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Israel-Hamas, Ukraine wars to feature prominently in EU-Canada Summit beginning today

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:50 GMT

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A major meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the leaders of the European Union begins today in Newfoundland and Labrador’s capital city of St. John’s.The war unfolding in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants is expected to feature prominently in the two-day EU-Canada Summit, particularly after the two sides announced a truce-for-hostages deal on Wednesday.European Union officials say a declaration supporting a two-state solution that would result in a sovereign Palestinian state existing alongside Israel will likely be a significant part of the summit’s joint statement, which is expected at the end of the event’s discussions.The officials, who offered a briefing to journalists on the condition that they not be named, said the ongoing war in Ukraine is expected to be a big part of discussions, too.Trade, climate and energy are also on the agenda, as Atlantic Canada angles to become a major supplier of hydrogen fuel to E...

Despite ceasefire, Toronto man says his family needs Canadian help to get out of Gaza

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:50 GMT

MONTREAL — With one of his sons in a Gaza hospital, Toronto resident Nahed El-Khalidy said the recently announced ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is good news, though it came too late to save his daughter’s life. El-Khalidy said his daughter Caroline, 27, was killed Monday when an Israeli airstrike hit a building near her location in Gaza. The blast, which left his 17-year-old son Mahmoud seriously injured, came one day after the teenager was turned back at the Egyptian border as he tried with other family members to escape to Canada.He said his son needs medical care that isn’t currently available in Gaza amid shortages of medicine and electricity, and he wants the Canadian government to help.“He needs surgery urgently, now,” El-Khalidy said in an interview Wednesday. “He needs oxygen and there’s no oxygen … he can’t open his eyes, he can’t move his hands.”The four-day truce announced Wednesday will free dozens of Israeli hos...

‘This is my life’: Buffy Sainte-Marie pushes against doubts over Indigenous ancestry

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:50 GMT

Buffy Sainte-Marie is pushing back on a news report that questions her Indigenous heritage, maintaining she has never lied about her identity. The iconic singer, songwriter and activist says the recent CBC report was full of mistakes and omissions. In her first public statement since it was published, Sainte-Marie calls the story an attack on her character, life and legacy.“Being an ‘Indian’ has little to do with sperm tracking and colonial record keeping: it has to do with community, culture, knowledge, teachings, who claims you, who you love, who loves you and who’s your family,” Sainte-Marie, 82, said in a written statement to The Canadian Press.Chuck Thompson with CBC said in an email Wednesday the broadcaster stands by the story and the evidence was fairly presented. CBC reported in October that it found Sainte-Marie’s birth certificate, which says she was born in 1941 in Massachusetts. The document lists the baby and parents as white and includes a signature of an attend...

Stock market today: World shares are mixed, with markets in Japan and US closed for holidays

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:50 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — World shares were mixed on Thursday after a modest advance on Wall Street that kept the market on track for a fourth straight weekly gain. Markets in Japan and the U.S. are closed for holidays. Oil prices initially fell about $1 a barrel after OPEC postponed until next week a meeting to discuss production cuts. The oil cartel has been maintaining a tight market for crude oil with production cuts. It is expected to extend those cuts after oil prices have fallen after a spike in the summer to almost $100 a barrel. Germany’s DAX gained 0.1% to 15,969.49 and the CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.1% at 7,266.18. Britain’s FTSE 100 edged 0.2% higher to 7,080.48. The futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average were virtually unchanged. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Dow rose 0.5%. The Nasdaq gained 0.5%. Trading was muted ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. U.S. markets will open for half a day of trading on Friday.In Asia, Hon...

Daily horoscope for November 23, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:50 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Aries.Happy Birthday for Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023:You are honest, entertaining, adventurous and charming. You rarely back down from a challenge. This is a year of change, which means you must be flexible and ready to act fast. Trust your intuition. Expect to travel and expand your horizons. Let go of whatever holds you back.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★Many of you might encounter travel restrictions or difficulties with red-tape situations related to travel, especially when dealing with authority figures. Do be aware of this. Never underestimate the power of courtesy. Patience will be your best friend today. Tonight: You win!TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★Issues related to banking, shared property, inheritances or insurance matters might be a thorn in your side today. This is not an ideal day to make your pitch to get help from others, to borrow money or to get a mortgage. People will say, R...

Children’s rights: What does the EU do to protect children? 

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:50 GMT

Find out about the measures taken by the EU and the European Parliament to protect children and promote their well-being, Society.Children’ rights and protection as an EU priorityThe protection and promotion of children's rights has been a principal objective for the EU and the European Parliament, enshrined in Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union and in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.Parliament works closely with the European Commission, EU agencies, the Council of Europe and national bodies to safeguard the rights of children and ensure their rights through legislation.The Parliament has appointed a co-ordinator on children's rights, who acts as a central contact point to monitor and ensure that their rights are included in EU policies and legislation.With the 2021-2024 EU strategy on child rights adopted in March 2021, the EU aims to combat poverty, social exclusion, discrimination and any kind of intimidation.The EU has agreed on a European Child Guarantee, which aims...

Harriette Cole: How to reboot when Thanksgiving stress sets in

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:50 GMT

DEAR READERS: Happy Thanksgiving! I love this time of year for so many reasons.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: What do I do about an ex-friend who’s trying to undermine my work? Advice | Harriette Cole: My newfound love of reading is disrupting my life Advice | Harriette Cole: I’m on the road to burnout and I can’t see a solution Advice | Harriette Cole: I felt like a loser so I quit my job after a week. Now things are even worse. Advice | Harriette Cole: My mom is putting up a huge fight about my college decision, but it’s my life For many of us, the weather has changed, and there is a crispness in the air. It’s time to cozy up in warm sweaters and blankets.Being together with loved ones is paramount for families and friends at this time of year. Indeed, this weekend has long been heralded as the busiest travel weekend of the year. We drive, fly and take trains and...

Miss Manners: How can I rein in a greedy co-worker?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:50 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My supervisor at work occasionally buys coffee for everyone in our small department. It is a nice gesture, and she pays out of her own pocket.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: How should I have responded to a loud comment about my makeup? Advice | Miss Manners: She was embarrassingly rude in public and then blamed it on anxiety Advice | Miss Manners: We had to give up our season tickets because of the hooters Advice | Miss Manners: Unless her house is on fire, I find the host’s behavior reprehensible Advice | Miss Manners: So now moms expect their own gifts at kids’ birthday parties? One of my co-workers, however, makes a habit of not only requesting the most expensive options but also several food items. She encourages all of our co-workers to order additional items, as well.I believe my supervisor has begun to feel that she is being taken advantage of. Is there a tac...

UK migration soars to record high despite Tory Brexit promises

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:50 GMT

LONDON — Net migration to the U.K. has hit a new record high of 672,000, four years after the Conservatives pledged to cut it to a third of that level.The latest figures, published by the Office for National Statistics on Thursday morning, show a significant increase on what was already a record-high of 602,000 people back in May.The latest release — covering the 12 months to June 2023 — piles further pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has promised to drastically decrease the numbers of people moving to the U.K. each year.Slashing legal migration was a key pledge in the Conservatives’ last election manifesto, with the party promising that “overall numbers” of migrants would come down from their 2019 level of about 226,000 people a year. Instead numbers have trebled over the course of this parliament.Sunak is already under intense pressure over a separate migration issue — the numbers of undocumented migrants arriving across the English Channel. Sunak’...

WHO asks China for more information on clusters of pneumonia in children

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:50 GMT

The World Health Organization has asked China to provide more information on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children.The official request from the World Health Organization (WHO) to China for epidemiological and clinical information, as well as lab results, comes in the wake of reports from Chinese authorities, the media and disease surveillance systems that indicate a rise in these flu-like illnesses in the country.While these cases may well be linked to China’s lifting of its COVID-19 restrictions later than other countries and usual circulating winter respiratory viruses, the statement from the WHO will cause concern given allegations of China being slow to alert the world about COVID-19 cases in 2019.The rise in cases started in northern China in mid-October, the WHO said, with China’s National Health Commission reporting an increase in incidence of respiratory diseases on November 13. The authorities attributed this ...