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U.S. military and diplomatic leaders urge a divided Congress to send aid to both Israel and Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:00 GMT

By MARY CLARE JALONICK (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s top military and diplomatic leaders urged an increasingly divided Congress on Tuesday to send major immediate aid to Israel and Ukraine, arguing at a Senate hearing that broad support for the assistance would signal U.S. strength to adversaries worldwide. The testimony from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken came as the administration’s massive $105 billion emergency aid request for conflicts in the two countries encountered roadblocks.While there is bipartisan support in the Democratic-led Senate for aid to both Ukraine and Israel, the request faces deep problems in the Republican-led House. New Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed focusing on Israel alone, and slashing money for the Internal Revenue Service to pay for it. As the congressional divisions deepen, Blinken and Austin warned that the consequences of failing to help Ukraine in its war with Russia and I...

Miller lays out federal government’s priorities for improving immigration system

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:00 GMT

OTTAWA — Immigration Minister Marc Miller is laying out the federal government’s priorities for improving Canada’s immigration system today with a newly released report.The federal government’s report outlines key actions intended to strengthen the immigration system, based on consultations with stakeholders.It says Ottawa plans to take housing, health care, infrastructure and other services into account when planning immigration levels.The report proposes creating a chief international talent officer position to better align immigration programs and pathways with the labour market.It says the federal government is also looking at creating a “recognized institutions framework” to fast-track study permits for educational institutions with high standards. Canada’s immigration system has been under scrutiny as high levels of newcomers drive population growth and put pressure on the housing market. This report by The Canadian Press was first published...

Alcohol ‘a factor’ in fatal wrong-way Highway 418 crash: OPP

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:00 GMT

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) believe alcohol was a factor in a wrong-way head-on crash on Highway 418 near Courtice on Sunday night that killed two people.OPP Sgt. Kerry Schdmit said witnesses called 911 on Sunday night, saying someone was driving a blue SUV the wrong way down Highway 418.Schmidt said the vehicle entered the highway’s northbound lanes while travelling southbound near Taunton Road.The SUV crashed head-on into another vehicle near Nash Road at around 7 p.m.The drivers of both vehicles were killed.The wrong-way driver was a 41-year-old woman from Courtice, while the victim in the other vehicle was a 36-year-old woman from Oshawa.Both died at the scene.Fatal head-on crash claims two lives on #Hwy418/Nash Rd. Oct 29, 7pm. Any witnesses are asked to call #TorontoOPP at 416-235-4981 ^ks pic.twitter.com/zSp8YGGtRV— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) October 31, 2023Schmidt says a third vehicle travelling northbound crashed into the two vehicles after they...

Hate crime charges filed in death of Sikh man after New York City fender bender

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A man who beat a 66-year-old Sikh man to death while calling him “turban man” after a fender bender in New York City has been charged with manslaughter as a hate crime, prosecutors announced Tuesday.Gilbert Augustin, 30, also faces charges including assault as a hate crime and unlicensed driving in the Oct. 19 death of Jasmer Singh, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced.Prosecutors said Augustin called Singh “turban man” during an argument that followed their crash on the Van Wyck Expressway in Queens. The family of Singh, who wore a turban as part of his Sikh religious practice, had pushed for hate crime charges to be filed against Augustin.The altercation began after Singh’s Toyota collided with Augustin’s Ford Mustang. Both men pulled over and Augustin got out of his car and confronted Singh, prosecutors said.A witness said Augustin said “No police, no police” and repeatedly referred to Singh as “turban man” as they argued, prosecutors said.A...

5 hostages of Hamas are free, offering some hope to families of more than 200 still captive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:00 GMT

Five hostages of Hamas are free, offering some hope to the families of more than 200 others snatched in southern Israel during the militants’ deadly rampage on Oct. 7. But the families of those still in captivity have questions, such as why progress has been so slow, why some and not others are being released and whether Israel’s punishing bombardment of the Gaza Strip puts their loved ones in danger. Israel on Monday announced its first hostage rescue — that of army Pvt. Ori Megidish. Hamas had earlier released Americans Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, Natalie, 18. Also let go were Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, along with Nurit Cooper, 79. Their husbands remain in captivity. Hamas has said it would let the others go in return for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, which has dismissed the offer. Here are stories of some of the more than 200 still held in captivity.BIBAS FAMILYLARNACA, Cyprus — Ofri Bibas couldn’t bring herself to tell her brother, Yarden, she lov...

Deputies killed a Maine man outside a police station. Police say he was armed with a rifle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:00 GMT

RUMFORD, Maine (AP) — Law enforcement officers in Maine killed a man late Monday after he allegedly confronted officers outside a police station with a rifle.Sean Dyment, 23, of Canton, Maine was shot by deputies from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office as they talked with a resident outside the Rumford police station about a vehicle that the person said had been following them, according to a statement posted on the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office Facebook pages. As they talked with the person making the complaint, a vehicle matching the person’s description drove up to the station. Dyment then confronted officers with a rifle and was shot, the statement said. Dyment was transported to Rumford Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Sheriff’s Office did not say whether Dyment was the driver of the vehicle.The two deputies involved in the shooting, Joshua Aylward and Deputy Matthew Steinort, were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Attorney General’...

Deloitte pays $1.59 million to CPA Ontario for breaching code of conduct

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:00 GMT

TORONTO — CPA Ontario says Toronto-based Deloitte LLP has paid $1.59 million in fines and costs for breaching the regulatory body’s code of professional conduct. In a press release Tuesday, CPA Ontario says a number of Deloitte auditors backdated audit working paper signoffs between November 2016 and May 2018.They did so by changing the date and time settings on their computer clocks to manually override controls in Deloitte’s audit software.The organization says that during the year-and-a-half-long period, more than 930 audit working papers were backdated in at least 39 audit engagements. CPA Ontario says Deloitte admitted to failing to have the necessary policies and procedures in place to ensure standards of practice were being followed. It says it has taken into account remediation efforts by Deloitte, including improvements to quality control, internal discipline and mandatory training. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2023.The Canadian Press

Music Review: Chinese boy band WayV prove their mettle with second album ‘On My Youth’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:00 GMT

SM Entertainment’s Chinese boy band WayV have come out with guns blazing on their sophomore album, “On My Youth.” It’s no small feat for the six-piece group to stand out, particularly because they are the the fourth sub-unit (a smaller group made up from members of a larger one) from the K-pop mega boyband NCT.But WayV manage to forge their own style and path in the dizzying world of K-pop divisions and subdivisions. They are in spirit, musically and aesthetically, the new generation’s EXO-M — SM Entertainment’s previous Chinese subgroup of their super act EXO — loaded with similar charisma.WayV, whose name is an acronym for We Are Your Vision, expertly mix hip-hop, pop and electronica on their new 10-track album in a style uniquely their own. From the neo-soulful “No One But You” and the bright pop “Be Alright,” this album is a journey that always seems to revert back to a sense of hopefulness, uplifting the listener even when detouring with a weird trap stanza. (...

Employee dies after being hit by fuel truck at Austin airport

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A person working at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport died after being hit and injured by a fuel truck Tuesday morning, according to airport officials. An AUS spokesperson said it's not clear which company the person was employed by, and it's not clear who owns the fuel truck. Mayor in talks to possibly rename AUS after former president Austin Fire Department units and the Austin-Travis County EMS responded to the incident. AFD said the person was hit by the truck near a service road that goes by the tarmac, and AUS added it was between gates 33 and 34. CPR was performed on the employee. ATCEMS said the person was pronounced dead on the scene at 10:02 a.m.An AUS spokesperson said no airport operations are being impacted, and flights are coming and going as normal. AUS issued the below statement following the incident: This morning, the City of Austin Department of Aviation requested emergency service personnel to respond to an incident involving an injure...

Gov. Abbott says 'agreement' reached with House leaders on school choice plan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday he reached an "agreement" with Texas House leaders that could advance his stalled school choice plan, as time runs short to approve it before the third special legislative session ends in exactly one week. Abbott said he would now include additional public school funding as well as teacher pay raises in the special session agenda after working with House Speaker Dade Phelan. He said their deal would also raise the proposed amount of money that families could receive through an education savings account program he'd like to establish in state. He said participating students could receive approximately $10,400 per year, which is higher than the numbers previously proposed by both the House and Senate. Time running short to approve Texas school voucher plan Abbott issued the below statement on his decision to expand the session: “Working with Speaker Phelan and his House leadership team, the Speaker and I reached an agreement on sc...