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Hollywood actors to go on strike beginning Friday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:54 GMT

Union leadership representing film and television actors voted to go on strike beginning Friday after negotiations with Hollywood studios and streaming services failed to produce a deal. "We are the victims here," said Fran Drescher, the former "Nanny" star who is now president of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, at a news conference Thursday. "We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us."Actors will join members of the Writers Guild of America who have been on strike since early May, essentially bringing all Hollywood production to a halt. SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, left, and SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland speak during a press conference announcing a strike by The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists on Thursday, July, 13, 2023, in Los Angeles. This marks ...

Sudan’s neighbors meeting in Cairo for summit agree to Egypt’s initiative to try to end conflict

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:54 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Leaders from Sudan’s seven neighboring countries agreed on Thursday in Cairo to a new Egyptian-led initiative seeking to resolve the deepening conflict in the African country. The meeting — the most high-profile since fighting erupted across Sudan in mid-April — was hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and attended by the leaders of Ethiopia, South Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, the Central African Republic and Libya.Sudan has been rocked by violence since April 15, when tensions between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces burst into open fighting. The conflict has killed more than 3,000 people, according to data from June, though the actual death toll is likely much higher, doctors and activists say.In his opening speech, el-Sissi outlined an initiative to establish a lasting cease-fire, create safe humanitarian corridors for aid delivery, and build a dialogue framework that would include all Sudanese political parties and figures. Though simila...

Court hearing on injunction to end Winnipeg landfill blockade adjourned to Friday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:54 GMT

WINNIPEG — A court hearing on an injunction to end a blockade at a Winnipeg landfill has been adjourned until Friday after the lawyer representing some of the demonstrators argued his clients have a right to protest against systemic and ongoing violence toward Indigenous women.“This is not a protest for nothing,” Sacha Paul said.“This is a protest because of the fact that there is ongoing violence to Indigenous women and Indigenous girls in Canada, particularly in Manitoba.” Dozens of protesters have blocked the main road to the Brady Road landfill demanding a search of a different landfill north of the city, called Prairie Green, where it’s believed the remains of two slain Indigenous women were dumped last year. The City of Winnipeg filed an application Tuesday to the Court of King’s Bench seeking the removal of protesters, citing safety, environmental and financial concerns. “We are here to ask this court to adjourn this application so the cour...

Tornado warnings issued for southwestern Quebec, including Montreal Island

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:54 GMT

MONTREAL — Environment Canada has issued tornado warnings for much of southwestern Quebec, including the Island of Montreal.The weather agency says meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm that is possibly producing a tornado.It says warnings are also in effect for the Montreal area, and regions to the west and north.Environment Canada says residents in affected areas should try to shelter in a room on the lowest floor of a building if they see evidence of a tornado, such as a funnel cloud or flying debris.The alerts come after a tornado touched down earlier today in the Ottawa neighbourhood of Barrhaven.There are reports of damage to several homes in that suburb.This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2023.The Canadian Press

Air quality study finds elevated levels of carcinogen across Hamilton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:54 GMT

A University of Toronto professor says residents of Hamilton, Ont., could be inhaling the chemical equivalent of one or two cigarettes per week — at minimum — due to elevated levels of a cancer-causing compound in the air. Matthew Adams, an air contaminants researcher working on behalf of the City of Hamilton and the non-profit Environment Hamilton, says air quality monitors installed on street poles across the city found concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene, or BaP, higher than provincial criteria. He says the BaP concentrations are highest in Hamilton’s industrial region, but also elevated across the municipality’s urban areas. Adams says the city has known about its BaP problem for some time, but the carcinogen’s ubiquity across the entire city is surprising. Long-term exposure to the chemical, created by burning tobacco, wood or coal, and by operating gas-powered vehicles, can increase cancer risk. Hamilton’s steelmakers have been known BaP emitte...

Ontario horse trainer suspended for suspicious death of racehorse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:54 GMT

A racehorse trainer has been suspended from the sport for three years and fined $11,000 for the suspicious death of a horse.The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) investigation found that trainer Carol Voyer violated multiple rules of standardbred racing.It says the violations included an act of neglect, providing misleading information regarding the whereabouts of the horse, engaging in conduct not in the best interest of racing and failing to report the death of the racehorse.The AGCO says the trainer is suspended until July 2026.The commission acts as the regulating body for all forms of horseracing in Ontario, including the operation of racetracks and racing participants.All AGCO decisions can be appealed to the Horse Racing Appeal Panel, an independent body mandated to hear appeals of decisions.

Nigerian leader plans $10 monthly handout to poor households after gas subsidy ends

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:54 GMT

KANO, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s new President Bola Tinubu has announced his government’s plan to pay $10 a month to poor households to ease the growing hardship caused by the scrapping of subsidies on gasoline.In a letter to the Nigerian Senate, which was read during Thursday’s sitting, Tinubu said 12 million households will benefit from the handout for a period of six months. The government plans to fund it through an $800 million World Bank loan for which Tinubu is seeking legislators’ approval.“It is expected that the program will stimulate economic activities in the informal sector and improve nutrition, health, education, and human capital development of beneficiaries’ households,” he said of the social welfare initiative.Tinubu scrapped the gasoline subsidy on his first day in office at the end of May, ending a decades-long program that made gasoline affordable for many but which authorities said was expensive and economically unsustainable. The subsidies cost...

Firefighter killed while battling cargo ship fire is posthumously promoted during funeral

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:54 GMT

NEWARK, N.J., (AP) — A firefighter who was fatally injured along with a colleague while battling a massive fire aboard a cargo ship docked in New Jersey last week was posthumously promoted to captain during his funeral service on Thursday.Hundreds of mourners, including dozens of uniformed firefighters and law enforcement officers, came to the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark to honor Augusto “Augie” Acabou, 45, a Newark native who had been a city firefighter for nine years. He was recalled as a dedicated public servant who was always trying to make his friends and colleagues laugh.“Our city mourns grievously for one of our heroes — a Newark boy that made his way here with a proud and close-knit family and found a noble and honorable profession,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka told the mourners. “We close our eyes and bow our heads collectively as one city, knowing that this man that we lay to rest here today was one of the very best amongst us,”Acabou and another Newark fi...

Josh Ross, The Reklaws lead the pack with most CCMA Award nominations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:54 GMT

HAMILTON — Country crooner Josh Ross leads the pack with six nominations at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. The CCMA announced the nominations Thursday, saying Ross is in contention for fans’ choice award, male artist of the year, breakthrough artist, single of the year and video of the year. Brother-sister duo The Reklaws, who are hosting the show in Hamilton, nabbed five nominations, including for musical collaboration of the year and group or duo of the year. Also with five nods is Dallas Smith, who’s up for entertainer of the year and video of the year, and Tenille Townes, who’s in the running for female artist of the year and songwriter of the year.Ross, The Reklaws, Smith and Townes will also all be performing at the televised ceremony, along with Sam Hunt and the American rock band Train. Other notable nominees include Shania Twain, who’s up for entertainer of the year and female artist of the year, and Orville Peck, who is vying for bre...

Las Vegas police officer’s brother testifies against him about ‘desperate’ casino heist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:54 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The younger brother of a Las Vegas police officer testified against him Thursday, painting a clear picture for the jury of how the two successfully pulled off a casino heist off the Strip.“Caleb told me that it was gonna be his operation and when it was happening I had to do everything he said because he had the knowledge and the skill,” Josiah Rogers said, referring to his brother’s work in law enforcement. Josiah Rogers admitted on the stand that he was the getaway driver in one of the heists, using an unregistered pickup truck with no plates. He said he knew his brother “desperately” needed money after a longtime struggle with gambling. While jurors scribbled down notes during Josiah Rogers’ testimony, Caleb Rogers avoided eye contact with his brother. Josiah Rogers has been granted immunity from prosecution for sharing details about how they rehearsed and then carried out the November 2021 robbery at Red Rock Casino.Prosecutors for the federal government have ar...