen to CityNews 1130 LIVE now!He provided a copy of the ruling from the CIRB, which shows the board “received an application from the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA), seeking a declaration of unlawfu...

S&P/TSX composite up on broad strength in mid-morning trading, U.S. markets also rise

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:55 GMT

TORONTO — Broad-based strength among Canadian equities helped lift Canada’s main stock index mid-morning Wednesday, while U.S. markets also rose. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 86.34 points at 20,462.91.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 133.00 points at 35,084.93.The S&P 500 index was up 13.61 points at 4,568.59, while the Nasdaq composite was up 61.43 points at 14,415.07.The Canadian dollar traded for 75.95 cents UScompared with 75.82 cents US on Tuesday.The September crude oil contract was up 53 cents at US$76.19 per barrel and the August natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.64 per mmBTU.The August gold contract was down US$2.00 at US$1,978.80 an ounce and the September copper contract was down three cents at US$3.80 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)The Canadian Press