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Palestinian families rejoice over release of minors and women in wartime prisoner swap

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

BEITUNIA, West Bank (AP) — Over three dozen Palestinian prisoners returned home to a hero’s welcome in the occupied West Bank on Friday following their release from Israeli prisons as part of a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.The procession of freed prisoners, some accused of minor offenses and others convicted in attacks, at a checkpoint outside of Jerusalem stoked massive crowds of Palestinians into a chanting, clapping, hand-waving, screaming frenzy. Fifteen dazed young men, all in stained grey prison sweatsuits and looking tight with exhaustion, glided through the streets on the shoulders of their teary-eyed fathers as fireworks turned the night sky to blazing color and patriotic Palestinian pop music blared. Some of those released were draped in Palestinian flags, others in the green flags of Hamas. They flashed victory signs as they crowd-surfed.“I have no words, I have no words,” said newly released 17-year-old Jamal Brahma, searching for something to say to th...

‘We’re moving forward’: Ford insists 5-year-old promise to end Beer Store monopoly is coming

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

It’s looking more and more likely it will be last call for The Beer Store in Ontario. Premier Doug Ford said Friday he plans to finally make good on a five-year-old promise to bring beer and wine sales to the corner store.“We’re the only jurisdiction in the entire world that you can’t go into the retail store and buy a case of beer or a bottle of wine when you’re buying a steak for dinner or whatever you’re buying,” the premier said during a separate announcement in Mississauga on Friday. “It just doesn’t make sense so we’re moving forward with it.”Since the end of prohibition, beer in Ontario has primarily been sold at The Beer Store which began as a collection of Canadian brewers. These days, two multinational companies – Molson Coors and Anheuser-Busch InBev – own a majority of the operation which has 424 locations across the province, giving it a huge competitive advantage. Related: Is this ...

Clarity an essential feature of a foreign influence registry: consultation summary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

OTTAWA — Respondents to a public consultation favoured establishing a foreign influence transparency registry, but stressed a need for clarity on how it would work, the federal government said Friday.A newly released summary of the consultation says participants wanted a registry to appropriately define who has to sign on and to spell out what falls within the scope of covered activities. Following a flurry of media stories about alleged foreign interference, Public Safety Canada announced a consultation in March on how Canada could implement a foreign influence transparency registry. States might engage in interference to advance foreign political goals, and can employ people to act on their behalf without disclosing ties to the foreign state. Some believe that requiring these individuals to formally register with the government they are trying to influence, with the possibility of fines or even prison time for failing to comply, can make such dealings more transparent. The consult...

Malvern Family Resource Centre provides wide range of Scarborough community programming

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

When it comes to community gathering spaces in the Scarborough neighbourhood of Morningside Heights, the Malvern Family Resource Centre (MFRC) is arguably near the top.The place is a busy destination with seniors playing badminton with younger adults, delicious meals being prepped in the kitchen, intergenerational interactions and a sense of togetherness.Balasingham Arumujam has been coordinating the wood-burning art program at the centre for the past four years. He’s been in Canada since 2007.“I just want to give back something for the community, which I have learned and I started classes about three or four years back and number of students, seniors, especially seniors, and they have learned and they have mastered the art very well. And I am proud of it,” Arumujam told CityNews. “MFRC is a place where love is ‘overjoying,’ overflowing and the staff is very nice, very understanding,” he added.The participants of his program said it does more than just ...

A deer made its way to Toronto’s Union Station

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

Oh, deer. Some Toronto commuters were caught off guard on Thursday afternoon when a deer was caught in the headlights at Union Station.Just before 5 p.m., a deer was found nestled underneath a Milton GO train as several transit riders looked on.Deer at Union Station byu/mrdriedairbags intorontoA brief alert at Union Station read, “Wildlife on tracks.”Metrolinx says employees attempted to rescue the deer from underneath the train without success. The deer eventually left on its own and was not injured. For real doe, train delays were minimal. Clever Redditors were quick to poke fun at the situation, with one poster asking if the deer would ride for free.“They buy fare for a buck.”

Tiffany Haddish arrested on suspicion of DUI in Beverly Hills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Tiffany Haddish was arrested Friday on suspicion of driving under the influence, police said.The actor and comedian was detained after Beverly Hills police received a call about 5:45 a.m. Police said she appeared to be found slumped over the wheel of the vehicle while the car engine was still running.Haddish, an Emmy and Grammy winner, performed at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles on Thursday night. It was the comedy club’s 43rd annual free Thanksgiving feast for the community.A representative for Haddish did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.Last year, Haddish was arrested on suspicion of DUI in suburban Atlanta.Haddish has starred in the films including the comedy “Girls Trip,” “Night School,” “Like a Boss” and “The Kitchen.” She wrote the New York Times best seller “The Last Black Unicorn,” which earned a Grammy nomination. In 2018, Haddish won an Emmy for her appearance on “Saturday Night Live” and a Grammy in 2021 for her spe...

What is minimum wage in Illinois in 2024?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The minimum wage in Illinois is set to increase at the start of the 2024 calendar year.Across state lines, also effective on Jan. 1, Illinois' new minimum wage will be $14 per hour for those over 18 years old.The Illinois Department of Labor says the state's current minimum wage law took effect in 2023 and calls for increases each year through 2025. The current law states that some employees could potentially have a wage less than $14 per hour. Minimum hourly rates are $8.40 for those who work in an industry with tips or $12 for anyone under 18 who also works less than 650 hours per year. Illinois DOR says that those who work for tips must be paid the minimum wage rate, but an employer can apply tip credit of 40%. Anyone who works overtime in Illinois is also entitled to pay at time and one-half for anything worked beyond 40 hours.

Red Lobster lost shocking amount of money after endless shrimp 'success'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

(WTAJ) -- Red Lobster was hoping to drive customers to its restaurants with an endless shrimp deal and it worked a little too well. In June, the company offered its Ultimate Endless Shrimp — typically a limited offer — on their regular menu for $20. The attempt to get more people into the store worked, but it came at a cost. Could school student monitoring services be violating your kid’s privacy? Red Lobster posted an operating loss of more than $11 million in Q3, according to Restaurant Business. It's a loss that owner Thai Union Group said the Ultimate Endless Shrimp was a "key factor" in creating. “We knew the price was cheap, but the idea was to bring more traffic in the restaurants,” said Thai Union CFO Ludovic Regis Henri Garnier, according to a transcript.Garnier said that more people were choosing the endless shrimp than the company thought would. ‘Shrimp scampi’ doesn’t mean what you think it means According to Men's Journal, the shrimp fiasco is set to leave the co...

Clouds and spotty showers return this weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Hopefully you enjoyed the sunshine on Black Friday, because we won't get that much of it again until Sunday afternoon at the earliest.Overnight tonight clouds thicken up giving way to a mostly cloudy to overcast Saturday. Most of the time will be dry, but later in the day our chances for spotty light showers starts to increase. Rain chances are only at 20% during the day, so generally it's just a gray and mostly dry day.Rain chances rise to 30-40% Saturday night through early Sunday morning before drier weather arrives after a morning cold front drops through. While the passage of the cold front will bring a chilly breeze, temperatures should still reach 60º in the afternoon thanks to partly sunny skies during the second half of the day.Weekend forecastThe coldest day looks to be Monday with highs only in the 50s. Cool next few daysMonday night into Tuesday morning features our next chance for a freeze, especially in the Hill Country.Patchy freeze possible on Tuesda...

Men’s basketball: Gophers’ Cam Christie showing early promise, resolve

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

Gophers true freshman guard Cam Christie had the basketball in his hands with the Missouri game on the line on Nov. 16.A top recruit out of Arlington Heights, Ill., missed both of his 3-pointers in the final 25 seconds of Minnesota’s 70-68 loss, but Christie wasn’t too shook up by the first missed opportunities of his college career.“The sky is not falling, just remaining confident,” Christie said of his mindset after he contributed 14 points on four made treys in the 86-67 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday. “I know I’m a good basketball player and knowing that each game is going to make me better, so just learning from each game.”The next opportunity for Christie and the Gophers (4-1) will be against San Francisco (4-2) at Chase Center at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.Like most first-year players, Christie said this biggest adjustments to the college game has been its speed and quality of defenses. That didn’t show in his debut Nov. 10 in a blowout win over Texas-San Antonio; he sco...