Elon Musk calls Trudeau 'insufferable' after remark on Kamala Harris defeat - CP24Federal agencies have submitted their complete inventories of artificial intelligence use cases to the White House to ensure trustworthy and transparent deployment. Following the recent Monday deadline to report such programs, 37 agencies submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget, fulfilling the provision in President Joe Biden’s October 2023 that asks agencies to provide details about how AI is impacting their business operations and about the risk mitigation efforts used to ensure that such systems are deployed safely. Overall, the top three categories for AI use cases in federal operations were: mission-enabling and operations support, health and medical system support and government service operationalization. Of the total 1,757 use cases reported, 227 of these were identified as civil rights or safety impacting. The Department of Health and Human Services leads agencies in total use cases deployed, with 271 active AI use cases, 4 of them being rights-impacting. Following HHS, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported 229 active AI use cases, with 145 of them classified as rights-impacting at various levels. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of the Interior followed just behind, reporting 183 and 180 active AI use cases, respectively. Though the updated transparency is seen as a positive development in ongoing AI policy, analysts noted inconsistencies in how agencies document their AI usage. “Agencies’ updated AI use case inventories are a reflection of both increased AI usage across the federal government as well as improved documentation of agencies’ existing use cases. Some updated inventories contain significantly more information than years passed [sic], marking important progress,” Quinn Anex-Ries, a senior policy analyst at the Center for Democracy & Technology told in an email. “However, there are still significant inconsistencies in documentation practices between agencies and limited information about how agencies are evaluating the risk level of AI systems," she added. "Agencies now have the chance to learn from one another and the public about how these inventories can be improved upon in the future.”
Gumla: Claiming that the JSSC’s combined graduate level examinations were not conducted in a transparent manner, hundreds of aspirants hit the streets of Gumla in protests against the state govt on Wednesday. Female aspirants said they would rather prefer govt jobs than the state govt’s monthly stipend under the Maiya Samman Yojana. The students are now criticising the govt for failing to address their concerns, pointing at JSSC's inability to conduct competitive examinations with transparency and fairness, unlike other states. Their protests, initially directed at the JSSC, have now openly shifted towards the state's leadership. Candidates Shikha Priya and Sonu Kumar said, “The govt is playing with the future of students. There has been scam in JSSC-CGL examination.” The protestors have issued warnings about surrounding the Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha if their demands to nullify the JSSC-CGL examination were not fulfilled. We also published the following articles recently JSSC-CGL aspirants protest against state govt in Gumla Hundreds of aspirants protested in Gumla against the Jharkhand government, alleging a lack of transparency in the JSSC's combined graduate level exams. Female protestors prioritized government jobs over the Maiya Samman Yojana stipend. Initially targeting the JSSC, the protests now directly criticize Chief Minister Hemant Soren, with protestors threatening to surround the Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha if the exam isn't nullified. Ex-min denies sons selection in JSSC CGL examination Former Jharkhand minister Satyanand Bhokta has denied social media allegations that his sons were unfairly given government jobs through the JSSC CGL exam. Bhokta clarified that one son didn't take the exam, while the other sat for it but wasn't selected. He threatened legal action against those spreading the rumors, which surfaced after his daughter-in-law's electoral defeat. JSSC CGL result 2023 released at jssc.nic.in: Steps to download PDF and other details here The Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) has declared the results for the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) exam 2023. 2,231 candidates are shortlisted for document verification, scheduled from December 16-20, 2024, for 2,025 available positions. A second verification window is open December 26-27 for those with valid reasons for missing the initial dates. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .
With two months left in his term, O’Malley’s effort to fix the system has made inroads but remains a work in progress.WEC Energy Group Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors
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AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Bowen Hardman had 20 points in Akron's 101-48 victory NCAA-Division III-member SUNY-Brockport on Saturday. Hardman went 8 of 14 from the field (4 for 10 from 3-point range) for the Zips (6-2). James Okonkwo scored 12 points and added 16 rebounds. Nate Johnson shot 5 for 8, including 2 for 4 from beyond the arc to finish with 12 points, while adding six rebounds. The Golden Eagles were led in scoring by Tony Arnold, who finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. Jacob Oka added six points for SUNY-Brockport. Christian Amica also had five points. Akron took the lead with 18:22 left in the first half and never looked back. The score was 56-24 at halftime, with Hardman racking up 12 points. Akron outscored SUNY-Brockport by 21 points over the final half, while Evan Wilson led the way with a team-high eight second-half points. Akron visits Milwaukee in its next matchup on December 15. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .VFS Global, the world’s leading outsourcing and technology service specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, has crossed the 300 million applications milestone. Notably, the last 100 million applications have been achieved in the past 5 years despite the pandemic-driven travel slow-down of 2020-2022. In 2023 alone, the company processed 24.1 million applications, 35% more than in 2022. (Source: ISR 2023), and between January to May 2024, it has processed approximately 100,000 applications a day. Zubin Karkaria, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, of VFS Global Group, said, “We are very pleased and honoured with the achievement of this milestone, which is a testament to the trust 69 governments have in VFS Global, and a testament to the reliable, secure and innovative services we provide across 153 countries. We are also deeply grateful to all visa applicants using our services. Over the past one-year, we are honoured to have won several important contracts, including becoming the exclusive overseas visa outsourcing partner for UK Visas and DHA Australia, and contracts with Germany, Finland, Portugal and Japan who have renewed their trust in us. We remain deeply committed to continuing investments in technology and human capital development to ensure continuous enhancement of our services.” From managing 60 client governments in 2019, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 69 governments comprising long-term partnerships with 25 governments for over 15 years. Last year, VFS Global was honoured to have won a record seven global visa outsourcing contracts – for the UK, Australia, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Iceland, and Austria – further cementing client governments’ trust in the organisation’s highly secure, efficient, and innovative solutions and its overall value proposition. Innovation and technology are a founding pillar for VFS Global, a company that conceptualised and created the business segment of outsourced visa services with its inception in 2001. For instance, the company has introduced 16 unique digital solutions and built robust end-to-end eVisa platforms for 12 sovereign governments. Likewise, it pioneered biometric capabilities, another stellar example of innovation and adapting to changing market dynamics. VFS Global has efficiently processed more than 140 million biometric enrolments since 2007. Today as more governments look to integrate biometric enrollment in their visa application process, VFS Global has further developed its capabilities with the Multi-Mission Model (MMM) biometric kits. Currently, the organisation is strategically focused on leveraging GenAI-led capabilities to bring more efficiency to the customer journey. After partnering with the Responsible AI Institute to ensure responsible and ethical use of AI, the market leader has set up an AI hub in Mumbai and Dubai with one more – in Berlin in the pipeline.Manitoba on pace to see record substance use deaths in 2024
AP Business SummaryBrief at 3:50 p.m. EST
Booze will cost you more this holiday season than last — but not much more. And there are ways to increase the bang for your buck while grabbing a round of drinks or bringing a bottle to a gathering. As is usually the case, alcohol is still generally cheaper at home than in bars and restaurants, and beer remains lower-priced than many liquors. But some spirits, including many tequilas and whiskeys, are seeing noteworthy price drops that have made even top-shelf bottles a bit more affordable. Whiskey bought for at-home consumption is nearly 2% less expensive, on average, than a year ago, federal inflation numbers released Wednesday show. Beer served out of the house, on the other hand, is about 4% pricer. And on Thursday, federal regulators turned a spotlight on retail booze prices, accusing a major U.S. liquor distributor of favoring big chains like Costco and Kroger over independent shops, making it harder for smaller operators to compete. So far, at any rate, many price moves for alcoholic beverages have been relatively modest. Booze costs rose nearly 15% from the first half of 2019 to the first half of this year, less than the 23% jump in consumer prices at large during that period. As of last month, alcohol costs were up only 1.8% since the year before, while inflation overall was 2.7% . Sluggish demand has helped keep prices in check. “It’s been a pretty rough year for alcohol sales,” said Marten Lodewijks, president of the U.S. division of the beverage industry data firm IWSR. “It’s been fairly consistent across the board: a general pulling back of consumer spend on alcohol, and spirits in particular.” That trend coincides with a broader caution rippling through the economy. Retail sales around Thanksgiving showed many households are still eager to spend , but only at the right price. Many brands are chasing value-wary shoppers’ wallets with increasingly competitive deals and discounts . “As a nonessential item, it hit consumers quite hard,” Lodewijks said of inflation’s impact on alcohol in recent years. “When prices on everything else started going up, suddenly that extra $5 on a bottle of spirits was meaningful.” His firm flagged in September that sales volumes had declined more than expected during the first seven months of this year for beer, wine and spirits alike; the only exception was in canned cocktails, which beverage makers have been pushing heavily . The falloffs came amid growing interest in nonalcoholic mocktails and signs that younger people are thinking twice about causal drinking . Shares of Diageo, a major importer of Scottish whiskey, and Pernod Ricard, which imports Absolut Vodka and Jameson whiskey, are each down by double digits since the start of this year. U.S. beer sales have also suffered, squeezing brewers who have faced a yearslong pullback after the previous decade’s craft beer boom. Even so, beer remains the cheapest and by far the most popular alcohol at full-service restaurants, accounting for over half of booze sales in those settings this year, according to data released Tuesday by the transaction processor Toast. Typically, weaker sales encourage price cuts, but this week’s inflation data showed beer at bars and restaurants posting the biggest jump — climbing 4% between November 2023 and last month. Lodewijks said at least two factors are likely at play: Many brewers have been passing on higher costs to their customers and chasing higher-dollar drinkers. “While mainstream and below beer has seen major volume losses, premium and above beer has generally fared very well,” he said. “Now, consumers won’t be fooled into thinking a mainstream beer is premium simply by raising prices, but this could be an attempt by some brand owners to change the perception of their brand by moving it up the price ladder.” There are still big unknowns when it comes to brewers’ costs. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in November led some beer makers to voice fresh worries about tariffs, after his first round hit the aluminum and steel-reliant industry in 2018. Even Modelo importer Constellation Brands, which had waved off trade concerns before the election, saw its stock fall 3.5% after Trump proposed 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico last month, before shares steadied. In the meantime, some of the industry’s headwinds since its pandemic-era boom are still benefiting consumers this holiday season. The price of agave, a key ingredient in tequila and mezcal, has fallen dramatically since 2022, when it peaked at 32 Mexican pesos per kilogram, or about $1.60. By February 2024, 1 kilogram of agave cost just 5 Mexican pesos, or less than 30 cents. Tequila manufacturers took advantage as demand soared , producing trendy luxury tequilas — many of them at lower prices. That has made it easier to buy a high-quality bottle in recent years without spending more, Lodewijks said. “What consumers are saying is, ‘I’m not going to spend $50, but spending $30, I can get a really good tequila for that price,’” he said. Tequila is still the priciest liquor you can order at a sit-down restaurant, averaging $13.48 per drink as of the third quarter, the Toast data shows. But it’s the only booze whose costs have remained basically flat for the past year. Premium bourbons have propped up the U.S. whiskey industry, which is relatively strong at the moment even as Scottish and other imported options struggle, Lodewijks said. Still, whiskey was the only at-home alcoholic beverage to see prices outright decline since last year, inflation data shows. Whiskey distillers have seen softer demand in key markets like California, Florida and Kentucky, according to IWSR . But Lodewijks said it could be that producers have managed to lower their costs through more efficient production. “Shop around and do your research, and you can really find good-quality product at a lower price,” he advised holiday quaffers and bottle-gifters. “Often it’s better than the stuff you’re paying more for.”
2 Growth Stocks That Could Skyrocket in 2025 and BeyondVinFast whistleblower Hazar Denli has filed whistleblower complaints with U.S. whistleblower award programs at the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). As reported by BBC , Denli has raised concerns about safety issues in the engineering of VinFast electric cars. “We are proud to be representing Mr. Denli, who has demonstrated immense bravery in coming forward with information about critical safety issues,” says Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto (KKC) founding partner Michael Kohn , who is representing Denli in his complaints with U.S. regulators. “We hope that authorities will respond accordingly to such a serious and pressing matter.” “Mr. Denli has found egregious safety issues in VinFast cars that are being sold in the United States,” adds KKC’s Benjamin Calitri , who is representing Denli alongside Kohn. “This case shows the transnational power of U.S. whistleblower laws, as a foreign whistleblower can provide information on an international company that is harming Americans.” Denli was a mechanical engineer and module leader at Tata Technologies Ltd, which is owned by Tata Group, between September 2022 and May 2023. During this time, Denli was “seconded,” along with 300-500 other engineers from Tata Technologies, to work as a contractor at VinFast to engineer their electric cars. During their experience at VinFast, Denli found significant engineering and safety issues with VinFast cars. He raised these issues he found internally, along with solutions to these issues, but was told that the fixes would not be made in order to not delay production. In January 2024, Denli began work at Jaguar Land Rover, which is also owned by Tata Group. After seeing examples of incidents with VinFast cars, including the death of a family of four in California who died in a VinFast VF 8, Denli made an anonymous post on Reddit on May 30, 2024 that explained the engineering issues he found with VinFast cars. VinFast and Tata Group later uncovered that Denli was responsible for this post, and he was fired in July 2024. Denli went public with this information on December 18, 2024 in a series of articles published by BBC News. These articles resulted almost immediately in VinFast cars being retracted from use as taxis in Vietnam. Prior to the publication of these articles, Denli filed whistleblower reports with the SEC Whistleblower Program and the NHTSA Whistleblower Program . The SEC Whistleblower Program offers monetary awards and protections to whistleblowers who disclose securities violations while the NHTSA Whistleblower Program offers awards and protections to those reporting auto safety issues. The NHTSA program was established in 2015 but just adopted final rules in December 2024 . Denli, while located in the United Kingdom, is utilizing U.S. whistleblower award laws as they have been proven to be more effective and offer monetary awards to whistleblowers. The effectiveness of U.S. award laws, and their pull for U.K. whistleblowers, was recently documented in a landmark report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
Brittany Cartwright is bra-free as she almost spills out of low-cut dress at Kathy Hilton's Christmas party By HEIDI PARKER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 17:33 EST, 11 December 2024 | Updated: 18:07 EST, 11 December 2024 e-mail 50 shares 16 View comments Brittany Cartwright put on a sexy display while at Kathy Hilton 's Christmas party in Bel Air, California . The 35-year old was bra free as she wore a plunging bright red strapless gown. The ex of Jax Taylor showed off her tiny waistline while posing by a Christmas tree. She also posed with RHOBH star Hilton as well as several of her female friends at the holiday bash. Months ago she lost weight with diet and body contouring from AirSculpt. Cartwright has been battling her weight ever since she welcomed her son Cruz . She has tried Jenny Craig, which caused her to lose 40lbs; soon after she modeling swimsuits for Cupshe. Brittany Cartwright put on a sexy display while at Kathy Hilton 's Christmas party in Bel Air, California The 35-year old was bra free as she wore a plunging bright red strapless gown. The ex of Jax Taylor showed off her tiny waistline while posing by a Christmas tree But she felt like she wanted some extra weight removed from around her waist. In September Cartwright told DailyMail.com exclusively she had a two hour AirSculpt session - which removes fat and tightens skin - in May so she could feel good about her body for the summer. The work was done three months before filing for divorce from Taylor . And the reality TV sensation is 'thrilled' with the move that has boosted her confidence after a very tough year. 'I am feeling great these days after getting AirSculpt,' she told DailyMail.com as she could be seen showing off her slender frame in new images. 'Yeah, you can say I wanted a revenge body. I wanted to look good after everything I’ve been through this year. I want to look my very best. I wanted to get my sparkle back.' This comes after she said she doesn't regret having a fling with one of Taylor 's friends. In October, PageSix claimed the man who caught her eye was Julian Sensley, 42. The star insists she didn't plan to 'hook up with his friend' - but Brittany doesn't have any regrets about it, either. Brittany - who split from Jax earlier this year - said on the Hot Mic podcast : 'Jax and I did not have a no dating in the friend group policy. 'We never spoke about that because why would we? First off, I didn't think I was going to hook up with his friend. It wasn't planned. I wasn't trying to go after one of his friends. That's not how it happened.' Months ago she lost weight with diet and body contouring from AirSculpt Cartwright has been battling her weight ever since she welcomed her son Cruz . She has tried Jenny Craig, which caused her to lose 40lbs; soon after she modeling swimsuits for Cupshe She also posed with RHOBH star Hilton as well as several of her female friends at the holiday bash Read More Brittany Cartwright is bra-free as she almost spills out of low-cut dress after talking 'fling' with Jax Taylor's friend Brittany also admitted to having a flirty exchange with the man on social media. She said: 'I could tell this guy was flirting with me. I was always flirting with him. He's very much my type.' Jax previously admitted that he doesn't blame Brittany for seeking a divorce . He said on the When Reality Hits podcast: 'Unfortunately, she's had enough. And I don't blame her at all. 'I mean, I can't believe she's been with me this long as it is. That we stayed, to be honest.' Despite this, Jax was still caught off-guard when Brittany decided to leave him. The reality star - who has Cruz, three, with Brittany - said: 'When she decided to leave, I was kind of in shock. I shouldn't have been in shock, but I was in shock.' Jax also conceded that he's been through a 'really, really rough' time since his high-profile split from Brittany. Jax - who spent some time in rehab earlier this year - added: 'Anyone that has gone through a divorce will understand how difficult this is.' Cartwright doesn't regret having a fling with one of Jax Taylor 's friends; see this summer She also said she doesn't think Taylor changed 'at all' during his spell in rehab. The star spent time at a mental health facility earlier this year, but Brittany doesn't feel it's had any impact on him and she doubts whether he even has the capacity to change. Brittany said on the 'Hot Mic' podcast: 'I don't feel like he changed at all in those 30 days. 'And the reason, I mean, I'm sure it'll be on the show as well, but, you know, a lot of rage texting and stuff was still going on the entire time that he was in rehab. 'So, for me, I was just noticing like, this is just going to be constant. Like, if you're in therapy seven hours a day, and you're still finding time to call me names and cuss me out? And send me rage texts? PageSix claimed the man who caught her eye was named Julian Sensley. The 35-year-old star insists she didn't plan to 'hook up with his friend' - but Brittany doesn't have any regrets about it, either Brittany - who split from Jax earlier this year - said on the Hot Mic podcast: 'Jax and I did not have a no dating in the friend group policy. Pictured April 27 in Washington, D.C. Seen with their son Cruz 'Then you're obviously not ever gonna change.' Although Brittany subsequently admitted that a reconciliation remained possible, she confessed to being tired of ' cleaning up Jax's messes '. The former Vanderpump Rules star - who filed for a divorce from Jax in August - told Us Weekly: 'There's definitely a chance. But I won't waste my time and get back into a toxic situation. 'Now the veil has been lifted and I see how much I was always cleaning up Jax's messes. I'm thrown in the middle of all these fights and constantly forced to apologize for him in the media and to friends. It's hard.' Brittany Cartwright Jax Taylor California Share or comment on this article: Brittany Cartwright is bra-free as she almost spills out of low-cut dress at Kathy Hilton's Christmas party e-mail 50 shares Add commentIn the true spirit of giving, the London-St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) was on a tour across the region, making donations to local charities. “We're so lucky to have LSTAR visiting us today. They're dropping off a cheque for $10,000 to support our subsidy programs,” said Executive Director of Meals on Wheels London Chad Callander. In total, LSTAR visited 10 charities Wednesday: The company donated over $80,000 to these charities, bringing their annual charitable contribution to approximately $143,000. According to Meals on Wheels, this donation couldn’t have come at a better time. “The number of individuals that are relying on us in order to be able to afford their meals is continuously growing. We're doing about 130,000 meals a year, which is about up 15 to 20 per cent. So the support is absolutely appreciated,” said Callander. “As realtors, the community supports us in our business, and we believe strongly that we need to support the community. We have a strong focus on housing and that sort of thing and the items that we support. So it's just really important to, to promote those initiatives in London,” said LSTAR Chair Kathy Amess. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. 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Police locate labyrinth of tunnels connecting tents to generator in Hamilton encampment Hamilton police say that they discovered a series of “man-made holes and tunnels” during a patrol of a downtown encampment earlier this week. Police identify murder victim whose skull was found in Ontario river more than three decades ago Police have identified a man whose skull was found almost 40 years ago in a Peterborough-area river. Certain foods may disrupt your body's fight against cancer cells, study says The food you eat may be affecting your body’s ability to fight cancer cells in the colon, according to a new study. Canada Post strike: Talks deadlocked as sides clash on wages Negotiations between Canada Post and the union representing its workers appear to be in a deadlock as the two sides remain far apart on wages and other issues. 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Ont. woman whose father died in impaired driving collision warns others not to make same mistake An Ontario woman whose father died in an impaired driving collision when she was a baby is urging people to think twice before getting behind the wheel while impaired, saying the decision can affect multiple generations. $64,000 bank fraud suspect arrested Windsor police say a bank fraud suspect, who was wanted in Windsor, has been arrested in York Region. Northern Ontario Sudbury police make big drug bust at apartment connected to assault suspect As Sudbury police continue to investigate Tuesday's assault on Elm Street, a search of the apartment where some of the suspects were found uncovered $135,000 in drugs. Ontario man charged with sex trafficking underage girls from Sudbury, Kingston Two young girls, from Sudbury and Kingston, Ont., were rescued from sex trafficking in the GTA and their suspected abuser has been charged, but police fear there may be more victims. Sudbury family celebrates liberation of their home country of Syria A Syrian family living in Sudbury, Ont., is celebrating a significant political shift in their home country after rebels took over the government. Sault Ste. Marie Ontario man charged with sex trafficking underage girls from Sudbury, Kingston Two young girls, from Sudbury and Kingston, Ont., were rescued from sex trafficking in the GTA and their suspected abuser has been charged, but police fear there may be more victims. Doctor shortage crisis turning into a catastrophe in the north: OMA Northern Ontario doctors are calling on the province to immediately address an acute doctor shortage in northern Ontario. SPONSORED | Is your credit card’s travel insurance enough? When you’re planning a trip, you always want to ensure you have coverage for any unexpected events, whether that’s a medical emergency, needing to cancel a trip at the last-minute (or during the trip!), or even for lost baggage. Many credit cards offer travel insurance as a perk, but do they provide you with enough coverage? Ottawa Council approves 3.9% tax hike in 2025 City of Ottawa budget, hikes senior monthly fares $9 City council has voted to approve the 2025 City of Ottawa budget that will include scaled back fares hikes for seniors and retain youth discount passes while raising taxes across the board for most homeowners. Driver receives $10K in fines for speeding 134 km/h over speed limit on Highway 174 in Ottawa, police say An Ottawa driver faces $10,000 in fines and is banned from driving for two years after being observed going 134 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 174. Canada Post workers rally at headquarters as strike enters fourth week Canada Post workers are continuing their fight for a deal as their strike stretches into its fourth week. Toronto Police locate labyrinth of tunnels connecting tents to generator in Hamilton encampment Hamilton police say that they discovered a series of “man-made holes and tunnels” during a patrol of a downtown encampment earlier this week. BREAKING | Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatens to cut off energy to U.S. in response to Trump's tariffs Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to cut off energy supply to the U.S. in response to the tariffs President-elect Donald Trump plans to impose on all Canadian imports. Police identify murder victim whose skull was found in Ontario river more than three decades ago Police have identified a man whose skull was found almost 40 years ago in a Peterborough-area river. Montreal Montreal billionaire Robert Miller facing new sex charges Montreal billionaire Robert Miller is facing new criminal charges as he waits to go on trial on several sex offences. 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Maritime weather: Rainy, windy weather moves through region More rain and wind are ahead for the Maritimes Wednesday through Thursday, with weather warnings in effect for parts of the region. Winnipeg Winnipeggers face 5.95 per cent property tax increase in budget Winnipeggers will be paying more property taxes than expected next year. Manitoba nurse found not criminally responsible for killing parents has licence to practice suspended A Manitoba nurse who was found not criminally responsible for killing his parents and attacking another nurse in a Winnipeg hospital has been suspended from practicing. Woman, 72, dies following crash on Highway 41: RCMP A 72-year-old woman is dead following a crash on an icy Manitoba highway Tuesday morning. Calgary 'Scared and confused': 9-year-old Calgary girl recalls terrifying experience being stuck in stolen vehicle A Calgary girl who was sitting in her dad's vehicle when it was stolen on Monday night is speaking out about the horrifying experience, along with her father. Woman found badly injured along Nose Creek Pathway dies in hospital A woman who was on life support after she was found badly injured in Calgary's northeast has died. Multi-vehicle highway collision in southern Alberta leaves 4 dead, 1 injured Four people are dead following a multi-vehicle crash in southern Alberta on Monday evening. Edmonton Accused in killing of apartment security guard have extensive criminal histories A man and a woman charged in the killing of a security guard in Edmonton will spend Christmas and New Year's behind bars. Edmonton police acted reasonably in 2022 shooting that killed innocent man: police watchdog Alberta's police watchdog has cleared three Edmonton police officers in the death of a civilian in his apartment in 2022. Crash involving school buses ties up south Edmonton traffic Two school buses carrying children were involved in a crash in south Edmonton Wednesday morning. Regina Extreme cold warnings issued for Regina, Saskatoon and much of eastern Sask. Extreme cold warnings are now in effect as Saskatchewan enters a cold snap, which is expected to last until the end of the week. Sask. hockey coach convicted of historic sex crime back on day parole after 'behavioural concerns' A former WHL coach found guilty last year of sexually assaulting a teen boy is back on day parole. SaskPower bills to rise an average of 2.9% in 2025 due to carbon tax rate increase Residents in Saskatchewan will see a slight increase in their power bills come the new year, as the federal price on carbon is set rise. Saskatoon Cold weather in Saskatchewan spurs furnace breakdowns, carbon monoxide concerns The return of bitterly cold temperatures has first responders and HVAC technicians on stand-by, ready to respond to emergencies. Sask. hockey coach convicted of historic sex crime back on day parole after 'behavioural concerns' A former WHL coach found guilty last year of sexually assaulting a teen boy is back on day parole. 'Unfortunate coincidence': Two Saskatoon power outages not related, city says The city's two major power outages within a week were caused by different reasons, according to Saskatoon Light & Power (SL&P). Vancouver Distress call leads to discovery of camper's body on Vancouver Island Mounties say a 42-year-old man who was camping on Vancouver Island has been found dead after rescuers were alerted to a distress signal from his satellite communication device. Charges laid in New Westminster triple-stabbing Police in New Westminster say a 30-year-old suspect has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault in connection to a stabbing that occurred back in October. B.C. company appealing nearly $230K fine for failing to report transactions originating from Iran A Surrey-based "money services business" is appealing a roughly $230,000 fine levied against it by Canada's anti-money-laundering and terrorism financing regulator. Vancouver Island Distress call leads to discovery of camper's body on Vancouver Island Mounties say a 42-year-old man who was camping on Vancouver Island has been found dead after rescuers were alerted to a distress signal from his satellite communication device. No Santa, no Rudolph: B.C. mother questions lyric changes for son's school concert A Saanich, B.C., mom is questioning why her son came home from school with the words “Santa,” “Rudolph” and “Christmas” crossed out on a lyric sheet for his winter concert. Commercial truck driver fired, facing charges after parked cars struck in Metro Vancouver A commercial truck driver has been fired and is facing impaired driving charges after police say his tractor-trailer collided with four parked cars in Port Coquitlam, B.C. Stay Connected
Thousands of protesters marched in the Georgian capital Tbilisi Saturday for the 10th day of rallies sparked by a disputed election and the government's decision to shelve EU accession talks. Demanding fresh elections and a return to European integration, the demonstrators headed towards parliament, undeterred by a police crackdown on pro-EU protesters and attacks on the opposition. The Caucasus nation has been engulfed in turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party declared victory in a disputed October 26 election. The government last week said it would suspend talks to join the European Union, sparking a fresh wave of demonstrations. Its critics accuse it of creeping authoritarianism and of steering the country back towards Russia. Georgia's pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili -- at loggerheads with the ruling party -- said on social media she had had "in-dept discussion" with the US president-elect Donald Trump and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris. She said they had discussed the "stolen election and extremely alarming repression against the people of Georgia. "Underscored the need for a strong US," she added. "The Georgian people have a friend in Donald Trump." Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky -- whose country has been fighting a Russian invasion for almost three years -- said Saturday he fully backed Georgia's anti-government protesters. Zelensky urged Tbilisi to stop "surrendering" to Moscow in a meeting with Zurabishvili in Paris. He has warned of Russian influence in Georgia for months. Zurabishvili has denounced widespread fraud in October's parliamentary polls, branding the freshly elected legislature and government "illegitimate". Blowing horns and whistles, pro-European protesters marched Saturday from Tbilisi State University towards parliament, blocking one of the city's main traffic arteries, an AFP reporter saw. As on previous nights, some demonstrators banged on the metal barriers blocking the parliament's entrance. Others pointed laser beams at the building and the police blocking the adjacent streets. "They are trying to arrest us, punish us, but we won't back down, we are not afraid," said 19-year-old protester Giorgi Romanadze. "This is our last chance to be free, to be happy. We want Europe, and Europe only." Some demonstrators held signs reading "We demand free and fair elections" and "Free all unjustly arrested," as calls for stronger international backing grew louder among the protesters. "We are fighting for our freedom... and we want the international community to help us," said 32-year-old Teona Chakvetadze. "We need the international community to sanction our oligarchs and this illegitimate government.... We can't win this fight on our own." Independent television station Pirveli reported that dozens of masked men had severely beaten its journalists. Police officers stood by without intervening during the incident near the protest venue. The opposition alliance, For Change, released CCTV footage showing the masked men raiding its office and badly beating opposition figure Koba Khabazi. The Georgian Dream government's security forces had faced persistent accusations of deploying plainclothes security agents to target and attack political opponents. The crackdown has triggered outrage at home and mounting international condemnation. Officers have made hundreds of arrests, including 48 at a protest on Friday. The country's rights ombudsman has accused the police of "torture" against those detained, with scores reporting mistreatment or showing visible injuries. With both sides ruling out a compromise, there appeared to be no clear route out of the crisis. The United States, France and Germany are among the Western countries to have denounced the crackdown on protests, but the government has refused to back down. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has praised his security forces after several opposition party offices were raided and their leaders arrested. "We have won an important battle against liberal fascism in our country," he told journalists, using language reminiscent of Kremlin rhetoric against its political opponents. Demonstrators have rejected Kobakhidze's characterisation of the protest movement. Thousands have also staged daily protests in other parts of Georgia, including the cities of Batumi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Zugdidi, and Telavi, local media reported. Critics of Georgian Dream are enraged by what they call its betrayal of the country's bid for EU membership, enshrined in the constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population. Georgian Dream, in power for more than a decade, has advanced controversial legislation in recent years, targeting civil society and independent media and curbing LGBTQ rights. Brussels has warned that such policies are incompatible with EU membership, while domestic detractors accuse the government of copying Russia's playbook. ub-im/jj