Columbia River Treaty talks continue amid incoming Trump presidencyPrime Minister Justin Trudeau was taking part in a cabinet committee meeting on Canada-U.S. relations today, amid increasing calls for his resignation. A mid-day adjustment to Trudeau’s itinerary was issued by the Prime Minister’s Office and noted he was taking part in the meeting virtually, though a specific time wasn’t listed. Neither Trudeau, nor Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc issued a public comment after the meeting. Last week was a chaotic one for the governing Liberals, starting with Chrystia Freeland’s cabinet resignation just hours after she was set to table the fall economic statement. RELATED: Political strategist weighs in on tumultuous week in Ottawa for Trudeau Freeland and LeBlanc have previously spoken with the media at the conclusion of these cabinet committee meetings on dealing with the incoming Trump administration. The committee was reformed following Donald Trump’s re-election, and a chief topic of discussion at the meetings has been border security after the incoming president threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian products. Several Liberal MPs publicly called for Trudeau to step down as Liberal leader since Freeland’s resignation, and the NDP has joined the other major opposition parties in saying it no longer has confidence in the minority Liberal government. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024Police deny sitting on evidence as Netflix doc brings renewed attention to JonBenet Ramsey’s killing
Major poll puts Ireland’s lead parties near neck-and-neck
UN: Haitians slain over voodoo practice were abducted, hacked to deathNoneSam Darnold sensed the backside pressure as soon as he dropped back with Minnesota trailing by four points late in the fourth quarter in Seattle, so he moved into a safe space in the pocket and did precisely what would prefer him to do with the game on the line. He threw the ball down the field to Justin Jefferson. The perfectly placed throw near the sideline beat double coverage for a 39-yard touchdown that put the Vikings back in front with 3:51 remaining in a over the Seahawks on Sunday. “It was a great call,” said Jefferson, who had 10 receptions for 144 yards and two scores, all season highs. “I’m not going to say too much about that play, but something went on where me and Sam were on the same page, and he found me and we went up.” The Vikings were understandably coy about the context around the , when Darnold made a difficult on-the-run pass just over cornerback Tariq Woolen that Jefferson deftly twisted to catch next to his backside hip so he could shield the ball from late-breaking safety Julian Love. Darnold saw Love's shoulders initially shaded inside just enough to believe he couldn't retreat fast enough to prevent Jefferson from getting the ball. Jefferson also applied some improvisation to his route that Darnold clearly and properly read during the play. “I want those guys to have some freedom in those moments,” coach Kevin O'Connell said. “We do a lot of things with Justin and Sam, seeing the coverage and then with some route opportunities to get to at the line of scrimmage, and I think those guys have just gotten so comfortable with that stuff.” Darnold's long-delayed breakout performance under O'Connell has been one of the stories of the NFL this season, one that wouldn't have unfolded as neatly for the third overall pick in the 2018 draft without such synergy between him and his superstar wide receiver. If the Vikings (13-2) win their last two games, they will not only be NFC North champions for the second time in three years but also get the No. 1 seed and the lone first-round bye in the NFC for the playoffs. “Every single game we’re finding different ways to overcome adversity, overcome the different stuff defenses have thrown towards us," Jefferson said. “Sam has done a great job being a leader.” The pass rush was strong, with Andrew Van Ginkel recording two sacks and pressure leading to both interceptions of Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. The Vikings were credited with eight hits on Smith. The Vikings converted only three of 12 third downs, their second-worst rate of the season. Theo Jackson, who saw significant playing time at safety with Harrison Smith out, had the game-sealing interception with 49 seconds left. Tight end Josh Oliver has played 47% of the snaps the last two games, his two lowest usage rates of the season. He dropped the only pass he was thrown on Sunday. The defense ought to get a big boost this week with the expected return of the 13-year veteran Smith from his first absence in two years when he was sidelined at Seattle with a foot injury. Linebacker Ivan Pace, who has missed four games on injured reserve with a hamstring strain, is also on track to be back with his return to practice. Backup defensive lineman Jalen Redmond, who didn't play against the Seahawks because of a concussion, has made progress through the protocol, O'Connell said. Backup cornerback Fabian Moreau, who was inactive at Seattle with a hip injury, will continue to be evaluated throughout the week. 13.6% — That's the third-down conversion allowance rate for the Vikings over the last two games, with Chicago and Seattle combining to go just 3 for 22. The Vikings rank second in the NFL in third-down defense at 33.7% for the season and also rank second on fourth down at 36.7%. The Vikings host Green Bay on Sunday, with the kickoff moved to the late afternoon showcase spot on Fox. If Minnesota loses to the Packers, the Lions will clinch the NFC North and the Vikings would open the playoffs on the road as the No. 5 seed at best. Even if the Lions were to lose at San Francisco on Monday night, the Vikings would need to win at Detroit on Jan. 5 to take the division title. AP NFL:
Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan gave athletic director Warde Manuel a five-year contract extension Thursday on the heels of the Wolverines' upset over rival Ohio State and a strong start to the basketball season. Manuel, who has held the position since 2016, signed through June 30, 2030, the school announced. Manuel is also chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee. “During Warde’s tenure as director, Athletics has put a structure in place where our student-athletes compete for Big Ten and national championships, excel in the classroom, and proudly graduate with their University of Michigan degrees,” university President Santa J. Ono said in the announcement. Michigan had a disappointing football season, finishing 7-5 (5-4 Big Ten), but a 13-10 win over then-No. 2 Ohio State took some pressure off of the program. The Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the widest point spread for the rivalry since 1978, according to ESPN Stats and Info. The Wolverines won the national championship last year in their final season led by coach Jim Harbaugh, whose tenure at the school involved multiple NCAA investigations for recruiting and sign-stealing allegations. Manuel supported Harbaugh through those processes. In basketball, the women's team made its season debut (No. 23) in the AP Top 25 this week. The men are 7-1 a season after firing coach Juwan Howard, who lost a school-record 24 games in 2023-24 as Michigan plummeted to a last-place finish in the Big Ten for the first time since 1967. Michigan has won 52 Big Ten championships since 2020. “Every day, I am thankful to work at this great institution and to represent Michigan Athletics," Manuel said in a statement. "I especially want to thank the student-athletes, coaches and staff who compete for each of our teams and who have helped us achieve unparalleled success athletically and academically. I am excited to continue giving back to a university that has provided me with so much over my career.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballI could have become a drug addict – Obasanjo
SHAREHOLDER INVESTIGATION: The M&A Class Action Firm Continues to Investigate the Mergers of ARCH, USAP, CYTH, and BRKHLondon – Internationally educated Nigerian nurses have expressed feeling “thrown out into the cold” by the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) after being caught up in an ongoing investigation into widespread fraud at a test centre in Nigeria. The incident, which according to affected nearly 2,000 Nigerian nurses, has led to job losses, financial turmoil, and severe emotional distress for many of those involved. The investigation was triggered by concerns over fraudulent computer-based test (CBT) results at the Yunnik Technologies Test Centre in Ibadan, Nigeria, which was part of the NMC’s certification process for international nurses. Nurses, including registrants and applicants, were found to have taken the test in unusually quick times, leading the NMC to conclude that the CBT had been obtained fraudulently. In response to the scandal, 16 individuals have admitted to using proxies to sit the CBT, while 7 nurses have been removed from the NMC register, and 185 applications have been rejected. The NMC’s actions have left many nurses in a state of limbo, unable to progress with their careers as they await hearings and appeals regarding their cases. Felicia Kwaku, a representative of a group campaigning for the affected nurses, told , “We have a number of vulnerable people that have lost jobs and livelihoods,” as many nurses face a bleak future while the investigation drags on. One such nurse, who spoke to under the condition of anonymity, shared the emotional toll the situation has taken on her. Nurse A, who passed the CBT in October 2022 at Yunnik, found herself in the UK working as a healthcare assistant while waiting for her application to join the NMC register. However, in September 2023, she received a devastating letter rejecting her application, accusing her of obtaining her CBT fraudulently. “When I had that rejection letter, I thought I had died,” Nurse A recalled. “I couldn’t breathe. I was literally given an inhaler for the first time in my life because of the panic attack.” Despite retaking her CBT in the UK and providing evidence of her competence and trustworthiness, the assistant registrar who reviewed her case upheld the NMC’s decision, believing it more likely that she had obtained her CBT fraudulently. This decision has had far-reaching consequences, as Nurse A was forced to switch her visa status, losing her ability to work as a healthcare assistant and struggling financially. “I can’t go to school now, I can’t go back and do my master’s, I can’t earn a decent living,” she said. “I’m still paying the debts I incurred through the process of coming here.” Some affected nurses have pointed out that the fast test times were due to the availability of practice materials online, which were similar to the actual questions on the CBT. Nurse A explained, “I practised for eight months. At some points, just reading the first two words, you already know the answer.” The NMC has denied that these online materials were identical to the actual exam questions, but the nurses argue that Pearson VUE, the company responsible for overseeing the test centre, failed to maintain proper oversight. According to a recent webinar hosted by the NMC, the Yunnik Centre had not been inspected properly since its opening, and it lacked essential security measures such as CCTV and biometric verification to prevent fraud. Nurse A has called on Pearson VUE to take responsibility for their failure to uphold the standards of the testing centre. “We’re sort of like collateral damage between the NMC and Pearson VUE,” she said. “Nigerian nurses feel scammed that the NMC took us to a centre that was not meeting standards, and now we are getting blamed for what happened.” The situation has left many affected nurses uncertain about their future, with some even considering legal action against the NMC. The regulator’s handling of the case has sparked a wider debate about accountability and the responsibility of testing centres to uphold rigorous standards to protect the integrity of the qualification process for international nurses.FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A jury convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, an Indian national who prosecutors say went by the alias “Dirty Harry,” and Steve Shand, 50, an American from Florida, were part of a sophisticated illegal operation that has brought increasing numbers of Indians into the U.S., prosecutors said. They were each convicted on four counts related to human smuggling, including conspiracy to bring migrants into the country illegally. “This trial exposed the unthinkable cruelty of human smuggling and of those criminal organizations that value profit and greed over humanity,” Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said. “To earn a few thousand dollars, these traffickers put men, women and children in extraordinary peril leading to the horrific and tragic deaths of an entire family. Because of this unimaginable greed, a father, a mother and two children froze to death in sub-zero temperatures on the Minnesota-Canadian border,” Luger added. The most serious counts carry maximum sentences of up to 20 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office told The Associated Press before the trial. But federal sentencing guidelines rely on complicated formulas. Luger said Friday that various factors will be considered in determining what sentences prosecutors will recommend. Federal prosecutors said 39-year-old Jagdish Patel; his wife, Vaishaliben, who was in her mid-30s; their 11-year-old daughter, Vihangi; and 3-year-old son, Dharmik, froze to death Jan. 19, 2022, while trying to cross the border into Minnesota in a scheme Patel and Shand organized. Patel is a common Indian surname, and the victims were not related to Harshkumar Patel. The couple were schoolteachers, local news reports said. The family was fairly well off by local standards, living in a well-kept, two-story house with a front patio and a wide veranda. Experts say illegal immigration from India is driven by everything from political repression to a dysfunctional American immigration system that can take years, if not decades, to navigate legally. Much is rooted in economics and how even low-wage jobs in the West can ignite hopes for a better life. Before the jury’s conviction on Friday, the federal trial in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, saw testimony from an alleged participant in the smuggling ring, a survivor of the treacherous journey across the northern border, border patrol agents and forensic experts. Defense attorneys were pitted against each other, with Shand’s team arguing that he was unwittingly roped into the scheme by Patel. Patel’s lawyers, The Canadian Press reported , said their client had been misidentified. They said “Dirty Hary,” the alleged nickname for Patel found in Shand’s phone, is a different person. Bank records and witness testimony from those who encountered Shand near the border didn’t tie him to the crime, they added. Prosecutors said Patel coordinated the operation while Shand was a driver. Shand was to pick up 11 Indian migrants on the Minnesota side of the border, prosecutors said. Only seven survived the foot crossing. Canadian authorities found two parents and their young children later that morning, dead from the cold. The trial included an inside account of how the international smuggling ring allegedly works and who it targets. Rajinder Singh, 51, testified that he made over $400,000 smuggling over 500 people through the same network that included Patel and Shand. Singh said most of the people he smuggled came from Gujarat state. He said the migrants would often pay smugglers about $100,000 to get them from India to the U.S., where they would work to pay off their debts at low-wage jobs in cities around the country. Singh said the smugglers would run their finances through “hawala,” an informal money transfer system that relies on trust. The pipeline of illegal immigration from India has long existed but has increased sharply along the U.S.-Canada border. The U.S. Border Patrol arrested more than 14,000 Indians on the Canadian border in the year ending Sept. 30, which amounted to 60% of all arrests along that border and more than 10 times the number two years ago. By 2022, the Pew Research Center estimates more than 725,000 Indians were living illegally in the U.S., behind only Mexicans and El Salvadorans. Jamie Holt, a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations, said the case is a stark reminder of the realities victims of human smuggling face. “Human smuggling is a vile crime that preys on the most vulnerable, exploiting their desperation and dreams for a better life,” Holt said. “The suffering endured by this family is unimaginable and it is our duty to ensure that such atrocities are met with the full force of the law.” One juror Kevin Paul, of Clearwater, Minnesota, told reporters afterward that it was hard for the jurors to see the pictures of the family’s bodies. He said he grew up in North Dakota and is familiar with the kind of conditions that led to their deaths. “It’s pretty brutal,” Paul said. “I couldn’t imagine having to do what they had to do out there in the middle of nowhere.” Mark Vancleave And Michael Goldberg, The Associated PressPolice arrested a 26-year-old man on Monday in the Manhattan killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO after they say a Pennsylvania McDonald's worker alerted authorities to a customer who resembled the suspected gunman. The suspect, identified by police as Luigi Nicholas Mangione, had a gun believed to be the one used in Wednesday’s attack on Brian Thompson, as well as writings expressing anger at corporate America, police said. Here are some of the latest developments in the ongoing investigation: Where was the man captured? Mangione was taken into custody at around 9:15 a.m. after police received a tip that he was eating at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) east of Pittsburgh, police said. People are also reading... Mangione was being held in Pennsylvania on gun charges and will eventually be extradited to New York to face charges in connection with Thompson’s death, said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. What evidence did police find? In addition to a three-page, handwritten document that suggests he harbored “ill will toward corporate America,” Kenny said Mangione also had a ghost gun, a type of weapon that can be assembled at home and is difficult to trace. Officers questioned Mangione, who was acting suspiciously and carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. Officers also found a suppressor, “consistent with the weapon used in the murder,” the commissioner said. He had clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the shooter and a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting, Tisch said. What do we know about Mangione? Kenny said Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco and that his last known address is in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mangione, who was valedictorian of his Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a university spokesman told The Associated Press on Monday. He learned to code in high school and helped start a club at Penn for people interested in gaming and game design, according to a 2018 story in Penn Today, a campus publication. His social media posts also suggest that he belonged to the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. They also show him taking part in a 2019 program at Stanford University, and in photos with family and friends at the Jersey Shore and in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, and other destinations. The Gilman School, from which Mangione graduated in 2016, is one of Baltimore’s elite prep schools. Some of the city’s wealthiest and most prominent people, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., have had children attend the school. Its alumni include sportswriter Frank Deford and former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington. In his valedictory speech, Luigi Mangione described his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things,” according to a post on the school website. He praised their collective inventiveness and pioneering mindset. Mangione comes from a prominent Maryland family. His grandfather Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. The father of 10 children, Nick Mangione prepared his five sons — including Luigi Mangione’s father, Louis Mangione — to help manage the family business, according to a 2003 Washington Post report. The Mangione family also purchased Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore in 1986. On Monday, Baltimore County police officers blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to Luigi Mangione’s parents. A swarm of reporters and photographers gathered outside the entrance. Luigi Mangione is one of 37 grandchildren of Nick Mangione, according to his obituary. Luigi Mangione's grandparents donated to charities through the Mangione Family Foundation, according to a statement from Loyola University commemorating Nick Mangione’s wife’s death in 2023. They donated to various causes ranging from Catholic organizations to colleges and the arts. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione. A spokesman for the lawmaker's office confirmed the relationship Monday. The shooting and a quick escape Police said the person who killed Thompson left a hostel on Manhattan's Upper West Side at 5:41 a.m. on Wednesday. Just 11 minutes later, he was seen on surveillance video walking back and forth in front of the New York Hilton Midtown, wearing a distinctive backpack. At 6:44 a.m., he shot Thompson at a side entrance to the hotel, fled on foot, then climbed aboard a bicycle and within four minutes had entered Central Park. Another security camera recorded the gunman leaving the park near the American Museum of Natural History at 6:56 a.m. still on the bicycle but without the backpack. After getting in a taxi, he headed north to a bus terminal near the George Washington Bridge, arriving at around 7:30 a.m. From there, the trail of video evidence runs cold. Police have not located video of the suspected shooter exiting the building, leading them to believe he likely took a bus out of town. Police said they are still investigating the path the suspect took to Pennsylvania. “This just happened this morning," Kenny said. "We’ll be working, backtracking his steps from New York to Altoona, Pennsylvania,” Kenny said. Associated Press reporters Lea Skene in Baltimore and Cedar Attanasio in New York contributed to this report. The business news you need
ORCHARD PARK — The Buffalo Bills sorely needed a spark when James Cook lined up behind Josh Allen. The Bills were trailing the New England Patriots 14-0 in the second quarter. Three minutes into the second quarter, the Bills were set to run just their ninth offensive play of the game and Cook had just one rushing attempt at that point. With the play moving to the left, Cook stuck his foot in the ground and slightly reversed field. Cook darted through a gaping hole and out-raced the Patriots defense to the end zone for a 46-yard touchdown. It was the first of 24 consecutive points by the Bills in a 24-21 win over the Patriots. It was the sixth 40-yard gain by the Bills in four games — the third by Cook — and the 14 plays of 40 yards or more already surpassed last season’s total of 10. “Any time you have a big play, it's like a shot of adrenaline,” Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “Like literally like a shot of adrenaline. And it's fun. It makes the game fun, when you have giant chunks and it makes it easier.” When the Bills got to the line of scrimmage, he had guard Alec Anderson lined up as a tight end to his left and fullback Reggie Gilliam on his left. But the Patriots came out with five defenders on the line of scrimmage and eight players in the box. According to right guard O’Cyrus Torrence, the initial play was a duo run — . But the Bills were at a disadvantage in the numbers game so Allen audible to a stretch run to the left. Dawkins and left guard David Edwards mauled their assignments, while center Connor McGovern sealed off nose tackle Davon Godchaux. There were also two key blocks, starting with Torrence immediately getting to linebacker Sione Takitaki. Torrence not only used a 100-pound weight advantage, but caught Takitaki with his momentum already moving to his right. Had Torrence not cleared him out, Takitaki would have been responsible for plugging the cut-back lane. The other block that was pivotal was when Anderson and Gilliam secured a double-team block on defensive end Keion White. Cook also played his part, moving from the left hashmark, past the right (roughly 8 yards), before hitting the cut-back hole opened by Torrence and McGovern. Between the Anderson-Gilliam block and Cook’s patience, Patriots safety Marte Mapu assumed the run was going outside, which is exactly what the play was designed to make him think. Just as Torrence overwhelmed Takitaki, Cook put his left foot into the ground and hit the hole. All Mapu could do was attempt a dive to Cook’s ankles. “Knowing they’re going to bring pressure, you know they’re going to get to the outside,” Torrence said. “So you got to make sure you got the backside. My job was to get to my man and push up fast. Once I got to him, I pushed him fast and I saw Jimbo running right behind me.”