Pride, bragging rights and more than $115M at stake when final college playoff rankings come out
My love of movie scoundrels has been sorely tested this year. When I was young, I daydreamed of exotic heists, slick con artists and lovable crooks I’d seen on screen. For most of my moviegoing life, I’ve been a sucker for larceny done well. Most of us are, probably. Related Articles Movies | ‘Nightbitch’ review: Amy Adams goes feral in a cautionary tale of love and parental imbalance Movies | Review: Angelina Jolie glides through ‘Maria’ like an iceberg, but a chilly Callas isn’t enough Movies | ‘Sweethearts’ review: Breakup-focused romcom is largely engaging Movies | Making ‘Queer’ required openness. Daniel Craig was ready Movies | 18 most anticipated movies in holiday season 2024 But now it’s late 2024. Mood is wrong. In the real world, in America, it’s scoundrel time all the time. Maybe Charles Dickens was right. In “American Notes for General Circulation” (1842), the English literary superstar chronicled his travels and detected a widespread, peculiarly American “love of ‘smart’ dealing” across the land. In business and in politics, Dickens observed, slavish admiration of the con men among them “gilds over many a swindle and gross breach of trust.” And here we are. It’ll pass, this scoundrel reprieve of mine. In fact it just did. All it took was thinking about the conspicuous, roguish outlier on my best-of-2024 list: “Challengers.” It’s what this year needed and didn’t know it: a tricky story of lying, duplicitous weasels on and off the court. The best films this year showed me things I hadn’t seen, following familiar character dynamics into fresh territory. Some were more visually distinctive than others; all made eloquent cases for how, and where, their stories unfolded. “All We Imagine as Light,” recently at the Gene Siskel Film Center, works like a poem, or a sustained exhalation of breath, in its simply designed narrative of three Mumbai hospital workers. Fluid, subtly political, filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s achievement is very nearly perfect. So is cowriter-director RaMell Ross’ adaptation of the Colson Whitehead novel “The Nickel Boys,” arriving in Chicago-area theaters on Jan. 3, 2025. “Nickel Boys,” the film, loses the “the” in Whitehead’s title but gains an astonishingly realized visual perspective. If Ross never makes another movie, he’ll have an American masterpiece to his credit. The following top 10 movies of 2024 are in alphabetical order. Both a mosaic of urban ebb and flow, and a delicate revelation of character, director and writer Payal Kapadia’s Mumbai story is hypnotic, patient and in its more traditional story progression, a second feature every bit as good as Kapadia’s first, 2021’s “A Night of Knowing Nothing.” Mikey Madison gives one of the year’s funniest, saddest, truest performances as a Brooklyn exotic dancer who takes a shine to the gangly son of a Russian oligarch, and he to her. Their transactional courtship and dizzying Vegas marriage, followed by violently escalating complications, add up to filmmaker Sean Baker’s triumph, capped by an ending full of exquisite mysteries of the human heart. As played by Adrien Brody, the title character is a visionary architect and Hungarian Jewish emigre arriving in America in 1947 after the Holocaust. (That said, the title refers to more than one character.) His patron, and his nemesis, is the Philadelphia blueblood industrialist played by Guy Pearce. Director/co-writer Brady Corbet’s thrillingly ambitious epic, imperfect but loaded with rewarding risks, was shot mostly in widescreen VistaVision. Worth seeing on the biggest screen you can find. Opens in Chicago-area theaters on Jan. 10, 2025. Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor play games with each other, on the tennis court and in beds, while director Luca Guadagnino builds to a match-point climax that can’t possibly work, and doesn’t quite — but I saw the thing twice anyway. In Bucharest, production assistant Angela zigzags around the city interviewing people for her employer’s workplace safety video. If that sounds less than promising, even for a deadpan Romanian slice-of-life tragicomedy, go ahead and make the mistake of skipping this one. llinca Manolache is terrific as Angela. Like “Do Not Expect Too Much,” director Agnieszka Holland’s harrowing slice of recent history was a 2023 release, making it to Chicago in early 2024. Set along the densely forested Poland/Belarus border, this is a model of well-dramatized fiction honoring what refugees have always known: the fully justified, ever-present fear of the unknown. A quiet marvel of a feature debut from writer-director Annie Baker, this is a mother/daughter tale rich in ambiguities and wry humor, set in a lovely, slightly forlorn corner of rural Massachusetts. Julianne Nicholson, never better; Zoe Ziegler as young, hawk-eyed Lacy, equally memorable. I love this year’s nicest surprise. The premise: A teenager’s future 39-year-old self appears to her, magically, via a strong dose of mushrooms. The surprise: Writer-director Megan Park gradually deepens her scenario and sticks a powerfully emotional landing. Wonderful work from Aubrey Plaza, Maisy Stella, Maria Dizzia and everybody, really. From the horrific true story of a Florida reform school and its decades of abuse, neglect and enraging injustice toward its Black residents, novelist Colson Whitehead’s fictionalized novel makes a remarkable jump to the screen thanks to co-writer/director RaMell Ross’s feature debut. Cousins, not as close as they once were, reunite for a Holocaust heritage tour in Poland and their own search for their late grandmother’s childhood home. They’re the rootless Benji (Kieran Culkin) and tightly sprung David (Jesse Eisenberg, who wrote and directed). Small but very sure, this movie’s themes of genocidal trauma and Jewish legacy support the narrative every step of the way. Culkin is marvelous; so is the perpetually undervalued Eisenberg. To the above, I’ll add 10 more runners-up, again in alphabetical order: “Blink Twice,” directed by Zoe Kravitz. “Conclave,” directed by Edward Berger. “Dune: Part Two ,” directed by Denis Villeneuve. “Good One ,” directed by India Donaldson. “Hit Man,” directed by Richard Linklater. “Joker: Folie a Deux,” directed by Todd Phillips. “Nosferatu,” directed by Robert Eggers, opens in Chicago-area theaters on Dec. 25. “The Outrun,” directed by Nora Fingscheidt. “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat,” directed by Johan Grimonprez. “Tuesday,” directed by Daina O. Pusić. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It took until the fourth quarter, when Kansas City was desperately trying to fend off the lowly Las Vegas Raiders, for Chiefs coach Andy Reid to finally make a drastic change to his offensive line. The Chiefs had tried Kingsley Suamataia at left tackle to start the season. When the rookie was getting beaten routinely for pressure and sacks, they switched to second-year pro Wanya Morris, who fared no better . In the — one that wasn’t secure until Las Vegas fumbled away a chance at a winning field goal with 15 seconds left — the Chiefs slid All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney out to tackle. Mike Caliendo entered at guard. And while they didn’t have much chance to work together, the move underscored what’s been a season-long problem. “That was the right thing to do at the time,” Reid said afterward. “It just solidified things.” What is the solution moving forward? Well, the Chiefs signed former Pro Bowl left tackle D.J. Humphries last week, but he’s been with the team for only a few days, and he’s also coming off an ACL tear that sidelined him for the entire offseason. In a perfect world, Humphries would slide into the lineup in time for the Chiefs’ game against the Chargers next Sunday. In a more realistic world, the Chiefs may need to make it through another week or two before he’s ready to contribute, and that would mean putting Morris back into the lineup or keeping Thuney protecting Mahomes’ blind side. “I would tell you it’s disruptive to any offense when the quarterback is hit,” Reid acknowledged, “and not able to get the ball off.” Mahomes had gone 113 straight starts without being sacked five-plus times in a game; Carolina and Las Vegas have done it in consecutive weeks. And along with the sacks have been penalties on Morris and right tackle Jawaan Taylor, which have made it hard for a Kansas City offense that has had to adapt to injuries all season to consistently put together drives. “We have to make sure we clean those things up,” Reid said. “It’s hard to go backwards in this league and win games.” Yet the Chiefs keep doing it. They have won an NFL-record 14 straight one-possession games, including five decided on the final play, this season. That has allowed them to piece together an 11-1 record and already clinch a postseason bye. “You’re not satisfied with where we’re at, even though we’re winning football games,” Mahomes said. “Our goal over these last few games is to prove the team we really are going into the playoffs and play that way in the playoffs.” What’s working The passing game has started to produce — when Mahomes has time to throw — now that DeAndre Hopkins has become more ingrained in the offense. He had four catches for 90 yards against the Raiders, and his mere presence has opened things up for others, including Travis Kelce, who had seven catches for 68 yards. What needs help The Chiefs basically abandoned an unproductive running game against Las Vegas. Isiah Pacheco ran seven times for 44 yards in his return from an ankle injury, but 34 yards came on one carry. Kareem Hunt had 15 yards on his seven attempts. Stock up Two-time All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones had been held without a sack for seven consecutive games, but he managed to bring down Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell twice. That was important given how much trouble the Chiefs have had getting to the quarterback when they aren’t blitzing this season. Stock down The entire Kansas City secondary has struggled for weeks, ever since cornerback Jaylen Watson was lost to a season-ending ankle injury. Nazeeh Johnson, Chamarri Conner and Bryan Cook in particular have been inconsistent in their coverage. Injuries The Chiefs made it through the Raiders game without any injuries. Key number 10 — The Chiefs have qualified for the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons. That is the second-longest streak in NFL history behind the Patriots, who made it 11 straight years from 2009-19. Next steps The game against the Raiders on Black Friday means the Chiefs have a couple of extra days to prepare for the Chargers. The Chiefs have beaten them six straight times, including a 17-10 win on Sept. 29 in Los Angeles. ___ AP NFL:It was an exciting end to the game week 14, as both Fulham and Bournemouth came up with huge wins. Let's have a look at how things went before heading match week 15. New Delhi: The matchweek 14 finally comes to an end, and this congestion of fixtures will bring the Premier League action back this weekend, Saturday onwards. However, the game wekk ended with two exciting results that saw Fulham taking the charge against a very confident Brighton side, while AFC Bournemouth completely dominating Tottenham Hotspur at Vitality stadium. It was truly a mesmerising result for the triumphant teams while for the other two, it was a massive slip as they failed to capitalise and make the most out of these fixtures. This loss against Bournemouth meant that Tottenham slipped down to 10th while their opponents moved up to ninth. Meanwhile, Brighton’s European hopes took a hit after that performance against Fulham, as now the Cottagers are breathing down the Seagulls’ neck at sixth. Fulham 3-1 Brighton BIG three points! 🤍 #FULBHA pic.twitter.com/uz0vwPYnOY — Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) December 5, 2024 At Craven Cottage, Alex Iwobi’s double puts Fulham up to sixth place in the Premier League following a spectacular three-point victory over a determined Brighton team. Although the match was played in terrible weather with a lot of rain and wind, the hosts took an unexpected early lead thanks to a mistake made by Bart Verbruggen. When the former Arsenal midfielder caught the Dutchman’s short pass, he made no mistake and slid the ball into an empty net. However, the Seagulls came back in the second half and earned an equalizer through a brilliant strike from Baleba, but Matt O’Riley’s own goal and Iwobi’s second goal of the game gave the Cottagers the victory. Despite the loss, Brighton had the better number of chances throughout the game and now they are up against the Foxes, Leicester while Fulham will be facing an unforgiving Arsenal side in the next matchday of Premier League. Bournemouth 1-0 Tottenham 🍒 Chill guy Huijsen for Bournemouth’s win over Spurs — who’s your Man of the Match? pic.twitter.com/YCe9cDJMss — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 5, 2024 With a 1-0 victory at home against the London team, Bournemouth moves up to ninth place in the Premier League, and it could have been even more. Spurs were the superior team at the beginning of the match, and Solanke blew a fantastic opportunity to put his old team ahead. Shortly after, Huijsen reached the back post to meet Tavernier’s corner, punishing him for the miss. He put Bournemouth in control of the game by heading past Forster to give the home club a 1-0 lead before 20 minutes. The score was 1-0 at halftime after Bournemouth’s second goal was disallowed just before the interval. Tottenham returned with the same starting lineup and the same drab showing as the first half. As Bournemouth persisted in their attack, VAR chalked off another goal because Evanilson was offside. Son came on for Spurs, but he was unable to keep onside before putting the ball in the net, so Bournemouth still had the lead. Tottenham never truly seemed like they were going to bother Kepa in goal, and they lost rightfully, but the home team may have felt the room for improvement after the number of mistakes they made. Click for more latest Football news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. Upamanyu Sanyal has been a sports content writer for a while now. He is a sports enthusiast and a dedicated sports writer working under News9. He has been following football since 2009 and has written a numerous analytical as well as factual pieces on the beautiful game. He himself has played football at a very high level and he loves to write, report and debate about football stories.TORONTO — When Geoffrey Hinton strode across the Stockholm Concert Hall stage Tuesday to receive his Nobel Prize for physics from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, he was beaming. It has taken decades for many beyond the science community to realize the British Canadian computer scientist's life's work was so significant it eventually formed the foundation of artificial intelligence. But on Tuesday, as he accepted the Nobel diploma and its accompanying gold medal with co-laureate John Hopfield, there was no question about the importance of Hinton's discoveries nor how he has shaped history. Instead, there was only pride for the affable 77-year-old, often called the godfather of AI — and that pride stretched from Stockholm to Toronto. A crowd of about 100 students and colleagues at the University of Toronto, where Hinton is a professor emeritus, gathered at the school's downtown campus to watch the Nobel ceremony. Two other watch parties took over the school's Mississauga and Scarborough campuses. Any mention of physics or a sighting of Hinton, clad in a dark suit and white bow tie, generated rousing applause at the Toronto gathering. When the man of the hour headed to retrieve his accolade from the King, a few former students and colleagues wiped tears from their eyes. "There is, at least for me, this sense that Prof. Hinton created the whole ecosystem here, where there are thousands of people who are working on his ideas," Michael Guerzhoy, one of Hinton's former students who went on to teach a course Hinton had once led at the university, said before the ceremony began. The idea that earned Hinton the Nobel dates back to the 1980s, when he was working at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and AI was far from the buzzy technology it is today. It was then that Hinton developed the Boltzmann machine, which learns from examples, rather than instructions, and when trained, can recognize familiar characteristics in information, even if it has not seen that data before. "It was a lot of fun doing the research but it was slightly annoying that many people — in fact, most people in the field of AI — said that neural networks would never work," Hinton recalled during a press conference on the October day he was named as a Nobel laureate. "They were very confident that these things were just a waste of time and we would never be able to learn complicated things like, for example, understanding natural language using neural networks — and they were wrong." Neural networks are computational models that resemble the human brain's structure and functions. When Nobel physics committee chair Ellen Moons presented Hinton to receive his award, she said these networks are good at sorting and interpreting large amounts of data and self-improve based on the accuracy of the results they generate. "Today, artificial neural networks are powerful tools in research fields spanning physics, chemistry and medicine, as well as in daily life," she said. John DiMarco wasn't surprised that Hinton's work paved the way for such possibilities, but the IT director for U of T's computer science department was taken aback that Hinton's Nobel came in the unlikely physics category. DiMarco met Hinton roughly 35 years ago in a job interview and quickly took note of his proclivity for humour and the quirks in how his mind works. "He is quite insightful and he goes straight to the core of things," DiMarco said. "He would sometimes come out of his office and share some new idea. We didn't always understand what he was sharing, but he was very excited about it." Many of those ideas required lots of computing power the school's systems didn't have, so DiMarco's team patched together a solution with graphics processing units from video game consoles. DiMarco brought one of Hinton's GPUs to the watch party, which was also attended by Joseph Jay Williams, the director of U of T's Intelligent Adaptive Interventions Lab. Williams took one of Hinton's classes and said the Nobel winner "changed the course of my life" by encouraging him to go to grad school, which then led him to win the XPRIZE Digital Learning Challenge, a global competition aimed at rewarding people who modernize learning tools and processes. Other notable mentees and alumni of Hinton's classes include OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and Cohere co-founders Nick Frosst and Aidan Gomez. With his Nobel win and so many esteemed protege, Williams said Hinton has become a "reluctant celebrity" who is hounded for photos every time he's on campus. Hinton, however, has taken a much more humble approach to his recent win, which he learned of on a trip to California. He initially thought the call from the academy that gives out the Nobel was "a spoof," but later realized it had to be real because it was placed from Sweden and the speaker had a "strong Swedish accent." The award the academy gave him comes with 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1.4 million) from a bequest arranged by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. Hinton and Hopfield will split the money, with some of Hinton's share going to Water First, an Ontario organization working to boost Indigenous access to water, and another unnamed charity supporting neurodiverse young adults. Hinton has said he doesn't plan to do much more "frontier research." "I believe I'm going to spend my time advocating for people to work on safety," he said in October. Last year, Hinton left a role he held at Google to more freely speak about the dangers of AI, which he has said include bias and discrimination, fake news, joblessness, lethal autonomous weapons and even the end of humanity. At a Stockholm press conference over the weekend, he said he doesn’t regret the work he did to lay the foundations of artificial intelligence, but wishes he thought of safety sooner. “In the same circumstances, I would do the same again,” he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2024. Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
Jalandhar: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) clinched a decisive victory in the Chabbewal assembly byelection with a record margin of 28,690 votes — largest of all the four contests in Punjab — which not only consolidates AAP’s dominance in the state but also makes Dr Ishank Kumar his party’s first MLA who is also son of its sitting MP. AAP’s winning formula Chabbewal was as a relatively low-stakes contest delegated largely to Hoshiarpur MP Dr Raj Kumar, who spearheaded his son’s campaign. Despite accusations of nepotism, which contrasted with AAP’s ethos of promoting fresh candidates, the party managed to secure a commanding 60% vote share. This result also improves AAP’s vote share from the Lok Sabha elections. In stark contrast, the Congress suffered a significant defeat, compounded by its controversial decision to nominate a "turncoat" candidate, Ranjit Kumare, who was a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate in the parliamentary polls. Maharashtra Jharkhand Maharashtra Alliance View i Party View Seats: 288 Results Majority: 145 BJP+ 229 MVA 47 OTH 12 Results : 288 / 288 BJP+ WON Jharkhand Alliance View i Party View Seats: 81 Results Majority: 41 INDIA 56 NDA 24 OTH 1 Results : 81 / 81 INDIA WON Source: PValue Many Congress insiders were reportedly unaware of Kumare’s induction until after the ticket announcement, which aggravated internal dissent. Kumare managed a meagre 3% vote share, highlighting voter discontent with the Congress’ strategy. Shifting loyalties The BJP performed poorly, with its candidate, former Akali minister Sohan Singh Thandal, securing only 8,692 votes (10.17%). Thandal, a four-time Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA, failed to retain his security deposit and saw his vote count fall below that of the SAD candidate in the parliamentary elections. Analysis suggests that a significant portion of the Shiromani Akali Dal vote bank shifted to the Aam Aadmi Party, underscoring the party’s growing appeal. Cong faces rebellion Congress’ troubles in Chabbewal were exacerbated by internal dissatisfaction. Kulwinder Singh Rasulpuri, a former constituency in-charge of the party, accused its senior members of reneging on a promise to grant him the ticket. Rasulpuri, along with Gurpreet Singh of the Youth Congress, joined AAP subsequently and played a pivotal role in mobilising local support against the Congress. Mandate’s meaning The bypoll, necessitated after Congress MLA Dr Raj Kumar switched to AAP and became an MP, serves as a microcosm of Punjab’s shifting political landscape. AAP’s ability to consolidate its vote base and attract disillusioned supporters from rival parties reinforces its growing influence in the state. This outcome not only underscores voter frustration with traditional party dynamics but also solidifies AAP’s narrative of offering an alternative. We also published the following articles recently Former Delhi Congress MLA Sumesh Shokeen joins AAP Sumesh Shokeen, a former Congress MLA, joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal. Shokeen expressed his commitment to serving the people of Delhi Dehat and working alongside Kejriwal to further integrate the region with the rest of Delhi. Delhi assembly elections: AAP releases first list of candidates The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced its first list of 11 candidates for the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections. The list includes several former BJP and Congress leaders who recently joined the AAP. Punjab bypolls: Clash breaks out between Congress, AAP in Dera Pathana village A clash erupted between Congress and AAP workers at a polling booth in Punjab's Dera Pathana village during the Dera Baba Nanak by-elections. Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa urged voters to maintain peace, alleging an attempted booth capture by individuals he described as "goons.
National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Larry Lacson assured the public that the agency is prepared to release NFA rice to relief-giving institutions during emergencies and calamities, including during the holiday season. Lacson made this statement in response to reports on the activity of Bulkang Kanlaon and the monitored forecasts on the intertropical convergence zone and rain showers affecting most parts of the country. “We have instructed our employees in the field to immediately activate our Operation Centers in the areas affected by floods, typhoons, and other emergencies and to open their hotlines to fast-track coordination with our relief institutions. “We are in the holiday season now, but our office is always open to address the needs of our fellow citizens. Included in our service is the readiness to respond at any time of need,” he said. NFA has intensified its palay buying strategies under the Price Range Scheme to meet the rice relief requests of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Local Government Units and the Legislators for distribution to the affected families and individuals in calamity stricken areas. The agency has accomplished 95 percent of its buffer stocking target this year. The current buffer stock is now 5.661 million bags of equivalent milled rice. Lacson issued a standing order to its ranks to closely and continuously coordinate with the local farmers and the chief executives in their area for immediate response.
Gujarat: Track Slab Manufacturing Facility Established for India's First Bullet Train Project Near SuratInterDigital Declares Regular Quarterly Cash DividendBiden says Trump economic plan will be 'disaster'WASHINGTON (AP) — The grinding war between Ukraine and its Russian invaders has escalated ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration, with President Joe Biden rushing out billions of dollars more in military aid before U.S. support for Kyiv’s defenses is thrown into question under the new administration. Russia, Ukraine and their global allies are scrambling to put their side in the best possible position for any changes that Trump may bring to American policy in the nearly 3-year-old war . The president-elect insisted in recent days that Russia and Ukraine immediately reach a ceasefire and said Ukraine should likely prepare to receive less U.S. military aid. On the war's front lines, Ukraine's forces are mindful of Trump's fast-approaching presidency and the risk of losing their biggest backer . If that happens, “those people who are with me, my unit, we are not going to retreat," a Ukrainian strike-drone company commander, fighting in Russia's Kursk region with the 47th Brigade, told The Associated Press by phone. “As long as we have ammunition, as long as we have weapons, as long as we have some means to defeat the enemy, we will fight,” said the commander, who goes by his military call sign, Hummer. He spoke on condition he not be identified by name, citing Ukrainian military rules and security concerns. “But, when all means run out, you must understand, we will be destroyed very quickly,” he said. The Biden administration is pushing every available dollar out the door to shore up Ukraine's defenses before leaving office in six weeks, announcing more than $2 billion in additional support since Trump won the presidential election last month. The U.S. has sent a total of $62 billion in military aid since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. And more help is on the way. The Treasury Department said Tuesday it would disburse $20 billion — the U.S. portion of a $50 billion multinational loan to Ukraine , backed by Russia's frozen central bank assets — before Biden leaves the White House. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the funds “will provide Ukraine a critical infusion of support.” And the State Department said Tuesday it had approved the sale of a $266 million package to help Ukraine with the long-term operation and maintenance of F-16 fighter aircraft from the U.S. and other allies. Biden also has eased limits on Ukraine using American longer-range missiles against military targets deeper inside Russia, following months of refusing those appeals over fears of provoking Russia into nuclear war or attacks on the West. He's also newly allowed Ukraine to employ antipersonnel mines , which are banned by many countries. Biden and his senior advisers, however, are skeptical that allowing freer use of longer-range missiles will change the broader trajectory of the war, according to two senior administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. But the administration has at least a measure of confidence that its scramble, combined with continued strong European support , means it will leave office having given Ukraine the tools it needs to sustain its fight for some time, the officials said. Enough to hold on, but not enough to defeat Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces, according to Ukraine and some of its allies. Even now, “the Biden administration has been very careful not to run up against the possibility of a defeated Putin or a defeated Russia” for fear of the tumult that could bring, said retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, a former supreme allied commander of NATO. He is critical of Biden’s cautious pace of military support for Ukraine. Events far from the front lines this past weekend demonstrated the war's impact on Russia’s military . In Syria, rebels seized the capital and toppled Russia-allied President Bashar Assad . Russian forces in Syria had propped up Assad for years, but they moved out of the way of the rebels’ assault , unwilling to take losses to defend their ally. Biden said it was further evidence that U.S. support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was wearing down Russia’s military. Story continues below video Trump, who has long spoken favorably of Putin and described Zelenskyy as a “showman" wheedling money from the U.S., used that moment to call for an immediate ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. And asked in a TV interview — taped before he met with Zelenskyy over the weekend in Paris — if Ukraine should prepare for the possibility of reduced aid, Trump said, “Yeah. Probably. Sure.” Trump's supporters call that pre-negotiation maneuvering by an avowed deal-maker. His critics say they fear it shows he is in Putin's sway. Zelenskyy said Monday that Russian forces’ retrenchment from outposts worldwide demonstrates that “the entire army of this great pseudo-empire is fighting against the Ukrainian people today.” “Forcing Putin to end the war requires Ukraine to be strong on the battlefield before it can be strong diplomatically,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media, repeating near-daily appeals for more longer-range missiles from the U.S. and Europe. In Kursk, Hummer, the Ukrainian commander, said he notices Russian artillery strikes and shelling easing up since the U.S. and its European allies loosened limits on the use of longer-range missiles. But Moscow has been escalating its offensives in other ways in the past six months, burning through men and materiel in infantry assaults and other attacks far faster than it can replace them, according to the Institute for the Study of War. In Kursk, that includes Russia sending waves of soldiers on motorcycles and golf carts to storm Ukrainian positions, Hummer said. The Ukrainian drone commander and his comrades defend the ground they have seized from Russia with firearms, tanks and armored vehicles provided by the U.S. and other allies. Ukraine’s supporters fear that the kind of immediate ceasefire Trump is urging would be mostly on Putin’s terms and allow the Russian leader to resume the war when his military has recovered. “Putin is sacrificing his own soldiers at a grotesque rate to take whatever territory he can on the assumption that the U.S. will tell Ukraine that U.S. aid is over unless Russia gets to keep what it has taken,” Phillips O’Brien, a professor of strategic studies at Scotland’s University of St. Andrews, wrote on his Substack channel. Putin's need for troops led him to bring in North Korean forces . Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use longer-range missiles more broadly in Russia was partly in response, intended to discourage North Korea from deeper involvement in the war, one of the senior administration officials said. Since 2022, Russia already had been pulling forces and other military assets from Syria, Central Asia and elsewhere to throw into the Ukraine fight, said George Burros, an expert on the Russia-Ukraine conflict at the Institute for the Study of War. Any combat power that Russia has left in Syria that it could deploy to Ukraine is unlikely to change battlefield momentum, Burros said. “The Kremlin has prioritized Ukraine as much as it can,” he said. Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine.
Once again, Towson University cannot move forward with a new doctorate due to its similarity to a degree program at Morgan State University, the Maryland Higher Education Commission has ruled. Eight of the nine commissioners present Wednesday upheld a previous ruling that the doctorate in sustainability and environmental change proposed by Towson University duplicated Morgan State’s bioenvironmental science Ph.D. “It is the role and responsibility of the Maryland Higher Education Commission to prevent unreasonable duplication and unnecessary duplication,” wrote Kristin Clarkson, director of communications for the commission, in an email to The Baltimore Sun. “We encourage institutions to develop academic programs that are not duplicative of existing programs. Moreover, the Commission prioritizes collaboration among institutions to best serve students and the needs of the State.” Morgan State’s program is the only one of its kind in Maryland’s higher education system, according to the school’s website. The degree focuses on various environmental issues affecting biological systems. The key focus of Towson’s proposed program was climate change and sustainability, and included some science courses, the university told The Sun. Students would also be required to take nonscience courses in areas such as economics, geography and political science, making it a unique program in the state, a university official said. Officials at Towson said the school will continue to “seek avenues for accelerating engagement with community partners and collaboration with other universities.” “While TU respects the decision of the commissioners, we are disappointed in and do not concur with today’s denial of our appeal to the Maryland Higher Education Commission that would have led to the approval a unique and critically important interdisciplinary doctoral program in Sustainability and Environmental Change,” a Towson University spokesperson wrote in an email. “The graduates of such a unique program would have helped our state to meet the critical environmental and climate-change related challenges we all face today and increasingly will face in the future.” Morgan State officials referred questions to the higher education commission. It’s not the first time TU had a proposal for a graduate program rebuffed because the curriculum was ruled too similar to one offered at Baltimore’s Morgan State, which is a historically Black university about 4 miles away. In June 2023, to Towson University’s request to start a doctoral program in business analytics because they believed it duplicated a program already taught at the Cold Spring Lane campus. TU’s request was originally denied by a commission employee for being duplicative. The commission’s board overruled that decision in a 4-3 vote that allowed Towson to proceed, but the state’s , saying the vote was invalid. Towson eventually . “Preventing the duplication of academic programs at Maryland’s colleges and universities has a long history rooted in desegregation efforts,” Clarkson said. In May 2021, for the state to settle a lawsuit over the treatment of its four historically Black universities — Morgan State, Bowie State University, Coppin State University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore — with $555 million in extra funding over 10 years. Alumni and supporters of the schools alleged the state systematically undermined the institutions and made it difficult to compete with the state’s other public universities for students and resources. In January, was assigned to evaluate policies for approving or denying college degree programs offered a list of recommendations for the higher education commission. Several of these recommendations focused on preventing program duplication.Legislation that would weaken the powers of North Carolina’s incoming governor and other Democrat officials cleared both chambers of the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature this week. The bill would strip authority from the soon-to-be governor, Democrat Josh Stein, to appoint members to the State Board of Elections. Currently, the governor appoints all five members of the board—including three from his own party—based on the recommendations of the Democratic and Republican parties. The new bill would reassign that role to the state auditor, a position that will be filled by Republican Dave Boliek come January 2025. Another provision would limit the governor’s choice of candidates to fill vacancies on the state’s Court of Appeals and Supreme Court to a list provided by the outgoing judge’s political party. The bill would also bar the state’s attorney general from taking a legal position contrary to that of the General Assembly in litigation challenging state laws. Democrat U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson will assume that office after winning his race against Republican Rep. Dan Bishop. Meanwhile, Democrat Mo Green, set to take over the role of superintendent of public instruction, would be stripped of the power to appeal against a state review board’s decisions on charter school applications. The measure passed the North Carolina House along party lines on Nov. 19, prompting criticism from outgoing Gov. Roy Cooper. “Legislators have put forward a bill that fails to provide real support to communities hit hard by Hurricane Helene and instead prioritizes more power grabs in Raleigh,” Cooper said in a statement. The Senate nonetheless passed the bill a day later and sent it to the governor’s desk. The bill, Republican state Sen. Vickie Sawyer noted, allocates an additional $252 million for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Western North Carolina. “This historic commitment brings the total state funding for relief to $1.1 billion. Families still struggling to rebuild after the storm can count on our continued focus on housing, infrastructure, and other critical needs,” Sawyer wrote in a social media post. While the General Assembly is in session, Cooper has 10 days to sign or veto legislation before it automatically becomes law. If he should veto the measure, Republicans have the supermajority needed for an override, though it remains unclear if they would all support one. In the House, three Republicans from Helene-damaged areas joined with the chamber’s Democrats in voting against the bill. Just one defection would be enough for an override to fail. Republicans are poised to lose their veto-proof majority next year after falling one House seat short in the Nov. 5 election. While the party will retain its supermajority in the Senate and a majority in the House, the current lame-duck session could be the last opportunity for Republicans to bypass the state’s Democrat administration. In 2016, the state’s Republican-led Legislature pulled a similar move, limiting the governor’s powers ahead of the transition to Cooper’s administration. That legislation sparked protests and years of litigation.
The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately. Lawful owners of these newly prohibited firearms will be granted amnesty from criminal liability while they take the steps required to comply, ahead of disposing of their firearms through the still-yet-to-be-implemented buyback program. The federal Liberals also intend to move forward with additional regulatory and legislative measures in the days and months ahead, according to government officials that briefed reporters. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc is making the announcement alongside Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Defence Minister Bill Blair, in Ottawa. Prohibited firearms cannot be bought, sold, lent, or imported. Today's announcement specifically includes "104 families of assault-style firearms, encompassing 324 unique makes and models and their variants," according to briefing materials. The federal Liberals' gun control announcement comes on the eve of the 35th anniversary of the École Polytechnique massacre . Ahead of the news breaking, the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights was already criticizing the move as damaging to licensed gun owners, "while doing nothing to increase the safety of Canadians." This move builds on the May 2020 announcement that saw Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reveal that the federal government was imposing a ban on more than 1,500 models and variants of certain "assault-style" weapons that have been used in mass shootings in Canada and abroad. The ban did not outlaw these weapons completely, rather the government offered current owners and retailers of these guns the same ability to be granted amnesty under specific and time-limited terms, while officials developed the mandatory compensation system. This is a breaking news story, more details to come... MORE POLITICS NEWS BREAKING | Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants Poilievre calls on House to back Singh's 'wise' words in no-confidence motion Government asks for third extension on court deadline to pass 'lost Canadians' bill Former cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault tells committee: 'I am not Indigenous' Patrick Brown says foreign interference did not affect Tory leadership race outcome 'Utterly absurd': Freeland rebuffs Poilievre's offer of two hours to present fall economic statement Trudeau, ministers and opposition leaders address AFN gathering in Ottawa Tariffs on Chinese EVs, aluminum and steel to raise federal revenues by $473M: PBO IN DEPTH Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power. 'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties. 'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it. Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports. 'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday. Opinion opinion | Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election? opinion | Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus. opinion | Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place. opinion | Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point. opinion | Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing. CTVNews.ca Top Stories BREAKING | Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately. LIVE UPDATES | Anger, vitriol against health insurers filled social media in the wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing The masked gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson used ammunition emblazoned with the words 'deny,' 'defend' and 'depose,' a law enforcement official said Thursday. Here's the latest. Man wanted for military desertion turns himself in at Canada-U.S. border A man wanted for deserting the U.S. military 16 years ago was arrested at the border in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this week. Life expectancy in Canada: Up last year, still down compared to pre-pandemic The average Canadian can expect to live 81.7 years, according to new death data from Statistics Canada. That’s higher than the previous year, but still lower than pre-pandemic levels. 'At the dawn of a third nuclear age,' senior U.K. commander warns The head of Britain’s armed forces has warned that the world stands at the cusp of a 'third nuclear age,' defined by multiple simultaneous challenges and weakened safeguards that kept previous threats in check. These foods will be hit hardest by inflation in 2025, according to AI modelling The new year won’t bring a resolution to rising food costs, according to a new report that predicts prices to rise as much as five per cent in 2025. Pete Davidson, Jason Sudeikis and other former 'SNL' cast members reveal how little they got paid Live from New York, it’s revelations about paydays on 'Saturday Night Live.' The National Weather Service cancels tsunami warning for the U.S. West Coast after 7.0 earthquake A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items of grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the U.S. West Coast. Alleged Alberta Bitcoin extortionist, arsonist arrested Authorities have arrested Finbar Hughes, a man wanted in connection with alleged plots in Calgary and Edmonton that threatened to burn victims' homes if they did not pay him Bitcoin ransoms. Canada Investors made up 25% of B.C. homebuyers in new StatsCan analysis Real estate investors made up approximately one-quarter of homebuyers across B.C. between 2018 and 2020, according to a new analysis from Statistics Canada. Saskatoon dog rescue operator ordered to pay $27K for defamatory Facebook posts A Saskatoon dog rescue operator has been ordered to pay over $27,000 in damages to five women after a judge ruled she defamed them in several Facebook posts. Alleged Alberta Bitcoin extortionist, arsonist arrested Authorities have arrested Finbar Hughes, a man wanted in connection with alleged plots in Calgary and Edmonton that threatened to burn victims' homes if they did not pay him Bitcoin ransoms. What are your grocery bills like? How do you manage them with rising costs? We want to hear from you The average Canadian family of four is expected to spend about $800 more on groceries next year, according to a new report. No tsunami threat to B.C. after powerful earthquake off California Emergency management officials say there is no tsunami threat to British Columbia after a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off California on Thursday morning. Renewed calls for policy changes following stabbing in downtown Vancouver There are calls for policy changes when it comes to public safety, following Wednesday’s stabbing in the downtown core. World Catholic nun among 25 arrested in mob bust in northern Italy A Catholic nun with the Sisters of Charity Institute in Milan was among 25 people arrested early Thursday morning for a litany of mafia-related crimes, including aiding and abetting extortion, drug trafficking, receiving stolen goods, usury, tax crimes and money laundering. Words on ammo in CEO shooting echo common phrase on insurer tactics: Delay, deny, defend A message left at the scene of a health insurance executive's fatal shooting — 'deny,' 'defend' and 'depose' — echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. France's Macron vows to stay in office till end of term, says he'll name a new prime minister soon French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Thursday to stay in office until the end of his term, due in 2027, and announced that he will name a new prime minister within days following the resignation of ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are bringing Trump's DOGE to Capitol Hill Billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy arrived Thursday on Capitol Hill meeting with legislators behind closed doors about president-elect Donald Trump's plans to 'dismantle' the federal government. DEVELOPING | Police release new photos in the search for the gunman in the UnitedHealthcare CEO killing The masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words 'deny,' 'defend' and 'depose,' a law enforcement official said Thursday. Man wanted for military desertion turns himself in at Canada-U.S. border A man wanted for deserting the U.S. military 16 years ago was arrested at the border in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this week. Politics BREAKING | Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately. Poilievre calls on House to back Singh's 'wise' words in no-confidence motion Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he agrees with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh on one thing: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals are too weak to fight for Canadians. Government asks for third extension on court deadline to pass 'lost Canadians' bill Immigration Minister Marc Miller says the government is seeking a third extension to a court-mandated deadline to pass legislation that grants citizenship to 'lost Canadians.' Health Fifteen per cent of ER visits in Canada are not for emergencies: report A report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says one in seven emergency room visits in Canada are for issues that could have been dealt with elsewhere. Life expectancy in Canada: Up last year, still down compared to pre-pandemic The average Canadian can expect to live 81.7 years, according to new death data from Statistics Canada. That’s higher than the previous year, but still lower than pre-pandemic levels. Insurance company halts plan to put time limits on coverage for anesthesia during surgery After sharp criticism from anesthesiologists, an insurance company is halting its plan to limit the amount time it would cover anesthesia used in surgeries and procedures. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said on Thursday it would no longer move forward with the policy change. Sci-Tech NASA pushes back astronaut flights to the moon again NASA announced more delays Thursday in sending astronauts back to the moon more than 50 years after Apollo. Handwriting may solve a 700-year-old mystery, experts believe Crime-solving techniques applied to a medieval illuminated manuscript in Paris may have solved a centuries-old puzzle — the true identity of a leading Byzantine painter who injected humanity into the rigid sanctity of Orthodox religious art. Facial recognition to board a plane: How does it work, and what are the privacy concerns? Air Canada has launched facial recognition technology at the gate for people flying out of Vancouver International Airport - with the promise of a faster boarding process with fewer hassles. Entertainment Creative Taylor Swift fans craft ways around bracelet rules for Vancouver shows When BC Place stadium announced a ban on loose objects and large bags for Taylor Swift's upcoming shows in Vancouver, it put some Swifties in a bind — what to do with the hundreds of friendship bracelets that are traditionally swapped at the superstar's shows? Saskatchewan singer receives surprise message from King Charles III Saskatchewan singer-songwriter Jeffrey Straker received an early Christmas present recently, from King Charles III. Kieran Culkin explains why his kids haven't watched their uncle Macaulay Culkin's classic holiday hit 'Home Alone' Kieran Culkin's children with wife Jazz Charton have never watched the holiday classic 'Home Alone,' which is surprising given that it made their uncle Macaulay Culkin a child star. Business Bitcoin has surpassed the US$100,000 mark as the post-election rally continues. What's next? Bitcoin topped US$100,000 for the first time as a massive rally in the world's most popular cryptocurrency, largely accelerated by the election of Donald Trump, rolls on. 'It was like I was brainwashed': 2 Ontarians lose $230K to separate AI-generated cryptocurrency ad scams Two Ontarians collectively lost $230,000 after falling victim to separate AI-generated social media posts advertising fraudulent cryptocurrency investments. U.S. judge rejects Boeing's plea deal in a conspiracy case stemming from fatal plane crashes A federal judge on Thursday rejected a deal that would have allowed Boeing to plead guilty to a felony conspiracy charge and pay a fine for misleading U.S. regulators about the 737 Max jetliner before two of the planes crashed, killing 346 people. Lifestyle Here's what child development experts think about the 'beige mom' trend While the parents are often criticized for their choices in neutral tones, experts say the colours don't matter as long as there is variety and diversity in other areas of the child's life. Mexico plans to impose new US$42 fee on each passenger of cruise ships that dock there The Mexican government plans to impose a US$42 immigration fee for each passenger on a cruise ship that docks in the country. What not to do when hanging up Christmas lights The magic of the holidays wouldn't be complete for many people without Christmas lights, but there are some important tips to know before you set up your ladder. Sports Jays slugger Guerrero wins 2024 Tip O'Neill award as top Canadian player Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been named the 2024 winner of the Tip O'Neill award. Toronto Tempo unveiled as handle for new WNBA team as leak accelerates unveiling Canada's new WNBA franchise will be called the Toronto Tempo, a handle officially unveiled with some haste Thursday morning after it was leaked the previous day. George Russell accuses Max Verstappen of bullying and threatening behaviour as F1 feud deepens Mercedes driver George Russell has accused Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen of bullying and threatening behaviour as a dispute between the two at last week's race in Qatar deepened Thursday. Autos More than 200,000 SUVs recalled in Canada, U.S. over fuel leak concern Honda is recalling approximately 12,000 vehicles in Canada Electric vehicle reliability improving but lagging gas models: Consumer Reports survey The reliability of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids has dramatically improved, narrowing a wide gap with gas-powered automobiles, according to the latest survey by Consumer Reports. OPEC+ oil producers' alliance postpones production increases as crude prices stagnate Eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries decided Thursday to put off increasing oil production as they face weaker than expected demand and competing production from non-allied countries — factors that could keep oil prices stagnant into next year. Local Spotlight N.S. woman finds endangered leatherback sea turtle washed up on Cape Breton beach Mary Janet MacDonald has gone for walks on Port Hood Beach, N.S., most of her life, but in all those years, she had never seen anything like the discovery she made on Saturday: a leatherback sea turtle. 'It moved me': Person returns stolen Prada bag to Halifax store; owner donates proceeds A Halifax store owner says a person returned a Prada bag after allegedly stealing it. 'It's all about tradition': Bushwakker marking 30 years of blackberry mead The ancient art of meadmaking has become a holiday tradition for Regina's Bushwakker Brewpub, marking 30 years of its signature blackberry mead on Saturday. Alberta photographer braves frigid storms to capture the beauty of Canadian winters Most people want to stay indoors when temperatures drop to -30, but that’s the picture-perfect condition, literally, for Angela Boehm. N.S. teacher, students help families in need at Christmas for more than 25 years For more than a quarter-century, Lisa Roach's middle school students have been playing the role of Santa Claus to strangers during the holidays. N.S. girl battling rare disease surprised with Taylor Swift-themed salon day A Nova Scotia girl battling a rare disease recently had her 'Wildest Dreams' fulfilled when she was pampered with a Swiftie salon day. Winnipeg city councillor a seven-time provincial arm wrestling champ A Winnipeg city councillor doesn’t just have a strong grip on municipal politics. Watch: Noisy throng of sea lions frolic near Jericho Beach A large swarm of California sea lions have converged in the waters near Vancouver’s Jericho and Locarno beaches. Auburn Bay residents brave the cold to hold Parade of Lights It was pretty cold Saturday night, but the hearts of those in a southeast Calgary neighbourhood warmed right up during a big annual celebration. Vancouver Fatal crash closes Vancouver intersection Police are on scene after a fatal collision between a cyclist and a vehicle in East Vancouver Thursday afternoon. No tsunami threat to B.C. after powerful earthquake off California Emergency management officials say there is no tsunami threat to British Columbia after a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off California on Thursday morning. B.C. premier says feds and provinces plan right-left approach to Trump's tariff plans British Columbia Premier David Eby says Canada's premiers and the federal government have hatched a game plan over possible U.S. tariffs, where Conservative premiers lobby their Republican counterparts and left-leaning leaders court the Democrats, while the federal government focuses on president-elect Donald Trump. Toronto 2 men, 4 teens charged in Markham jewelry store robbery as police search for 6 more suspects York Regional Police have charged four teenage boys and two men and are looking for six more suspects in connection with a jewelry store robbery in Markham on Wednesday. Video shows moments leading up to fatal shooting in Brampton Video has surfaced showing the moments leading up to a fatal shooting outside of a Brampton home late Wednesday night. 'It was like I was brainwashed': 2 Ontarians lose $230K to separate AI-generated cryptocurrency ad scams Two Ontarians collectively lost $230,000 after falling victim to separate AI-generated social media posts advertising fraudulent cryptocurrency investments. Calgary Glenmore Landing redevelopment defeated by vote at Calgary council Calgary city council has defeated a motion to rezone a piece of land in Glenmore Landing to allow for a high-density development in the area. New Stampeder QB Vernon Adams Jr. visits McMahon Stadium with high hopes for 2025 season The Calgary Stampeders’ new number one quarterback has arrived in Calgary. After spending American Thanksgiving in Arizona, Vernon Adams checked out the facilities at McMahon Stadium and met with the media. Here's how much Calgary housing prices are expected to increase by the end of 2025 Calgary’s real estate prices are expected to continue to increase next year, according to a recent market forecast. Ottawa Sprung structures could be converted to community centres after asylum seeker use A City of Ottawa official says the proposed Sprung structures that the city wants to use to house asylum seekers could be converted to other public uses once they are no longer needed as newcomer welcoming centres. Ottawa customers turning to couriers to get holiday packages shipped as Canada Post strike continues The ongoing postal workers strike has some people turning to other delivery companies to get their holiday packages sent to loved ones in time for Christmas. OPP lay charges against two Ottawa towing companies Ontario Provincial Police have laid numerous charges against two local towing companies. Montreal WEATHER | Montreal hit with first major snowfall of the year Montrealers woke up on Thursday to the first real dump of snow as winter looks ready to set in. BREAKING | Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately. The majority of 17-month-old babies in Quebec use a screen every day: study Screens have found their way into families and are now an integral part of everyday life. Even under the age of two, babies in Quebec are using screens every day. Toddlers from low-income households use screens more frequently, according to a report by the Quebec statistics institute (ISQ) published on Thursday. Edmonton 30 robberies involving the swarming of store employees reported to Edmonton police The Edmonton Police Service is warning of a new shoplifting trend where groups of young people swarm store employees to steal expensive products. BREAKING | Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately. Ottawa, Alberta announce $162M rare disease drug agreement Alberta has entered a $162-million agreement with the federal government to provide access to drugs for rare diseases. Atlantic Fifteen per cent of ER visits in Canada are not for emergencies: report A report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says one in seven emergency room visits in Canada are for issues that could have been dealt with elsewhere. Police investigating after second homeless Nova Scotia man dies in as many weeks Police in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley are investigating the second sudden death of a homeless person within the past two weeks, prompting a local social advocate to sound the alarm about worsening weather. 'It's remarkable': How rising costs could impact food banks As the cost of food continues to rise, Maritime food banks are struggling to keep their shelves stocked. Winnipeg Manitoba bill would toughen penalties for some impaired-driving offences The Manitoba government is looking to bring in tougher penalties on people who are convicted of impaired driving offences that cause injury or death. Jordan’s Principle spending, Manitoba requests only increasing In the last five years, the number of approved Jordan’s Principle requests and the subsequent spending have nearly tripled. Silver Alert issued for missing Winnipeg woman Winnipeg police are concerned about the well-being of a missing senior. Regina Affordability, carbon tax bills pass as Sask. legislature continues short sitting The Saskatchewan Party's election promises of action on affordability and continued carbon tax exemptions have been fulfilled as the short sitting of the legislature carries on. Roughriders re-sign veteran quarterback Trevor Harris, inside source confirms The Saskatchewan Roughriders have re-signed veteran quarterback Trevor Harris, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji. Saskatoon dog rescue operator ordered to pay $27K for defamatory Facebook posts A Saskatoon dog rescue operator has been ordered to pay over $27,000 in damages to five women after a judge ruled she defamed them in several Facebook posts. Kitchener developing | Arrest made, replica firearm seized, after early morning standoff in Stratford One woman has been sent to hospital as Stratford Police investigate an intimate violence investigation Thursday morning. One person sent to hospital after collision near Brantford One person was sent to hospital after a collision involving a tractor trailer and a pedestrian near Brantford early Thursday morning. jeewan chanicka no longer Waterloo Regional District School Board director The Waterloo Region District School Board is under new leadership. Saskatoon Saskatoon dog rescue operator ordered to pay $27K for defamatory Facebook posts A Saskatoon dog rescue operator has been ordered to pay over $27,000 in damages to five women after a judge ruled she defamed them in several Facebook posts. Sask. school bus driver arrested for impaired driving after transporting 50 kids A Saskatchewan school bus driver, who was transporting 50 children shortly before his arrest, is facing impaired driving related charges. Saskatoon firefighters called back to home after ember rekindles the next morning Saskatoon firefighters had to return to the scene of a house fire on Thursday morning after an ember in the attic rekindled. Northern Ontario Four transport truck drivers charged in northern Ont. collisions on Hwy. 11 Bad weather and bad driving contributed to multiple collisions on Highway 11 on Wednesday, leading to charges for several commercial motor vehicle drivers. Layoffs at Vale's Sudbury operations not affecting members of Local 6500 Some non-union staff at Vale in the Sudbury area are being laid off, but the company is not saying how many and what positions are being affected. Northern Ont. police catch liquor store thief, getaway driver Two people from southern Ontario have been charged in connection with a liquor store robbery Wednesday in the Town of Thessalon. The suspects were caught after trying to flee on Highway 17 and hiding the booze in a snowbank. London Multiple collisions close highways, visibility deteriorates as major system hangs over London area If you’re begging for the snow to stop, unfortunately reprieve is not on the way just yet. Police close local highways due to weather Snow squalls and strong winds made for treacherous conditions, closing portions of the 401 and 402 on Thursday. Fire displaces eight people, injures two A fire that broke out at a home on Hale Street resulted in two people being assessed by paramedics, and as many as eight people being displaced. Barrie BREAKING | Ontario police charge man in connection with deadly police-involved shooting in Innisfil A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with a fatal police-involved shooting in an Innisfil, Ont. community nearly four months ago. Snow squall warning issued for Simcoe County, with up to 50 cm of snow possible Snow squall warnings for most of central Ontario with snow accumulations up to 50 centimetres likely. Preliminary hearing begins for man accused in Orillia murder case Brian Lancaster sat in the prisoner’s box inside a Barrie courtroom on Thursday for the start of his preliminary hearing - the details of which are protected by a publication ban. Windsor 14-year-old boys charged with gunpoint robbery and kidnapping Windsor police officers have arrested two 14-year-old boys related to a kidnapping and gunpoint robbery in south Windsor. 'It’s a big milestone': New CK children’s treatment centre expanding The new Chatham-Kent Children’s Treatment Centre is taking a big next step in its expansion process. Suspect wanted, another arrested following string of break-ins One man has been arrested following a string of commercial break-ins, according to police. Vancouver Island No tsunami threat to B.C. after powerful earthquake off California Emergency management officials say there is no tsunami threat to British Columbia after a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off California on Thursday morning. B.C. minister stepping away from role following cancer diagnosis B.C.'s Minister of Children and Family Development, Grace Lore, is stepping away from her role after being diagnosed with cancer. B.C. premier says feds and provinces plan right-left approach to Trump's tariff plans British Columbia Premier David Eby says Canada's premiers and the federal government have hatched a game plan over possible U.S. tariffs, where Conservative premiers lobby their Republican counterparts and left-leaning leaders court the Democrats, while the federal government focuses on president-elect Donald Trump. Kelowna Study of 2023 Okanagan wildfires recommends limiting development in high-risk areas A study into the devastating wildfires that struck British Columbia's Okanagan region in 2023 has recommended that government and industry limit development in high-fire-risk areas. Kelowna, B.C., to host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026 The Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets will host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026, the Canadian Hockey League said Wednesday. 545 vehicles impounded in 332 days: BC Highway Patrol pleads for drivers to slow down Mounties with the BC Highway Patrol in Kelowna say they've impounded more than 545 vehicles for excessive speed and aggressive driving so far this year. That works out to more than 1.6 per day. Lethbridge Lethbridge peace officer charged in relation to more than 10-year-old incident A Lethbridge police community peace officer has been charged with an off-duty incident stemming from more than 10 years ago. Lethbridge homeless support facilities expanding to cope with increasing demand Lethbridge has seen its population of people experiencing homelessness increase significantly over recent years, but help is coming, as construction is underway on an expansion of the Lethbridge Shelter. Southern Alberta man sentenced in 2021 killing A southern Alberta man has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years, less time served, in connection with a fatal attack on Linden Grier more than three years ago. Sault Ste. Marie Northern Ont. police catch liquor store thief, getaway driver Two people from southern Ontario have been charged in connection with a liquor store robbery Wednesday in the Town of Thessalon. The suspects were caught after trying to flee on Highway 17 and hiding the booze in a snowbank. 'Sense of relief' for lottery winner who recently went through rough times Adding Encore to a few free plays in the Ontario 49 lottery turned out to be very lucky for a PSW from Timmins. New addition to the CTV Northern Ontario family The CTV Northern Ontario family got a little bigger Tuesday when longtime anchor Marina Moore and her husband welcomed their second baby into the world. N.L. 'Kids are scared': Random attacks have residents of small-city N.L. shaken Mount Pearl, near St. John's, has been the scene for three random attacks in November. Police have arrested and charged seven youth. 'They're sitting ducks:' More women with disabilities unhoused due to abuse, violence New data show women with disabilities are more likely to be forced into homelessness because of violence or abuse. GivingTuesday: Food banks need help, but charity won't end hunger, advocates say It's GivingTuesday, and some directors of food banks and anti-poverty groups say the day underlines a conundrum for their organizations. Stay ConnectedASIA-PACIFIC: Mixed economic signals from the Asia-Pacific region left markets in a state of flux on Friday, as investors digested a range of data from China and Japan, with notable developments in inflation and industrial profits. The trading session saw a return to action in Australia and New Zealand following the Boxing Day holiday, while markets across Asia reacted to a mix of economic reports. In a Sharecast news report, Swissquote Bank senior analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya summed up the sentiment: “Those glued to their screens, hoping for Santa’s arrival, were left disappointed.” Despite a mixed set of U.S. job data showing a rise in jobless claims—the highest in three years—there was no immediate boost for equity markets or dovish sentiment from the Federal Reserve. In China, equities saw some support after the government announced a massive fiscal stimulus plan, including the sale of a record 3 trillion yuan in special treasury bonds aimed at bolstering consumption and investment. However, economic data revealed ongoing struggles, with industrial profits down nearly 5% year-on-year and a major workforce contraction in the property sector, underscoring the bumpy road ahead for the country’s recovery. Nikkei soars while South Korea, and Hong Kong struggle Japan’s Nikkei 225 index surged 1.8%, closing at 40,281.16, with notable performances from companies like DeNA and Nidec Corporation, which jumped 15.58% and 4.14%, respectively. The Topix also gained 1.26%. China’s Shanghai Composite managed a slight uptick of 0.06%, closing at 3,400.14, while the Shenzhen Component dipped 0.13%. Stocks like Fujian Dongbai Group and Anyuan Coal Industry Group saw impressive gains, rising over 10%. In contrast, South Korea’s Kospi 100 fell 0.61%, dragged down by sharp losses in Korea Zinc and Samsung Securities. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index also saw a minor dip of 0.04%, with declines in Zhongsheng Group, Nongfu Spring, and JD.com contributing to the lacklustre performance. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 managed a modest 0.5% rise, driven by strong performances from Mesoblast and Iperionx, while New Zealand’s S&P/NZX 50 outperformed with a 1% gain, buoyed by advances from Pacific Edge and Ryman Healthcare. Currency markets, oil prices show small moves In the currency markets, the U.S. dollar showed a mixed performance, slipping 0.16% against the yen to JPY 157.74 but gaining 0.14% against the Aussie to AUD 1.6097. The Kiwi fell slightly by 0.1%, trading at NZD 1.7765. Oil prices saw modest gains, with Brent crude futures up 0.76% to $73.82 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose 0.8% to $70.18. In economic news, China’s industrial profits fell at a reduced rate in November, declining 7.3% year-on-year—an improvement over October’s 10% drop. However, industrial profits were still on track for their steepest decline in over 20 years, reflecting persistent weaknesses in domestic consumption and a sluggish housing market. On a more optimistic note, the World Bank slightly revised China’s 2024 growth forecast upward to 4.9%, offering some hope for the year ahead, though the industrial sector remains in a tough spot. Meanwhile, Japan saw its core inflation accelerate to 2.4% in December, up from 2.2% in November, driven by sustained inflation in services. Factory output, however, fell in November, marking the first decline in three months, pointing to weak external demand. Japan’s labour market remained steady, with the jobless rate holding at 2.5%, but the broader economic outlook faces pressure as the government unveiled a record budget for the upcoming fiscal year. This ¥115.5 trillion budget, focused on debt servicing and social security costs, faces political hurdles as the ruling government lacks a parliamentary majority. Looking ahead As markets enter the final stretch of the year, the mixed economic data from China and Japan, coupled with ongoing inflation concerns, leaves investors uncertain about the direction of global recovery. With China’s road to recovery expected to be challenging and Japan’s inflationary pressures mounting, the region remains in a state of economic flux, with markets waiting for clearer signs in the new year.
Indexes dip with UnitedHealth, tech, ahead of jobs report - ReutersNone
Stormont backs continued trade barriers within the UK - despite unionist MLAs unanimously rejecting the Windsor FrameworkSuspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouse
A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans , gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, t-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” “I'm a travelin' dog and I've made a lot of stops/All over this town...” Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. “...And at every stop I own the heart, of at least one lovely ... " People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search has galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. "Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you," Brown said. And neighbors like Tammy Murray, who had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's Disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus ' Rescues' van towards reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim had come to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter, for stealth. “...If you're ever in the 9th Ward stop and see/My cute little mini poodle ...” Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades have prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something. He's doing that too,” she said. Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” "... and my Shar-Pei doll down in old Treme/Waits for my return ..." Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by multiple projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. “I wholeheartedly believe the gangster-ass cats were messing with him,” Murray said. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be." ___ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96
Lucknow: Sixty-eight villages in Uttar Pradesh, each with a population of less than 500 and located in aspirational blocks , will soon be connected through a rural road network under the PM Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). The ambitious project, aimed at expediting rural connectivity in the state, is proposed to be undertaken under the fourth phase of the PMGSY, which will continue until the 2028-29 fiscal year. Of the 500 aspirational blocks identified by NITI Aayog, Uttar Pradesh accounts for the highest number at 68, followed by Bihar with 61. The 68 aspirational blocks also include those in eight aspirational districts: Bahraich, Balrampur, Chandauli, Chitrakoot, Shravasti, Siddharthnagar, Sonbhadra, and Fatehpur. PMGSY-4 entails financial assistance for the construction of 62,500 km of all-weather roads in 25,000 unconnected habitations across 500 aspirational blocks nationwide. The total outlay for this scheme is estimated at over Rs 70,000 crore. A senior UPRRDA official said that the all-weather roads would play a crucial role in catalysing the socio-economic development and transformation of remote rural areas. PMGSY-4 will incorporate international benchmarks and best practices in road construction, such as cold mix technology, waste plastic, panelled cement concrete, cell-filled concrete, full depth reclamation, and the use of construction waste and other materials like fly ash and steel slag, according to a press note from the Centre. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss yearly career horoscopes 2025 for Aries , Taurus , Gemini , Cancer , Leo , Virgo , Libra , Scorpio , Sagittarius , Capricorn , Aquarius , and Pisces .Americans spent a staggering $10bn online shopping on Black Friday while in-store purchases continued to dip, according to analysts. This year, consumers took advantage of deals from Amazon and Walmart to purchase desktops, laptops and phones, while sales at Best Buy and Target were stagnant. Overall, online sales rose only slightly from $10.2bn in 2023 to $10.8bn in 2024, according to an analysis from Adobe Inc. However, Salesforce , which tracks a separate selection of spending categories, reported that US online sales rose 7 percent on Friday to $17.5bn. “Crossing the $10bn mark is a big e-commerce milestone for Black Friday, for a day that in the past was more anchored towards in-store shopping,” Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, said in a statement. “And with consumers getting more comfortable with everything from mobile shopping to chatbots, we have tailwinds that can prop up online growth for Black Friday moving forward.” Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., shoppers spent $11.3m every minute with consumers purchasing more home appliances and furniture online, the company announced. Salesforce said it analyzed the activity of more than 1.5 billion global shoppers. Some top-selling products included makeup, skincare and hair care products. Bluetooth speakers and espresso machines were also highly sought-after products. Online-only retailers like Shein and Temu saw a growth in sales in the seven days through Friday compared to a year earlier, Reuters reported. In-store purchases have only grown 0.7 percent year-over-year, according to Mastercard. Facteus reported that sales this year declined. Shoppers were more likely to visit stores to search for merchandise and deals than to spend their money in them. Despite inflation, Michelle Meyer, chief economist at Mastercard Economics Institute, told Reuters that popular holiday purchases, like clothing, appliances, sporting goods, personal care products and jewelry are increasing modestly or declining in price over the last year. It’s predicted that big department stores like Macy’s and Kohl’s might see “muted” sales this year, the outlet reported.
A little over six months ago Ezra, a young Congolese artist, landed in Australia with his large family straight from one of the largest refugee camps in Malawi to a quiet, leafy street where he appreciated the sounds of chirping birds. "Cockatoos are the most unique creatures I've ever seen in my life and that's why I decided to paint them," he told AAP. "There is much security here not the same as overseas, we were insecure." The 18-year-old was referring to Dzaleka, the sprawling United Nations-administered camp housing over 50,000 people, mostly comprised of Democratic Republic of Congolese like himself where millions have fled violence into neighbouring countries in recent years. "Once you move outside of the camp, you would get beaten and robbed. You have no rights once you step outside of the camp," Ezra noted. The renewed fighting in February between Rwanda-backed Tutsi rebels and the army in the resource-rich nation has displaced over seven million internally. "Sometimes I look at it (violence in DR Congo) on social media and feel depressed because we have friends and relatives back in Congo so I usually feel sad about it." Packed in classrooms of 250 students in the Malawi refugee camp where his learning was impeded, Ezra was quickly drawn to stencil drawing and painting aged 9. "I didn't get the chance to study arts formally because I was assisting my family financially but I started learning from my friends and would pick up information from them then use my own perspective and my own ideas." He and one of his brothers would sell chickens at the markets to make ends meet because they would go hungry for days without food due to looters. "Life was so difficult. I couldn't even afford to have my own mobile phone so I couldn't even capture what my paintings are about," he said. Since joining a creative arts mentorship program with Settlement Services International, a large Australian agency tasked with resettling refugees, he has been able to track his progress with photos of his canvases on his phone. The initiative which began last year is spearheaded by Ghasan Saaid, a prolific Sudanese-Australian visual artist who is a manager with the Humanitarian Settlement Program which helps new arrivals navigate their way in Australia from education to housing to finding a job. "Art is powerful because there's emotions and it's a very good tool for healing where artists become leaders in their communities," Mr Saaid explained. "So when we take care of those talents we are increasing the sense of belonging and enriching the cultural scene in Australia too." The creative arts project run out of Sydney provides refugees with artistic opportunities whether it is in music, theatre or visual arts with a professional industry setting. They pair them with experts and masterclasses in collaboration with cultural bodies such as the Art Gallery of NSW and link them with local art centres such as Casula Powerhouse and Blacktown Arts Centre in culturally diverse western Sydney with the view to earning a living off their work. "The art scene in Australia is very difficult to navigate especially with all the settlement barriers so ... guidance is the best thing to nurture them," Mr Saaid said. This was Ezra's experience, having sold one of his paintings displayed at an exhibition at NSW Police headquarters recently. He is hard at work painting a couple of new canvases for an upcoming exhibition next month marking International Human Rights Day.Joyce Rey Presents An Incredible Gem In Venice