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Belarusian journalist faces up to 6 years in prison for opposition reporting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:48 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A prominent journalist went on trial in Belarus Monday, the latest step in a years-long crackdown on opposition figures, independent journalists and human rights activists.If convicted on the charges of assisting extremist activity, Pavel Mazheika, 45, faces up to six years in prison for his work covering the political opposition.He is accused of working for news outlets including Belsat TV, which broadcasts in Belarusian from its base in neighboring Poland. The Belarusian authorities have labeled Belsat as “extremist.” Journalists and activists in Belarus have faced large-scale repression since the August 2020 vote that handed a sixth term to President Alexander Lukashenko. Following the election, which was rejected as fraudulent by the opposition and the West, Belarus was swept by massive protests, some of which drew more than 100,000 people.Authorities responded with a brutal crackdown. More than 35,000 people were arrested, thousands were beaten by police...

Lightning sparks about 200 new wildfires across B.C. as heat grips Interior

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:48 GMT

VANCOUVER — Hundreds of lightning strikes in many parts of British Columbia almost tripled the number of active wildfires in the province over the weekend, with most burning in central and northern B.C.The BC Wildfire Service is reporting more than 300 fires, with 87 spotted in the last 24 hours and almost 200 of the total number ranked as out of control.The wildfire service is bracing for challenging conditions, with lightning storms still in the forecast for most of the week, as well as heat warnings or above-average temperatures through the central Interior.Of the 13 blazes listed as “fires of note,” all but two are located in the Prince George and Northwest fire centres, and the wildfire service says 11 have prompted at least one evacuation order, although no major communities are threatened.Some of the fires are threatening rural highways, including Highway 27 south of Fort St. James and Highway 77 north of Fort Nelson, while flames first spotted last Thursday near ...

Blockade continues at Winnipeg landfill after deadline passes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:48 GMT

WINNIPEG — Dozens of protesters were continuing to block a landfill south of Winnipeg after a city-imposed deadline ordering them to leave had passed. The barricade at the Brady Road landfill was being reinforced with more than a dozen tires and wood planks today and some demonstrators gathered in a circle to pray. The city issued an order late Friday afternoon demanding the demonstrators restore full access to the landfill by noon today. The blockade began Thursday after the Manitoba government’s decision against searching a different landfill north of the city, Prairie Green, where the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran are believed to have been dumped.Jeremy Skibicki faces first-degree murder charges in their deaths as well as for the death of Rebecca Contois, whose remains were found last year at Brady Road, and an unidentified woman Indigenous leaders are calling Buffalo Woman whose remains have not been found. Grand Chief Cathy Merrick, of the Assembly of Manitoba Chi...

Canadian Press NewsAlert: Postmedia, Toronto Star owner Nordstar end merger talks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:48 GMT

TORONTO — Canadian media companies Postmedia Network Canada Corp. and Nordstar Capital LP, the company that owns the Toronto Star, have ended discussions about a potential merger, saying they were unable to come to an agreement. More coming.The Canadian Press

Former Connecticut Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr. is remembered as a maverick unconstrained by politics

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:48 GMT

Lowell P. Weicker Jr., a towering figure in Connecticut politics who rose to national prominence for taking on his party during the Watergate hearings as a junior Republican senator, was remembered Monday as a politician from a bygone era, unshackled by partisanship.During more than 30 years in public office, Weicker fought for AIDS funding, clean air and water, medical research, protecting people with disabilities and those marginalized in society. He served in the Connecticut General Assembly, the U.S. House of Representatives and later as Connecticut’s first independent governor. He died June 28 at age 92, following a short illness.His funeral in Greenwich, Connecticut, a town where he was once the first selectman, drew family, friends and politicians from both parties. They recalled his maverick political style being guided by an internal moral compass to do what he thought was right for Connecticut and the nation.“He loved to challenge convention every day and we’re...

Search continues for ‘very dangerous’ jail escapee; stockpiles, campsites found

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:48 GMT

WARREN, Pa. (AP) — Authorities searching for an inmate described by police as “very dangerous” who used bed sheets to escape from a northwestern Pennsylvania jail say they believe he is still in the area and have found stockpiles or campsites in the woods he may have been using.Michael Burham, 34, who fled the Warren County Prison late Thursday by climbing on exercise equipment and using bed sheets to escape through a window, was a suspect in a homicide investigation and had been held on $1 million bail on kidnapping, burglary and other charges, authorities said.“We have located small stockpiles or campsites in wooded areas in the general vicinity of Warren, and we believe that at least some of those may be associated with Burham,” Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police told reporters Sunday afternoon at Youngsville Fire Hall.District Attorney Jason Schmidt of Chautauqua County, New York, said last month that Burham is the “prime suspect” in the May 11 killing of Ka...

MUST-WATCH: Enter through the Red Door

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:48 GMT

The latest entry in the Insidious series is here! Will possession reign supreme, or could it go to a raunchy summer comedy? Perhaps a documentary about one of Canada’s most infamous websites? You’ll have to keep reading to find out!Insidious: The Red DoorWhere to watch: CinemasLet’s start off with some terrifying possession!Insidious: The Red Door is the fifth film in the franchise, but it’s actually a direct sequel to the second film. This film once again stars Patrick Wilson (from Watchmen), who also directs this film, Rose Byrne (from Platonic) and Ty Simpkins (from the Whale) as the Lambert family. Now getting ready for college, the son Dalton is ready to move past his history of possession and astral projection. But while studying art, he notices that his paintings seem to bring out strange sensations and it seems like the creatures that possessed him previously may have followed him. This film also stars Hiam Abbass (from Succession), Lin Shaye (from a ...

Retired Army Capt. Sam Brown mounts 2nd bid for US Senate in Nevada after losing GOP primary in 2022

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:48 GMT

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Retired Army Capt. Sam Brown made his long-awaited U.S. Senate candidacy official on Monday, jumping into the race to take on Democratic incumbent Jacky Rosen a year after losing the Republican nomination to challenge Nevada’s other U.S. senator.Brown’s campaign confirmed his bid Monday morning, and he’ll host an event near Reno in the afternoon to expand on his campaign vision and outline key stances.Brown, a Purple Heart recipient, was a heavily recruited candidate for Republicans in Washington looking to avoid a repeat of their lackluster showing in last year’s midterms, when flawed GOP candidates helped Democrats win battleground races and hold on to the Senate majority.He will face a challenge in the Republican primary from Jim Marchant, a former state Assembly member who lost last year’s race for Nevada secretary of state after promoting Donald Trump’s lies of a stolen 2020 election.Rosen, a first-term moderate in a presidential ...

Ferry between P.E.I., N.S. to resume after vessel pulled during peak tourism season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:48 GMT

CHARLOTTETOWN — The company operating the ferry between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia says service is set to resume today after the vessel was pulled from the water twice since mid-June.Northumberland Ferries said in a news release the mechanical issue plaguing the MV Confederation was resolved over the weekend.The vessel was removed from the water most recently on July 2, leaving the Confederation Bridge as the Island’s only link to the mainland during the peak tourism season.Mark Wilson, senior vice-president of Northumberland Ferries, says the problem involved a drive connection coupling between the starboard main engine and the central propulsion gearbox.He says a new part was assembled and shipped from Europe and that the MV Confederation is ready to resume service with the first sailing out of Wood Islands, P.E.I., scheduled for 3 p.m.He says a second ferry — MV Saaremaa 1 — is expected to enter service July 15 alongside the MV Confederation.This report by The Can...

Governments need to remove interprovincial trade barriers: CFIB

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:13:48 GMT

TORONTO — The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says Canada’s governments need to remove interprovincial trade barriers on labour, services and products like alcohol and meat. The association’s 2023 report on interprovincial co-operation says 88 per cent of small business owners believe it’s crucial for governments to prioritize removing barriers that prevent the flow of goods, services and labour across provincial and territorial lines. For example, it says business want to see professional licenses and certifications apply across jurisdictions.Businesses surveyed also said they encounter restrictions on selling certain food products such as meat and cheese, as well as on selling alcohol, across provincial borders.They said the complexity of sales tax structures is also a challenge when selling out-of-province. The CFIB gave grades to all the provinces and territories for their progress on reducing trade barriers, with Manitoba receiving the best score a...